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Falling just short of 2 years Canadian work experience for CEC? Count paid vacation days

Canada • Canadian Experience Class • immigration 0 views
By VisaBuddies Communityvia community — compiled from public visa forums

Step-by-Step

A member with an active ITA was worried their Canadian work experience was a few days short of the 2-year (24-month) minimum required for Canadian Experience Class, and asked whether to submit anyway or wait for the next draw.

What the thread advised:
  1. The 2 years must be complete on the day you submit your application, not on the day you received the ITA — this is treated as a hard requirement, not something to gamble on.

  2. Paid vacation days can count toward your total work experience. Several members pointed out that up to 2 weeks of paid vacation is generally counted as part of continuous full-time employment, which can push someone from just under 24 months to just over it.

  3. Employment duration (how long you were continuously employed), not just hours worked, is what matters — a member noted it's about the length of the employment relationship, not a strict hour count.


The practical takeaway: before submitting, recalculate your total months using your full employment dates (including paid vacation), not just a rough headcount of days worked. If you're still short after including vacation days, it's safer to wait for your experience to genuinely clear 24 months rather than risk a refusal on a technicality.

Dos, Don'ts & Tips

  • Do: Recalculate your total Canadian work experience including paid vacation days before submitting — it can add enough days to clear the 24-month threshold.
  • Don't: Don't submit your application while still short of 2 years of experience on the submission date — it needs to be complete by the day you file, not the day of the ITA.
  • Tip: Experience is measured by length of continuous employment, not hours worked.

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