NOC 72602: Deck officers, water transport

NOC 72602 is the NOC 2021 unit group for deck officers, water transport, with job titles such as deck officer - water transport, coast Guard vessel navigation officer and coast Guard vessel watchkeeping officer. It is a TEER 2 occupation in broad category 7, trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations.

TEER 2Broad category 7NOC 2021

Decode the code

Pick a level to see what each digit means.

72602

Unit group 72602: deck officers, water transport. This is the code you put on your application.

NOC 72602 job description: deck officer - water transport duties and responsibilities

  • Command and operate ships or other self-propelled vessels, such as barges or oil rigs, to transport passengers and cargo
  • Command and operate coast guard vessels to provide ice-breaking and search and rescue services, and to maintain control over ships operating in Canadian waters
  • Board vessels at berth or from pilot boats to advise ships' captains on the course to steer for safe passage into and out of ports, seaways or other waterways under pilotage authority
  • Plan and execute safe navigational passage using navigational aids
  • Determine geographical position using navigational instruments, maps and charts
  • Guide vessels in rivers, canals, and other confined or hazardous waters and waterways
  • Maintain vessels' navigational instruments and equipment
  • Direct and oversee the loading and unloading of cargo
  • Supervise and coordinate the activities of deck crews
  • Record vessel progress, crew activities, weather and sea conditions in the ship's log.

Job titles under NOC 72602

See every job title and its code in the A–Z job title index, or all TEER 2 jobs.

Is NOC 72602 eligible for Express Entry?

By TEER, yes. TEER 2 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.

Federal program TEER requirements for NOC 72602
ProgramTEER checkWhy
Federal Skilled WorkerTEER qualifiesTEER 2 is within TEER 0 to 3
Canadian Experience ClassTEER qualifiesTEER 2 is within TEER 0 to 3
Federal Skilled TradesNot a listed tradeOnly certain trade groups qualify. Check IRCC
Spouse's open work permitQualifiesOn IRCC's TEER 2–3 list. SOWP rules

Category-based draws: NOC 72602 is not on any category-based selection list (checked 2026-10-16). Under NOC 2016, TEER 2 was skill level B ("NOC B").

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 72602: common questions

What is NOC 72602?

NOC 72602 is the code for deck officers, water transport in Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC 2021). Its first digit, 7, is the broad category and its second digit, 2, is the TEER level. Immigration forms, job offers and LMIA applications use this five-digit code.

What TEER is NOC 72602?

NOC 72602 is TEER 2. Occupations that usually need a college program of two to three years or an apprenticeship of two to five years, or that carry supervisory or significant safety responsibilities. Under the older NOC 2016 system, TEER 2 lines up with skill level B.

Is NOC 72602 eligible for Express Entry and PR?

By TEER, yes. TEER 2 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 72602 in a category-based Express Entry draw?

No. As of IRCC's list dated 2026-10-16, NOC 72602 is not in any category-based selection list (healthcare, STEM, trades, education, transport and others). You can still be invited in general and program-specific draws.

Is NOC 72602 eligible for a spousal open work permit (SOWP)?

Yes. NOC 72602 is on IRCC's list of TEER 2 occupations that 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 deck officer - water transport?

Deck officer - water transport is listed under NOC 72602, deck officers, water transport. The job title alone does not decide your code: your duties should match the main duties of NOC 72602.

How do I know if NOC 72602 is my NOC code?

Compare what you actually do with the main duties listed for NOC 72602, 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.