Requirements for Canadian Experience Class

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is an immigration program that allows people who have lived and worked in Canada for at least one year to immigrate permanently.

Foreign nationals who have lived and worked in Canada for a minimum of one year, including foreign students or temporary foreign workers, may be eligible to for permanent residency under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). The Canadian government recognizes the deep pool of talented skilled workers already working in Canada and wants them to become permanent residents.

Requirements To Qualify Under The Canadian Experience Class

To qualify under the CEC, you have to meet the following requirements:

• You intend to live outside the province of Quebec.
• You have a minimum of 12 months of full-time skilled work experience in Canada (or equivalent in part-time), in the three (3) years before you apply. Full-time work means at least Thirty (30) paid hours of work per week. Skilled work includes professional, managerial, technical and skilled trade jobs. The Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC) provides a list of occupations and their corresponding NOC group. To determine if your occupation qualifies as skilled work, visit the Employment and Social Development Canada website.
• You have obtained your work experience in Canada with the proper immigration authorization.
• You have met the required language ability or proficiency in English and/or French needed for your job. To show your language skills, you must take a language test that is approved or authorized by IRCC and add the results with your application. The test assesses your abilities in four categories: reading, listening, writing and speaking. You must also meet the minimum level in each category. For the Canadian Experience Class application, the test results are only valid for two years. But, it is advisable to keep a copy of your language test results because they can be added in an application for citizenship, for which purpose the test results do not expire.

How to apply the Canadian Experience Class

From the beginning of 2015, applications under the Canadian Experience Class can only be processed through a newly introduced Express Entry online platform.

Once you fulfill the requirements to be qualify for permanent residence status under the CEC, you should upload your profile under the Express Entry online platform.

If you are married or live with a common-law partner in Canada, either of you may apply as the principal applicant. If both you meet the qualifying requirements, one of you can be the principal applicant.

In addition to the language tests result, in order to become a permanent resident you must take a medical exam to prove you are not a danger to Canada’s public health or safety. You need to show that you will not cause too much demand on public health services.

Aside from the medical test, you will also be required to provide a police certificate to ascertain if you have a criminal record. IRCC will forward the appropriate instructions for these security and medical checks through your online portal.