85121 Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers

What this occupation covers

Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers perform work to assist in the construction of landscapes and related structures, and to maintain lawns, gardens, athletic fields, golf courses, cemeteries, parks, landscaped interiors and other landscaped areas. They are employed by landscaping and lawn care companies, golf courses, cemeteries, and landscaping operations of public works departments and private establishments.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 6 main duties for this code.

• Spread top soil, lay sod, plant flowers, grass, shrubs and trees and perform other duties to assist with the construction of a landscape and related structures
• Cut grass, rake, aerate, dethatch, fertilize and water lawns, weed gardens, prune shrubs and trees and perform other maintenance duties as directed by supervisor
• Maintain lawns and grass along roadsides
• Operate and maintain power mowers, tractors, chain saws, electric clippers, sod cutters, pruning saws, snowblowers and other landscape maintenance equipment
• Spray and dust trees, shrubs, lawns and gardens, as directed, to control insects and disease
• Perform other manual duties to clean and maintain landscaped environments.

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.

• 22114 Landscape and horticulture technicians and specialists
• 85103 Nursery and greenhouse labourers
• 75119 Other trades helpers and labourers
• 75212 Public works and maintenance labourers
• 74205 Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers
• 73200 Residential and commercial installers and servicers

Excluded from this code

• Landscape and horticulture technicians and specialists (See 22114 Landscape and horticulture technicians and specialists)
• Nursery and greenhouse labourers (See 85103 Nursery and greenhouse labourers)
• Other trades helpers and labourers (See 75119 Other trades helpers and labourers)
• Public works and maintenance labourers (See 75212 Public works and maintenance labourers)
• Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers (See 74205 Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers)
• Residential and commercial installers and servicers (See 73200 Residential and commercial installers and servicers)

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.

bulb planter - landscaping · campground maintenance worker · cemetery labourer · cemetery worker · chemical applicator - lawn care · gardener helper · gardening helper · golf course labourer · golf course worker · grass cutter · grave digger · greens worker · greenskeeper helper · grounds maintainer · grounds maintenance labourer · grounds maintenance worker · groundskeeper · groundsman/woman · groundsperson - campground · landscape gardener helper · landscape gardening helper · landscape labourer · landscape worker · lawn care labourer

Employment requirements

• Some secondary school education may be required.
• A provincial licence to apply chemical fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides may be required.