Is work experience calculated based on weeks or days

[NicoHughes]

Hi,

I'm currently working full time (40 hours/week) in US on OPT after obtaining my master degree here, missed H-1B lottery so will be unemployed (at least unpaid leave) after my OPT expires, currently I'm thinking about applying for EE as back up plan.

I did some raw CRS score calculation for myself, and realized that I won't be able to meet that ~470 cutoff score until I have 3 YOE in hand. But my current US visa (OPT) is valid for max 3 years, and my projected working date for my current employer would be 01/22/2018 - 01/20/2021 (expected), I guess that's probably the date my employer would give me for a reference letter.

Basically assuming I'll be working during 01/22/2018 - 01/20/2021 without any gap:

• Total number of weeks: 156 weeks
• Total number of days: 1095 days (because 2020 is a leap year with 366 days)
• But on paper, it looks like 1 day shy of 3 years

I've also used this calculator: https://tools.knowledgewalls.com/online-work-experience-calculator

It simply divides total number of days by 365 to get the YOE, so mine would be 3 years 0 months 0 days.

My question is does IRCC calculate YOE based on weeks or days? Does my projected work time suffice that 3 years requirement for 25 additional points?

 

[Wolfpmd3]

1 year = 52 weeks.
For will have worked for exactly 3 years and 2 days, so nothing to worry about.
Also, the 470 CRS you're aiming for might not be what you need at the time. It could easily be either higher or lower, impossible to know at this point.

There have been draws in the last couple years where it has been as low as 430s, just have your profile in the pool and wait for the ITA, you'll be doing yourself a favor submitting your profile as early as possible even if you're planning on a draw for early next year.

 

[NicoHughes]

1 year = 52 weeks.
For will have worked for exactly 3 years and 2 days, so nothing to worry about.
Also, the 470 CRS you're aiming for might not be what you need at the time. It could easily be either higher or lower, impossible to know at this point.

There have been draws in the last couple years where it has been as low as 430s, just have your profile in the pool and wait for the ITA, you'll be doing yourself a favor submitting your profile as early as possible even if you're planning on a draw for early next year.

Thx for your reply! OK, I will get myself into the pool ASAP.

> will have worked for exactly 3 years and 2 days

Did you know any similar case as mine, or are you sure that's how IRCC count YOE? I really hope that's how it works, have been anxious over this for a few days.

Thank you so much!

 

[Wolfpmd3]

Thx for your reply! OK, I will get myself into the pool ASAP.

> will have worked for exactly 3 years and 2 days

Did you know any similar case as mine, or are you sure that's how IRCC count YOE? I really hope that's how it works, have been anxious over this for a few days.

Thank you so much!

I'm sure because that's clearly laid out in IRCCs webpage. 52 weeks (364 days) are counted as 1 year, and for each week you can count a max of 30 hours, that's every 1560 hours count as 1 year (52*30=1560 - - > that is 1 year full time equivalent).

There is no need to worry, as long as you follow the guidelines you're good

 

[newbiealpha]

In my opinion this will not count as 3 years. If one works overtime and does like 50 hours a week, he can't claim 2 years of experience in a year and half.

 

[NicoHughes]

In my opinion this will not count as 3 years. If one works overtime and does like 50 hours a week, he can't claim 2 years of experience in a year and half.

That's not the point of this post, I'm only claiming 30 hours per week....the question is to get clarification about what 1 year means:

• 52 weeks = 364 days
• 365 days
• 365 or 366 days depending on it's leap year or not

I will meet 3 YOE if 1 year means 52 weeks.

Nowhere in my post implies I want to claim more than 30 hours per week.

 

[Wolfpmd3]

In my opinion this will not count as 3 years. If one works overtime and does like 50 hours a week, he can't claim 2 years of experience in a year and half.

He is clearly asking for the January 2018 to January 2021 - - > clearly 3 years, 156 weeks which equals 52 weeks *3.

@newbiealpha where are you getting that anyone is willing to claim 1½ for 2 years? Come on!

 

[newbiealpha]

That's not the point of this post, I'm only claiming 30 hours per week....the question is to get clarification about what 1 year means:

• 52 weeks = 364 days
• 365 days
• 365 or 366 days depending on it's leap year or not

I will meet 3 YOE if 1 year means 52 weeks.

Nowhere in my post implies I want to claim more than 30 hours per week.

In my opinion this is not 3 years. It is 1 day short of 3 years. If someone's birthday is 27th October, then in leap year they won't celebrate their birthday on 26th October because 52 weeks have lapsed.

My earlier response was trying to elaborate the fact that experience is not measured in work hours. or weeks etc. It is measured in calendar years only.

 

[NicoHughes]

In my opinion this is not 3 years. It is 1 day short of 3 years. If someone's birthday is 27th October, then in leap year they won't celebrate their birthday on 26th October because 52 weeks have lapsed.

My earlier response was trying to elaborate the fact that experience is not measured in work hours. or weeks etc. It is measured in calendar years only.

