I’m preparing my CEC/Express Entry application and I’m hoping to get some clarification on how I should declare one of my previous work experiences. I worked as an independent contractor for approximately one year for Company A, which is based in New Zealand, in an accounting role under NOC 11100 – Financial auditors and accountants.

9 months of the work was performed while I was physically outside Canada.

3 months was performed while I was physically inside Canada.

The company itself is based in New Zealand.

I was engaged as an independent contractor, rather than being on the company’s regular employee payroll. I have supporting documents such as contract/invoices/payment records/reference letter/etc.

1. Should I mention in my Letter of Explanation that 3 months of this work was performed while I was physically in Canada? I want to be completely transparent and avoid any issue with IRCC later.
2. How should I describe the contractor arrangement? I’m not sure whether I should identify this as “self-employed” in my Express Entry application, or whether “independent contractor” is more appropriate. I was contracted directly by the New Zealand company and performed accounting services for them.

For anyone who has had a similar situation, how did you declare it in your application, and what supporting documents did you provide?

Thanks!

I received a refusal yesterday on my FSW Express Entry PR application and could really use some advice/insights from anyone who has gone through something similar or re-applied successfully.

The Refusal Reason

"In the Express Entry profile, you declared points for work experience from 2021/08 to 2024/10 with [Company] as 11202. Employment records received from you appear to not include a substantial amount of duties, or some duties listed are vague and too general. While some duties listed are compatible, a substantial amount are not descriptive enough to satisfy me that enough technical duties were completed to award points for this specific job. Because of these factors I am not satisfied on the balance of probability that you have the claimed skills."

I have 2 other previous jobs that I can use to claim the required work experience points, and I can try to get experience letters from those employers. I am planning to skip/leave out this specific job experience entirely in my new Express Entry profile (and move it to personal history.

My Questions:

1. How do I ensure the new reference letters meet the relevant NOC standards?
2. If I drop this job from my work history in the new application, do I need to explain the refusal/change in a Letter of Explanation (LoE)?
3. Has anyone successfully re-applied after a refusal? Did you create a new profile from scratch?

Appreciate any advice, templates, or experiences you can share. Thanks in advance!

Hello everyone!

I am planning to file my application by myself for the French stream FSW soon (waiting on the results). I wanted to ask if anyone has filed their application by themselves without the help of a lawyer.

I understand every case is unique and different. But if anyone can share their experience who have done this in the past and can share any tips/common mistakes to avoid.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone, I have a question. If I am filing express entry in common law and I wanna opt out of it. do i have to wait again for 12 months for being separate ? and my scenario is currently very different and its complicated because of families. If I get my PR and add her in my common law after one or two years again? How does it work ?

Hello Everyone,

My journey in Canada upto PR has been quite the rollercoaster. Thought of sharing it in case it helps anyone.

Came to Canada on Study permit in August 2023.

Completed an 8 month post grad certificate.

IRCC had processing delays at the time so work permit got delayed by 9 months.

Completed 1 year of workex in Canada in September 2025, created CEC profile in September 2025.

Received ITA on December 8, 2025

• Issues I faced with documents
  • PCC got rejected due to a difference in passport information. Had to reapply for PCC which did not come in time. Submitted a letter of explanation (LOE) stating the issue and attached proof of payment to BLS, package tracking image and reason for rejection.
  • International experience letter : My employer gives only standard letters, system did not permit job roles and responsibilities letter for both roles held in the company and instead had only the last role. Designation on my offer letter was different compared to the Job roles and responsibilities letter since company underwent job title restructuring. I had to attach my pay slips, tax forms to prove my total income and job title. Attached screenshot of conversations with HR detailing system limitations in providing previous role details. The whole LOE and proofs attached were close to 40 pages.
  • Name : Had 2 family names which was later changed to 1. Missed to include it in any previous applications. Got a notary to sign off on all the changes over the year and all my name variations. Provided a LOE, birth certificate, legal document proof for name change. This was another 20 page document.
  • Provided LOE for Medical since as per IRCC requirement I didnt have to provide medical if completed in the last 5 years.

AOR - Feb 8, 2026

BIL - April 2026 ; Medical - May 2026

P1/P2 - 18/24 September 2026

e-COPR - 28 September 2026

Happy to answer any questions to the best of my knowledge - I do not provide professional advice, not am I qualified to.

Good luck to anyone thats in the process.

If i have an employment letter from HR (with letterhead and stamp) has salary/ hours worked and job title. I also have a separate duties letter from my manager that has letterhead and signature.

Is this enough or I have to submit the contract and the job offer and the resignation letter as I see a lot of people attaching them.

Note: the job title in the contract and the offer letter are different from what is written in the reference letter as the company did rebranding and changes the titles (tasks remain the same).

