Since the introduction of Express Entry in 2015, the Canadian Experience Class represents 50% of all the candidates who have received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence among all the immigration programs managed under the Express Entry system.
What is the Canadian Experience Class
The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) was introduced in 2008 to attract and retain highly skilled immigrants and international graduates and to address challenges posed by the Federal Skilled Worker program(FSWP).
CEC is one of the three immigration programs managed under the Express Entry system.
CEC is the most popular and fastest pathway to permanent residence (PR) among foreign skilled workers and international graduates who would go on gain Canadian work experience.
Express Entry Candidates eligible under CEC have the quickest application processing time as it takes less time for Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to verify their Canadian work experience. The average processing time for Express Entry candidates is six months.
CEC candidates get more Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for their Canadian work experience compared to candidates from the other two programs under the Express Entry for the same amount of work experience gained outside Canada.
Another benefit of CEC is optional proof of fund requirements for candidates eligible for CEC under Express Entry.
All these factors increase the chance of obtaining permanent residence for CEC candidates inside the Express Entry pool.
How the Canadian Experience Class works
If you have Canadian work experience in a skilled occupation identified by IRCC in certain National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups and meet the minimum criteria as defined in this article, you have to create an Express Entry profile. After submitting the express entry profile, your profile will join the Express Entry pool, where it will be compared against other profiles from all the immigration programs managed by the Express Entry system and given a CRS score. If selected in an Express Entry draw, applicants will then be invited to apply for a permanent residency in Canada. To know more about the Express Entry system, you can visit our in-depth overview on our website.
Minimum requirements
There are two minimum requirements for this program.
- Skilled work experience in Canada
- Language ability
The work experience must be gained under temporary resident status with authorization to work. For example, work experience gained with an open or LMIA-based work permit.
While it is optional for CEC candidates to satisfy education requirements, they are encouraged to provide educational credentials as they can get more CRS points for their level of education.
CEC candidates do not need to show that they have enough money to support themselves and their families.
TEER : Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities
| Eligibility criteria | |
| Language skills | English or French |
| Type work experience | Before November 16, 2022: –> Canadian experience in 1 of the NOC*: 0, A, and B After November 16, 2022: –> Canadian work experience in 1 or more NOC TEER categories: TEER 0, 1, 2, 3 |
| Amount of work experience | At least 1 year in past 3 years; non-continuous work is considered |
| Job offer | Not required |
| Education | Not required |
| Proof of fund | Not required |
Language Skills
Canada recognizes two official languages: English and French.
You must take at least one of the IRCC-approved language tests to prove your language proficiency.
To measure the language skills, IRCC uses Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) for English and Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC)for French for assessment.
| Language | IRCC recognized language tests | Language Level |
| English | –>IELTS –>CELPIP | Applications before November 16, 2022: –> CLB** 7 for work experience in NOC 0 or A –> CLB 5 for NOC B Applications after November 16, 2022: –> CLB 7 for TEER 0 or TEER 1 occupations –> CLB 5 for TEER 2 or TEER 3 occupations |
| French | –>TEF Canada –>TCF Canada |
Skilled work experience in Canada
| Work experience | >Work experience in 1 of the National Occupational Classification(NOC): –> skill type 0 (zero) OR TEER 0 –> skill level A OR TEET 1 –> skill level B OR TEER 2/TEER 3 >1,560 hours of work, continuous or non-continuous, which can be achieved by working: –> 1 year of Full-time or 30 hours/week for 12 months –> 2 years of part-time or 15 hours/week for 24 months –> 1 year at multiple jobs with at least 30hr/week combined >Must be in Canada >Must be within last 3 years >Must be gained under temporary resident status with authorization to work |
For part-time work, you can work more or less than 15 hours/week as long as it adds up to 1,560 hours. You can work more than 1 part-time job to get the hours you need to apply.
Self-employment and work experience gained while you were a full-time student (even if you were on a co-op work term) don’t count towards the minimum requirements for this program.
Education
One of the main draws of the CEC is no educational requirement to become eligible for Express Entry. However, to improve the CRS score in the Express Entry pool, it is always advisable to list your education credentials. There are 2 ways you can do this.
- If you studied in Canada, you can get points for a certificate, diploma, or degree from a Canadian:
- secondary institution (high school) or
- post-secondary institution
OR
- If you have foreign education, you can get points for a completed educational credential, and if you have an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report for immigration purposes from a designated organization showing that your education is equal to a completed certificate, diploma, or degree from a Canadian:
- secondary institution (high school) or
- post-secondary institution
IRCC recognizes ECA reports from the following multipurpose assessment organizations:
- World Education Services (WES),
- International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS),
- Comparative Education Service (CES), University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies
- International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS)
- International Credential Evaluation Service
IRCC also recognizes education assessment reports from professional bodies taken as part of the licensing process. They are:
