An applicant with over 6 years of experience in investment banking wasn't sure whether they'd filled in the work experience section of their CRS calculation correctly.
How the group explained it:- If your work experience is in Canada, you report it as Canadian Experience Class (CEC) work experience — this is treated differently in the CRS formula and generally earns more points than equivalent foreign experience.
- If your work experience is foreign (for example, in India or another country outside Canada), you report it under the separate foreign work experience section, not as CEC.
- The distinction matters for your score, since the CRS tool allocates points differently for Canadian work experience versus foreign work experience, and mixing them up will give you an inaccurate score.
Practical takeaway:- Before calculating your CRS, sort your work history by where the work was actually performed (Canada vs. other countries), not by employer nationality or contract type.
- If you've done both, make sure you're entering Canadian experience in the CEC field and foreign experience separately, so your final CRS number reflects your real, eligible points.
- When in doubt, cross-check the official IRCC CRS criteria tool rather than relying solely on a self-made spreadsheet, since a wrong entry here can lead to an inflated (and therefore inaccurate) score.