You’re working in Canada on a temporary work permit, counting down to the magic number: 1,560 hours of Canadian work experience—the minimum required for permanent residence through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
Then life happens. You want to visit family back home. You need a vacation. Your employer offers time off. Or maybe you’re planning parental leave.
Suddenly, a simple question becomes urgent: Will taking time off delay my PR eligibility?
The answer isn’t always straightforward, but here’s the good news: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) does allow for reasonable vacation periods when calculating your qualifying Canadian work experience. However, the devil is in the details—and understanding those details could be the difference between submitting your PR application on schedule or waiting several additional weeks or months.
Let’s break down exactly how different types of time off affect your Canadian work experience requirement, so you can plan your vacation without jeopardizing your PR timeline.
Understanding the 1,560-Hour Requirement
Before we dive into vacation policies, let’s establish what you’re working toward.
The Canadian Experience Class requires:
- Minimum 1,560 hours of skilled work experience in Canada
- Experience gained within the three years before you apply
- Work in TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupations (skilled positions)
- All work performed while legally authorized to work in Canada
- Paid employment only (wages or commission—volunteering doesn’t count)
The 1,560 hours breaks down to approximately 30 hours per week for 12 months, but you can accumulate these hours in various ways:
- Full-time work (30+ hours weekly) for 12 months
- Part-time work that totals 1,560 hours over a longer period
- Multiple jobs that combine to meet the hourly requirement
Once you understand this foundation, we can examine how time away from work impacts your hour count.
Statutory Holidays: They Count Fully
Here’s some excellent news to start with: statutory holidays count toward your Canadian work experience, even though you’re not actually working.
What Are Statutory Holidays?
Statutory holidays are designated days when employees are entitled to a day off with pay (depending on employment rules and jurisdiction). From an immigration perspective, these are treated as regular workdays for CEC calculation purposes.
Canada-Wide Statutory Holidays
Five statutory holidays apply nationwide:
- New Year’s Day (January 1)
- Good Friday (varies, spring)
- Canada Day (July 1)
- Labour Day (first Monday in September)
- Christmas Day (December 25)
Federal Employee Statutory Holidays
If you work for a federally regulated employer (banks, telecommunications, interprovincial transportation, etc.), you get additional statutory holidays:
- Easter Monday
- Victoria Day or National Patriot’s Day
- National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30)
- Thanksgiving Day
- Remembrance Day (November 11)
- Boxing Day (December 26)
Provincial and Territorial Statutory Holidays
Each province and territory adds its own statutory holidays. For example:
- Family Day in Alberta, BC, Ontario, Saskatchewan
- Islander Day in Prince Edward Island
- Nunavut Day in Nunavut
- St. Jean Baptiste Day in Quebec
- Discovery Day in Yukon
The Bottom Line on Statutory Holidays
You can count every statutory holiday as part of your 1,560 hours, provided you were employed and authorized to work on those days. This is automatic—IRCC officers include these days when assessing your work experience.
If you work full-time (37.5-40 hours weekly), statutory holidays represent additional hours that count toward your requirement without you physically being at work.
Short Vacations (Up to Two Weeks): Generally Count
This is where most temporary workers breathe a sigh of relief: typical vacation periods of about two weeks are usually included in your Canadian work experience calculation.
IRCC’s Official Position
IRCC guidance for immigration officers states that “reasonable vacation periods” are commonly included when assessing qualifying work experience. The standard example cited is a two-week paid vacation within a 52-week period of qualifying employment.
Key Requirements for Vacation to Count
For your vacation time to count toward CEC requirements:
✓ The vacation must be paid (unpaid vacation does not count toward required hours)
✓ You must remain employed and authorized to work in Canada
✓ You were engaged in qualifying skilled work before and after the vacation
✓ The vacation period is “reasonable” (two weeks meets this standard)
Vacation Inside vs. Outside Canada
Whether you spend your vacation inside Canada or travel abroad doesn’t matter—as long as it’s paid vacation during a period of qualifying employment, it counts.
