Individuals who have worked in Canada and wish to settle permanently in Canada, along with their accompanying dependents, may be eligible to apply for Permanent Residence under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

The CEC program recognizes the contributions made by applicants who have spent a significant amount of time pursuing their studies and working careers in Canada. It identifies their contributions to the Canadian economy and to Canadian society, which strengthens their permanent residence applications to Canada.

Requirements for Canadian Experience Class

Eligibility for permanent residence under this program is based on a pass-fail system, where the primary criteria are as follows:

• The candidate must have obtained 12 months of full-time work experience in a career classified as Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the National Occupation Classification (NOC). Qualifying occupations are those of a managerial, professional, technical, or skilled trade nature.
• The qualifying Canadian work experience was obtained within the 36 months immediately preceding the date of application.
• The candidate must demonstrate sufficient proficiency in one of Canada’s official languages. The level of proficiency required is determined by the occupation in which the candidate gained qualifying Canadian work experience.
• The candidate must not be inadmissible to Canada on medical, criminal, or security grounds.

Qualifying work experience

Qualifying work experience should be full-time and professional, with “full-time” referring to 30 hours per week. Part-time work may be considered, but only on a pro-rata basis. For example, six months in a part-time professional role at 15 hours per week will count as three months towards the required 12. Multiple concurrent part-time jobs can also be used to fulfill the experience requirement.

Any work experience obtained in Canada without valid work authorization will not be considered. Additionally, periods of self-employment or work experience obtained while the candidate was enrolled in a program of full-time study will not be accepted.

Language Proficiency

The minimum proficiency must be demonstrated in all four language abilities: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Applicants whose qualifying work experience is in a career classified as NOC Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A must meet Canadian Language (CLB) level 7. Applicants whose qualifying work experience is in a career classified as NOC Skill Level B must meet CLB level 5.

The equivalencies between the required level of proficiency in French or English and test results under the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and the Test d’évaluation de français (TEF) are:

CLB Minimum IELTS Test Results per Ability

7 Speaking: 6.0 | Listening: 6.0 | Reading: 6.0 | Writing: 6.0

5 Speaking: 5.0 | Listening: 5.0 | Reading: 4.0 | Writing: 5.0

CLB Minimum Test d’évaluation de français test results

7 Speaking: 310-348 | Listening: 249-279 | Reading: 207-232 | Writing: 310-348

5 Speaking: 226-270 | Listening: 181-216 | Reading: 151-180 | Writing: 226-270

The Canadian Experience Class is an excellent program for individuals who are familiar with life in Canada and wish to resettle there. For eligible applicants, it is an efficient and secure option for obtaining permanent residency with clear criteria. Moreover, the application can be made from within Canada while the candidate has appropriate temporary status, allowing for a smooth transition from temporary to permanent residency status in Canada.