Category-based Express Entry draws (introduced under the framework sometimes referred to by group members as "Bill C-19") have their own eligibility rule for work experience that's separate from the general CRS work-experience scoring rule — and it's easy to mix the two up.
The two rules, and how they interact:- CRS points for work experience: calculated using experience from the last 10 years, as usual.
- Category eligibility (e.g., the healthcare category): to actually qualify for a category-based draw, you need at least 6 months of experience in an eligible NOC within the last 3 years. If none of your qualifying experience falls within that 3-year window, you are not eligible for that category-based draw — even if you have plenty of experience from further back and even if your NOC appears on the eligible list.
So a candidate with 10 years of relevant experience but nothing in the last 3 years would still score CRS points for that experience, but would not receive an ITA through a category-based draw specifically — they'd need to rely on a general Express Entry round instead.
This is time-bound guidance tied to the category-based draw framework as it existed when this thread was posted — confirm current category definitions and thresholds on IRCC's website before relying on this for a live application.