NOC 31303 job description: physician assistant duties and responsibilities
- Conduct patient interviews, physical assessments and take medical histories
- Perform or order diagnostic tests and interpret results
- In consultation with a supervising physician, formulate and implement treatment plans and monitor patients' progress
- Perform and assist in minor surgery
- Provide health maintenance education
- May participate in research activities
- May prescribe from a limited list of medications.
- Provide primary, full-course, care to women and their babies during pregnancy, such as physical examinations, screening and diagnostic tests to monitor the health of mother and baby and make referrals to medical specialists as required
- Manage labour and spontaneous normal deliveries
- Care for, assess and monitor the health of newborns and refer infants to appropriate medical services as required
- Provide advice and guidance regarding care for newborns and young infants.
- Provide information and support to families affected by or at risk of a genetic disorder
- Gather and analyze family history and inheritance patterns, calculate risks of recurrence, and provide information about genetic testing and related procedures
- Develop, implement or coordinate action plans and refer individuals and families to other health professionals
- Design and conduct genetics training programs for other healthcare professionals or the general public
- May conduct research in the field of medical genetics and genetic counselling.
- Work alongside ophthalmologists to diagnose and treat eye disorders by performing specialized eye tests to measure and assess defective binocular vision or abnormal eye movement in patients
- Prescribe treatment such as eye exercises or patching regimens.
- Prepare for autopsies by obtaining patients' medical records and arranging for radiographic examinations
- Prepare, assist with or perform autopsies and surgical specimen examinations under pathologists' supervision
- Assist with preparation of provisional autopsy report
- Dissect, examine, weigh, photograph and X-ray organs and specimens, collect tissue samples for chemical analysis and record findings
- Discard specimens according to established safety procedures
- Clean and maintain instruments, equipment and supplies
- Develop and maintain processes for laboratory quality control
- May prepare bodies for release to funeral homes following completion of autopsies
- May supervise and train junior resident pathologists and morgue attendants.
Job titles under NOC 31303
See every job title and its code in the A–Z job title index, or all TEER 1 jobs.
Is NOC 31303 eligible for Express Entry?
By TEER, yes. TEER 1 is inside the TEER 0 to 3 range that the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Canadian Experience Class accept. You still need qualifying work experience, language test results and enough CRS points to get an invitation. Category-based draws and provincial nominee programs use their own occupation lists.
| Program | TEER check | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Skilled Worker | TEER qualifies | TEER 1 is within TEER 0 to 3 |
| Canadian Experience Class | TEER qualifies | TEER 1 is within TEER 0 to 3 |
| Federal Skilled Trades | Not a listed trade | Only certain trade groups qualify. Check IRCC |
| Spouse's open work permit | Qualifies | All TEER 1 jobs qualify. SOWP rules |
Category-based draws: NOC 31303 is on IRCC's Healthcare and social services list (checked 2026-10-16). Under NOC 2016, TEER 1 was skill level A ("NOC A").
Category-based Express Entry draws and provincial nominee programs use their own occupation lists. Check the current lists on IRCC's Express Entry page and provincial nominee page.
NOC 31303: common questions
What is NOC 31303?
NOC 31303 is the code for physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals in Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC 2021). Its first digit, 3, is the broad category and its second digit, 1, is the TEER level. Immigration forms, job offers and LMIA applications use this five-digit code.
What TEER is NOC 31303?
NOC 31303 is TEER 1. Occupations that usually need a university degree. Under the older NOC 2016 system, TEER 1 lines up with skill level A.
Is NOC 31303 eligible for Express Entry and PR?
By TEER, yes. TEER 1 is inside the TEER 0 to 3 range that the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Canadian Experience Class accept. You still need qualifying work experience, language test results and enough CRS points to get an invitation. Category-based draws and provincial nominee programs use their own occupation lists.
Is NOC 31303 in a category-based Express Entry draw?
Yes. As of IRCC's list dated 2026-10-16, NOC 31303 is in the healthcare and social services category. Category-based draws invite candidates with at least 6 months of continuous work experience in one of the listed occupations, and IRCC updates the lists from time to time.
Is NOC 31303 eligible for a spousal open work permit (SOWP)?
Yes. All TEER 1 jobs qualify, so a worker in this job can support a spouse's open work permit, as long as their own work permit has at least 16 months left when the spouse applies (IRCC page modified 2026-06-12).
What is the NOC code for a physician assistant?
Physician assistant is listed under NOC 31303, physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals. The job title alone does not decide your code: your duties should match the main duties of NOC 31303.
How do I know if NOC 31303 is my NOC code?
Compare what you actually do with the main duties listed for NOC 31303, not just your job title. IRCC expects your duties to match the lead statement and most of the main duties of the code you choose. If they fit another code better, use that one. You can paste your duties into nocfinder to see how they line up, duty by duty.
Source: ESDC NOC 2021 · IRCC program pages. Not legal advice.