Hi everyone,
I’m an Italian citizen who has just been accepted into the IEC program and was granted a 1-year open work permit. I’ll be arriving in Canada on Monday, May 26th, 2025.
I’ve been in the Express Entry pool under the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) category since August 2024 but haven’t received an invitation yet. My plan now is to work in Canada for one year so that I can become eligible for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) stream (which requires at least 1 year of full-time skilled work experience—i.e., 12 months and 1,560 hours—in the last 3 years).
I’m currently working remotely as a contractor for a Canadian company. I’ve asked them to hire me officially on Canadian payroll and issue a new employment contract and offer letter dated May 26th, 2025, so that my work experience can start counting immediately when I land.
However, it’s still uncertain whether they’ll be able to issue the updated contract in time for my arrival—there may be a delay of a week or two.
My main question:
Should I activate my work permit upon arrival on May 26th, even if the contract isn't ready yet? Or would it be better to enter Canada as a visitor, wait for the new employment contract, and then leave and re-enter to activate the work permit once everything is in place?
I’m trying to make sure that my Canadian work experience will count fully towards the 12-month / 1,560-hour requirement for the CEC. Does anyone have insights into how strict IRCC is about the exact start date of employment in relation to the permit activation?
Thanks in advance for any advice!
I’m an Italian citizen who has just been accepted into the IEC program and was granted a 1-year open work permit. I’ll be arriving in Canada on Monday, May 26th, 2025.
I’ve been in the Express Entry pool under the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) category since August 2024 but haven’t received an invitation yet. My plan now is to work in Canada for one year so that I can become eligible for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) stream (which requires at least 1 year of full-time skilled work experience—i.e., 12 months and 1,560 hours—in the last 3 years).
I’m currently working remotely as a contractor for a Canadian company. I’ve asked them to hire me officially on Canadian payroll and issue a new employment contract and offer letter dated May 26th, 2025, so that my work experience can start counting immediately when I land.
However, it’s still uncertain whether they’ll be able to issue the updated contract in time for my arrival—there may be a delay of a week or two.
My main question:
Should I activate my work permit upon arrival on May 26th, even if the contract isn't ready yet? Or would it be better to enter Canada as a visitor, wait for the new employment contract, and then leave and re-enter to activate the work permit once everything is in place?
I’m trying to make sure that my Canadian work experience will count fully towards the 12-month / 1,560-hour requirement for the CEC. Does anyone have insights into how strict IRCC is about the exact start date of employment in relation to the permit activation?
Thanks in advance for any advice!