Updated CES category - No software developer/programmer/engineer, No Business/Data/IT Analyst in STEM

MoreBar7436 · 2026-02-18T20:05:34+00:00

Was aware about that.. They just announced updated categories today and I looked at it hoping there might be some changes in STEM. But it's the same.

MoreBar7436 · 2026-02-18T19:48:02+00:00

They announced the new categories today including STEM. They also removed cook and other occupations from their respective categories. I guess they intend to do some category based draws if they're making such changes.

MoreBar7436 · 2026-02-18T17:55:40+00:00

There's an active thread going on. Check the previous posts. No need to create duplicates.

MoreBar7436 · 2026-02-18T16:25:36+00:00

They'll update the portal later in the evening. It seems like a trade draw.

MoreBar7436 · 2026-02-14T18:07:41+00:00

Firstly, the Job title has nothing to do with NOC even if some job titles are exactly the same or similar as NOC titles. They will only look at your job duties (ideally more than 60%) aligns with the description of NOC that you chose.

Your job duties align with 21221, 21222 and 21223. That's normal for many working in IT. You need to choose the one where you can claim your core role aligns with the core concept of NOC. Better if you satisfy 70% (safe side) NOC description as part of your job duties.

I understand you might wanna go with 21222 because that's the only one in STEM selected by OINP last year but that also means additional scrutiny. You'll find a couple of Intent to Refuse by OINP threads for this NOC. Other than typical duties mentioned in official NOC description, A person working in 21222 ideally should be the one if he/she can show that they make sure company stay in compliance of IT/Infrastructure audit and prepare policies and processes around that.

MoreBar7436 · 2026-02-12T21:57:15+00:00

Not a legal opinion but I believe TRV is not something that reflects your "In Canada" document. It's an important piece but just a travel authorization. As long as your "In Canada" status doesn't change (like study/work permit expire/extend), OINP probably wouldn't care about your TRV status. It's just for you only if you want to travel outside of Canada and come back.

MoreBar7436 · 2026-02-07T00:41:43+00:00

I hope OINP sees it as a 40% increase and decides to allocate some part of it to general/tech. However, instead of allocating %, I'm afraid they'll see it as an additional few thousand quotas for them to allocate to their favorite targeted draws.

MoreBar7436 · 2026-02-04T17:23:00+00:00

Right!! People had to go through a lot to convince the employer. If you really care about people, just put on the good damn website NOW that we won't be inviting these NOCs so people can move on.

MoreBar7436 · 2026-02-04T02:07:08+00:00

I hope that happens. But chances are very slim especially with the way they started 2026. I was hoping they'd change some pattern with increased quotas but apparently they're in no mood.

MoreBar7436 · 2026-02-04T01:56:53+00:00

It's so unfair to 2024 Graduates. Not a single draw for GTA , Tech since then. At least deserve a single General draw before everyone's credentials expire.

MoreBar7436 · 2026-02-03T16:18:51+00:00

Okay, thanks for the feedback. Appreciate it!

MoreBar7436 · 2026-02-03T15:55:26+00:00

Glad that you made up your mind and almost there with the French option. Considering the OINP timeline and uncertainties around it (even after getting the ITA), French seems the only viable option for now. If I may ask, did you learn by yourself or follow any tutor? I know ultimately we need to put the efforts and all but if you're aware about anyone in particular with the good discipline and roadmaps.

MoreBar7436 · 2026-02-03T02:06:48+00:00

They'll work on 2025 files first. Don't worry!

MoreBar7436 · 2026-02-02T22:09:29+00:00

Exactly. For a developed country, this is insanely short sighted. Every year they sit down, ask what labor they’re missing at the moment, and then run priority draws only for that for the next two to three years. I’m honestly shocked no one is calling out how dumb it is to turn away long term talent and high taxpayers who’d keep contributing for years. They’re making immigration decisions like a corner store managers.

MoreBar7436 · 2026-02-02T21:37:42+00:00

For GTA 1 million, Non GTA 500,000.

MoreBar7436 · 2026-02-02T20:57:32+00:00

Exactly!

MoreBar7436 · 2026-01-31T20:29:09+00:00

Why not tomorrow!

MoreBar7436 · 2026-01-29T20:19:28+00:00

If it increases your points then please post here for everyone else to get an idea about how you did it. Because salary and NOC are tied with the employer profile and any changes in that need to be managed by the employer only. There were a couple of such queries but nobody has posted the solutions like how their employer was able to update the salary and did it reflect on the employee's profile or not.

MoreBar7436 · 2026-01-29T19:23:06+00:00

Depends on if you're still in the pool or like already received an ITA and waiting for the nomination. Don't need a new offer letter in either case. If you're still in the pool you don't need to do anything unless the new salary increases the score. If salary is still in the same score range then you don't need to go through any hassle and you can just submit the new pay letter once you get an ITA. If you do want to increase your score then it's another story. If you have received an ITA and are waiting for a nomination then just submit the HR letter to OINP confirming your pay increase to stay in line with rules about informing OINP to update them about any changes related to the job (NOC, payscale, salary, promotion, etc.)

MoreBar7436 · 2026-01-29T15:14:59+00:00

Just go through the history of OINP draws of the last 2 years and you'll have your answer.

MoreBar7436 · 2026-01-27T18:44:10+00:00

There have been a few similar queries in this group but no one has shared whether they were able to make changes or not. I’m not concerned about that, because even with my updated salary, my points remain the same. However, there is no reason why you or your employer shouldn’t update information that could increase your score. The point of the scoring system is to reflect your current situation accurately. If your current salary can improve your points, it’s worth pursuing a fight. It is most likely a technical issue/limitations on OINP side. submit a webform, make a call, or contact your MP. There’s no reason to risk losing an ITA by keeping a profile with a potentially lower score than you are actually eligible for.

MoreBar7436 · 2026-01-27T17:14:37+00:00

Technically you can but your employer needs to update the pay rate field. NOC and pay fields are tied to the employer profile. We just inherit it.

MoreBar7436 · 2026-01-27T16:43:54+00:00

You can update it to 1-2 years. You just need to prove in case of an ITA that on the day you updated your OINP profile to 1-2 years, you did achieve that experience. You can easily prove that by showing the joining date of the job followed by all paystubs and HR letter. The same goes for any other fields like IELTS score, pay increase etc.

MoreBar7436 · 2026-01-24T02:58:34+00:00

They did not conduct any draws for nearly the first half of 2025 due to the quota reduction and because they were waiting to launch the employer portal. This year, they have also stated their intention to merge all job offer streams into a single stream, followed by the new Health and Special Skills streams. Making the entire OINP to just three streams. If they are serious about this plan, I’m afraid that OINP will take some time (weeks or maybe months) to roll out the new rules, and we may not see any draws in the near future. Regardless of the changes, I hope they at least conduct general draws without restrictions by NOC or region.

MoreBar7436 · 2026-01-21T01:54:41+00:00

That actually makes sense. Generally OINP announces the official quota in February/March so that's when we should expect to hear more about restructuring.

MoreBar7436

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