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Updated on July 26, 2024
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The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is an immigration program that allows individuals who have worked in Canada for at least one year to immigrate permanently. CEC is a part of Canada’s .
The government of Canada recognises the deep pool of talented workers already working in Canada, and wants them to become permanent residents. These are individuals and families who have set down roots and made plans for the future in Canada.
We expect 50,000 more invites to be issued this year. Use our resources to get one.
allows Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to invite eligible candidates to make an application for permanent residence.
These candidates have all made a formal 鈥楨xpression of Interest鈥 to settle in Canada by creating an online Express Entry profile. Eligible candidates have their profiles accepted to the Express Entry pool where they are given a score and ranked under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) based on the personal information they provided.
In addition to the Canadian Experience Class, the pool contains candidates under the Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC) and Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC). IRCC then invites candidates to apply during its from the pool.
For Canadian Experience Class candidates there are three distinct advantages, and one possible disadvantage, under Express Entry.
Let’s go over the eligibility requirements for the Canadian Experience Class, because it is not enough just to have one-year of Canadian work experience. Again, proof of work experience is required.
Are you on the look out for Canadian Experience Class Draws. Be the first to know when they happen by joining the 麻豆映画传媒 community. Sign up for our free newsletter to access all the information and resources you need for a successful Express Entry application.
Canadian Experience Class applicants must:
Notably, work experience gained through self-employment and work experience gained while a full-time student are not eligible under the Canadian Experience Class.
Canadian Experience Class candidates may take any of the following IRCC-approved language tests:
Candidates who prove language ability in both English and French can obtain additional points under the CRS.
To find out if you may be eligible for the Canadian Experience Class, head over to our Express Entry CRS Calculator. You鈥檒l discover your eligibility for all three federal economic immigration programs managed under Express Entry, including CEC, plus you鈥檒l get an idea of your potential CRS score and competitiveness within Express Entry.
Find out your eligibility and points total here.
Let鈥檚 look at the process 鈥 from getting to Canada as a worker, to getting your Permanent Resident (PR) card.
Having the right to work in Canada is an important prerequisite under this program. For some people, such as those eligible under the program or the spouse/common-law partner of an international student or foreign worker in Canada, an open work permit may be an option. For others, an employer-specific (鈥榗losed鈥) work permit may be issued. Examples of closed work permits include those issued with a positive and Intra-Company transfers.
Eleven-and-a-half months will not be enough 鈥 you need at least a year of work experience (or more, if part-time) in order to be eligible under the Canadian Experience Class.
Get your language test done. For English, candidates may take the IELTS or CELPIP test. For French, the TEF and TCF are the currently available options. Candidates with some ability in both English and French can be awarded additional points for ability in their second language.
This step is completed on the IRCC website. You will be asked to provide some personal information, some of which is self-declared (such as your work history), and some of which must be accompanied with documentation (such as your proof of language ability).
Whether it鈥檚 preparing your Express Entry profile, increasing your CRS score, applying for permanent residence, or securing a job, our 麻豆映画传媒 newsletter makes sure you never miss a step.
If your CRS score is below the cut-off required to receive an invitation to apply, consult our guide on how to improve your CRS score.
One common reasons why Canadian Experience Class candidates never receive an invitation to apply is because they haven鈥檛 taken the additional step of providing proof of their level of education. While Federal Skilled Worker candidates are required to prove their education, Canadian Experience Class candidates do not have to provide this.
However, by not doing so CEC candidates may be leaving up to 250 CRS points behind 鈥 up to 150 points for the education level itself, plus up to 100 points in combination with Canadian work experience and/or language ability.
Candidates who completed their studies outside Canada may be awarded these points by obtaining an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). Canadian Experience Class candidates should get an ECA or upload proof of their Canadian education credential in order to maximize their chances of being invited to apply for permanent residence.
There are other potential ways to improve your ranking, such as completing additional work experience or seeing if you are eligible under one of the Express Entry-aligned Provincial Nominee Program streams, particularly those in the province in which you work(ed). Your experience and skills may be in demand in the province, and so there could be a 600-point bonus waiting for you.
This is arguably the step that brings the most joy, as it allows you and your family, if applicable, to submit an application for permanent residence. From this point, you will have 60 days to submit a complete application. ITAs are issued when IRCC conducts one of its draws from the Express Entry pool.
If your work permit is about to expire within the next four months, you may also apply for a so that you may continue working throughout the rest of the process (though your work permit application can only be submitted after you’ve submitted your permanent residence application for CEC).