> My earlier response was trying to elaborate the fact that experience is not measured in work hours. or weeks etc. It is measured in calendar years only.

One argument against this would be, what if someone works from 01/22/2017 - 01/21/2020, so that would be 3 years in your opinion.

But that's also 1095 days in total, exactly same as 01/22/2018 - 01/20/2021, since my work experience includes a leap year.

So IRCC would accept one but reject the other, even they have exact same work background, because one of them lives a leap year?

I'm here just to hear some veteran opinions about how IRCC defines 1 year, since their website is always using vague words such as "1 year", "12 months" or "1560 hours" regarding work experience, and this 1 or 2 day difference actually matters a lot to me (and lots of other students who study and work in US).

 

[NicoHughes]

I've just found an old post with detailed explanation:
https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/calculate-work-experience-by-mouth-or-by-day.395312/

It seems IRCC will count by full weeks and round down any extra days, e.g. if you start your job on Monday, and work continuously for next 367 days, that would still be 52 weeks (364 days equivalent of work, the extra 3 days don't count since it's not a full week).

 

[NicoHughes]

@jes_ON VIP, mind taking a look at my post and give some thoughts? Would highly appreciate it!

 

[JaaKaaa]

Online application is one thing, assessment of it by an agent in later stages is completely different thing. You can find many examples of people declining ITA due to rounding mistake, waiting for the next draw just to be sure. Just by looking at dates agent might cancel your application because you are short of 2 days, they won't bother with leap years. If you decide to continue, write concise LoE, be sure to present your thoughts and calculations.

My advice to you is to try to get few weeks on top before applying, maybe back home? You would have to return anyhow, waiting 6 months for decision/PPR, and additional time for draw and collecting of documents. No need to rush things.

 

[NicoHughes]

Online application is one thing, assessment of it by an agent in later stages is completely different thing. You can find many examples of people declining ITA due to rounding mistake, waiting for the next draw just to be sure. Just by looking at dates agent might cancel your application because you are short of 2 days, they won't bother with leap years. If you decide to continue, write concise LoE, be sure to present your thoughts and calculations.

My advice to you is to try to get few weeks on top before applying, maybe back home? You would have to return anyhow, waiting 6 months for decision/PPR, and additional time for draw and collecting of documents. No need to rush things.

Thank you for the reply! For this:
> My advice to you is to try to get few weeks on top before applying

My current US work permit (OPT) is valid for max 3 years, and my US employer won't be able to legally even hire me after my OPT expires. So it's not like I don't want to work for a few more weeks to be safe, it's I can't do that.

Thank you again, and that's why I'm in such a tough spot, I've also submitted an inquiry via IRCC web form and wait for their reply now.

 

[Wolfpmd3]

In my opinion this is not 3 years. It is 1 day short of 3 years. If someone's birthday is 27th October, then in leap year they won't celebrate their birthday on 26th October because 52 weeks have lapsed.

My earlier response was trying to elaborate the fact that experience is not measured in work hours. or weeks etc. It is measured in calendar years only.

For IRCC, 1560 counted as 30 weekly (1560/30=52) is what counts as a 1 year full time equivalent. The fact that 52 weeks are 364 days that's irrelevant and still counts as 3 years. Because, as I said 52 weeks of 30 hours of work each will satisfy this criteria.
If any year had 365 or 366 days is irrelevant.

Every 52 weeks which you've worked 30 hours or more count as 1 year.

 

[Wolfpmd3]

I've just found an old post with detailed explanation:
https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/calculate-work-experience-by-mouth-or-by-day.395312/

It seems IRCC will count by full weeks and round down any extra days, e.g. if you start your job on Monday, and work continuously for next 367 days, that would still be 52 weeks (364 days equivalent of work, the extra 3 days don't count since it's not a full week).

No actually they care about the amount of hours worked, because you can satisfy the criteria by working PART-time too.

The important thing is that 1560 hours = 1 year of experience. However, you cannot count more than 30 hours each week. This is why if you are working 30 hours or more, you need at least 52 weeks to reach the 1560 hours (once again 30*52=1560).

If you are working 10 hours a day, you'll need 3 years to complete 1560 hours (156 weeks*10h=1560), and so on.

There are people who work variable hours every week or even every day, hence they could satisfy the 1560 hours in let's say 67 weeks and 2 days.

IRCC doesn't round down or up, they just make sure that to grant you 1 year of work experience you've worked for every 1560 hours, and that you haven't counted more than 30 hours each week to get there (any hours above 30 each week are forfeited, not counted).

What IRCC does, however, is not counting partial years. So if you've completed 3100 hours, you still get just one year's worth of experience.

This is not that complicated, people just need to start reading what IRCC has on their webpage, everything is very clear especially regarding work experience.

@NicoHughes For FSW stream, the work experience needs to be continuous for each year so you're also good in this regard and there is nothing to worry. You'll be just fine.