Canada immigration applicants struggle with foreign work experience requirements
12 posts in the last 60 days, all from r/ImmigrationCanada.
“I need advice please. I did my undergrad in Canada and graduated in 2023. Since then I’ve worked for 2 years and 10 months and have a CRS score of 499. Here is the issue: Since graduation I’ve been unemployed for 2 months out of the 3 years. So I won’t get the max score from 3…”
“I am 37f immigrating to Canada with my husband (42m) and two kids. Over the past year we have worked to move to Canada but the problem is my CRS score. My score is only around 350 (which I've learned is really bad) I have no work experience in Canada and I speak no French. On…”
“Hi people . My husband and I both work in good companies tier 1 similar to MAANG level in India as SWE. We both checked our CRA score is around 450. We tried from company it’s not possible to go to canada. We both wanted to try out SWE jobs in Canada. 🇨🇦 Just to experience…”
Several posts express confusion and uncertainty regarding the requirements for foreign work experience in Canada's immigration system. Applicants are exploring strategies to quickly accumulate qualifying experience, questioning whether short stints abroad can significantly boost their CRS scores, and discussing the challenges of finding employment overseas.
SOURCES (21)
“Hi people . My husband and I both work in good companies tier 1 similar to MAANG level in India as SWE. We both checked our CRA score is around 450. We tried from company it’s not possible to go to canada. We both wanted…”
“I currently hold a PGWP that expires in March 2027. On the date of expiry of my pgwp, i would have completed 2 years and 50 weeks experience in tier 1 job (in tech) in canada after undergraduate degree here. I will be 2 weeks short of 3 years of Canadian work experience, which could add an additional 11 points to my crs score... which will push my CRS score to 511 (i know that it is not enough right now, but im fighting for all points i can get) Does anyone have any idea how I can get those 2 re”
“Hi, I have a question regarding my Express Entry ITA. My profile showed CRS 495 because the system counted 2 years of Canadian work experience, but I have not actually completed 2 years. My work permit has expired, so I can’t continue working, and my actual CRS is around 465. The draw cutoff was 476. If I improve my CELPIP during the 60-day ITA period and bring my genuine CRS above 476 before submitting my PR application, can I safely proceed with this ITA? I would really appreciate an RCIC’s op”
“I just calculated my score and with a Masters degree and 1 year of work experience in Canada, my CRS score would be around 520. I currently hold 5+ Yoe in Software engineering in my home country. I was considering Masters in US but due to the recent H1b updates, strongly considering Canada. Assuming there won't be any major changes in the immigration rules, what are my chances? submitted by /u/Choice-Camel9869 [link] [comments]”
“I have 5 years and 8 months of work experience outside Canada: ∙ Company A: 5 years, with all supporting documents, including job descriptions. ∙ Company B: 8 months, with all documents except a job description. When filling out my CEC application, should I get the job description/duties from Company B as well, or should I only mention my Company A experience? What should I mention in my LOE? In my study permit and PGWP applications, I mentioned both Company A and Company B. submitted by &”
“I need advice please. I did my undergrad in Canada and graduated in 2023. Since then I’ve worked for 2 years and 10 months and have a CRS score of 499. Here is the issue: Since graduation I’ve been unemployed for 2 months out of the 3 years. So I won’t get the max score from 3 years of experience. Currently, my PGWP expires at the end of october, 2026. My brother is currently waiting for his PR confirmation which should come by start of October (hopefully) if not by mid November. So I’ll end up”
“Hey so I hold a bachelors degree and have 1 year left in my pgwp. I am 26 years old, currently working abroad (not in canada, not a canadian company), and I will complete my 1 year work in a few months. I know french so I'm aiming to pass French assessment (B2). To apply for PR - what route am I eligible for? Is there hope for me without any Canadian working experience? Or am I cooked submitted by /u/Round_Tea7926 [link] [comments]”
“Hi everyone, I’m hoping to get some advice from people who have a similar background because I’m trying to decide whether it’s worth investing the time and money into pursuing Canadian PR. Here’s my situation: I’m a Pakistani citizen currently living in the UAE. I graduated in 2020 with a BSc (Hons) Information Technology from Middlesex University Dubai. I started working shortly after graduating and worked continuously from December 2020 to January 2023 . I have approximately 2 years and 1 mont”
“I have 2 years of work experience as an architect outside Canada. In Canada, I have 3 years of TEER 1 experience. I got an ITA last month with a CRS score of 533. Canadian Employment is okay. However, from both employers outside of Canada, I have experience letters mentioning my job duties, work hours, location, address, designation, time of employment, contact details of the firm and start/end date of the job. Foreign experience and job duties match the NOC code 21200 i.e. Architects, for which”
