NOC 32101: Licensed practical nurses
Licensed practical nurses provide nursing care usually under the direction of medical practitioners, registered nurses or other health team members. Operating room technicians prepare patients and provide assistance to medical practitioners prior to and during surgery. Licensed practical nurses are employed in hospitals, nursing homes, extended care facilities, rehabilitation centres, doctors' offices, clinics, companies, private homes and community health centres. Operating room technicians are employed in hospitals.
Last reviewed 2026-11-02 · Sources: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
Quick answer
NOC 32101 (Licensed practical nurses) is a TEER 2 occupation, so it counts as skilled work for Express Entry. It is not on IRCC's high-wage list. It is eligible for Healthcare category draws.
TEER
TEER 2
Skilled for Express Entry
High-wage
Not listed
No extra CRS points
Category draws
Healthcare
IRCC 2026 lists
| NOC 2021 code | 32101 |
|---|---|
| Title | Licensed practical nurses |
| Broad category | Health occupations |
| TEER | TEER 2 — usually requires a college diploma or apprenticeship of 2+ years, or supervisory roles |
Category-based draws
- Healthcare and Social Services Occupations, 2026-Version 3 — have accumulated, within the past 3 years, at least 12 months of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience) — this experience does not need to be continuous (in a single occupation listed in the table below (no matter your primary occupation); in Canada or abroad).
Example job titles
- graduate nursing assistant
- licensed practical nurse (L.P.N.)
- operating room technician
- registered nursing assistant (R.N.A.)
Main duties
- Licensed practical nurses
- Provide nursing services, within defined scope of practice, to patients based on patient assessment and care planning procedures
- Perform nursing interventions such as taking vital signs, applying aseptic techniques including sterile dressing, ensuring infection control, monitoring nutritional intake and conducting specimen collection
- Administer medication and observe and document therapeutic effects
- Provide pre-operative and post-operative personal and comfort care
- Monitor established respiratory therapy and intravenous therapy
- Monitor patients' progress, evaluate and document effectiveness of nursing interventions and collaborate with appropriate members of health care team
- Provide safety and health education to individuals and their families.
Your duties should match the lead statement and most of the main duties to use this NOC — check the full profile on the official NOC site.
Related occupations
- NOC 32100 — Opticians
- NOC 32102 — Paramedical occupations
- NOC 32103 — Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
- NOC 32104 — Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians
- NOC 32109 — Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
- NOC 32110 — Denturists
- NOC 32111 — Dental hygienists and dental therapists
- NOC 32112 — Dental technologists and technicians
- NOC 32120 — Medical laboratory technologists
- NOC 32121 — Medical radiation technologists
← NOC 32100 Opticians · NOC 32102 Paramedical occupations →
Calculate your CRS score → · All NOC codes · High-wage list
TEER 2 also matters for work permits: see the spousal open work permit (TEER rules for spouses of workers), LMIA explained and the Atlantic Immigration Program (job offers in TEER 0–4).
Sources: Statistics Canada NOC 2021 V1.0; IRCC high-wage occupations; IRCC category-based selection; IRCC who can apply.
Frequently asked questions
Is NOC 32101 eligible for Express Entry?+
NOC 32101 is a TEER 2 occupation. IRCC counts work in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupations as skilled work experience for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Canadian Experience Class, as long as all other program requirements are met.
Is NOC 32101 a high-wage occupation?+
No. NOC 32101 isn't on IRCC's Express Entry high-wage occupations list, so it doesn't earn the extra high-wage or job offer CRS points. Canadian work-length points can still apply for TEER 0–3 work.
Which Express Entry category draws include NOC 32101?+
As published by IRCC: Healthcare and Social Services Occupations, 2026-Version 3. Candidates generally need have accumulated, within the past 3 years, at least 12 months of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience) — this experience does not need to be continuous.