Work experience

On this page

• What counts as related work experience
• What to include with your application
• Work experience exemption if you studied and graduated in the community

What counts as related work experience

To apply for this pilot, you need at least 1 year (1,560 hours) of related work experience in the past 3 years.

There is a National Occupation Classification (NOC) code for every kind of job. Each job also belongs to a Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) category.

Your work experience must:

• have been for a paid position
  • Volunteer work and unpaid internships don’t count.
• not be from a self-employed job
• include the actions in the description of your NOC
• include most of the main duties
• be in a similar TEER as your job offer:

Find your NOC code and TEER(opens in a new tab) 

Exception for healthcare workers

If your work experience is in NOC 31301 (Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses – TEER 1), you can have a job offer in one of the following occupation categories:

• NOC 33102 (TEER 3): Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates or
• NOC 44101 (TEER 4): Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations

What to include with your application

When you apply for permanent residence, include proof of your experience like:

• a copy of your most recent work permit in Canada, if you have one
• employer reference letters for the jobs that you are counting as part of your work experience, which include
  • specific period of your employment (to/from dates)
  • description of your main responsibilities and duties
  • the corresponding NOC code (if known)
  • your total annual salary and benefits
  • the number of hours you worked per week
  • your employer's name, signature, full address, telephone number and email address (if applicable)
  • copies of your T4 tax information slips and your Notice of Assessment (if applicable)
• work contracts
• pay stubs

Work experience exemption if you studied and graduated in the community

You don’t need to meet the work experience requirement if you’re an international student who graduated from a public post-secondary school in the community with:

This exemption does not apply to international graduates if your credential is from a program where:

• studying English or French made up more than half of the program
• distance learning made up more than half of the program
• you received a scholarship or fellowship that requires you to return to your home country to use what you learned

What is an eligible credential?

An eligible credential means a degree, diploma, certificate, trade or apprenticeship credential from a publicly funded Canadian post-secondary institution in the recommending community.