You can visit family in India, vacation in Mexico, tour Europe, or simply stay home in Canada. The location of your vacation is irrelevant to IRCC; what matters is that you remained employed and took a reasonable amount of paid time off.
Unpaid Vacation: Does Not Count
Here’s the critical distinction: unpaid vacation does not count toward your 1,560-hour requirement.
If you take two weeks of unpaid leave, those hours don’t contribute to your CEC work experience. You’ll need to work additional time to compensate for those lost hours.
Always verify whether your vacation is paid or unpaid when calculating your timeline to PR eligibility.
Longer Vacations (Three to Four Weeks): Ambiguous Territory
Planning an extended vacation of three, four, or more weeks? This is where things get less clear-cut.
IRCC’s Approach to Extended Vacations
IRCC’s officer guidance emphasizes that while a “reasonable vacation allowance” may be made, each application is assessed on its own merits. Officers make final decisions based on the information available at the time of review.
There’s no definitive rule stating that three weeks won’t count or four weeks definitely will. It depends on:
- Your overall work pattern
- Your employer’s vacation policies
- How the officer interprets “reasonable” in your specific case
- Whether the vacation is paid
The Safer Strategy: Build a Buffer
If you’re planning extended vacation—anything beyond the standard two weeks—the safest approach is to work additional weeks beyond the bare minimum before submitting your PR application.
Instead of applying as soon as you hit exactly 1,560 hours, work until you have 1,700, 1,800, or even 2,000 hours. This buffer ensures that even if an officer questions some of your vacation time, you still meet the minimum requirement comfortably.
Example Calculation with Buffer
Let’s say you work full-time (40 hours/week):
- Minimum requirement: 1,560 hours ≈ 39 weeks
- With two-week vacation: Plan for 41 weeks total employment
- With four-week vacation: Plan for 43-45 weeks total employment to ensure buffer
The extra weeks provide peace of mind and protect against any officer discretion that might exclude some vacation time from your calculation.
Parental Leave, Maternity Leave, and Extended Time Off: Does Not Count
This is unambiguous: time away from work due to unpaid leave, extended time off, or parental/maternity leave does not count toward your 1,560-hour requirement.
Why Leave Doesn’t Count
Even if you remain “employed” on paper during parental or maternity leave, you’re not performing work duties or earning wages during that period. Since CEC requirements specify paid work experience, time on leave doesn’t qualify.
Planning Around Parental Leave
If you’re planning to take parental or maternity leave:
Before leave: Calculate how many hours you’ve accumulated toward the 1,560 requirement.
During leave: Understand this time doesn’t count, even though your employment continues.
After returning: You’ll need to work additional calendar time to reach the required hours.
Strategic timing: Some applicants choose to exceed the 1,560-hour threshold significantly before taking parental leave, then submit their PR application during or shortly after leave (within the three-year eligibility window).
Example Timeline
Consider this scenario:
- You work full-time for 15 months (approximately 2,400 hours)
- You take 12 months of parental leave
- You return to work and are still within the three-year window
- You apply for PR using the 2,400 hours accumulated before and after leave (the leave period itself doesn’t count, but your qualifying work experience before and after does)
The key is ensuring your qualifying work experience falls within the three years immediately before you apply.
Other Types of Extended Leave
Beyond parental leave, other extended absences also don’t count:
Medical leave (unpaid): Does not count toward hours
Sabbatical or career break: Does not count toward hours
Unpaid educational leave: Does not count toward hours
Layoff periods: Does not count toward hours
All of these situations require you to accumulate additional working time to meet the 1,560-hour threshold.
Working Remotely from Outside Canada: Does Not Count
This often surprises temporary foreign workers, but it’s crucial to understand: if you work remotely for your Canadian employer while physically outside Canada, that time does not count as Canadian work experience.
