A candidate received a STEM category-based ITA in December with eligibility assessed under CEC — but at ITA date was ~1.5 months short of the required 1 year of Canadian work experience, apparently because the system counts experience month-to-month. The thread's guidance:
- The system's rounding got you invited; the requirement is still real. A member confirmed the profile system counts months rather than exact dates — but you must actually meet the 12-month requirement when you submit the application, not just at ITA.
- Use the full 60-day window. The concrete advice: don't submit immediately — wait until the 12 months are complete, and note the submission deadline (Feb 6 in this case). The ITA window often gives enough runway to finish the missing weeks.
- Count in hours, and know the cap. Members clarified the real measure: 1,560 hours, counted at up to 30 hours/week — working more than 30 hours in a week doesn't accelerate the count.
- Employment gaps break the arithmetic. The poster discovered a 4-week gap between jobs meant even the deadline wouldn't quite complete the year. Gaps don't count toward the hours, so calculate from actual paid periods before deciding whether to submit or let the ITA lapse and re-enter the pool.