Documenting short-term Canadian contract work in express entry profile

[obiemily]

My spouse and I are applying for PR. I am the primary applicant. We are trying to add my spouse's Canadian work experience to get 5 more points for one year of spousal Canadian experience.

My spouse has been a graduate student on a study permit (continuously) in Canada since September 2009. Since that time she has worked as a teaching assistant. She has a total of 1610 work hours from 2009-present.

(1) It seems like this experience MIGHT get us points under the FSW program. 1610 > 1560 hours requirement for one total year. All within the last 10 years. It's NOC B category (skilled). Will she get the 5 points?

(2) How do we enter these hours into the EE profile? All of her teaching assistant work has been on four month contracts. We have all of the contracts with number of hours, start and end dates specified (Sept 1 to Jan 1 or Jan 1 to May 1, for X total hours per contract). However, in the express entry profile it asks the applicant for the start month and end month and hours per week for each position. Does anyone know how total hours for each position are calculated? For example, if we say she worked 7 hours per week from September 2015-January 2016, will it calculate from September 1 until January 1 or January 31? The way this is calculated (with the end date as either the start of the month or the end of the month) will affect how CIC calculates her total number of work hours.

(3) In the Work History section, it asks if my spouse was "studying full-time while doing this job? A person must be in class at least 15 hours per week during the academic year to be considered full-time." She was never "in class" 15 hours per week, but her institution considers her a full-time graduate student. She does research and has only taken a few classes. So, was she studying full-time or not?

(4) Does being a full-time student disqualify her work experience?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[wenfeizh]

Are you thinking about the CEC route?

If she's on a study permit while working as a TA, then she cannot count the work experience. All the job experience has to be after graduation. eg. with post-graduation work permit.

Hope more people can share their opinions here

 

[obiemily]

Yes, I'm aware her hours don't count under CEC. What about under FSW?

Thanks so much!

 

[Bs65]

Dont think they count at all regardless whichever program. A study permit is just that for study and any work is to supplement that study not to build Canada work experience.

 

[obiemily]

Her study permit specifically permits her to work on campus up to 20 hours per week, if anyone thinks that makes a difference.

Our plan is to just submit the hours and see what happens - any thoughts on my question about how the contract hours will be counted in the express entry syste?

Thanks!

 

[Bs65]

Ok go ahead an try it but it clearly states that whilst a person is in Canada on a study permit then any work cannot be considered as work experience. Its the study permit that is key not really whether was part time study or part time work. End of day if CIC accept your proposal the fine, this is just a forum view/ interpretation.

 

[obiemily]

Really appreciate your advice.

Anyone else have views on how we enter her contract work into the express entry system?

Thanks!

 

[rajibsam]

Don't think you can enter total hours. Either it's full time (>= 30 hours) or part time (>= 15 hours) duration. So if you want to get points for her work (work during study in Canada doesn't count for CEC, not sure about FSW) then enter the type of employment as full time for the weeks she worked for >= 30 hours and provide the duration (Start month/year and end month/year). Similarly do for part time. If any week is < 15 hours then don't count it.

 

[Asivad Anac]

Really appreciate your advice.

Anyone else have views on how we enter her contract work into the express entry system?

Thanks!

This won't get you additional CRS points under CWE. Quoting from the Ministerial Instructions below, italics mine.

Work experience — requirements

(8) For the purposes of this section,

(a) a period of employment during which the accompanying spouse or common-law partner of the foreign national was engaged in full-time study is not to be included in calculating a period of work experience;
(b) a period of self-employment or unauthorized work by the accompanying spouse or common-law partner of the foreign national is not to be included in calculating a period of work experience .
(c) the accompanying spouse or common-law partner of the foreign national must have had temporary resident status during their period of work experience and any period of full-time study or training; and
(d) the full-time equivalent for part-time work experience is 30 hours of work per week.

All the best!