Why Remote Work from Abroad Doesn’t Count
IRCC defines qualifying Canadian work experience very specifically for CEC purposes:
Canadian work experience must be gained while you’re part of the Canadian labour market.
According to IRCC, this means you must be:
- Physically present in Canada, AND
- Working for a Canadian employer
Both conditions must be met simultaneously.
The Logic Behind This Rule
The Canadian Experience Class aims to recognize individuals who have integrated into Canadian society and the Canadian labour market. Working remotely from another country—even for a Canadian company—doesn’t demonstrate that integration in the same way.
Common Misconceptions
❌ “My employer is Canadian, so it counts” → Wrong. You must also be physically in Canada.
❌ “I’m still doing the same job, just from abroad” → Doesn’t matter. Physical presence in Canada is required.
❌ “It’s just a short trip while working” → If you’re working while abroad, that period doesn’t count toward CEC hours.
The Vacation Exception Doesn’t Apply Here
Officers may allow reasonable vacation periods when calculating work experience, but that allowance cannot be used to treat time spent working outside Canada as though it were time worked in Canada.
Taking a two-week paid vacation while not working? That’s fine.
Working remotely for your Canadian employer during those two weeks while abroad? That doesn’t count as Canadian work experience.
Practical Implications
If you’re a digital nomad or considering extended travel while working remotely:
Option 1: Take paid vacation (not working) for the travel period—this likely counts if it’s reasonable duration.
Option 2: Accept that any time working from abroad doesn’t count toward CEC, and plan additional working time in Canada to compensate.
Option 3: Stay in Canada while accumulating your required hours, then travel after submitting your PR application.
What Qualifies as Skilled Work Experience for CEC?
To ensure your work counts toward the 1,560-hour requirement, it must meet all CEC criteria:
1. Skill Level Requirement
Your work must fall under TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 of Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) system.
TEER 0: Management occupations
TEER 1: Occupations requiring university education
TEER 2: Occupations requiring college, apprenticeship, or supervisory responsibilities
TEER 3: Occupations requiring secondary school, occupation-specific training, or on-the-job training
Your experience can be in more than one NOC category, and the hours from multiple qualifying jobs can be combined.
2. Authorization to Work
You must have gained the experience while authorized to work in Canada under temporary resident status. This typically means:
- Valid work permit
- Post-graduation work permit
- Working holiday visa
- Other temporary resident status allowing employment
3. Job Duties Match NOC Description
You must show that you:
- Performed the actions described in the lead statement of your NOC job description
- Carried out most of the main duties listed for that occupation
It’s not enough that your job title matches—your actual duties must align with the NOC description.
4. Paid Employment
Your work must be paid employment (wages, salary, or commission).
Does NOT count:
- Unpaid internships
- Volunteer work
- Work exchange arrangements without payment
5. Timing Within Three-Year Window
Your 1,560 hours must be accumulated within the three years immediately before you apply for permanent residence.
If you worked in Canada four years ago, that experience is now outside the eligibility window and cannot be counted.
Strategic Planning: How to Manage Your Timeline
Smart planning can help you take the vacation you need without jeopardizing your PR application timeline.
Calculate Your Actual Hours
Don’t just count weeks or months—calculate your actual hours worked:
- Multiply your weekly hours by the number of weeks worked
- Subtract any unpaid time off
- Add statutory holidays
- Include reasonable paid vacation
Build a Buffer Zone
Always aim to exceed 1,560 hours by a comfortable margin:
- Target 1,700-1,800 hours instead of exactly 1,560
- This protects you if any time is questioned or excluded
- It accounts for calculation errors or documentation gaps
Time Your Vacation Strategically
Option 1: Vacation Early
Take extended vacation before you start accumulating CEC hours. Once you return, focus on accumulating the required hours without interruption.
Option 2: Vacation After Applying
Accumulate your hours first, submit your PR application, then take extended vacation while your application is processed.
