Gain work experience

Get a social insurance number

The social insurance number (SIN) is a nine-digit number that you will need to work in Canada and to access government programs and benefits. You should apply for a SIN as soon as possible after you arrive in Canada.

To apply for your SIN, contact the nearest Service Canada office.

Work experience you need to support your permanent residence application

To support your application for permanent residence, you need at least 12 months of qualifying work experience, within the 36-month time period before the date that you send us your proof.

Work performed before you submitted your application may count as qualifying work experience as long as it was done within that 36-month period.

Your qualifying work experience must:

• be in 1 of these NOCs (home child care provider or home support worker)
  • It cannot be a mix of both NOCs.
• match the NOC job description and you must have done most of the main duties listed
• have been gained in the 36-month period before you send us proof
  • You don’t have to have worked 12 months in a row, just 12 months total within that period.
• be full-time authorized work in Canada
  • Full-time means at least 30 hours of paid work each week.
  • Any week where you worked less than 30 hours doesn’t count.
  • Any work experience you had while you were a full-time student doesn’t count.
  • The work can have been authorized under a work permit, as well as under maintained status or a public policy.
  • Experience working for a business can also count. However, we’ll only issue you an initial occupation-restricted open work permit if you have a job offer that doesn’t come from a business. Find out the job offer requirements.

Make sure to keep any documents to show that you have 12 months of work experience.

Send us proof of your work experience

Once you have 12 months of qualifying work experience, you must

• complete the Schedule 19b: Home Child Care Provider or Home Support Worker – Work Experience form [IMM 5910] (PDF, 2.26 MB)
• send it to us with proof of your qualifying work experience

You must send us this proof no later than 36 months (3 years) after you get your work permit.

Send us a copy of the following documents to show that you have 12 months of work experience:

• your T4 tax information slips and your notice of assessment (NOA) issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
  • When submitting your tax information, hide or cover your social insurance number (SIN) to protect your personal information.
• reference letters from your employer(s) with this information included:
  • the specific period you were employed (start and end dates)
  • your position
  • a description of your main responsibilities and duties
  • your job’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) code (if you know it)
  • your total annual salary and benefits
  • the number of hours you worked per week
  • your employer’s
    • name and signature
    • full address
    • telephone number
    • email address (if this applies)
• any Record of Employment (ROE) you were issued
  • Your employer is required to provide an ROE to you if you stop working for them.

You can also include any pay stubs, work contracts, or job offers.

After we receive proof of your work experience, we’ll make a final decision on your permanent residence based on

• whether your work experience meets the requirement
• if you’re still admissible to Canada
  • You may have to take another medical exam and submit new police certificates.