Two common Express Entry work-history questions when a primary applicant took maternity leave and later transitioned from contract to full-time work: does the leave count, and does the contract period count?
What group members advised:- Maternity leave does not count as work experience. It should be added to the personal history section as a travel/leave period, not claimed as active work.
- Contract work still counts as work experience, including the period before converting to full-time — as long as you can support the claim with proper documentation (reference letters, pay records, contracts).
- For the maternity leave itself, simply record the duration in your personal history — there's no special extra document required beyond noting the dates and reason.
The combined approach: exclude maternity leave from claimed work experience but document it in personal history, and count contract work as long as it's backed by solid paperwork.