Canadian Work Experience: Your Complete Guide to Express Entry Points and Requirements

Understanding Canadian work experience requirements for Express Entry can feel overwhelming, but it’s one of the most controllable factors in your immigration journey. Unlike education or language scores that are largely fixed, your Canadian work experience grows with time and strategic planning—potentially adding up to 80 crucial points to your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.

What this means for you: Every month of qualifying Canadian work experience brings you closer to that coveted Invitation to Apply (ITA). But not all work experience counts equally, and the documentation requirements are stricter than most applicants realize.

This guide breaks down exactly how Canadian work experience points work, which work permits qualify, and the insider strategies our AVID experts use to help clients maximize their accumulation—whether you’re just starting your Canadian journey or approaching your first anniversary of Canadian employment.

Understanding the Canadian Work Experience Points System

The Comprehensive Ranking System awards Canadian work experience points on a sliding scale, with the biggest jumps happening at the one-year and three-year marks. Here’s exactly how the points break down:

Point Allocation by Duration:

• Less than 1 year: 0 points
• 1 year: 40 points
• 2 years: 53 points
• 3 years: 64 points
• 4+ years: 80 points (maximum)

What really happens behind the scenes: Immigration officers calculate your work experience to the exact day, not just years. This means 364 days of work experience still equals zero points, while 365 days unlocks those crucial first 40 points.

Real mistake we’ve seen: Many applicants count calendar years instead of actual work days. If you started work on March 15th, you need to work until at least March 15th of the following year to claim one full year of experience.

The Strategic Value of Each Milestone

The point jumps aren’t arbitrary—they reflect Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) recognition that longer Canadian work experience demonstrates deeper integration into the Canadian labor market.

1-Year Milestone (40 points): Proves basic Canadian workplace adaptation 2-Year Milestone (53 points): Shows employment stability and skill development
3-Year Milestone (64 points): Indicates established professional relationships and advanced Canadian workplace knowledge 4-Year Milestone (80 points): Demonstrates full integration and often leadership experience

If you’re applying from countries with high refusal rates: Canadian work experience is particularly valuable as it provides concrete evidence of your ability to successfully establish yourself in Canada, addressing common officer concerns about settlement potential.

Qualifying Work Permits: What Counts and What Doesn’t

Not all Canadian employment qualifies for Express Entry points. The work must be performed under specific types of work permits, and understanding these distinctions can save you months of ineligible work accumulation.

Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP)

The gold standard for international students transitioning to permanent residency. PGWP holders can work for any employer in any location, making it the most flexible path to accumulating Canadian work experience.

What this means for you: If you have a PGWP, every day of qualifying work counts toward your Express Entry profile, regardless of whether you change employers or provinces.

Optional—but strongly recommended by AVID experts: Even if your field allows remote work, maintain a clear paper trail showing you’re physically working in Canada. Immigration officers may question work experience if they can’t verify your physical presence.

Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) Permits

Work performed under TFWP permits—including those supported by Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIA)—qualifies for Express Entry points. However, these permits come with employer and sometimes location restrictions.

Real mistake we’ve seen: Some applicants assume any work permit allows them to change employers freely. TFWP permits typically tie you to a specific employer and position. Unauthorized employment, even for a few days, can disqualify months of otherwise valid experience.

Open Work Permits

Several types of open work permits generate qualifying experience:

• Spouse/Partner Open Work Permits: If your spouse holds a study or work permit
• Bridging Open Work Permits: Issued to Express Entry candidates with pending applications
• International Mobility Program permits: Including intra-company transfers and international agreements (NAFTA/USMCA, CETA, etc.)

What this means for you: Open work permits provide flexibility similar to PGWPs, but they often have shorter validity periods. Plan your experience accumulation timeline accordingly.

Work Permits That Don’t Qualify

Understanding what doesn’t count is equally important:

• Work performed while on visitor status
• Unauthorized work
• Work performed outside Canada for Canadian employers
• Self-employment (with limited exceptions)
• Work performed under permits that explicitly prohibit Express Entry eligibility

If you’re applying from countries with high refusal rates: Any period of unauthorized work—even a single day—can result in automatic Express Entry ineligibility. Immigration officers from your home country may be particularly thorough in verifying work authorization dates.

Calculating Your Work Experience: Full-Time vs. Part-Time

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada uses a specific formula to calculate work experience, and misunderstanding this calculation is one of the most common reasons for profile ineligibility.

