Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

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Canadian Experience Class Program

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is the most prioritized application category or immigration program that is managed through the Express Entry selection system.

Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is the ideal immigration program if you:

Are a non-Canadian citizen working in Canada on a Work Permit
An international student who is working in Canada on a Post-Graduate Work Permit
A non-Canadian citizen who had worked in Canada not exceeding 3 years before at the time of application

Eligibility Criteria To be eligible to apply under CEC, the applicant must:

Are You Eligible?

Find out if you are eligible to immigrate to Canada through any one of the 78 different Canadian immigration programs.

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Have obtained at least one year of skilled professional or technical Canadian work experience in the last 3 years; AND
Meet or exceed the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 5 or 7, depending on the skill level of the job; AND
Have an intention to live/settle outside the province of Quebec. Applicants must keep in mind that the city of Montreal is inside Quebec, and if the applicant has (or has had) work experience in Montreal or any other city inside Quebec, the applicant may apply under the Quebec Experience Class. Not under the Canadian Experience Class.

The requirements of the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) are different from the usual Express Entry aligned programs. Here, it is based on a pass or fail model, wherein if the candidate meets the minimum requirements the candidate may enter the Express Entry pool of eligible candidates. The usual pass mark or points requirement of 67 is not applicable when applying through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

An attraction about this unique economic immigration program is that the applicant can remain in Canada throughout the application process. However, it is not required that the applicant must remain in Canada while the application is being processed. Also, a person who had gained Canadian work experience may apply under this program, provided he or she applies within 3 years of leaving their Canadian job.

A Popular Option for Foreign Workers The Canadian Experience Class is a popular option for foreign workers because, of all the programs managed under Express Entry, CEC is the priority category. If you are a foreign worker in Canada, you may be able to apply under the various Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) also, depending on the province or territory you are working in Canada.

A Popular Option for International Students The Canadian Experience Class is a popular option for international students in Canada because, after graduation from a participating college or university, the student is eligible to apply for a post-graduate work permit. The work permit allows the student to stay and work in Canada. Once a minimum of 1 year employment is over, the student can apply for Canadian permanent residency under the Canadian Experience Class.

Processing Timelines The processing time for Canadian Experience Class (CEC) applications are 6 months or less.

Fee Details

Program Name: Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Description	Application Processing Fee (C$)	Permanent Residence Fee (C$)
Primary applicant	550	490
If adding spouse or common-law partner	550	490
If adding a dependent child (22 years or less)	150	NA