How foreign work experience can help you get Canadian PR through Express Entry, and what counts
If you’re considering immigrating to Canada through Express Entry, your foreign work experience could play a key role in determining your competitiveness for an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence (PR).
In fact, under Canada’s Express Entry application management system, gaining foreign work experience is the only way to maximize Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points under “Skills Transferability” (barring getting a certificate of qualification for people in trade occupations).
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Getting skill transferability points for foreign work experience can increase your CRS score by 50, which can make the difference between receiving an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence versus not having the opportunity to apply.
This article will cover
What differentiates foreign work experience from Canadian work experience;
How foreign work experience and Canadian work experience can impact your CRS score; and
Other differentiating factors between Canadian work experience and foreign work experience.
The difference between Canadian and foreign work experience
If work experience fulfills all the necessary criteria, it can be recognized as either Canadian or foreign work experience.
Each type contributes differently to your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score and offers distinct advantages in the Express Entry process.
For work experience to be considered Canadian, one must be part of the Canadian labour market. That means the experience must be gained inside Canada for a Canadian employer.
In almost all other cases, it is considered foreign work experience.
SituationCanadian Work ExperienceForeign Work experience
Working in Canada for a Canadian employerYesNo
Working on vacation outside Canada while still employed by a Canadian companyYesNo
Working outside Canada for any foreign companyNoYes
Working inside Canada remotely for a foreign company or clientNoYes
Working remotely from outside Canada for a Canadian companyNoYes
So if work experience has been gained outside Canada for a foreign employer, it is considered foreign work experience. If work experience has been gained outside Canada for a Canadian employer, it is still considered foreign work experience. And if work experience has been gained inside Canada for an employer that is based outside the country, it is considered foreign work experience.
What are the other differences between Canadian and foreign work experience?
Canadian work experienceForeign work experience
Maximum number of CRS points one can earn through it180
– 100 under Skill Transferability50
– Only under Skill Transferability
Can be gained while being a full-time studentNo
– Any work done while the person was a full-time student does not count toward their eligible work experience.Yes
– Foreign work experience can count even if gained while being a full-time student, as long as it meets other criteria.
Can be gained while self-employedNo
– exceptions may apply for physicians who meet certain criteriaYes
Helps qualify for Canadian Experience ClassYes – is necessaryWhile it can increase your CRS score, it does not help qualify you for CEC
Helps qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker ProgramYesYes
Helps qualify for the Federal Skilled Trades ProgramYesYes
Requirements for both Canadian and foreign work experience
To be eligible under Canada’s Express Entry system, both Canadian and foreign work experience must satisfy specific criteria:
It must be paid.
It must be full-time (at least 30 hours per week) or an equivalent amount in part-time hours.
It must be skilled. The work must fall under National Occupation Classification (NOC) TEER categories 0, 1, 2, or 3, which cover managerial, professional, and technical/skilled trades.
It must have been accrued within the last ten years.
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Difference between Canadian and foreign work experience in the Comprehensive Ranking System
Whether your work experience is classified as Canadian or foreign plays a big role in the number of points you can earn under the CRS, the government’s ranking system that determines which candidates get invited to apply for PR through Express Entry.
Foreign work experience
For many candidates, foreign work experience can be more important for their chances of receiving an ITA than Canadian work experience.
This is because without any foreign work experience, most candidates can only score 50/100 CRS points under the skill transferability factors section.
As a skill transferability factor, foreign work experience can contribute to scoring up to 50 CRS points, but must be combined with language proficiency and/or Canadian experience:
Foreign Work Experience+ CLB 7 or more+ CLB 9 or more+ 1 year of Canadian work+ 2+ years of Canadian work
No foreign work experience0000
1 or 2 years13251325
3 years or more25502550
Canadian work experience
In contrast, Canadian work experience is rewarded under the core human capital factors and skill transferability factors.
For core human capital, candidates can score either up to 80 points when applying on their own, or up to 70 points when applying with a spouse or common-law partner:
Canadian work experienceWithout a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 80 points)With a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 70 points)
None or less than a year00
1 year4035
2 years5346
3 years6456
4 years7263
5 years or more8070
Canadian experience also contributes to the skill transferability section.
Points with Canadian work experience
Canadian work experience+ 1-year Post-Secondary Credential+ 2 or more Post-Secondary Credentials / Master’s / PhD
With no Canadian work experience00
With one year of Canadian work experience1325
With two years or more of Canadian work experience2550
Canadian work experience+ 1–2 years of Foreign Work Experience+ 3 or more years of Foreign Work Experience
With no Canadian work experience00
With one year of Canadian work experience1325
With two years or more of Canadian work experience2550
The maximum points available for skill transferability is 100.
It is worth noting that, in this section, Canadian work experience maxes out after two years, so one cannot gain any more points by gaining a third year of Canadian work experience in this section.
So, in total one can gain a maximum of 180 additional points (if applying without a spouse or common law partner) through their Canadian work experience.
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Student work experience
Canadian work experience that has been gained while someone is a full-time student does not count towards their CRS score, not does it count toward eligibility for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
On the other hand, foreign experience gained as a full-time student can be counted towards one’s CRS score.
Self-employment
Similar to student restrictions, under CEC, Canadian work experience gained as someone who is self-employed does not count towards the minimum requirements of the program (with an exception for some physicians).
Gaining both Canadian and Foreign work experience simultaneously
In some cases, it is possible to gain foreign and in-Canada work experience at the same time, because the CRS calculates each type of work experience separately.
And under the current definitions of Canadian and foreign work experience, it is possible for a person to work a job for a Canadian employer in Canada while living in Canada, while simultaneously working for a foreign employer remotely, either part-time or full-time.
Provided that both instances of work experience meet all the Express Entry criteria, up to full-time hours for each type of work experience can be counted over the same period (i.e. up to 30 hours of Canadian work experience and up to 30 hours of foreign work experience over a single week).
It is worth noting that such cases are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Applicants will have to provide all the necessary details and documentation to convince an immigration officer that they meet both work requirements, including showing the officer they worked the hours claimed for each job.
Qualifying for the Canadian Experience Class
A big benefit of having Canadian work experience is that it can make you eligible to apply under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), which increases your chances of receiving an ITA through Express Entry through a CEC draw, and also exempts you from the settlement funds requirement needed for the FSWP or FSTP.
To qualify for the CEC under Express Entry, foreign nationals must have skilled work experience in Canada that meets the following criteria:
It must be paid.
The work must fall under NOC TEER categories 0, 1, 2, or 3.
Experience must have been gained while legally authorized to work in Canada, under valid temporary resident status, such as a work permit.
For remote positions, the individual must have been physically present in Canada and employed by a Canadian employer during the period of work.
The candidate must have a minimum of one year of full-time work (or the equivalent in part-time work), totalling 1,560 hours within the three years prior to applying.
Applicants must demonstrate that they performed the lead statement and most of the main duties outlined in the official NOC job description for their occupation.
Canadian work experience to qualify for CEC does not have to be continuous, unlike the work experience needed to qualify for occupation-based category based draws through Express Entry.