The 30-Hour Rule

Full-time work: 30 hours per week or more in a single job Part-time work: Less than 30 hours per week

For part-time work, you’ll need to accumulate 1,560 hours to equal one year of full-time experience (30 hours × 52 weeks = 1,560 hours).

What really happens behind the scenes: Immigration officers don’t just look at your stated hours—they cross-reference with typical industry standards, employment contracts, and pay records. Claiming 35 hours per week in a role that’s typically part-time without supporting documentation raises red flags.

Multiple Employer Scenarios

You can combine experience from multiple employers, but each position must be under a qualifying work permit. The total hours from all qualifying positions count toward your experience calculation.

Real mistake we’ve seen: Applicants sometimes double-count overlapping employment periods. If you worked for two employers simultaneously, you can only count the actual hours worked, not 40 hours per week for each job.

Handling Employment Gaps

Short gaps between jobs (typically under 4 weeks) generally don’t reset your experience calculation, provided you maintained legal status. However, longer gaps or periods of unemployment may interrupt your continuous experience accumulation.

Optional—but strongly recommended by AVID experts: Maintain detailed records of all employment periods, including start and end dates, hours worked, and reasons for any employment gaps. This documentation becomes crucial during the document submission phase.

Documentation Requirements: Building Your Evidence Package

Canadian work experience claims require comprehensive documentation, and immigration officers are increasingly scrutinous about employment verification. Here’s what you need and how to obtain it:

Employment Verification Letters

The cornerstone document for proving Canadian work experience. Each employer must provide a letter on company letterhead including:

• Your job title and duties
• Employment start and end dates
• Hours worked per week
• Annual salary and benefits
• Supervisor’s name and contact information

What this means for you: Generic reference letters won’t suffice. The letter must specifically address Express Entry requirements and be signed by someone with authority to verify your employment.

Real mistake we’ve seen: Waiting until Express Entry invitation to request employment letters. Some employers have policies against providing detailed employment verification, or key supervisors may have left the company. Start collecting these letters as soon as you begin each job.

Supporting Financial Documentation

Beyond employment letters, you’ll need financial proof of your work experience:

• T4 slips for each tax year
• Notice of Assessment from Canada Revenue Agency
• Pay stubs (typically 2-3 months’ worth per year of employment)
• Banking records showing salary deposits

Work Permit Verification

Include copies of all work permits under which you gained qualifying experience, clearly showing:

• Permit validity dates
• Authorized employers (if applicable)
• Any conditions or restrictions

If you’re applying from countries with high refusal rates: Immigration officers may verify your work permits independently with IRCC records. Ensure all permit copies are clear, complete, and match your claimed employment periods exactly.

National Occupational Classification (NOC) Alignment

Your employment duties must align with a specific NOC code at skill level 0, A, or B. This alignment affects both your Express Entry eligibility and potential Provincial Nominee Program opportunities.

Optional—but strongly recommended by AVID experts: Have your employment duties professionally assessed for NOC alignment before submitting your Express Entry profile. Misclassified NOC codes are a leading cause of application refusals.

Optimization Strategies: Maximizing Your Work Experience Value

Strategic planning can significantly accelerate your path to permanent residency through optimized Canadian work experience accumulation.

Work Permit Extension Timing

The 90-day rule: Apply for work permit extensions at least 90 days before expiry to maintain legal status during processing. However, for Express Entry optimization, consider applying 120-150 days early to ensure continuous work authorization.

What this means for you: Any gap in work authorization stops your experience accumulation clock. Even a one-day gap can delay your Express Entry eligibility by months.

Career Progression Planning

Higher NOC skill levels and supervisory roles can improve other aspects of your Express Entry profile, even if they don’t directly increase work experience points.

Real insight from AVID experts: Clients who demonstrate career progression during their Canadian work experience often score higher on factors like arranged employment and skill transferability, creating compounding benefits beyond the base work experience points.

Provincial Nominee Program Synergies

Many Provincial Nominee Programs prioritize candidates with local work experience. Strategic job selection can position you for both Express Entry and PNP opportunities.

If you’re applying from countries with high refusal rates: Provincial nomination adds 600 points to your Express Entry score, often guaranteeing an invitation. Consider work opportunities in provinces with active PNP streams aligned with your occupation.