Prospective and current candidates in the Express Entry system have various pathways to accumulate eligible work experience for a category, increasing their chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) due to lower cut-off scores in category-based draws.
Following recent updates to Canada’s Express Entry categories, candidates now need a minimum of 12 months of work in an eligible occupation to qualify for these special selections, up from the previous requirement of six months.
There are flexible options available for accumulating this work experience, including full-time or equivalent part-time work that does not need to be continuous.
This article explores essential considerations for candidates when building work experience and presents four methods they can utilize.
Key Factors for Accumulating Work Experience in Express Entry
Prior to discussing the various ways to gain work experience, it is crucial to understand important aspects related to eligible work experience for an Express Entry category and the system overall.
Full-time work = 30 hours a week—you cannot accelerate this
According to the ministerial instructions governing the Express Entry system, full-time work entails 30 hours per week, totaling 1,560 hours annually.
Any additional work within this timeframe will not contribute to your work requirements, meaning you cannot expedite the accumulation of work experience.
While the current instructions do not explicitly address remote work, candidates may have some flexibility to gain both foreign and Canadian work experience concurrently by combining in-person and remote work. However, this scenario may be considered an exception, and the acceptance of such work experience is subject to the discretion of the reviewing immigration officer.