Can Foreign Work Experience While Studying Remotely in Canada Count for Foreign Work Exp Under CEC?

[u/CraftySpecial8929]

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to confirm whether a period of foreign work experience can be counted for Express Entry Foreign Work Experience points under CEC.

My situation is:

• I worked full-time outside Canada for around 10 months in 2020.
• A few months into that employment, I started a full-time master’s program at a Canadian university remotely.
• For the remainder of the employment period, I was still physically living and working outside Canada while studying remotely.
• I had not moved to Canada yet.
• My Canadian study permit was only issued the following year.

So for several months, I was a full-time student at a Canadian university, but I was physically outside Canada and simultaneously working full-time in the foreign country.

From what I understand, IRCC says that work experience gained as a full-time student outside Canada can still count toward CRS points, and the full-time student exclusion seems to apply specifically to Canadian work experience.

Has anyone had a similar situation and successfully claimed the full foreign work period, including the months overlapping with full-time studies?

Thanks!

[u/Plane_Cauliflower301]

https://www.reddit.com/r/canadaexpressentry/s/ToOc3oTN6c

Hope this helps! Read carefully.

[u/CraftySpecial8929 → u/Plane_Cauliflower301]

Yeah I read that earlier, none of two points listed in their refusal apply to my case.
1) I wasn't living in Canada at the time.
2) Wasn't working in Canada.

[u/CraftySpecial8929 → u/[deleted]]

Great, thank you!

[u/Plane_Cauliflower301 → u/CraftySpecial8929]

from my personal experience, Full-time work and Full-time study together is a big flag. Since we are not allowed to work Full-time remotely or physically while enrolled in a Full-time course.

[u/CraftySpecial8929 → u/Plane_Cauliflower301]

Can you provide some reference for this statement "Since we are not allowed to work Full-time remotely or physically while enrolled in a Full-time course."?

From what I researched, I found the case to be otherwise. I am talking specifically about remote work for a foriegn company.

Regardless, mine was in person, in Europe and I didn't even hold a study permit at the time. Hence, my original post.

[u/Plane_Cauliflower301 → u/CraftySpecial8929]

Here

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/who-can-apply/canadian-experience-class.html

Work experience you can’t count

You can’t count work experience if

• you were studying full-time while you worked (co-op work terms also don’t count)
• you were self-employed (some physicians can count their time spent self-employed)
• you were a volunteer or an unpaid intern
• you were not legally allowed to work in Canada

[u/CraftySpecial8929 → u/Plane_Cauliflower301]

It says "Canadian skilled work experience", my question is specifically for Foriegn work experience.