diff --git a/packages/core/schematics/migrations/static-queries/angular/declaration_usage_visitor.ts b/packages/core/schematics/migrations/static-queries/angular/declaration_usage_visitor.ts
index 1a5a3732a6..62972e61fa 100644
--- a/packages/core/schematics/migrations/static-queries/angular/declaration_usage_visitor.ts
+++ b/packages/core/schematics/migrations/static-queries/angular/declaration_usage_visitor.ts
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ export class DeclarationUsageVisitor {
       return;
     }
 
-    const callExprSymbol = this.typeChecker.getSymbolAtLocation(node);
+    const callExprType = this.typeChecker.getTypeAtLocation(node);
+    const callExprSymbol = callExprType.getSymbol();
 
     if (!callExprSymbol || !callExprSymbol.valueDeclaration ||
         !isFunctionLikeDeclaration(callExprSymbol.valueDeclaration)) {
diff --git a/packages/core/schematics/test/static_queries_migration_spec.ts b/packages/core/schematics/test/static_queries_migration_spec.ts
index dc23eae3b0..849ebae5fe 100644
--- a/packages/core/schematics/test/static_queries_migration_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/schematics/test/static_queries_migration_spec.ts
@@ -711,6 +711,35 @@ describe('static-queries migration', () => {
           .toContain(`@${queryType}('test', { static: true }) query2: any;`);
     });
 
+    it('should detect static queries used in external function-like declaration', () => {
+      writeFile('/index.ts', `
+        import {Component, ${queryType}} from '@angular/core';
+        import {externalFn} from './external';
+                        
+        @Component({template: '<span #test></span>'})
+        export class MyComp {
+          private @${queryType}('test') query: any;
+                
+          ngOnInit() {
+            externalFn(this);
+          }
+        }
+      `);
+
+      writeFile('/external.ts', `
+        import {MyComp} from './index';
+        
+        export function externalFn(ctx: MyComp) {
+          ctx.query.usedStatically();
+        }
+      `);
+
+      runMigration();
+
+      expect(tree.readContent('/index.ts'))
+          .toContain(`@${queryType}('test', { static: true }) query: any;`);
+    });
+
     it('should properly handle multiple tsconfig files', () => {
       writeFile('/src/index.ts', `
         import {Component, ${queryType}} from '@angular/core';