How to count/prove weeks of work experience?

[Rosalie87]

Hey!
I need to find out if there's any chance for me to apply for residency with CEC at the end of this year before Express Entry launches (assuming that the applications haven't reached the cap of 8000 in the last week of December, which is unlikely I guess.... but anyway).
I was planning to apply early next year, and I know I would have been eligible by then. But I'm now worried about the new system, so I looked into doing it this year.

My main concern is the count and proof of the weeks worked in Canada... So here's the situation:

I started my job mid November 2013, working 40 hours per week. I had to take some time off this summer when I was in between my 2 visas, so I wouldn't be able to apply right in November.
So how do I count my worked weeks to find out which day I could send off my application? Do they go by actual weeks (and half weeks), hours, payroll periods? They always say 52 weeks, but then I read 1560 hours somewhere else. What about vacation and sick days?
And as I've been employed with the company the entire time - do they even ask for proofs for every single week or is the letter along with a few paystubs and last years tax assesment enough?

Before I started working with the company I did some freelance work in the same field, that would count up to 2-3 extra weeks - any chance to submit that?

I know chances are that I just can't apply under the old system, as there's the cap and I might have worked only 50 or 51 weeks, so I'll probably just miss it. But I wanna know for sure before I give it up for this year.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

 

[___]

Hey!
I need to find out if there's any chance for me to apply for residency with CEC at the end of this year before Express Entry launches (assuming that the applications haven't reached the cap of 8000 in the last week of December, which is unlikely I guess.... but anyway).
I was planning to apply early next year, and I know I would have been eligible by then. But I'm now worried about the new system, so I looked into doing it this year.

My main concern is the count and proof of the weeks worked in Canada... So here's the situation:

I started my job mid November 2013, working 40 hours per week. I had to take some time off this summer when I was in between my 2 visas, so I wouldn't be able to apply right in November.
So how do I count my worked weeks to find out which day I could send off my application? Do they go by actual weeks (and half weeks), hours, payroll periods? They always say 52 weeks, but then I read 1560 hours somewhere else. What about vacation and sick days?
And as I've been employed with the company the entire time - do they even ask for proofs for every single week or is the letter along with a few paystubs and last years tax assesment enough?

Before I started working with the company I did some freelance work in the same field, that would count up to 2-3 extra weeks - any chance to submit that?

I know chances are that I just can't apply under the old system, as there's the cap and I might have worked only 50 or 51 weeks, so I'll probably just miss it. But I wanna know for sure before I give it up for this year.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

not sure about how they count, but regarding the vacations and sick days, if they are payed and they are a reasonable number of days, they can be calculated into the working days. but my question is how do they know when you are on vacation or sick leave?

 

[jes_ON]

I started my job mid November 2013, working 40 hours per week. I had to take some time off this summer when I was in between my 2 visas, so I wouldn't be able to apply right in November.

I assume you mean between two work permits... can you be more specific about how much time?

So how do I count my worked weeks to find out which day I could send off my application? Do they go by actual weeks (and half weeks), hours, payroll periods?

It is easiest if you are full-time salaried, simply count the (full) weeks from the date you started. Of course, exclude the weeks you for which you were not on payroll (between permits). 52 weeks (can include 2 weeks of vacation, any more than that might be deemed excessive...)

They always say 52 weeks, but then I read 1560 hours somewhere else.
1560 hours is the target FTE you use if you work part-time (fewer than 30 hours per week), which by definition will take longer than a year to complete.

What about vacation and sick days?
These should be described along with other benefits in your Letter of Employment. Generally, you don't need to worry about these, as you are still considered employed. But the recent guidance allows for "reasonable" amounts of vacation, with two weeks given as an example. A very cautious or literal VO could interpret that strictly.

And as I've been employed with the company the entire time - do they even ask for proofs for every single week or is the letter along with a few paystubs and last years tax assesment enough?

The letter is your key document. T4 and NOA are the other main supporting documents. Since in your case those would not cover even half of your qualifying experience, you could also submit a recent paystub (best if it has year-to-date cumulative information). And yes, the VO can use these pieces of information to detect a variance in the salary you should have earned vs. what you actually earned given the "time off."

And keep in mind, if you had a "gap" between work permits for which you were not authorized to work, CIC will know that and exclude that time automatically. Best policy - be up front about everything.

Before I started working with the company I did some freelance work in the same field, that would count up to 2-3 extra weeks - any chance to submit that?

In general, that would be considered self-employment and not eligible. There are very few exceptions, and would depend entirely on your occupation.

I know chances are that I just can't apply under the old system, as there's the cap and I might have worked only 50 or 51 weeks, so I'll probably just miss it. But I wanna know for sure before I give it up for this year.

We don't know exactly what date the express entry system will begin, or what it will mean for most applicants. But if you have a supportive employer, you should be OK.

 

[djvinnakota]

I'm working as a part time employee and our company pays 2 weeks vacation in a year. Does paid vacation period count in 52 weeks.

 

[LPS]

^ Yes - From OP 25a (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/op/op25A-eng.pdf), section 10.11, "Qualifying work experience":

An allowance for a reasonable period of vacation time will generally be made in calculating the period of qualifying work experience (e.g., a two-week period of paid vacation leave within a given 52-week period in which the applicant was engaged in qualifying work experience).

Those two weeks would convert to full-time weeks at the same rate (e.g. two weeks at 24 hours/week = (24 + 24)/30 = 1.6 full-time equivalent weeks).

 

[honey92]

^ Yes - From OP 25a (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/op/op25A-eng.pdf), section 10.11, "Qualifying work experience":

An allowance for a reasonable period of vacation time will generally be made in calculating the period of qualifying work experience (e.g., a two-week period of paid vacation leave within a given 52-week period in which the applicant was engaged in qualifying work experience).

Those two weeks would convert to full-time weeks at the same rate (e.g. two weeks at 24 hours/week = (24 + 24)/30 = 1.6 full-time equivalent weeks).

So a reference letter stating that I have worked for 51 weeks would work?