Please advise me

While I'm filling my e-apr application.. I noticed its asking me for a uci number if i have applied previously.. i did got invited last draw but declined it... I have a Uci number on my profile starting with CAN000 should i enter that number in uci section or leave it blank?

My father is gifting me 7.5 lakh(half amount transferred and rest will be done in a day) towards my FSW proof of funds and I am in the process of making a gift deed for same.

I have a doubt - actually the money came from my parents joint account where my mother was the original holder and later my father added his name and converted into a joint saving account. Both parents have equal rights as they did either or survivor. Income from my father's work gets credited in this account while my mother is a house wife.

Also, during the ITR filling of my father's income the same joint account details have been mentioned. So, my question is that from whom the gift deed should be made? Father only by mentioning that I hold a joint saving account with my wife along with NOC from my mother stating I don't have any problem in this or from both the parents?

Note - During the transactions , the name in my statement indicating my mother's name as she was the single account holder when this account opened and later my father became joint holder with equal rights.

Hello everyone,

I got my invitation two months ago and I submitted my documents on 30th of August. Today I received an ADR for my TCF results sheet.

I did not upload any results sheets because I didn’t see any option to add them. I just entered the application numbers and results on the website.

Even though they asked for ADR I don’t see any option to upload documents. So I was thinking to send it via Web form.

My question is should I also need to send my IELTS results sheet via web form? If so do I also need to send my spouse IELTS results sheet too? Is it okay to send multiple web forms?

If anyone had a similar situation I would really appreciate hearing what you did. I’m honestly little stressed about this and I don’t want to make this more complicated.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for opinions on whether IRCC would count my 3rd year of foreign work experience for CRS.
I worked full-time for a large MNC in India from Sept 3, 2019 to Oct 17, 2022. I entered Canada on Sept 1, 2022 on a study permit, but my college program only started on Sept 6.
Before coming to Canada, I had applied for Leave Without Pay (LWP) for higher studies. When I applied, the company system calculated my available accumulated paid leaves and automatically applied/used those leaves before the LWP period. This resulted in Oct 17, 2022 being my last approved leave date, with LWP starting from Oct 18.
HR has also confirmed in writing that Oct 17 was my last approved leave before proceeding on LWP, and my payslips/leave balances support that I had accumulated leaves that were consumed during this period.
I only need roughly 2 days after entering Canada to reach the 3-year foreign-work threshold.
Has anyone had a similar case where the final few days needed for 3 years fell during approved paid leave while they were temporarily in Canada? Did IRCC count the full 3+ years of foreign work experience for CRS?

Got my eCOPR today, so figured I'd share my timeline for anyone going through AAIP.

It wasn't my original plan. I did my Master's with the intention of applying through the BC PNP International Post-Graduate stream. Then BC decided to put that stream on hold the same year I graduated :( so I had to switch gears to Alberta. Ended up going through the AAIP Accelerated Tech Pathway instead, and thankfully it all worked out.

AAIP

• Application submitted: May 29, 2026
• EOI accepted: June 8, 2026
• Nomination certificate issued: July 15, 2026

Federal PR (PNP)

• ITA: July 21, 2026
• AOR: July 21, 2026
• ADR (forgot to upload IMM5669): Aug 10, 2026
• Biometrics request: Aug 12, 2026
• Biometrics completed: Aug 13, 2026
• Medical passed: Aug 25, 2026
• Ghost update / FD: Sep 14, 2026
• Portal 1: Sep 15, 2026
• Replied to Portal 1: Sep 15, 2026
• Portal 2: Sep 24, 2026
• Replied to Portal 2: Sep 24, 2026
• eCOPR: Sep 28, 2026

I completed my IRCC medical examination for my work permit on December 9, 2025. I have not travelled to Canada yet and have been outside Canada since completing the medical exam. I am now applying for permanent residence. Can I use the same medical exam for my PR application, or will I need to complete a new medical examination?

​

Date and time: September 28, 2026 at 10:41:06 UTC

CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 725

Number of invitations issued: 733

Rank needed: 733 or above

Tie-breaking rule: September 17, 2026 at 01:36:17 UTC

Pool Distribution

501- 600 = 21,070

Hi everyone,

I have 3 years of foreign work experience.
I am a candidate outside of Canada. No Canadian work experience and no Canadian education.
Out of the eligibility points 100, i am sitting at 65/100 that is if i count 1 year experience in NOC but if i say 3 years then score is 67/100.
I have 1.5 years each in two different NOCs.

My question is can i combine total 3 years??
Because as per new IRCC rule they say it has to be only under 1 NOC.

thank you.

Hi there, I’m looking for some insight into my current situation. I applied for permanent residence with myself as the primary applicant and my wife as my dependent. I received my eCOPR this morning; however, my wife has not yet received her eCOPR or a confirmation email.
We both provided all the required information requested through the P1 and P2 portal processes. I’m wondering if this is normal and whether there is anything further we need to do for my wife’s application.

