The program was created in 2008 to offer a dedicated pathway for skilled workers, temporary foreign workers, and international students who wish to obtain permanent residence status.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the CEC, you must meet the following requirements:

1.Have obtained at least one year of skilled, professional or technical experience in Canada within 36 months of the application date of application.

2.Meet or exceed a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 5 (“early intermediate”) for NOC B jobs or CLB 7 (“adequate intermediate proficiency”), for NOC 0 or A skill level jobs.

3.Plan to live and work outside the province of Quebec (people with work experience in Quebec and planning to reside in Quebec can apply for the Quebec Experience Class).

One year (or 12 months) of work experience is defined as at least 1,560 hours of skilled work in Canada. The 1,560 hours can be earned through full-time and/or part-time work.

Applicants may remain in Canada throughout the application process. However, the Canadian Class of Experience is also open to people who are no longer in Canada, as long as they apply within three years of leaving their job in Canada.

Canadian Experience Class requirements are based on an entry or non-entry model. If the minimum requirements are met, the applicant is eligible to enter the express entry pool.

Note: Self-employment and work experience gained while you were a full-time student (for example, in a co-op work period) do not count under the CEC.