Option 3: Short, Paid Vacations During Accumulation
Stick to standard two-week paid vacations during your qualifying work period to minimize any ambiguity.
Document Everything
Keep thorough records to support your application:
- Pay stubs showing paid vacation periods
- Employment letters detailing your work schedule and vacation policies
- T4 tax forms confirming total employment income
- ROE (Record of Employment) if changing jobs
- Work permit and extensions showing authorization periods
Consider Multiple Jobs
If your primary job offers limited hours, you can combine multiple qualifying positions to reach 1,560 hours faster:
- Two part-time TEER 0-3 jobs simultaneously
- Sequential jobs in qualifying occupations
- Multiple employer experiences within the three-year window
All hours from qualifying employment count, as long as you were authorized to work in each position.
Common Questions and Scenarios
“I took three weeks unpaid vacation. Do I need to work three extra weeks?”
Yes, if those three weeks were during what would otherwise be full-time work (30+ hours weekly). The unpaid hours don’t count, so you need to work additional time to reach 1,560 hours.
“My employer counts statutory holidays as vacation days. Does this affect my CEC hours?”
No. Statutory holidays count toward your CEC hours regardless of how your employer categorizes them administratively. IRCC counts them based on immigration rules, not your employer’s HR policies.
“I worked remotely from India for two months. Can I count those hours?”
No. You must be physically present in Canada while working for the hours to count as Canadian work experience.
“What if I take a two-week vacation, but work a few hours remotely during the trip?”
The safest interpretation: treat this as vacation (counts if paid) rather than remote work from abroad (doesn’t count). However, if you’re actively working full-time hours while abroad, even for a Canadian employer, those hours technically don’t meet CEC requirements.
“Can I apply for PR while on parental leave?”
Yes, you can apply while on leave, as long as you’ve accumulated the required 1,560 hours of qualifying work experience within the three years before applying. The leave period itself doesn’t count toward hours, but it doesn’t prevent you from applying if you’ve already met the requirement.
The Bottom Line: Vacation Won’t Derail Your PR Plans
Here’s the reassuring takeaway: reasonable vacation will not delay your permanent residence application if you plan carefully.
What counts without question:
- All statutory holidays during employment
- Paid vacation of approximately two weeks
- Regular work hours while physically in Canada
What doesn’t count:
- Unpaid vacation or leave
- Parental/maternity leave periods
- Remote work from outside Canada
- Extended unpaid absences
The smart strategy:
- Build a buffer beyond the minimum 1,560 hours
- Keep all vacation paid when possible
- Limit extended vacations (3+ weeks) or work extra time to compensate
- Document everything thoroughly
- Calculate actual hours, not just weeks or months
Most importantly: don’t sacrifice your quality of life or important family time out of excessive caution. A two-week paid vacation to visit family or recharge is reasonable, recognized by IRCC, and won’t impact your PR eligibility. Just plan it into your timeline, ensure it’s paid, and maintain your buffer zone of extra hours.
Your path to permanent residence is a marathon, not a sprint. Taking care of yourself along the way—including taking reasonable vacation—is part of sustainable success.
Quick Reference: Does Time Off Count Toward CEC?
| Type of Time Off | Counts Toward 1,560 Hours? | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory Holidays | ✅ Yes | Must be employed and authorized to work |
| Paid Vacation (≤2 weeks) | ✅ Yes, usually | Must be paid; reasonable duration |
| Paid Vacation (3+ weeks) | ⚠️ Maybe | Officer discretion; build buffer to be safe |
| Unpaid Vacation | ❌ No | Not paid work |
| Parental/Maternity Leave | ❌ No | Not performing work duties |
| Medical Leave (unpaid) | ❌ No | Not performing work duties |
| Remote Work from Outside Canada | ❌ No | Must be physically in Canada |
| Layoff Periods | ❌ No | Not employed |
