Work experience is one of the factors that contribute to the CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) points for Canada immigration in the Express Entry pool. CRS determines the rank of a candidate in the Express Entry pool. Prospective immigrants are ranked based on their language ability, education, skills, work experience, and other factors.
Express Entry is an online application system used by the Canadian government to organize and process the applications of skilled workers who are interested in immigrating to Canada and acquiring Canadian permanent residency status. Express Entry offers three Canadian immigration programs. The three immigration programs offered by Express Entry are:
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
- Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
- Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
Applicants must be eligible for one of the three programs listed to apply through Express Entry.
Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program
This program is for prospective candidates who have acquired Canadian work experience. The work experience must have been acquired in the last 3 years before application. Prospective candidates must have at least 1 year of skilled work experience in Canada. The work experience gained should fall under Skill Type 0, Skill Level A, or Skill Level B of the NOC.
NOC is the National Occupational Classification system used to classify occupations in Canada. Skill Type 0 is used to describe management jobs, Skill Level A describes professional jobs that usually require a university degree while Skill Level B describes technical jobs and skilled trades that typically call for apprenticeship training or a college degree.
The minimum work experience for CEC immigration candidates is 1 year of skilled work experience. There are several ways to satisfy this requirement:
- One (1) full-time job for 1 year
- Full-time work at more than 1 job
- An equal amount of part-time work
How to calculate work experience for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program (Express Entry)
- One full-time job for 1 year: the requirement is 1,560 hours of work in 1 year. This means that prospective candidates must have gained 30 hours of skilled work experience in Canada per week for 12 months at the same job.
- Full–time work at more than 1 job: the candidate should have acquired 30 hours of skilled work experience every week for 12 months at more than 1 job.
- Equal amount in part–time work: candidates must acquire the full-time equivalent. For part-time workers, they have 2 years to gain 1,560 hours of skilled work experience. What this implies is 15 hours of work every week for 24 months. A candidate can work as many part-time jobs as necessary to meet the requirement of 1,560 hours in 2 years.
For the Canadian Experience Class, the work experience must have been gained by working in Canada while holding a temporary resident status with authorization to work. Unpaid internships and volunteer work are not counted for skilled work experience. For your work experience to be counted you must either earn a commission or be paid a wage.
It is important to note that work experience gained as a full-time undergraduate will not count when meeting the immigration work experience requirement (even if you were on a co-op work term). Work hours above 30 hours per week will not be counted either.
For you to be eligible for the Canadian Experience Class you must not be:
- A refugee claimant in Canada
- Working without authorization
Any work experience gained without a temporary resident status in Canada will not count towards meeting the skilled work requirement. Self-employment does not count towards meeting the minimum requirements for the Canadian Experience Class Program.
Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program
You should apply through the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program if your skilled work experience was gained in a country outside of Canada. The Federal Skilled Worker program applies to prospective candidates with foreign work experience. For you to be eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker program you must meet the minimum educational requirements and language ability. It is important to note that work experience is one of the factors considered for Canada immigration.
Like the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the skilled work experience should fall under managerial jobs (skill type 0), professional jobs (skill level A), or technical jobs and skilled trades (skill level B) of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) job groups. The duties performed while at your job should include all the essential responsibilities and most of the main responsibilities for the NOC group your job is classified under.
For the FSW, your skilled work experience must have the same NOC as the job you intend to use for your Canada immigration application and must have been gained within the last 10 years. For your work experience to meet the requirement for immigration it must be work in which you were paid a wage or earned a commission. Unpaid internships or volunteer work does not count as skilled work for Canadian immigration. The work must have been done continuously for at least 1 year (12 months).
How to calculate work experience for the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program (Express Entry)
The work experience requirement can be met in a couple of different ways. It can either be gained working full-time at 1 job. Working full-time at more than 1 job, or by working part-time. Whether full-time or part-time, the work done must be under the same NOC. The required number of hours is a total of 1,560.
For full-time work at one job, a candidate must meet the work requirement of 30 hours of work per week for 12 months. This is similar to full-time work at more than 1 job. You must have gained 1,560 hours of work experience in 1 year which is 30 hours of work per week for 12 months. The only difference is that the work experience can be gathered by working full-time at more than 1 job under the same NOC.
