Are you interested in applying for the Canadian Experience Class Program? If you’ve explored all the options available and think this is the program that might be right for you, it’s important to check that you are eligible before going any further.
Below, we’ve compiled a quick guide to help you determine whether you are eligible for the Canadian Experience Class Program:
Express Entry – A New Requirement for 2015
The requirements for Canadian Experience Class have recently changed.
“As of January 2015, we have a new system for people to apply to this program. It is called Express Entry. Completing an Express Entry profile is now the first step for interested candidates who want to be considered for CEC. Paper applications available before January 1, 2015 are no longer being accepted.”
You can use the online tool provided by Citizenship and Immigration Canada to check whether you are suitable for Express Entry.
Minimum Requirements
In order to apply for the Canadian Experience Class Program, you must also meet the following requirements.
- You must have a minimum of 12 months’ full-time (or equal to) skilled work experience in Canada within three years of your application.
- You must have been authorized to gain that work experience.
- You must meet all the required language levels for that job, including writing, speaking, reading and listening – this usually requires meeting or surpassing a Canadian Language Benchmark threshold of five or seven depending on the position.
- Intend on living outside of Quebec.
Under this program, self-employment or work experience that was gained while you were a full-time student will not count towards fulfilling the requirements of this program.
Quebec is a Special Case
Quebec is excluded from Express Entry, and has its own system for selecting skilled workers.
Are You an International Graduate?
The Canadian Experience Class Program is a popular choice for many international graduates, and offers one of the simplest and fastest ways to achieve permanent resident status in Canada.
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 enter the Express Entry pool under the Canadian Experience Class.”
However, the above-mentioned work experience does not necessarily have to be related to your previous course of study, as long as your work experience was accumulated after you graduated from an approved post-secondary educational institution based in Canada.
Have we answered all your questions about the Canadian Experience Class program? If you are thinking of applying, our team of immigration experts can help! Please fill out a free assessment and we will get back to you within 24 hours to discuss your options.
President & CEO
Michael Niren
Mr. Niren is CEO of VisaPlace LLC and the President and Managing Partner of VisaPlace Legal Canada, an immigration law firm based in Toronto, and VisaPlace Legal US a law firm registered in The District of Columbia, USA. Mr. Niren is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section, American Lawyers Association, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.
