Separate the professional opportunity from immigration assessment
A US experience can have professional value through the work, supervision and exposure it offers. Its relevance to Canadian immigration is a separate assessment. No placement guarantees permanent residence, a points increase or selection in a draw.
Aureus reviews US programme fit and coordinates agreed placement-related support. If Canadian planning is a goal, an appropriately authorised adviser should assess your individual profile and the current rules.
Foreign work is not Canadian work
Work performed in the US is not the Canadian work required for the Canadian Experience Class. It may be relevant as foreign experience under another applicable route or ranking provision, but those requirements must be examined separately.
Actual duties, paid status, duration and other qualifying conditions matter. A nominal 12-month programme does not itself establish a full qualifying year. A sector label is not enough to assign an occupation code or predict treatment.
Continuity and aggregation are different questions
A continuous qualifying-year requirement under the Federal Skilled Worker Programme should not be confused with how foreign experience may be aggregated under ranking rules. A shorter period may interact with previous qualifying work in some circumstances without independently establishing programme eligibility.
Student work also needs careful treatment. Different programmes and ranking rules handle it differently. Automatically excluding every student internship is no more reliable than assuming all internships count.
Review a real opportunity with real facts
Ask about actual duties, paid status, start and end dates, hours, supervision and the records the host can provide. Retain accurate contractual and employment documents. Do not ask a host to describe work inaccurately to fit an immigration objective.
If you already have an authorised adviser, share the practical criteria they need to assess. We can discuss what a proposed opportunity involves; we do not replace their judgement or promise a particular classification.
For Canadian citizens and permanent residents
Your US proposition may be professional development across the border rather than Canadian immigration planning. Citizenship and permanent residence are distinct for US entry formalities. Your current Canadian address alone does not establish the relevant US requirements.
The pathway check records your goals without generating PR points or an immigration decision. Use the result to begin a programme conversation, then assess any Canadian relevance against current official information and your own circumstances.
Official sources for programme requirements. Reviewed 10 November 2026 where recorded in our source register.