If your work experience was gained by working part-time you must acquire the full-time equivalent of work hours. This means that you can work 15 hours per week for 24 months for 1,560 hours which is equivalent to 1 year of full-time work experience. For part-time work, you can work less or more than 15 hours per week and can work as many jobs as you need to meet this requirement. The aim is that the work hours must add up to 1,560 hours. Hours above 30 hours in a week would not be counted. Volunteer or unpaid internships won’t be counted either.
For full-time and part-time work, the work experience must be acquired from paid work. This is work in which you receive a pay (wage, commission, or salary).
For the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program, your student work experience may count towards your minimum work experience requirement. For the work experience gained while you were studying to count towards your Canada immigration work experience, it must be paid, continuous, and meet other requirements of the program. So while working as a student you must have been paid and there should be no gaps in employment.
For full-time work whether at 1 job or more than 1 job, a work experience of 1,560 hours in 1 year is required. For a part-time job, a full-time equivalent is required. Work hours above 30 hours per week are not counted. Any work done in which you were not paid does not count either.
Federal Skilled Trades (FST) program
The Federal Skilled Trades program is for candidates who want to apply for permanent residence based on their qualifications in a skilled trade. The Federal Skilled Trades program might be a great option for you if you are qualified in a skilled trade. For you to be eligible for this program you must either have a certificate that shows your qualification or a valid job offer.
The work experience required for the FST program is a minimum of 2 years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience) in a skilled trade within the last 5 years before a candidate’s application. The work experience must be acquired at a paid job for it to count towards your Canada immigration work experience.
The minimum work experience requirements for the FST program include:
- Must have gained 2 years of full-time work experience within the 5 years before the application
- The work experience must not be volunteer work or unpaid internship. Your work experience must be for a work in which you earned a commission or was paid a wage.
- You must meet the duties for the skilled trade you claim to be qualified in as stated by the NOC except for the certificate of qualification.
- You must have either;
- A valid full-time job employment offer for a minimum of 1 year or
- A certificate of qualification in that skilled trade. The certificate must be issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial, or federal authority.
The National Occupation Classification (NOC) has classified the skilled trades for the Federal Skilled Trades program in groups and they are all of the skill type B. What this implies is that the skill you claim to be qualified for must be of the skill type B and must fall under any of these groups:
- Major group 72 – industrial, electrical, and construction trades
- Major group 73 – maintenance and equipment operation trades
- Major group 82 – supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture, and elated production
- Major group 92 – processing, manufacturing, and utilities supervisors, and central control operators
- Minor group 632 – chefs and cooks
- Minor group 633 – butchers and bakers
The NOC further divides major groups into various occupations all under the skill type B. Your skilled work experience must be classifiable under one of these groups. As a prospective candidate, you must present evidence to show that you performed the duties listed in the lead statement of the occupational description in the NOC. These duties include all the essential duties and most of the main duties listed under that occupation.
Your experience must meet the job duties described in the NOC for your application not to be refused.
It is important to note that all work experience gained before you qualified to practice the occupation independently does not count in the Canada immigration process.
Work Experience for Express Entry
For Express Entry depending on the program you qualify for, the work experience requirement is full-time work of 30 hours per week for 1 year. The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program requires a minimum of 1 year of full-time work experience in the last 3 years before your application. The Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program requires a minimum of 1 year of full-time work experience in the same job type (having the same NOC) within the last 10 years before your application. The Federal Skilled Trades (FST) program requires a minimum of 2 years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade within the last 5 years before your application.
Calculation of work experience for Express Entry (CEC and FSW)
- 1 year of full-time work:
- 30 hours of work per week for 12 months = 1, 560 hours (1 year of full-time work)
- Equivalent amount in part-time hours:
- 30 hours of work per week for 12 months at more than 1 job = 1, 560 hours (1 year of full-time work)
- 15 hours of work per week for 24 months = 1, 560 hours (1 year of full-time work)
- 20 hours of work per week for 20 months = 1, 560 hours (1 year of full-time work)
How can I prove my work experience for Canada Immigration?
For Canada immigration, your work experience must be backed up by the necessary documents to prove the validity of your work experience. After you, as a candidate, have submitted an Express Entry profile, depending on your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, you may then receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA). If you receive an ITA, one of the requirements is the document(s) that support your work experience claim.
The documents that can be used as proof of work experience are majorly classified as:
- Letter of reference
- Supporting documents for the letter of reference
Letter of Reference
A letter of reference is very important to prove your work experience claim. A reference letter is important for all jobs that make up your work experience. It proves to the Canada immigration officer that your claims are valid. A reference letter should be obtained from your employer (past or current) for every job mentioned as work experience (whether full-time or part-time work).
