Express Entry: How foreign work experience can strengthen your profile
(3-4 min estimated read time)
When building a competitive Express Entry profile, your foreign work experience can play a much bigger role than many candidates realize. Under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), foreign experience is one of the key factors that boosts your score through Skills Transferability, and in certain cases, it can add up to 50 additional CRS points. For many applicants, that difference alone can determine whether they receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency.
Below, we break down how foreign work experience works, what counts, and how it compares to Canadian experience in the Express Entry system.
What counts as foreign vs. Canadian work experience?
In Express Entry, work experience is classified by where the work was performed and the employer.
Canadian work experience includes:
- Working inside Canada for a Canadian employer (full-time or part-time)
- Paid employment
- Work performed with a valid temporary status
Foreign work experience includes:
- Work performed outside of Canada
In short: If the job isn’t performed physically in Canada for a Canadian employer, it’s treated as foreign experience.
Foreign vs. Canadian experience: key differences
Foreign experience can add up to 50 points, but only when combined with strong language results and/or Canadian experience.
Canadian experience is rewarded more heavily overall, contributing up to 180 CRS points across Core Human Capital and Skill Transferability.
| Program | Canadian Work Experience | Foreign Work Experience |
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC) | Required | Counts after you show you qualify with 1 year of Canadian experience |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) | Counts | Counts |
| Federal Skilled Trades (FSTP) | Counts | Counts |
- Full-time student restriction
- Canadian experience as a full-time student: does not count toward CRS or CEC.
- Foreign experience as a full-time student: can count, as long as all other requirements are met.2. Self-employment
- Foreign self-employment: may be eligible if all requirements are met.3. Requirements for both foreign and Canadian experience
To qualify under Express Entry, work experience must be:
- Paid
- Full-time (30 hrs/week) or equivalent part-time
- Classified under NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3
- Obtained within the last 10 years
- Supported with documentation proving your duties match the NOC description
Can both types of experience count at the same time?
Yes, and that’s exactly how many candidates boost their CRS. Foreign work experience helps you score points initially, especially when combined with strong language results. But Canadian work experience is what really increases your competitiveness: it adds more CRS, improves your chances in category-based draws, and can even make you eligible for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
Together, both types of experience work to strengthen your profile and open more pathways to PR.
Bringing it to Northia
If you’re preparing your Express Entry profile, understanding how your foreign experience contributes to your CRS score is essential. For many applicants, this is one of the most effective ways to boost competitiveness — especially when paired with strong language test results.
If you’re unsure how your experience will be assessed or how to maximize your points, our team is here to guide you.
Book your consultation with Northia Immigration. We’re here to guide you.
SOURCES: https://www.canada.ca/en.html
