Does UAE Work Experience Count for Canadian Immigration?
Last updated: October 2026
Yes. Paid skilled work you did in the UAE can count toward the Federal Skilled Worker Program, if it was in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 within the last 10 years. IRCC looks at your real duties, not your job title. You need at least 1 year of continuous work, or 1,560 hours.
What counts as skilled work experience?
Skilled work experience is paid work in a TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation that matches your main NOC, done in Canada or abroad within the last 10 years. IRCC sets the minimum at 1 year of continuous work or 1,560 hours in total (30 hours per week). This is the rule for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, per IRCC.
Check each point against your own career:
- It must be paid, by wages or commission
- Unpaid internships and volunteer work do not count
- It must be within the last 10 years
- It must be in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3
- It must match your primary occupation’s NOC
- You can combine part-time jobs, but hours above 30 a week in one job are not counted
How does IRCC match your UAE job to a NOC code?
IRCC checks whether you performed the actions in the lead statement of the NOC job description and most of the main duties listed. Your job title does not decide this, and the same title can sit in different NOC codes. Choose the NOC that most closely matches what you actually did, because a wrong match can delay or sink your file.
Write your reference letter from your duties, not from your title. Use our NOC finder to compare your duties against the official descriptions before you build your profile.
What proof do UAE applicants need?
Your proof is a reference letter from each employer that shows the job you did. Ask for a letter on company letterhead with your job title, duties, hours, pay and dates of employment. IRCC can ask for more documents, so keep contracts and payslips for each job you want to count.
Match the letter to the NOC you chose. If the duties in the letter read like a different job, officers notice.
Our documents checklist lists the full set for skilled workers, and our UAE police certificate guide covers the certificate you need for the years you lived in the UAE.
What else do you need besides work experience?
Work experience is one of several requirements. You also need CLB 7 or higher in all four language abilities, an Educational Credential Assessment for foreign education, and at least 67 points on IRCC’s selection grid.
Proof of funds is also required, unless you can legally work in Canada and hold a valid job offer. Our Express Entry guide explains how these pieces fit together.
- Language: CLB 7 or higher in writing, reading, listening and speaking
- Education: a completed credential and an ECA for foreign education
- Points: 67 or more on the selection grid
- Funds: proof of settlement funds, unless you can legally work in Canada and hold a valid job offer
Not sure how your UAE career scores? Try our CRS score calculator, then bring the result to your Strategy Consultation.
UAE work experience for Canada: your questions answered
Does work experience in the UAE count for Canadian immigration?
Yes, if it meets the program rules. IRCC counts paid skilled work done in Canada or abroad, so UAE work can count toward the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
The work must be in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 and within the last 10 years. See our guide for UAE professionals.
Does my job title matter?
No. IRCC checks whether you did the actions in the lead statement of the NOC description and most of the main duties.
Pick the NOC that most closely matches your real duties. Our NOC finder helps you compare.
Can I combine part-time jobs?
Yes. IRCC lets you combine part-time positions to reach 1,560 hours, but hours above 30 a week in one job are not counted.
Keep payslips and letters for every job you want to count.
How far back can my work experience go?
IRCC counts skilled work from the last 10 years, in Canada or abroad.
Older experience does not count toward the program minimum, so plan your reference letters around the last 10 years.
Do unpaid internships or volunteer work count?
No. IRCC says the work must be paid, and unpaid internships and volunteer work are excluded.
If you were paid by wages or commission, keep proof of the pay.
Do I need a Canadian job offer if my experience is from the UAE?
No. Express Entry does not require a job offer, and a job offer adds no CRS points since March 25, 2025.
You do still need proof of funds unless you can legally work in Canada and hold a valid job offer. See our proof of funds guide.
What else do I need besides work experience?
You need CLB 7 or higher in all four language abilities, an Educational Credential Assessment for foreign education, and at least 67 points on IRCC’s selection grid.
Language results and ECA reports take time, so start them early. See our documents checklist.
Get your UAE career matched to the right NOC
30 minutes with a licensed RCIC checks your duties, your NOC and your route, and gives you a written plan.
Amir Ismail is a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC R412319) who has been associated with the immigration consulting industry since 1991.
Last updated: October 2026. Source: IRCC (Federal Skilled Worker Program rules, checked October 2026).
