Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

Canadian experience class program is one of the top-rated immigration programs designed for candidates with Canadian work experience who wish to live in Canada to explore better career opportunities.

The Canadian experience class visa is one of the three economic immigration programs managed by Canada’s most famous immigration program, the Express Entry System.

This guide will provide every detail about this immigration program, including its benefits, minimum requirements, eligibility criteria, and every other detail. But, before proceeding, let us explain the meaning of the express entry program. 

What is express entry program? 

The express entry system provides immigration best suited for students and highly skilled individuals who want to immigrate to Canada. 

The Express Entry program assists in selecting applicants who meet the IRCC’s (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada) requirements. 

According to the IRCC, you may be chosen if you have the talents and ability to contribute to the growth of Canada’s economy. Candidates with higher Express Entry scores and rankings are sent an ITA (invitation to apply) directly from the country. 

Once the applicant’s application is accepted, they must follow the usual procedure to immigrate to Canada under the Canada Express Entry Program. You must meet the conditions of one of Canada’s immigration programs:

• Federal skilled worker program
• Federal skilled trades program 
• Canadian experience class(CEC) 

What is the Canadian experience class? 

To enhance immigration into Canada, the Canadian express entry system was established on January 1, 2015. Since its establishment, the Canadian federal government has accepted numerous economic immigrants under the express entry system. 

Permanent Canada immigration is made possible by the Canadian experience class, or CEC, an immigration program for people who have worked in Canada for at least a year. Express entry for immigrants from Canada includes the Canadian experience class. 

If you plan to apply for a Canada pr visa through the Canada experience class, you should fulfil the following requirements.

1. The candidate must have at least 12 months of full-time or comparable part-time job experience in the country during the last three years. The candidate must have earned this work experience while on a valid work visa and in one or more jobs classified by the National Occupational Classification, or NOC. This one year of experience can also be obtained in two distinct NOC codes, as long as the positions are skilled and the working experience is obtained legally.
2. Plan to live somewhere other than Quebec.
3. Meets the required language levels for each language skill, such as reading, writing, speaking, and listening, as specified by the employer. These levels must be demonstrated by passing an approved language test. CEC applicants may take either of the following IRCC-approved language tests: 

• CELPIP – General (English)
• IELTS – General (English)
• TEF (French)
• TCF (French)

It should be noted that job experience earned through self-employment or as a full-time student is ineligible under the Canadian Experience Class.

Applicants who demonstrate proficiency in French and English might earn extra points in Canada’s comprehensive ranking system. Obtaining a PR visa for the Canadian Experience Class is not as complicated as it may appear. And with the right counsel, anyone can easily gain permanent resident status.

Eligibility criteria of Canadian experience class(CEC) 

To qualify for the Canadian experience class program, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• To apply for the Canadian experience class, you must have at least one year of skilled job experience in any of Canada’s provinces within the last three years.
• Your employment experience in Canada must have been obtained with valid authorisation.
• The skilled work is precisely defined in the Canadian NOC or National Occupational Classification List. A qualified working experience means your job must be in management, professional, technical, or skilled craft.
• Your work experience must include at least 12 months of full-time work, 30 hours of paid work per week or more or an equivalent number of hours if it is a part-time position.
• If an applicant has work experience while still a full-time student, that experience will not be considered.
• You must fulfil or surpass the Canadian language benchmark, the CLB, which specifies the required language levels for employment.
• You must also complete a language test recognised by CIC, or Citizenship and Immigration Canada, to demonstrate your ability to speak, read, listen, and write in English, French, or both simultaneously.
• You should also be willing to live and work outside of Quebec. The province of Quebec runs the Quebec skilled worker program.
• Although education is not a requirement for the Canadian experience class, if you want to earn more points for it in the CRS or comprehensive ranking system under the Express entry program, you must provide your: 

1. Canadian high school or post-secondary certificate, or your diploma or degree certificate.
2. Your completed foreign credential and an ECA or educational credential assessment report from a CIC-approved provider.

• Aside from that, the candidate must pass medical exams and receive a security clearance. The Canadian experience class processing time is around six months.