Canadian Experience Class (CEC) requires a genuine full year of qualifying skilled work experience — IRCC does not appear to accept experience that falls short by even one to two weeks.
- Get a job letter that clearly states your start date. IRCC checks that the gap between your job's start date and your ITA (or application) date is a full year, so any ambiguity in the letter can cause issues.
- Count hours, not just calendar time. The commonly cited benchmark is 1,560 hours of full-time equivalent work (30 hours/week x 52 weeks) within the qualifying period — make sure your hours add up, not just the calendar duration.
- Don't submit if you're short by even a week or two. Community reports suggest IRCC is strict here and being close isn't the same as meeting the requirement — wait until you've genuinely crossed the one-year/1,560-hour mark.