A member asked whether a DSW (Developmental Service Worker) counts as a health worker, which NOC it falls under, and whether it's the same as a PSW (Personal Support Worker). The thread untangles a confusion that matters for PR planning:
- DSW is NOC 42201. It is classified as a health-related occupation — caring for individuals with developmental disabilities.
- DSW and PSW are different courses and different NOC codes, even though both involve patient/client care. PSW (personal support worker) is a separate credential that people with nursing backgrounds often work under. Don't assume equivalence: 'both DSW and PSW are different courses and different NOC codes.'
- 'In-demand' status is stream-specific. The asker wanted to know if DSW is in-demand in Ontario for PR purposes. The thread's caution: PSW appearing on an in-demand list does not automatically put DSW on it, because in-demand lists are written by NOC code, not by how similar the day-to-day work feels. Check the exact NOC code against the current stream list (e.g., Ontario's in-demand skills streams or the federal caregiver/health categories) before committing to a course.
- The home-care occupation family is broad. One reply listed the many job titles clustered around home support (home support worker, live-in caregiver, personal aide, family caregiver, etc.) — useful when matching your actual duties to the right NOC, since the title on your offer letter matters less than the duties matching the NOC's lead statement.
Bottom line: verify the NOC code of the
specific credential before enrolling if PR is the goal — two similar-sounding care jobs can sit in different codes with different immigration doors.