Proving skilled work experience

Overview

Proving skilled work experience

Express Entry work experience is assessed by what the person actually did, where and when the work occurred, whether it was paid and how the applicable program counts it. A job title or NOC code by itself proves very little.

Choose the NOC from the duties

Find the NOC whose lead statement and main duties most closely match the real work. IRCC normally expects evidence that the lead statement and most main duties were performed. Do not choose a higher-TEER code because the title sounds similar.

A company’s internal title may be broad or unusual. Explain the relationship between that title and the claimed NOC through detailed employer evidence.

Apply the time rule for the actual program

Canadian Experience Class requires at least 1,560 hours of eligible Canadian work over a minimum of 12 months within the preceding three years. Federal Skilled Worker requires one continuous year in the same primary occupation within ten years. Federal Skilled Trades requires 3,120 hours over at least two years within five years in the same eligible trade NOC.

IRCC generally counts no more than 30 hours per week toward these minimums. The treatment of student work and self-employment differs by program, so a period that helps Federal Skilled Worker eligibility may not help Canadian Experience Class eligibility.

Ask the employer for facts an officer can test

A useful letter identifies the employer and signatory, job title, exact dates, hours, salary or commission and a meaningful description of duties. It should be on letterhead with current contact details.

Support the letter with contracts, pay statements, tax records, social-insurance records or corporate documents where appropriate. Multiple records are especially important for self-employment or when the former employer has closed.

Deal openly with unavailable letters

If an employer will not provide the requested detail, document the attempts and assemble the strongest independent evidence available. A colleague’s declaration can add context but may not carry the same weight as objective payroll and business records.

Do not create a letter for an employer to sign if it misstates duties or working conditions. An unexplained conflict between the profile, reference and earlier visa applications can raise credibility or misrepresentation concerns.