Key facts
- Full-time
- Treated as 30 hours a week
- Part-time
- Counted by equivalent hours, not by calendar time
- Must be
- Paid work — volunteering and unpaid internships do not count
- Matched by
- Duties performed, against the NOC lead statement and main duties
- Canadian Experience Class
- Authorised Canadian experience only
- Federal Skilled Worker
- Experience gained anywhere, continuous as required
Last verified against official sources: 2026-09-21
How hours are counted
- A year of full-time experience means the equivalent of 30 hours a week over twelve months.
- Part-time hours add up: fifteen hours a week for two years reaches the same total as full-time for one.
- Hours beyond full time in a single job do not count twice.
- More than one part-time job can be counted in the same period where the hours are genuinely worked.
Canadian and foreign experience differ
| Canadian Experience Class | Federal Skilled Worker | |
|---|---|---|
| Where gained | In Canada, with authorisation to work | Anywhere, including Canada |
| Recency | Within the three years before applying | Within the ten years before applying |
| Self-employment | Not counted | Not counted |
| Work while studying | Not counted | May count where it was authorised and paid |
Check the rule that applies to you
The same job can count under one programme and not the other. Read the programme rules for the route you are actually using rather than a general summary.
Duties, not job titles
A NOC is claimed on what you did. An officer compares your reference letter against the lead statement and main duties of the code claimed. A grand job title with duties that do not match the code is a weakness; a modest title with duties that match precisely is not.
Hypothetical example
Daniel's title is 'Technology Consultant'. His letter describes designing, coding and testing software. The title points nowhere in particular; the duties point to a software development code. The duties are what the claim rests on.
Common mistakes
- Counting unpaid internships, volunteering or unpaid family work.
- Claiming self-employment as skilled work experience.
- Choosing a NOC by title and only later discovering the duties do not match.
- Claiming a period that cannot be evidenced by a letter or by consistent alternative records.
Frequently asked questions
Does part-time work count for Express Entry?
Yes, on an equivalent-hours basis. Experience is measured in hours, with full-time treated as 30 hours a week, so part-time work simply takes longer to reach the same total.
Does self-employment count?
Self-employment is not counted as skilled work experience for these Express Entry programmes, whether it was in Canada or abroad.
Does work while studying count?
It does not count for Canadian Experience Class. For Federal Skilled Worker it may count where the work was paid and authorised — the details matter, so it is worth checking against your own situation.
What to do next
- List every job you intend to claim, with exact dates and weekly hours.
- Match each one to a NOC by duties.
- Check which programme's rules apply to each period.
- Request reference letters that describe the duties, not just the title.
Your next steps
Continue in the order most people find useful, rather than a list of unrelated pages.