Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Program

There are over 100 different routes that you can take to get permanent residence in Canada. The trick is finding and applying for the Canadian immigration program best suited to your unique profile. Do you have skilled work experience obtained in Canada? Then the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) could be the perfect immigration program for you. Learn everything you need to know about this fast-track immigration program to Canada below.   

What is the Canadian Experience Class (CEC)? 

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is one of three Canadian skilled worker immigration programs managed by the Federal Express Entry system. Specifically, the CEC is designed for permanent residence applicants with Canadian work experience obtained through a temporary work permit. As temporary foreign workers are likely already settled in Canadian society with support networks, they can easily transition to becoming permanent residents and eventual citizens of Canada. The CEC provides them with the path toward achieving this goal.   

Because the Express Entry system manages the CEC, successful applicants will enjoy some of the fastest processing times in Canadian immigration. Before you can enter the pool of Express Entry candidates, you must first meet all the Canadian Experience Class requirements.    

What are the Canadian Experience Class Requirements?

You will have to meet several requirements to qualify for the Canadian Experience Class program. It is worth mentioning that there is no education requirement for the CEC; however, your educational background can help to boost your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points which are used to rank your profile among the pool of Express Entry candidates.    

Another great feature of this program is that if you qualify, you can move to any province and territory in Canada except for Quebec. Remember, the French-speaking province of Quebec has its own immigration programs with different processes and requirements.

Canadian Experience Class applications also do not need proof of settlement funds making the required documentation significantly less. This allows applications to be processed in as little as three to four months! 

How to Apply for the Canadian Experience Class

Step 1 - Work in Canada for One Year

You must have at least one year of Canadian work experience. Unfortunately, the self-employment and work experience you earned while you were a full-time student does not count. However, the work experience you obtained through temporary visas, like the Working Holiday Visa, does count towards this requirement.   

Step 2 - Meet the Minimum Criteria

Here is a summary of how the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) works:

Make sure you meet all of the requirements discussed in the table above. To discover your Canadian Language Benchmark level, you will have to complete an approved language test like IELTS for English and TEF for French. We advise you to apply for an ECA as soon as possible as this certificate typically takes quite some time to be processed.

Step 3 - Create Your Express Entry Profile

As mentioned previously, the Federal Express Entry (EE) program manages the pool of candidates for the Canadian Experience Class. Therefore you must create an online Express Entry profile to qualify for the program.

Your Express Entry profile will be given a score out of a possible 1,200 according to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). These points consider your age, work experience, language ability, education, and other factors. Your profile is then ranked against other profiles in the Express Entry pool based on CRS scores.

Candidates with the highest-ranking Express Entry profiles are invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence through regular draws held by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Step 4 - Gather Documents

Once you have your Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian PR (permanent residence), you must gather all the required documents. You will need a criminal record check and a medical certificate. You must then submit your application for Canadian PR within 60 days of receiving your ITA.

Step 5 - Get Confirmation of Permanent Residence

CEC applications are typically processed within 4 months. Once approved, you will receive a confirmation of the permanent residence document. This will prove your permanent residence when you arrive in Canada.

FAQs

1. What are the advantages of the Express Entry Canadian Experience Class?

The biggest advantage of applying for permanent residency through the Canadian Experience Class is that there are fewer requirements to qualify. Fewer requirements mean less paperwork, which means faster visa application processing. There are no specific educational requirements, and you don't need proof of settlement funds as you would for the Federal Skilled Worker and Trades programs.

2. How Does Canada Calculate Experience?

Skilled work experience under the Express Entry system must be paid work. This includes paid wages or earned commissions and doesn't include volunteer work or unpaid internships. Qualifying work experience includes up to 30 hours per week for 12 months or equal to one year of full-time or 1,560 hours. Hours will not be counted if you work more than 30 hours per week.

Part-time work experience counts if you worked for more or less 15 hours per week as long as it adds up to 1,560 hours. You can work more than one part-time job to accumulate the number of hours needed to apply.

3. What is a Good Score for the Canadian Experience Class?

Qualifying scores for Express Entry programs depend entirely on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores of other applicants in your draw pool. On average, qualifying CRS scores for the CEC class draws ranged between 357 and 462. Based on CRS scores from 2021 draws, scoring at least 407 would invite you to apply for permanent residency.

4. Is a Medical test Required for the Canadian Experience Class?

To be considered eligible to enter Canada, you must show that you are in good health and may be required to provide a medical certificate.

5. Will the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Draws Continue?

The IRCC has been experiencing a backlog in processing Express entry applications and has stopped processing CEC and FSWP applications for the time being. This is to allow for the 14,000 CEC and 600 FSWP applications waiting to be processed. In a similar attempt to alleviate the backlog due to pandemic restrictions earlier this year, the IRCC dropped the qualifying CRS score to just 75 points in two consecutive draws held on February 13 2021, inviting an incredible 54,664 applicants to apply for permanent residency.

Ready to Put Your Experience to Work in Canada?

If the Canadian Experience Class might be the right pathway, we're here to make your application easy. Our team of Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) is all authorized by the Government of Canada to assist with your application.  

With an immigration expert, like an RCIC, working on your case, your application will be more likely to succeed because they will ensure all the documentation is completed correctly and submitted on time. They provide you with a simplified, error-free immigration route to Canada.