Short answer: one year of experience for CEC means 1,560 hours, counted at a maximum of 30 hours per week. Only paid work within the 3 years before you apply counts. Working 45-hour weeks does not get you there faster — every week is capped at 30, which is the single most common counting mistake.
Hours that don't count
- Anything over 30 hours in a week. A 45-hour week counts as 30. Full-time 12 months = 1,560 hours is the ceiling formula.
- Unpaid work. Volunteering and unpaid internships are excluded; only wages or commission count.
- Outside the 3-year window. Experience older than 3 years at application is gone.
- TEER 4–5 occupations. Only NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, 3 qualify.
- Unauthorized work. Hours count only while you held temporary resident status with work authorization.
- Remote work abroad. Remote hours count only if you were physically in Canada working for a Canadian employer.
Counting patterns that work
| Pattern | Math | Reaches 1 year in |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time, 1 job (30+ h/wk) | 30 × 52 | 12 months |
| Part-time (15 h/wk) | 15 × 104 | 24 months |
| Several part-time jobs | Actual hours combined, 30/wk cap | By total hours |
| Multiple full-time jobs | Capped at 30/wk combined | 12 months |
There's no limit on how many part-time jobs you combine.
What to secure alongside hours
- Duties match: reference letters must show you performed the NOC lead statement and most main duties.
- Language: CLB 7 (TEER 0/1 jobs) or CLB 5 (TEER 2/3) in all four abilities — see CELPIP vs IELTS.
- Records: pay stubs, T4s, and employment letters that reconstruct your hours. Most hour disputes are record problems.
FAQ
Do working-holiday hours count? Yes — paid, authorized work in TEER 0–3 counts. Combined with Korea's two IEC participations, that's up to 24 months of runway.
Hours worked while studying? Some work performed during full-time study is excluded from CEC — a classic case-by-case checkpoint.
Is 1,560 hours = PR? No. That's eligibility; Express Entry selection is a separate points competition. Eligible and selected are different things.
