Work Experience as a Co-Op student - Foreign Worker Stream

[justtheme]

I have 20 months of full-time work experience as a full-time Communications Specialist (NOC 5124 - Skill Type A)

I also did a full time post-grad placement with the Ministry of Children and Youth Services in 2009. It was a 13 week contract, 40 hours per week, with a bi weekly salary and a T4 was issued at the end of the year. My role was Communications Officer (same NOC code as the rest of my employment history in Canada - Skill Type A).

That would give me 4000 hours of experience within 28 months, with T4s issued at the end of each year. It's more that what CEC requires.

For foreign workers, it's only stated that the experience has to be obtained under a valid work permit. It doesn't matter if the experience was while going through an educational program. I had an open work permit at that time. The relationship between me and the ministry was employer-employee, as stated in the T4.

Here's what the OP 25 manual says:

9.11. Work experience
For the Temporary Foreign Worker Stream, the applicant must have 24 months of fulltime equivalent Canadian skilled-work experience at NOC 0, A or B acquired in Canada, within the 36 months preceding the date their application is made.

For the Post-Graduation Stream, the applicant must have obtained 12 months of fulltime equivalent Canadian skilled-work experience within the 24 months preceding the date of application [R87.1(2)(a)(i)-(ii)]. This experience must be acquired after they have completed the required program of study and obtained a Canadian educational credential. (Work performed under the Off-Campus Work Permit Program or on a co-op work term does not count).

The applicant does not have to be employed at the time of application, but they must have temporary status during the period of work experience [R87.1(3)(b)].

Any periods of self-employment or unauthorized work will not be included in calculating the period of work experience [R87.1(3)(b)].

It NEVER NEVER states that experience during an educational program doesn't count for the foreign worker stream. I think it's the same situation that research assistants have at Universities, and they have indeed qualified under CEC.

What do you think?