Short answer
Find your NOC code in the table below and read the TN profession entry named in the last column — that entry’s wording and credential are what a TN application is judged against. The NOC code itself decides nothing: the NOC is Canada’s classification for Canadian statistics and programs, and it does not appear in the TN rules. The TN list is a separate, shorter list of 63 professions at 8 CFR 214.6(c).
Searching “noc 2171”? NOC 2016 code 2171 is “Information systems analysts and consultants”. In NOC 2021 it became 21222, “Information systems specialists” (Employment and Social Development Canada / Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification). The TN entry people with this code usually read first is Computer Systems Analyst, and some 2171 jobs also sit near the Engineer entry — the table below shows both. Which entry, if any, fits depends on the job’s actual duties and the person’s credentials, not on the code.
How to use the table
Work in three steps. First, find your current code: NOC 2021 codes have five digits; if your documents show a four-digit code, that is NOC 2016 — find it in the middle column and read across to its 2021 successor. Second, open the TN entry named in the last column and read its full entry on the TN professions list: the entry names the credential — a degree, a licence, or a diploma plus experience. Third, compare the actual job, not the job title, with the entry’s wording. Where the table says there is no TN entry for a NOC group, that is the accurate answer for that group as such: management and programming roles are not TN professions in themselves, whatever the Canadian code says.
NOC 2021 also reorganized some NOC 2016 groups, so one 2016 code can continue into more than one 2021 group — 2171, for example, also feeds the business systems, cybersecurity and data groups. The table shows the continuation TN readers usually mean.
Common NOC codes and the TN entry to read
| NOC 2021 | NOC 2016 | TN list entry to read |
|---|---|---|
| 21222 — Information systems specialists | 2171 | Computer Systems Analyst |
| 21223 — Database analysts and data administrators | 2172 | Computer Systems Analyst |
| 21231 — Software engineers and designers | 2173 | Engineer |
| 21230 — Computer systems developers and programmers | 2174 | No TN entry for programming as such — read Computer Systems Analyst and Engineer |
| 21232 / 21233 / 21234 — Software developers and programmers; web designers; web developers and programmers | 2175 | No TN entry for development as such — read Computer Systems Analyst and Engineer |
| 21300 — Civil engineers | 2131 | Engineer |
| 21301 — Mechanical engineers | 2132 | Engineer |
| 21310 — Electrical and electronics engineers | 2133 | Engineer |
| 11100 — Financial auditors and accountants | 1111 | Accountant |
| 11201 — Professional occupations in business management consulting | 1122 | Management Consultant |
| 20012 — Computer and information systems managers | 0213 | No TN entry for managers — read the entry for the professional work itself |
| 21210 — Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries | 2161 | Mathematician (including Statistician) |
| 31301 — Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 3012 | Registered Nurse |
| 41200 — University professors and lecturers | 4011 | Teacher — college, seminary or university |
| 51100 — Librarians | 5111 | Librarian |
| 52120 — Graphic designers and illustrators | 5241 | Graphic Designer |
NOC titles are the NOC 2021 unit-group titles (Employment and Social Development Canada / Statistics Canada). “TN list entry to read” points at the entry whose wording and credential to compare with your job — it is not a statement that any particular job belongs in that entry.
The credential is in the TN entry, not the NOC
Each TN entry carries its own minimum credential, and the NOC’s employment requirements for a group are a different thing written for a different purpose. A group whose NOC employment requirements mention a degree does not make the TN entry a degree entry, and the reverse is also true. When you have found your entry, the TNPath guide for that profession works through the credential and the duties in detail — the Computer Systems Analyst guide, for example, explains the degree route and the diploma-plus-three-years route the TN list allows.
Common questions
Does my NOC code decide which TN profession I use?
No. The NOC is Canada’s occupational classification for Canadian statistics and programs. The TN decision uses the USMCA profession list at 8 CFR 214.6(c), the actual job, and the credential the list names. A NOC code is a starting point for finding which TN entry to read — nothing more.
My documents show a four-digit code. Which version is that?
Four-digit codes are NOC 2016 (or an older version). NOC 2021 uses five digits. Use the NOC 2016 column in the table to find the current code, then read the TN entry in the last column.
My NOC code isn’t in the table. What now?
Read the TN profession list itself — all 63 entries with their credentials are on the TN professions list — and compare your actual duties and your credential with the list wording. This table covers the codes TN readers ask about most; it is not the full NOC.
Will TNPath tell me whether I qualify?
No. TNPath is a document-assembly tool. It organizes the facts you provide into templates and gives general information. It doesn’t make eligibility determinations or recommend case-specific strategy. Only the U.S. government decides: U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the border or preclearance, and for Mexican citizens a consular officer decides the visa first.
Sources
- Government of Canada: National Occupational Classification (NOC)
- Statistics Canada: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021, Version 1.0
- eCFR: 8 CFR 214.6 (the TN profession list is Appendix 2 / paragraph (c))
Last reviewed October 30, 2026. General information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; confirm with official sources before you travel.
See also: all 63 TN professions.