“I’m looking for some advice regarding my current Canadian immigration situation. Right now, I have a CRS score of 519 in the Express Entry pool. I am currently outside Canada , but I still hold a valid closed (employer-specific) work permit and TRV . My question is: if I receive an ITA in one of the upcoming Express Entry draws , would it be possible for me to return to Canada using my valid documents, submit my PR application, and then apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) ? Or are there”
“My CRS score is at 490. I received an ITA yesterday in the healthcare draw. However, I risk losing 40 points of canadian work experience due to some confusion. 1- I worked at a job in the NOC TEER 2 category for 2 years. However, only 8 months after I received my work permit, I moved out of Canada due to personal reasons. 2- While filling the IRCC form, I mentioned that I have 1 year of full-time experience where I wasnt studying full time. I discovered that the experience is only considered aft”
“I work as a cashier for 2 years now and have 1 year experience in a job related to my course which is under "skilled work TEER 0,1,2 0r 3". I know that the cashier job is not considered as a skilled job because it falls under TEER 5 but can I still count it as Canadian experience when I calculate my CRS score or apply for PR? Or does IRCC only count the "skilled work"? thank you guys for your help! submitted by /u/OrdinaryDefiant6216 [link] [comments]”
“I am 37f immigrating to Canada with my husband (42m) and two kids. Over the past year we have worked to move to Canada but the problem is my CRS score. My score is only around 350 (which I've learned is really bad) I have no work experience in Canada and I speak no French. On the bright side I took the English test and got 100% on all reading, writing, speaking, and listening. I dont know if it helps but I have a US bachelor's degree in math and science and my grandparents are Canadian.”
“Hi everyone, I’m preparing my Express Entry application under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and wanted to get some clarity on how my foreign work experience should be treated. My background: 🇨🇦 Canada: 1 year of full-time experience as a Product Owner — this will be my primary NOC for CEC. 🇮🇳 India: 3+ years of full-time experience as a Software Developer — planning to use NOC 21232 (Software Developers and Programmers). The duties and employment documentation for both roles accurately”
“Hi everyone, This question might be a bit redundant in this sub but I would like some help. I have foreign work experience of 2 years 11 months but the system calculated it to be 3 years and I received extra points. When I calculated my points in the website with 2 years it is 12 points less. My question is what if an invitation comes with cutoff score in between my two scores. Should i apply or reject and wait? submitted by /u/Dependent_Dig_8036 [link] [comments]”
“Hello! I’m currently thinking about moving to Canada and I recently landed a job as a teacher but it’s only for 8 months(1 school year). I was wondering if my work experience would still be counted if i started another teaching job for the next school year. submitted by /u/Delicious-Win-7255 [link] [comments]”
“Must the foreign work experience only be in ONE occupation? For example, if my foreign work experience is an accounts assistant (10 months), and the other foreign work experience is a tax accountant (4 months), can this be combined to claim the 1 year foreign work experience points? submitted by /u/hellohelp23 [link] [comments]”
“Hi everyone, I’m currently on a work permit in Canada working under TEER 1 Job, planning my pathway toward PR under CEC. I have 1 year of Canadian work experience so far and am currently employed. My work permit expires in March 2028, so I have some time to plan carefully. I’m weighing two different options to optimize my application and would love your advice or personal experiences on which route is safer. Option 1: Claim my 1 year of foreign work experience I have 1 year of foreign work exper”
“I would like to know if it is still possible to obtain Canadian Permanent Residency (PR) directly from my home country without any Canadian work experience in 2026 mid . I have over three years of experience as a Software Development Engineer (SDE) in my home country , an IELTS score of 8-7-7-7, a Master’s degree in Computer Science, and I am 27 years old. Considering the changes in the OINP rules as of June 2026, I am evaluating the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) with a Provincial Nomine”
“In Canada, I have experience of 1 year and almost 11 months as a shift Manager. So, in NOC B, teer 2 job. However, I heard that if I just get 1 or 2 months of foreign experience, my CRS score will increase as it would complete 2 years. So I don't need to spend a whole year in foreign country. Is that so? Or are there specific conditions for that ? submitted by /u/Bmshah_Canfra [link] [comments]”
“I see lot of people who don't have a good crs score go back to home country to get international experience and increase points.. Something about those statements,.for example " I don't have enough points, will go back to India and get a year of experience to increase points" it seems people who go back are very confident that they will get job in India quickly.For people who have done that ( I am Indian) are you able to get jobs quickly when you go back or is it a same struggl”