First of all, your need at least 12 months of full-time work experience or equivalent amount in part-time in the a specific NOC to be eligible for EE and this seems to be true in your case.
I have had this discussion with others before so I am just going to summarize my finding:
Does work experience gained during study counts toward EE eligibility? Well it depends on a few factors:
- In Canada: If you gain your experience on a study permit only (not holding a work permit at the same time) it does not work. However, if you your work experience was a full-time co-op or internship during your studies, it does count toward FSW category given you worked full-time for at least 12 months. The catch here is that for do co-op or internship, one has to receive a work permit and pay taxes therefore it can be used for EE. I know at least one person on this forum who got his PR by including his canadian internship toward his work experience requirement
- Outside Canada: I have heard from many that the work experience gained during studies outside Canada counts given the requirement for the NOC is met (see below).
Another factor is the requirements for a NOC number which needs to be met. For example, some NOCs specifically require that you had obtained a diploma or a university level degree before you gained your work experience but other may require just a few years of highschool or college.
So say you worked full time in a company continuously in NOC XXXX during your undergrad studies for a cumulative of at least 12 months full-time ( or equivalent in pert-time) but this NOC requires you to have a bachelor degree as a requirement, then your work experience may be rejected at EE stage or later by an immigration agent when processing your PR application.
Hope I could help!
