Candidates who traveled abroad but kept working remotely for their Canadian employer sometimes wonder whether that period still counts as Canadian Experience Class (CEC) experience.
What group members advised:- CRS scores around 480+ have historically been enough to clear general draws, so a score in that range is generally considered competitive at the time of asking — but this shifts with each draw, so always check current cutoffs.
- For CEC eligibility specifically, the work experience needs to be performed while physically in Canada. Time spent working remotely from outside Canada — even for the same Canadian employer — is not counted toward the one year of Canadian work experience CEC requires.
The practical takeaway: if you worked from abroad for a stretch, don't count that period toward your CEC year — track only the time actually worked while physically present in Canada, and factor that into whether you meet the one-year threshold.