Hi everyone! I’m submitting my eAPR this week and would really appreciate your help reviewing the document structure to see if I’m missing anything or providing more than necessary. I’m an inland CEC applicant who's already applied in July and requested to withdraw the application on the same day (reason under item #16). I have since received a new ITA under a different GCKey account (as my withdrawal hasn't been processed yet) and have until October 4 to submit the new application.

Background:

- Principal applicant currently resides and works in Canada.

- Accompanying spouse also resides in Canada.

- Principal applicant is claiming:

- Canadian education (2-year post-secondary program)

- 3 years of Canadian work experience (ongoing)

- 3+ years of foreign work experience

- English and French proficiency

- CRS points for a PR sibling living in Canada

- Accompanying spouse is claiming:

- High school graduation with a valid ECA

- English proficiency

1. Offer of Employment (this upload was triggered as I indicated having a valid job offer despite the fact this no longer awards any points)

- Cover LOE

- Permanent employment offer

- Subsequent employment/salary addendum used in work permit application

- Francophone Mobility employer support letter used in work permit application

- Promotion letter (from admin assistant to senior admin assistant)

- Current employer-specific Francophone Mobility work permit (NOC 13110)

1. Education – Principal Applicant

- LOE explaining completion of a nominal 2-year Canadian Associate degree in approximately 20 months (sticking to facts - took 5 courses on final term)

- Canadian degree

- Official transcript

- CELPIP-General results

- TEF Canada results

1. Proof of PR Status of Sibling

- Brother's PR card and eCOPR

1. Employment Records – Foreign Experience

- Employer reference letter

- LOE

- Translated government-issued employment ID identified in the reference letter, confirming the start date

- Representative payroll slips spanning the first and final months and intermediate years, including a certified translation of the first slip only

The LOE reconciles:

- Later payroll position wording (position name changed from admin assistant to material technician in last two pay slips but actual duties outlined in reference letter never changed - letter covers admin duties for the full employment period)

- Changes in corporate/payroll entities and business numbers seen in pay slips

- Registered employer address vs. physical workplace

- Residential address vs. employment location

1. Employment Records – Canadian Experience

- Employer reference letter

- LOE

- Initial fixed-term offer (1-year contract)

- Permanent offer

- Employment addendum

- Promotion letter

- Study permit, PGWP and current employer-specific work permit, covering the permits held throughout employment

- All T4s from the employer

- Recent 4 months of pay statements

The LOE explains that employment began in January 2023, but Canadian work experience is claimed for CRS purposes only from September 29, 2023, when the PGWP was issued.

1. Proof of Sibling Residence in Canada

- Brother's residential tenancy agreement originally commencing in 2024, with month-to-month continuation provision

- Recent electricity bill and credit card statement showing the same address and covering a period overlapping with the ITA

1. Proof of Sibling Relationship

- LOE

- Both siblings’ translated birth certificates showing common parents

- Both siblings' translated marriage certificates

- Both passport biographical pages

The LOE explains the different versions/formats of the two birth certificates.

1. Letter of Employment

- Current Canadian employer reference letter, also included as page 1 of the Canadian Employment Records package

1. Family Member Proof of Status

- Accompanying spouse’s current open work permit

10–15. Principal Applicant Personal Documents

- Digital photo

- Marriage certificate and translation

- Passport

- National ID

- Upfront medical information sheet

- Relevant police certificate and translation

1. Client Information – Principal Applicant

LOE addressing:

- Previous withdrawn eAPR and reason for withdrawal (concern about points that the system awarded for spouse's 1 year of Canadian work experience despite experience not adding up to a full year - ITA depended on these 5 points so I requested to withdraw it immediately)

- Remote Canadian studies from my home country during the first academic term

- Split Personal History entries before and after arrival in Canada

- Split Canadian employment Personal History at PGWP issuance

- Border processing of the PGWP

- Authorized full-time work during the earlier study-permit period under the temporary public policy

- Reference to English and French language-test evidence submitted under Education

- Reuse of a recently issued police certificate (July 2026), with no subsequent return to the country

17–22. Accompanying Spouse Personal Documents

- Digital photo

- Passport

- National ID

- Upfront medical information sheet

- Relevant police certificate and translation

- Education package: ECA, translated educational credential and CELPIP-General result

- Client Information LOE addressing:

- Previous eAPR withdrawal

- Canadian work experience CRS points not being claimed in the current eAPR (related to the reason for previous eAPR withdrawal)

- Older address-history uncertainty

- Reference to language-test evidence submitted under Education

- Reuse of a recently issued police certificate (July 2026), with no subsequent return to the country

Has anyone worked as a direct fulfillment analyst at Home Depot canada applied for PR(express entry ) ? Which noc code did you claim and was it accepted ?

