Canadian Experience Class Immigration Program

The Canadian Experience Class is an immigration category for Canada’s temporary foreign workers who wish to become Permanent Residents.

Find out if you qualify

Temporary foreign workers are ideal candidates for Canadian immigration (Permanent Residency). Having obtained Canadian work experience, these individuals have already settled into Canadian society and have established important networks in their communities and their careers.

Applicants must meet the following minimum requirements. They must have:

Obtained at least one year of skilled, professional or technical work experience in Canada within 36 months of the application date; and

Met or surpassed a Canadian Language Benchmark threshold of 5 (“inital intermediate”) or 7 (“adequate intermediate proficiency”) depending on the level of the job.

Plan to live and work outside of the Province of Quebec (individuals who plan to reside in Quebec may apply to the Quebec Experience Class)

Between November 9, 2013 and October 31, 2014, a maximum of 12,000 applications will be accepted for processing under the CEC. Within this overall cap, sub0caps of 200 applications will be placed on all NOC level B occupations.

In addition, work experience in the following categories may no longer be counted for work experience under the CEC:

Cooks (NOC 6222)

Food Service Supervisors (NOC 6311)

Administrative Officers (NOC 1221)

Administrative Assistants (NOC 1241)

Accounting Technicians and Supervisors (NOC 1311)

Retail Sales Supervisors (NOC 6211)

Applicants can remain in Canada throughout the application process. However, the Canadian Experience Class is also open to individuals who are no longer in Canada, provided that they submit their application within two years of leaving their job in Canada.

The Canadian Experience Class requirements are based on a pass or fail model. If the minimum requirements are met, the applicant is eligible to apply to this program.

A Popular Option for International Students

For many international graduates, the Canadian Experience Class offers the fastest and most simple path to achieving Permanent Residency.

After completing a program or course of study at a Canadian educational institution, many international graduates are able to remain in the country on post-graduate work permits. If, during this time, a graduate obtains at least one year of work in a skilled, professional or technical field, they may then become eligible to apply under the Canadian Experience Class.

Additional Options for Foreign Workers

If you are considering the Canadian Experience Class because youqualify as a temporary foreign worker, you may have other options for Canadian immigration through the various Provincial Nomination Programs (PNP).

For more information about the Canadian Experience Class, see our Canadian Experience Class FAQ.