10 Jul 2025

How Foreign Work Experience Can Boost Your CRS Score in Express Entry

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Foreign work experience is evaluated under the Skill Transferability Factors of the CRS. These factors consider how your education, work history (Canadian and international), and language skills work together. You can earn a maximum of 100 points in this section.

Here’s how those 100 points are distributed:

  • Education + language proficiency or Canadian experience – up to 50 points
  • Foreign work experience + language proficiency or Canadian experience – up to 50 points
  • Certificate of qualification in a trade – up to 50 points

Points for Foreign Work Experience:

Foreign Work Experience

With CLB 7+

With CLB 9+

+ 1 Year of Canadian Work

+ 2+ Years of Canadian Work

No foreign experience

0

0

0

0

1–2 years

13

25

13

25

3+ years

25

50

25

50

You can earn up to 50 points through this foreign experience transferability factor.

Canadian Work Experience and CRS Points

Canadian work experience contributes to your Core Human Capital factors. If you are applying without a spouse or partner, you can receive up to 80 points in this category.

Canadian Work Experience

CRS Points

None or <1 year

0

1 year

40

2 years

53

3 years

64

4 years

72

5+ years

80


Note: You gain the most points in your first year of Canadian work. Each additional year adds fewer points:

  • 1st year: +40 points
  • 2nd year: +13
  • 3rd year: +11
  • 4th year: +8
  • 5th year: +8

Also, Canadian work experience counts under skill transferability — but only up to 2 years. Beyond that, it no longer adds more transferability points.

When Foreign Work Experience Can Be More Valuable

If you already have 1–2 years of Canadian work experience and haven’t maxed out your 100 skill transferability points, adding foreign work experience can give you a much bigger CRS boost than staying in Canada for more work.

Example: Aliyah’s Case

Aliyah is 26 years old. She has:

  • A Canadian bachelor’s degree
  • CLB 9 in English
  • No French ability
  • 3 years of Canadian work experience in HR

Her CRS Score with 3 years of Canadian experience:

Factor

Points

Age (26)

110

Education (Bachelor’s)

120

Language (CLB 9)

136

Canadian work experience (3 years)

64

Skills transferability – education

50

Additional points – studied in Canada

30

Total CRS

510


Now let’s look at what happens if Aliyah goes back to the Bahamas and works for 1 year in HR, after 2 years of Canadian experience:

Factor

Points

Age (26)

110

Education (Bachelor’s)

120

Language (CLB 9)

136

Canadian work experience (2 years)

53

Skills transferability – education

50

Skills transferability – foreign work

50

Additional points – studied in Canada

30

Total CRS

549


Result:
Instead of staying for a 3rd year in Canada, Aliyah gains 1 year of foreign experience and boosts her CRS by 39 points.

She still qualifies for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) since she has at least 1 year of Canadian work experience in the past 3 years.

Why This Matters in 2025

In early 2025, CEC draw cut-offs ranged from 518 to 547.

If Aliyah had stayed in Canada for a third year, her score of 510 wouldn’t have been enough. But with just 1 year of foreign experience added, her score of 549 would have qualified her in every draw so far in 2025.

This also applies to foreign experience earned before studying in Canada, as long as it’s within the last 10 years at the time of application.

Final Thoughts

Foreign work experience can be a powerful tool to enhance your Express Entry profile. If you're aiming for a higher CRS score and already have Canadian experience, don’t overlook how a year or more of international experience can open doors — especially in a competitive immigration landscape.

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