All Canadian Experience Class applicants are screened for potential medical and criminal inadmissibility. With your application, you will need to show that you have completed a medical exam with an IRCC-recognized panel physician.
In addition, you have to provide a police background check (also known as a clearance certificate) from each country you have lived in for at least six months since the age of 18. The e-application, which must be submitted within 60 days of receiving an ITA, must also include detailed work reference letters from previous employers.
Given the tight time frame, it is a good idea to gather the background checks and work reference letters before you receive an ITA.
A Canadian immigration officer will review the submitted e-application and let you know if anything else is required.
80 percent of applications submitted under the Canadian Experience Class are processed within less than six months. When a person is approved, he or she receives a confirmation of permanent residence (COPR) document. An officer at a Canadian port of entry or at a IRCC office signs and dates this document when permanent residence is granted.
Once you have your confirmation of status, you may then apply for your PR card. If you travel outside Canada, you may use this card as proof of your status in Canada.
In addition to all-program draws and category-based Express Entry draws, Canada also holds program-specific draws, such as CEC draws.
During the pandemic especially, IRCC held Canadian Experience Class draws to target candidates who were likely to already be in Canada. Some 90% of CEC candidates are already in Canada at any given time.
No, if an applicant qualifies under the CEC program and receives an ITA under the CEC program, they do not need to demonstrate proof of settlement funds.
No, self- employed work experience does not count towards this program. Applicants with self-employed work experience acquired in Canada should look at their eligibility to the Federal Skilled Worker program.
Yes, so long as the applicant was on valid maintained status as a worker, any work experience acquired during this time can be used in a CEC application.
The CEC program is not points based however once in the Express Entry pool, applicants will receive a CRS score like all other applicants. For this reason, applicants need to make sure they get the most CRS points available to them. In the last CEC program draw, the CRS score was 462 however there has not been a CEC program draw since 2021. Most CEC applicants are now selected through the all- program draws.
Yes, as applicants need to demonstrate a language proficiency that corresponds to their work experience TEER level, applicants are required to provide language test results to apply.
As education is not a requirement to be eligible for the CEC program, it is not essential to provide an ECA report however an ECA report is required if an applicant wishes to claim CRS points for education completed outside of Canada.
No, a job offer is not required to qualify under the CEC program; however an approved job offer will give applicants additional CRS points.
Yes, a spouse or common-law partner can be included in an CEC application. In fact, applicants can secure additional CRS points if spouses provides sufficient language results, ECA reports of for their own Canadian work experience.
No, there is no age limit to qualify for the CEC program. Although, the older applicants are, the less CRS points they will get under the age factor. In this case, applicants will need to score higher in the other areas to boost their CRS score.
Yes. For work experience to count, it needs to be full-time or full-time equivalent (part-time) skilled experience. Full-time work experience is classed as 30 hours a week/ 1560 hours a year. Anything below this is considered part-time. To work out the full- time equivalent to part-time work, divide the number of hours worked a week by 30 and times by the number of months worked. This will give you the number of full-time equivalent months worked.
It is important to know that for the purpose of CEC, any hour worked after 30 hours a week do not count. For instance, if you have 10 months of experience but have worked over 1560 hours, you are only eligible for the CEC program once you have at least 12 months of experience.
No, Canadian work experience acquired as a student in Canada cannot be used under the CEC program. In this case, check your eligibility under the FSW program聽
To apply under the CEC program, applicants may need to provide the following documents:
Depending on individual credentials, applicants may need to show additional documents to those listed above.
According to IRCC鈥檚 estimated processing times, CEC applications are currently taking 6 months to process from the time a full application is submitted. This does not include the time taken for the Express Entry profile to receive an ITA.聽
Yes, when applying under the CEC program, applicants will need to pay government processing fees. On applying, applicants must pay a processing fee of CAD $950 for the main applicant and spouse included on the application and CAD $260 for each dependent child listed in the application. Applicants must also must pay a Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) of CAD $575 per adult.
All CEC applicants will need to be admissible to Canada to be successful. Applicants with a criminal background or medical issue may be inadmissible to come to Canada.
If you have a medical or criminal issue which may make you inadmissible to Canada, consider booking in for a consultation with one of our recommended Immigration Consultants.
We have designed the Express Entry Roadmap: a free service designed to inform you about the Express Entry process so that you can be empowered to make the best decisions when it comes to your immigration. Canadian Experience Class applications are processed through the Express Entry system. Sign up for the Express Entry Roadmap here.
Do you need assistance in preparing an application for Canadian permanent residence? If so, view our Book an Immigration Consultant page to see 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 list of recommended, accredited representatives who can assist you in your goals.
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