Is NOC 21222 (Information systems specialists) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?

Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 21222 is in the 1.5× tier of IRCC’s high-wage list, meaning its national median wage is at least 1.5 times, but less than 2 times, the median wage of the Canadian workforce (2023 to 2025 data).

How many CRS points does NOC 21222 give?

With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 21222, you add 40 points to your Canadian work-experience points. For example, a single candidate with 3 years of Canadian work goes from 64 to 104 points. A qualifying job offer in NOC 21222 is worth 70 points instead. You get the higher of the two routes, never both, capped at 150 points (140 with a spouse).

Do I need to earn 1.5× the median wage myself?

No. The tier comes from the occupation’s national median wage, not from your own salary. What matters is that your job’s main duties match NOC 21222 and that the work is skilled, paid, Canadian experience.

Can I combine months in different high-wage jobs?

Months here combine with months in 2× occupations for the 40-point add-on, and with any high-wage occupation for the 20-point add-on.

Which Express Entry programs accept NOC 21222?

As a TEER 1 occupation it counts as skilled work for the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

Which category draws include NOC 21222?

It is not on any of IRCC’s occupation category lists, so it does not qualify you for an occupation-based category draw.

1.5× median wageTEER 1NOC 2021 Version 1.0

NOC 21222: Information systems specialists

Information systems specialists analyze, test and assess systems requirements, develop and implement information systems development plans, policies and procedures, and provide advice on a wide range of information systems issues. They are employed in information technology consulting firms and in information technology units throughout the public and private sectors, or they may be self-employed.

Express Entry eligibility

Skilled work (TEER 0 to 3): yes, TEER 1.
Canadian Experience Class: counts as skilled Canadian work (1 year in the last 3 years).
Federal Skilled Worker Program: counts as skilled work (1 year of continuous work in the last 10 years).
Federal Skilled Trades Program: not one of the eligible trades.
High-wage occupation (from November 3, 2026): yes, 1.5× tier.

TEER 1: Occupations that usually need a university degree. Every program has other requirements too, such as language test results and, for FSW, a points test.

Category-based draws

NOC 21222 is not on any of IRCC’s occupation category lists. You can still be invited in general, Canadian Experience Class or other program draws.

Category lists checked on canada.ca on 2026-10-17. IRCC category-based selection

CRS points for work in NOC 21222

With 12+ months of Canadian work here, from November 3, 2026, by years of skilled Canadian work:

Canadian work CRS points with 12 or more months in NOC 21222
Years in Canada	Single, today	Single, Nov 3	With spouse, today	With spouse, Nov 3
1	40	80	35	75
2	53	93	46	86
3	64	104	56	96
4	72	112	63	103
5 or more	80	120	70	110

See Canadian work points and the median-wage rule.

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

Design, develop, test, implement and oversee IT systems
Collect and analyze data to identify areas for improvement within an organization's IT infrastructure
Review existing IT systems and internal processes
Develop, implement and apply policies and procedures throughout the software development life cycle to maximize the efficiency, effectiveness and overall quality of software products and information systems, and to ensure that all systems and processes meet organization standards and user requirements
Develop quality assurance procedures and tests for the development and improvement of new and existing systems
Identify, analyze and document discrepancies and ensure that appropriate adjustments are made
Perform preventive maintenance tasks on computer systems.

For Express Entry your duties must match the lead statement and most of the main duties above.

Example job titles

computer systems analyst
informatics consultant
information systems quality assurance (QA) analyst
information technology (IT) consultant
management information systems (MIS) analyst
systems auditor
systems consultant

Employment requirements

A bachelor's degree in computer science, computer systems engineering, software engineering, business administration or a related discipline or completion of a college program in computer science is usually required.
Experience as a computer programmer is usually required.
Certification or training provided by software vendors may be required by some employers.
A professional certification such as Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) or another related information technology (IT) designation.

Similar jobs with a different code

Common questions

Is NOC 21222 (Information systems specialists) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?: Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 21222 is in the 1.5× tier of IRCC’s high-wage list, meaning its national median wage is at least 1.5 times, but less than 2 times, the median wage of the Canadian workforce (2023 to 2025 data).
How many CRS points does NOC 21222 give?: With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 21222, you add 40 points to your Canadian work-experience points. For example, a single candidate with 3 years of Canadian work goes from 64 to 104 points. A qualifying job offer in NOC 21222 is worth 70 points instead. You get the higher of the two routes, never both, capped at 150 points (140 with a spouse).
Do I need to earn 1.5× the median wage myself?: No. The tier comes from the occupation’s national median wage, not from your own salary. What matters is that your job’s main duties match NOC 21222 and that the work is skilled, paid, Canadian experience.
Can I combine months in different high-wage jobs?: Months here combine with months in 2× occupations for the 40-point add-on, and with any high-wage occupation for the 20-point add-on.
Which Express Entry programs accept NOC 21222?: As a TEER 1 occupation it counts as skilled work for the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
Which category draws include NOC 21222?: It is not on any of IRCC’s occupation category lists, so it does not qualify you for an occupation-based category draw.

Other 1.5× high-wage occupations

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See your CRS score with NOC 21222

Quick CRS adds up every factor and shows your score under today’s rules and the rules from November 3, 2026, side by side. Free, about 3 minutes.

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