NOC 84121: Fishing vessel deckhands

Fishing vessel deckhands perform a variety of manual tasks on commercial fishing voyages, and maintain fishing vessels. They are employed by establishments that operate commercial fishing vessels and by self-employed fishermen/women.

Express Entry eligibility

• Skilled work (TEER 0 to 3): no, TEER 4 does not count for Express Entry.
• Canadian Experience Class: does not count.
• Federal Skilled Worker Program: does not count.
• Federal Skilled Trades Program: not one of the eligible trades.
• High-wage occupation (from November 3, 2026): no. No high-wage add-on, and a job offer in it earns no CRS points.

TEER 4: Occupations that usually need a high school diploma or several weeks of on-the-job training. Every program has other requirements too, such as language test results and, for FSW, a points test.

Category-based draws

NOC 84121 is not on any of IRCC’s occupation category lists. You can still be invited in general, Canadian Experience Class or other program draws if you qualify through other experience.

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

CRS points for work in NOC 84121

None. Work in TEER 4 and 5 occupations earns no Canadian work points in the CRS.

See Canadian work points and the median-wage rule.

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

• Prepare nets, lines and other fishing tackle, and operate fishing gear to catch fish and other marine life
• Sort, return protected species to the water, clean and pack fish in ice and stow catch in hold
• Repair nets, splice ropes and maintain fishing gear and other deck equipment
• Clean deck surfaces and fish hold
• Handle anchors and mooring lines during docking and undocking procedures
• May steer vessels to and from fishing areas
• May prepare and cook meals for crew members.

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

Example job titles

• fishing vessel crewman/woman
• fishing vessel deckhand
• fishing vessel icer
• fishing vessel netmender
• seiner deckhand
• trawlerman/woman

Employment requirements

• There are no specific educational requirements.
• On-the-job training is provided.
• Marine Emergency Duties certificate is required by Transport Canada.
• A deckhand training program may be required.
• Trawlermen/women require at least one year of experience.
• Fishing vessel deckhands require a commercial fishing licence.

Similar jobs with a different code

• 72602Deck officers, water transport
• 83121Fishermen/women
• 83120Fishing masters and officers