65311 Specialized cleaners

What this occupation covers

Specialized cleaners clean and refurbish building exteriors, carpets, chimneys, industrial equipment, ventilation systems, windows and other surfaces, using specialized equipment and techniques. They are employed by specialized cleaning service companies or they may be self-employed.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 6 main duties for this code.

• Operate cleaning machines to clean carpets, rugs and upholstered furniture on customers' premises or in carpet and upholstery cleaning establishments.
• Clean soot and creosote from chimneys and fireplaces using hand tools and industrial vacuum cleaners
• Clean building exteriors, tanks, and industrial equipment using sandblasting, pressurized steam or hydroblasting equipment.
• Clean ducts, vents and filters of furnaces in residences and commercial buildings using hand tools and industrial vacuum cleaners.
• Clean the interior and exterior of automobiles, buses, streetcars, railway cars and subway cars.
• Wash and clean interior and exterior windows and other glass surfaces in low-rise and highrise buildings.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 6 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 62024 Cleaning supervisors
• 65312 Janitors, caretakers and heavy-duty cleaners
• 65310 Light duty cleaners

Excluded from this code

• Cleaning supervisors (See 62024 Cleaning supervisors)
• Janitors, caretakers and heavy-duty cleaners (See 65312 Janitors, caretakers and heavy-duty cleaners)
• Light duty cleaners (See 65310 Light duty cleaners)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

acid tank cleaner · air duct cleaner · air duct cleaning technician · auto care worker · auto detailer · automobile cleaner · boiler cleaner · building exterior cleaner · building sander · bus cleaner · bus washer · car care worker · car detailer · car scrubber · car wash attendant · car washer · carpet cleaner · cesspool cleaner · chimney cleaner · chimney sweep · drain-roto cleaner · fireplace cleaner · freight car cleaner · furnace cleaner

Employment requirements

• There are no specific education requirements for occupations in this unit group.
• On-the-job training is usually provided.
• Previous experience in a related position may be required for some occupations in this unit group.