Express Entry Advice Needed – Foreign Work Experience in Family Business (Dubai), NOC Selection & French-Language Pathway

[shahzeba6]

Hello everyone,
I am looking for some advice regarding my younger sister's eligibility for Canadian Express Entry, particularly under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW) and French-language category-based draws.
My sister currently lives in Dubai, UAE, and is pursuing a four-year Bachelor's degree in International Business from Curtin University, Dubai. She has approximately one year remaining before graduation.
She is currently learning French and also plans to take the IELTS General Training exam to improve her Express Entry prospects.
We are considering having her start working immediately while completing her degree so that she can accumulate one or two years of eligible foreign skilled work experience.
Our father owns an established automobile trading and export business in Dubai, and she has the opportunity to work there in a genuine, paid position related to business development, marketing, international trade, or administration.
I would appreciate advice on the following questions:

1. Work experience during studies: Can paid foreign work experience gained while completing a bachelor's degree outside Canada count toward Express Entry under the Federal Skilled Worker Program?
2. Employment in a family business: Can she claim skilled work experience gained while working for her father's company in Dubai? Would IRCC have concerns because the company is family-owned, even if she receives a regular salary and has a proper employment contract, bank statements, and supporting documentation?
3. NOC selection: Considering her International Business degree and the automobile export business, which NOC would be most appropriate? We are currently looking into:
   • NOC 11202 – Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations
   • NOC 41402 – Business development officers and market researchers and analysts
   • NOC 13100 – Administrative officers
   We understand that the NOC must reflect her actual job duties rather than simply her job title.
4. French-language category: If she achieves NCLC 7 in all four French abilities through TEF Canada or TCF Canada, along with a good IELTS score, would one year of qualifying foreign skilled work experience potentially make her eligible for French-language category-based draws?
5. Documentation: What documents would you recommend maintaining from the beginning to establish genuine employment in a family-owned company in the UAE?
6. Education: Can she create an Express Entry profile after completing one year of eligible work experience while still finishing her bachelor's degree, or would it be better to wait until graduation and obtain her ECA?
7. Sibling in Canada: She also has a sibling living in Canada with permanent resident status. Would this provide additional CRS points?

Our goal is to plan everything properly from the beginning, especially her employment, NOC classification, French preparation, and supporting documentation, so that she can become a competitive Express Entry candidate after graduation.
Has anyone successfully obtained Canadian PR using foreign work experience gained in a family-owned business, particularly in Dubai or elsewhere in the UAE?
Any advice, personal experiences, or recommendations regarding the most appropriate NOC and French-language pathway would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance for your help!Hello everyone,

I am looking for some advice regarding my younger sister's eligibility for Canadian Express Entry, particularly under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW) and French-language category-based draws.

My sister currently lives in Dubai, UAE, and is pursuing a four-year Bachelor's degree in International Business from Curtin University, Dubai. She has approximately one year remaining before graduation.

She is currently learning French and also plans to take the IELTS General Training exam to improve her Express Entry prospects.

We are considering having her start working immediately while completing her degree so that she can accumulate one or two years of eligible foreign skilled work experience.

Our father owns an established automobile trading and export business in Dubai, and she has the opportunity to work there in a genuine, paid position related to business development, marketing, international trade, or administration.

I would appreciate advice on the following questions:

1. Work experience during studies: Can paid foreign work experience gained while completing a bachelor's degree outside Canada count toward Express Entry under the Federal Skilled Worker Program?
2. Employment in a family business: Can she claim skilled work experience gained while working for her father's company in Dubai? Would IRCC have concerns because the company is family-owned, even if she receives a regular salary and has a proper employment contract, bank statements, and supporting documentation?
3. NOC selection: Considering her International Business degree and the automobile export business, which NOC would be most appropriate? We are currently looking into:
   
   • NOC 11202 – Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations
   • NOC 41402 – Business development officers and market researchers and analysts
   • NOC 13100 – Administrative officers
     We understand that the NOC must reflect her actual job duties rather than simply her job title.
4. French-language category: If she achieves NCLC 7 in all four French abilities through TEF Canada or TCF Canada, along with a good IELTS score, would one year of qualifying foreign skilled work experience potentially make her eligible for French-language category-based draws?
5. Documentation: What documents would you recommend maintaining from the beginning to establish genuine employment in a family-owned company in the UAE?
6. Education: Can she create an Express Entry profile after completing one year of eligible work experience while still finishing her bachelor's degree, or would it be better to wait until graduation and obtain her ECA?
7. Sibling in Canada: She also has a sibling living in Canada with permanent resident status. Would this provide additional CRS points?

Our goal is to plan everything properly from the beginning, especially her employment, NOC classification, French preparation, and supporting documentation, so that she can become a competitive Express Entry candidate after graduation.

Has anyone successfully obtained Canadian PR using foreign work experience gained in a family-owned business, particularly in Dubai or elsewhere in the UAE?

Any advice, personal experiences, or recommendations regarding the most appropriate NOC and French-language pathway would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your help!