A member's PGWP was expiring in June 2024, which would leave them with 21 months of Canadian TEER 2 work experience, and they wanted to know whether Express Entry would credit that as one year or two years of skilled work experience for CRS purposes.
What the thread clarified:- Express Entry's Canadian work experience factor is bucketed, not prorated — 21 months only counts as 1 year of experience, not close to 2. Multiple members confirmed this directly: you need to actually reach the 24-month (2-year) mark for the higher bracket to apply, partial months short of that threshold don't get you extra credit.
- One tactic members suggested: apply for a PGWP extension just before your current permit expires. Even if the extension application itself is ultimately rejected, submitting it before expiry can extend your legal work authorization long enough (through maintained status) to let you keep working and cross the 24-month threshold.
- A more straightforward alternative some suggested: simply plan to work about 3 more months past your PGWP's expiry by whatever lawful means available (e.g. the extension buying time), to reach the full 2 years outright rather than settling for the 1-year bracket.
The practical takeaway: CRS work-experience points come in discrete year brackets, so 21 months earns you the same points as 12 months — if you're this close to the 24-month mark, look seriously at a PGWP extension application (even a likely-to-be-refused one) purely to buy the extra months of maintained status you need.