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Can I count my agency working experience?

Boviesam

Hero Member
Jun 21, 2015
436
47
AOR Received.
06-05-2017
Hi All,

I actually spent 6 months working for a company through an agency (Aug 2015 to Jan 2016) and then got hired by the company legally (presently working). Does my agency experience working for the same company also counts. Can I put that in my express entry profile? If so, I don't have to wait for another 5 months for completion of one year work experience. Please advise.

Thanks in advance.
 

istari

Champion Member
Jul 5, 2016
1,746
81
Australia
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Boviesam said:
Hi All,

I actually spent 6 months working for a company through an agency (Aug 2015 to Jan 2016) and then got hired by the company legally (presently working). Does my agency experience working for the same company also counts. Can I put that in my express entry profile? If so, I don't have to wait for another 5 months for completion of one year work experience. Please advise.

Thanks in advance.
Are you suggesting that your work experience before that was illegal ?
If so, I certainly wouldn't include it.
 

Boviesam

Hero Member
Jun 21, 2015
436
47
AOR Received.
06-05-2017
Hi Istari

Everything was legal. All the payments and work policies. All was legal. Just confused if I can count that experience in Express Entry in CEC.
 

aneelkanth

Star Member
Jul 2, 2013
113
18
Toronto
OP experience can be claimed; provided you can take the letter of duties from the company itself.
Any supporting document that speculates that you were hired through the 3rd party recruitment agency is recommended to clearly communicate the 6 month working period. A job offer letter should suffice.

IRCC goes by the duties you performed at the company and it has to be paid; irrespective of you working through a 3rd party recruitment agency.
 

Boviesam

Hero Member
Jun 21, 2015
436
47
AOR Received.
06-05-2017
Hi Aneelkanth,

May I please know what OP is? And where am I supposed to take the letter of duties from (the agency I was working through or the company I am working with)?

I just remember my agency providing me with the T4 slip (not sure if they have any pay stubs as well). Would that be enough as a supporting document? I also have invoices that they used to send my company for my hourly payment. OR Is it necessary to ask them about the pay stubs?

Sorry for all this silly questions, just too worried. Please advise as per your convenience.
 

istari

Champion Member
Jul 5, 2016
1,746
81
Australia
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Boviesam said:
Hi Aneelkanth,

May I please know what OP is? And where am I supposed to take the letter of duties from (the agency I was working through or the company I am working with)?

I just remember my agency providing me with the T4 slip (not sure if they have any pay stubs as well). Would that be enough as a supporting document? I also have invoices that they used to send my company for my hourly payment. OR Is it necessary to ask them about the pay stubs?

Sorry for all this silly questions, just too worried. Please advise as per your convenience.
Just to be clear, were you living in Canada while doing this job ?

OP means original poster. In this case, that's you.

What exactly was your position with the employer during this work experience ? Were you a contracted freelancer ? Did the agency pay your salary, or did the employer ?
If I were you, I would get experience letters from both the agency and the employer. Get a letter from the agency stating that you were employed through them, and the dates, salary, etc. Any information that is directly related to the agency.
And a letter from the employer saying that you were contracted to them through an agency, the dates, salary, duties and responsibilities, etc.

Each letter should include only things directly related to the employer or agency.
So, for example, if your salary was paid by the employer, and had nothing to do with the agency, it shouldn't be in your letter from the agency, only in the letter from the employer.
 

aneelkanth

Star Member
Jul 2, 2013
113
18
Toronto
istari said:
Just to be clear, were you living in Canada while doing this job ?

OP means original poster. In this case, that's you.

What exactly was your position with the employer during this work experience ? Were you a contracted freelancer ? Did the agency pay your salary, or did the employer ?
If I were you, I would get experience letters from both the agency and the employer. Get a letter from the agency stating that you were employed through them, and the dates, salary, etc. Any information that is directly related to the agency.
And a letter from the employer saying that you were contracted to them through an agency, the dates, salary, duties and responsibilities, etc.

Each letter should include only things directly related to the employer or agency.
So, for example, if your salary was paid by the employer, and had nothing to do with the agency, it shouldn't be in your letter from the agency, only in the letter from the employer.

This is exactly what I mean.
Thanks Istari

Gotta stop using OP :D
 

Boviesam

Hero Member
Jun 21, 2015
436
47
AOR Received.
06-05-2017
Hello Istari,

Appreciate your reply. Yes I was in Canada while doing this job. Thanks for clarifying what OP is.

I was actually appointed as a Billing coordinator but later (after about 20 days) I started working as an Administrative Coordinator. Since then I am in same position.
And by contracted freelancer you mean someone who works away from home for the company. Right? Well I wasn't. The agency paid my salary for those 6 months.

And one more question, SORRY, does it have to be a specific salary (i mean hourly rate) for my position in the experience letter or does it just have to be above minimum wage rate only?

Please advise.
 

istari

Champion Member
Jul 5, 2016
1,746
81
Australia
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Boviesam said:
Hello Istari,

Appreciate your reply. Yes I was in Canada while doing this job. Thanks for clarifying what OP is.

I was actually appointed as a Billing coordinator but later (after about 20 days) I started working as an Administrative Coordinator. Since then I am in same position.
And by contracted freelancer you mean someone who works away from home for the company. Right? Well I wasn't. The agency paid my salary for those 6 months.
That's not what I meant. I mean did you have any sort of contract with the employer ? Or were you contracted only to the agency.

And one more question, SORRY, does it have to be a specific salary (i mean hourly rate) for my position in the experience letter or does it just have to be above minimum wage rate only?
It needs to be the amount of money you were paid. This can be an hourly rate, or an annual salary, etc.

Please advise.
 

Boviesam

Hero Member
Jun 21, 2015
436
47
AOR Received.
06-05-2017
Hello Istari ,

Sorry I didn't understand your question. What kind of contract is it supposed to be? I did fill out some regular documents given to me by the agency at the time of registration.

And I was paid 13 dollars an hour rate by the agency at that time for 6 months.
 

istari

Champion Member
Jul 5, 2016
1,746
81
Australia
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Boviesam said:
Hello Istari ,

Sorry I didn't understand your question. What kind of contract is it supposed to be? I did fill out some regular documents given to me by the agency at the time of registration.

And I was paid 13 dollars an hour rate by the agency at that time for 6 months.
I'm asking if you signed documents from the employer, stating that you would work for them for a certain period of time at a certain rate of pay.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, I think we can assume that you didn't.
 

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Boviesam said:
Hi All,

I actually spent 6 months working for a company through an agency (Aug 2015 to Jan 2016) and then got hired by the company legally (presently working). Does my agency experience working for the same company also counts. Can I put that in my express entry profile? If so, I don't have to wait for another 5 months for completion of one year work experience. Please advise.
Yes, you can use that experience. Many people have done this and succeeded.

For the first (agency) position, the agency is your employer has has to write the letter of employment. However, since you were performing your duties elsewhere, it is a good idea to get a letter from the client - often it is necessary to get both the employer (agency) and client letter because the neither can provide the full details (e.g. agency cannot describe job duties/responsibilities, client doesn't know your salary).

So, yes, your current employer can include that info in the letter of employment- how you started working under contract through XXX agency, and then were hired full-time in the position...