Work experience is an important factor considered under Canada Express Entry, and must meet specific requirements and skill levels.
Up to 80 points can be gained toward a candidate’s Comprehensive Ranking System score with five years of work experience in a specific field. That 80 points can easily be enough to secure a coveted Invitation to Apply.
In certain cases, such as the Federal Skilled Worker Program, candidates require a minimum of one year of work experience to qualify under Express Entry.
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Boosting Your Score Under Canada Express Entry
The experience also needs to be in a field referenced under Canada’s National Occupational Classification TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3, for which more details are included below.
Candidates can also accumulate work experience while they are in the Express Entry Pool, scoring extra points.
The Minimum Work Experience Requirement
The authorities have prescribed certain work experience requirements that applicants need to meet. To meet these requirements, applicants need to:
- Have accumulated at least one year of continuous full-time paid work experience or,
- Have acquired an equivalent amount of ongoing paid part-time work experience
The work experience must be in the occupation identified in their application for permanent residence as their primary occupation.
In addition, this occupation must be in the following occupational categories specified in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021:
| TEER 0 | Management |
| TEER 1 | Completion of a university degree (bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate); |
| TEER 2 | Completion of a post-secondary education program of two to three years at community college, institute of technology or CÉGEP; OR Completion of an apprenticeship training program of two to five years; OR Occupations with supervisory or significant safety (e.g. police officers and firefighters) responsibilities. |
| TEER 3 | Completion of a post-secondary education program of less than two years at community college, institute of technology or CÉGEP; OR
Completion of an apprenticeship training program of less than two years; OR More than six months of on-the-job training, training courses or specific work experience with some secondary school education. |
Furthermore, in order to meet the prescribed minimum requirements, the applicant needs to possess skilled work experience that:
- Has taken place within the 10 years preceding the date of the applicant’s application for permanent residence and,
- Is not in an occupation that the authorities have designated as being a restricted occupation
In addition, during that specific period of employment, the applicant needs to:
- Ensure that they have performed the actions specified in the lead statement for the occupation as described in the occupational descriptions of the NOC matrix.
- This also includes carrying out a substantial number of the main duties, including all the essential duties, as specified in the NOC matrix.
