If switching your primary NOC (occupation code) suddenly makes your Express Entry profile ineligible, the culprit is often the 10-year experience window under Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) rules.
- Check how much of your relevant experience falls within the last 10 years from today, not from when you first started working — IRCC only counts experience inside this rolling 10-year window.
- If part of your experience under the new NOC falls outside that 10-year window, it won't count, which can drop you below the one full year required for eligibility even if your total career history is longer.
- Recalculate before switching NOCs. If changing your primary NOC pushes some of your qualifying experience outside the 10-year cutoff, you may need to stick with your original NOC or find additional recent experience under the new one.