📄 Details
Visa Overview
The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is an Express Entry immigration stream for skilled workers who have gained at least 1 year of paid, skilled work experience in Canada while under temporary resident status, allowing them to apply for permanent residence.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for the Canadian Experience Class, you must meet specific requirements related to work experience, language ability, and admissibility.
Work Requirements
- Your skilled work experience must be in 1 or more NOC TEER categories 0, 1, 2, or 3.
- Experience must be gained by working in Canada while authorized to work under temporary resident status. If you worked remotely, you must have been physically in Canada and working for a Canadian employer.
- You must have performed the actions in the lead statement and most of the main duties listed in the NOC job description.
- Work must be paid work (you must have been paid wages or earned commission—volunteer work or unpaid internships don’t count).
- You must have at least 1 year of work or 1,560 hours total (30 hours per week) in the 3 years before you apply.
- You can meet the 1,560 hour requirement through:
- full time at 1 job: up to 30 hours a week for 12 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)
- equal amount in part-time work: for example 15 hours a week for 24 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)
- full time at more than 1 job: 30 hours a week for 12 months at more than 1 job = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)
- Self-employment and work experience gained while you were a full-time student (even if you were on a co-op work term) doesn’t count toward the minimum requirements for this program.
Language Requirements
- You must take approved language tests in English or French.
- You must meet the minimum score in all 4 abilities: writing, reading, listening, and speaking.
- For NOC TEER 0 or 1, the minimum level is CLB 7 in English or NCLC 7 in French.
- For NOC TEER 2 or 3, the minimum level is CLB 5 in English or NCLC 5 in French.
Skills Assessment Requirements
- There is no education requirement for the Canadian Experience Class.
Status and Visa Requirements
- Your skilled work experience must be gained while authorized to work under temporary resident status in Canada. If you worked remotely, you must have been physically in Canada and working for a Canadian employer.
Restrictions and Exclusions
- Self-employment and work experience gained while you were a full-time student (even if you were on a co-op work term) doesn’t count toward the minimum requirements.
- An exemption exists for foreign national physicians under a temporary public policy: physicians invited to apply through Express Entry on or after April 25, 2023, can have fee-for-service work counted as Canadian work experience. When creating the profile, do not check the “Self-employed work” checkbox.
Health and Character Requirements
- You must be admissible to Canada. Some persons are not allowed into Canada for security, criminal, or medical reasons.
Residence and Regional Requirements
- You must plan to live outside the province of Quebec. Quebec selects its own skilled workers.
- You can count work experience gained while living in Quebec, as long as you can prove you do not plan to settle there.