Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Eligibility

What is the Canadian Experience Class program?

CEC is managed under the Express Entry system and uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to rank interested candidates. Applicants who have competitive CRS scores will receive invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

Who is eligible for Canadian Experience Class Program?

In order to be eligible for CEC, a candidate must have at least 12-months of full-time (or an equivalent amount of part-time), skilled work experience in Canada. The Canadian work experience must have been acquired within the previous three years from the date of the application.

CEC is not an option for foreign nationals who do not have recent Canadian work experience.

Canadian Experience Class requirements

In order to count your 12-months of Canadian work experience towards your CEC application, it must meet the following conditions:

1. Be obtained in Canada within the 36 months prior to the date of submission of the electronic Application for Permanent Residence (eAPR).
2. Your employment duties in Canada fall under the NOC Code Skill Level 0, A, or B.
3. Be lawfully obtained, paid work experience in Canada.

An applicant cannot count work experience obtained while engaged in full-time studies in Canada.

In addition to the Canadian experience requirement, CEC has several other eligibility criteria which must be met in order to submit:

1. Language: Reach a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 on an approved English or French language test for NOC skill level 0 or A jobs. Reach a CLB 5 for NOC B jobs.
2. Residence in Canada: Intend to live outside of the province of Quebec.

Provided a candidate meets these requirements, they will be eligible to submit an Express Entry profile for the Canadian Experience Class program. However, candidates should note that they must meet Canada’s basic admissibility requirements. Certain criminal offenses and medical conditions may make a person inadmissible to Canada.