NOC 42201: Social and community service workers
Social and community service workers administer and implement a variety of social assistance programs and community services, and assist clients to deal with personal and social problems. They are employed by social service and government agencies, mental health agencies, group homes, shelters, substance abuse centres, school boards, correctional facilities and other establishments.
Last reviewed 2026-11-02 · Sources: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
Quick answer
NOC 42201 (Social and community service workers) 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 | 42201 |
|---|---|
| Title | Social and community service workers |
| Broad category | Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services |
| 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
- Aboriginal outreach worker
- addictions worker
- child and youth worker
- community development worker
- community service worker
- crisis intervention worker
- developmental service worker
- drop-in centre worker
Main duties
- Review client background information, interview clients to obtain case history and prepare intake reports
- Assess clients' relevant skill strengths and needs
- Assist clients to sort out options and develop plans of action while providing necessary support and assistance
- Assess and investigate eligibility for social benefits
- Refer clients to other social services or assist clients in locating and utilizing community resources including legal, medical and financial assistance, housing, employment, transportation, day care and other services
- Counsel clients living in group homes and halfway houses, supervise their activities and assist in pre-release and release planning
- Participate in the selection and admission of clients to appropriate programs
- Implement life skills workshops, substance abuse treatment programs, behaviour management programs, youth services programs and other community and social service programs under the supervision of social services or health care professionals
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 42200 — Paralegals and related occupations
- NOC 42202 — Early childhood educators and assistants
- NOC 42203 — Instructors of persons with disabilities
- NOC 42204 — Religion workers
- NOC 42100 — Police officers (except commissioned)
- NOC 42101 — Firefighters
- NOC 42102 — Specialized members of the Canadian Armed Forces
← NOC 42200 Paralegals and related occupations · NOC 42202 Early childhood educators and assistants →
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 42201 eligible for Express Entry?+
NOC 42201 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 42201 a high-wage occupation?+
No. NOC 42201 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 42201?+
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.