A reference letter needs to meet the following criteria in order to be considered:
- Be on the company’s official letterhead with the company’s contact information (email, address, phone number)
- Contain:
- Your full name (as it appears officially on other documents without errors or omission)
- Your Job title (the various job positions occupied while you were with the company)
- How long you have worked with the company (including the dates)
- Responsibilities and duties for each job title (must match the duties and responsibilities for the NOC code that describes the work experience)
- Number of hours you worked weekly
- The amount you earned as wage or commission
- The information of your immediate supervisor or personnel officer at the company (name, title, signature)
A reference letter verifies your work experience and is an important work experience verification tool.
What if I am unable to get a reference letter from my past/current employer?
You should try your best to get a reference letter as it is the most reliable way to prove your work experience claim. However, if for reasons beyond your control, you are unable to get a reference letter from either a past or current employer, you can try to prove your work experience using other documents. It is important to note that it is at the discretion of the Canada immigration officer to accept the documents submitted to prove your work experience. As such, you should endeavour to submit the most valid documents to show your work experience.
If you cannot get a reference letter from your employer, you may submit other documents to prove your work experience such as
- Your employment contract (or appointment letter)
- Evidence of payment (payment stubs or slips)
- Sworn statements from co-workers
- Pictures of you at the workplace
- A copy of your company identification tag
- Your image on the company website
- Press reports about the company that make mention of your name (with or without your job title)
Getting as many documents as possible to support your work experience is necessary especially when you are unable to get a reference letter from your employer or supervisor. A personal statement explaining why you were unable to get a reference letter from your employer should be included as well. It is at the discretion of the Canada immigration officer to accept or reject these documents as proof of work experience.
Supporting documents for the letter of reference
Getting a reference letter is good but it is very essential to submit other documents that support your letter of reference. These documents should support the details provided by the reference letter. The documents should all prove your work experience at the company and should not contradict one another. The documents that may be presented to submit your letter of reference are
- Your employment contract (or appointment letter)
- Evidence of payment (payment stubs or slips)
- Sworn statements from co-workers
- Pictures of you at the workplace
- A copy of your company identification tag
- Your image on the company website
- Press reports about the company that make mention of your name (with or without your job title)
All documents presented should be verifiable as the Canada immigration officer may call to ascertain the information provided in these documents.
Work experience within Canada
If the work experience you are claiming is in Canada, you can provide supplementary documents (like your T4 tax slips, and Notice of Assessments) to support your claim. You should also provide a copy of either your work or study permit. This shows that your Canadian work experience was carried out with proper authorization and not while you were a full-time student.
Self-attesting statements are not valid to prove your work experience. The IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) may return your application as incomplete if you fail to provide valid proof to support your work experience claim.
Requirements for self-employment
Proving you are self-employed may be more difficult. It is important to submit important documents that prove that you were self-employed. Some of the documents that can be submitted to prove self-employment include:
- Reference letter from clients (or contract with the client)
- Reference letters from employees
- Reference letter from suppliers
- Reference letter from associate company
- A press release (or media story) that mentions your name in relation to your business
- A picture of you at your workplace
- Documents showing ownership of the business
- Evidence of income generated
It is important for applicants claiming self-employment to consult professional assistance.
Canada immigration without work experience
It will be difficult to immigrate to Canada and get permanent residence as such applicants would not be eligible to apply under any of the Express Entry programs. Without work experience, the most common way is international student immigration. This allows an applicant without work experience to immigrate to Canada with ties to an educational institution in Canada. The duration of stay is temporary and the length of stay usually depends on the expected graduation date from the educational institution.
Another Canada immigration option is the International Experience Class (IEC) which offers candidates without work experience the opportunity to immigrate to Canada for work within a certain time frame.
Conclusion
Work experience is an important factor for Canada immigration and permanent residence. The minimum work requirement for the Express Entry is 1 year of full-time work experience or the part-time equivalent. The work experience required varies depending on the Express Entry program chosen. Work hours above 30 hours per week do not count towards the Canada immigration work experience. For a work experience to count, you must earn a commission or wage.
Depending on the program, the work experience can be acquired in Canada or a foreign country. For the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), work experience acquired without proper authorization in Canada will not count towards meeting the skilled work requirement.