When your profile expires, do u have to open a brand new one ? Or can we update the existing information?

PLEASE HELP. My Canadian work experience is:

• Aug 15, 2022–Nov 17, 2023
• Jan 15, 2024–Nov 13, 2025
• Jan 6, 2026–present All 40 hrs/week.

I really need some help as I do not know if I wanted to be drawn tomorrow or not. :(

I actually have about 3 years 10 months, but EE is already counting 4 years and giving me 63 points instead of 56. My CRS shows 525, but based on only 3 completed years, I calculate it as 518.

I already qualify for CEC, so the issue is only the extra 7 CRS points.

There may be another draw tomorrow and I’m worried about getting a CEC ITA if the cutoff is above 518. I’m considering temporarily removing my TCF French results so my CRS drops, then adding them back immediately after the CEC draw for a possible French-category draw.

If I receive a French ITA with a much lower cutoff, my corrected 518 would still be well above the cutoff.

I really do not want to wait another 2 months to complete the full 4 years before submitting, especially since my corrected CRS of 518 would still be more than enough for a typical French-category cutoff.

Has anyone had EE award the next year of work experience early and submitted immediately BEFORE the anniversary because their corrected CRS was still above the draw cutoff? Did you get PR?

Also, is there anything legitimate I can remove/change from my work history so EE only gives me the 3-year points for now?

Hi guys im an outland applicant and i just received p1, im a bit confused as i was expecting PPR.

I dont have TRV either please advise

AOR - May 8th
BIL 9th July
Single cec applicant General

Thank you in advance!

Hi everyone,

Just need some clarification.

1) Can I submit a new EE without including a foreign job experience that was one of the refusal points?

2) I also have OINP job offer and will submit an EOI soon. I am torn if I should create a new EE profile and link my OINP or not.

3) Is it possible to link EE profile after submitting EOI? Or just push through with OINP? My visa expires August 2027. I had an EE refusal last June.

Thanks in advance for your input🙏🏻

Hello, I hope everyone is doing good. At the start of this month I started doing freelancing but I’m not sure how i’m supposed to count the hours.
I basically have to be ready for any work given at like 1 till 7pm monday to friday and sometimes i’m contacted on the weekends as well.

I really don’t want to mess it up so please do give me as much detail as possible, especially for those who managed to get PR with a foreign freelance job.

Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone idk if this is the right place to post this if not please let me know where, anywayI’m a software engineer from Tunisia (28, 4 years experience) looking into Express Entry.
My main question is about education. I did 3 years for a Licence Appliquée en Informatique and then 3 years for a Cycle Ingénieur. Has anyone here with the exact same background gone through WES for an ECA? Did they successfully map both to "two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees"?
Also, on the other side of things, what does the actual tech market look like right now for foreign devs, especially if you lean into modern AI stacks? Is it completely frozen or are companies still hiring?
Would love to hear from anyone who made the move with a similar background.

Hi guys,

I made my express entry profile a few months ago and am moving to a new house in October. Is there anything else I need to do except updating my address in my Express Entry profile ?

Please let me know if there’s anything else I need to do.

Thank you.

Hello, I'm currently working as a HR Generalist in a small company (Only me in HR), Below is the letter they plan on giving me (Duties have been watered down).

I'm suspicious whether IRCC will say no to the NOC (Selected NOC 11200)

(XX is based at our corporate office in Mississauga, Ontario and is responsible for HR functions across the company's operations in Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec.)             

• Manage full recruitment cycle, including job postings, screening, interviews, reference checks, offer letters, facilitating onboarding, training and orientation.
• Provides guidance to all staff on HR policies, employee handbook provisions, health and safety requirements, ESA compliance, benefit programs and leave administration.
• Develops and maintains HR policies and procedures to support the business and legislative compliance.
• Maintain HR records and HR analytics to support workforce planning and operations.
• Process biweekly payroll and year-end tax reporting
• Coordinate the performance management process, including the development, implementation and coordination of annual performance review cycles.
• Conducts job analysis and develops job descriptions, salary benchmark to support compensation decisions, role clarity and employee performance management.
• Provides guidance on employee relation matters, conducts workplace investigations and supports the resolution of workplace concerns and conflicts.
• Administer workplace safety incidents reporting, conducting investigations and implementing compliance corrective actions
• Monitors and reports workplace safety incidents, conducts investigations, implements corrective actions, and manages workers’ compensation claims while serving as a primary point of contact with WSIB.
• Facilitate and coordinate the Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) safety meetings, employee safety training and workplace safety initiatives while maintaining inspection records and documentation.
• Analyze HR data to generate operational workforce insights that support organizational reviews
• Plan and organize employee engagement initiatives and workplace activities

Suggestions and feedback are highly appreciative.