Why apply for CEC?

• Migrate, work, and stay anywhere in Canada
• Get Canada PR within 3 months
• Sponsor your family to Canada
• Sponsored dependents can work or study in Canada
• Apply for Canadian citizenship after three years of legal residence 

Canada is reported to be one of the top immigration choices among immigrants willing to work and settle abroad. The country offers several benefits to its residents, and the work experience gathered in the country is of immense value. Canada provides a specialised immigration pathway for immigrants who have gathered Canadian work experience. The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) under the Express Entry program aims to invite immigrants who have gathered professional work experience in Canada to apply for Canada PR.

The CEC is managed under the Express Entry program, one of Canada's fastest and easiest immigration pathways, and is maintained by the Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). There are three programs managed under the Express Entry system, which include:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program(FSWP):
• Federal Skilled Trade Program (FSTP)
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

Each immigration stream targets to invite a specific category of immigrants willing to work and settle in Canada. The Canadian Experience Class focuses on inviting temporary foreign workers and international graduates who have gathered a minimum of 12 months’ skilled work experience in Canada.

 

What is the Canadian Experience Class?

The Canadian Experience Class is a streamlined immigration stream under the Express Entry system, which aims to invite skilled immigrants with Canadian work experience. Immigrants who have worked in Canada as temporary foreign workers or students under the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) and are willing to become permanent residents of Canada. The program was launched in 2008, and since then, it has offered a major pathway for candidates who have Canadian work experience and are willing to become Canadian permanent residents.

The CEC is one of the most significant immigration pathways in Canada, and it is dedicated to skilled workers and recent international graduates with Canadian work experience. The program helps retain foreign skilled workers in Canada who have provided valuable service and contributed towards the labour market demands of the country.

Since its launch in 2008, the program has shown overwhelming success by adding value to the country’s economic and workforce demands. The program aims to encourage more temporary foreign workers and recent international graduates to build their careers and lives in Canada. The prior work experience gathered in Canada will fetch you additional points under the CRS Score calculator, which will automatically increase your chances of receiving an ITA. Along with other benefits, CEC candidates are not required to provide proof of settlement funds, unlike the two other Express Entry programs.

 

CEC Eligibility

You would be eligible to apply under the Canadian Experience Class if you:

• Have minimum skilled work experience of 12 months in a full-time paid job role in Canada
• Have gathered your work experience as a temporary resident in Canada
• Have been employed in any of the job roles listed under NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3
• Meet the language proficiency requirements
• Have mentioned your language test results in the Express Entry profile
• Are not claiming refuge in Canada

Note: IRCC does not consider self-employment and student work experience as Canadian work experience as specified as the minimum requirements for the program.

 

CEC Requirements

The following are the documents required to apply for the Canadian Experience Class:

• A valid passport with a minimum validity of 6 months
• Recent passport-sized photographs
• Language proficiency test results
• Educational qualification documents
• Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) reports
• Proof of Canadian work experience
• Provincial nomination ( if available)
• Details of job offer in Canada (if available)
• Certificate of qualification in a trade occupation issued by a relevant Canadian authority
• Police clearance reports
• Documents demonstrating your nationality and civil status
• Proof of relationship to a relative in Canada (if applicable)

Language Proficiency Requirement

The level of language proficiency required is determined by the TEER category listed for your job role. The table below lists the minimum language proficiency scores for job roles listed under TEER 0 to 3:

NOC TEER	Minimum score required (for English)	Minimum score required (for French)
TEER 0 or 1	CLB 7 or equivalent	NCLC 7
TEER 2 or 3	CLB 5 or equivalent	NCLC 5

Note: Your language test results must be no older than 2 years when you apply for PR via CEC.

 

Who can apply for the CEC program?

Recent international graduates and temporary foreign workers in Canada having relevant skilled work experience can apply for the Canadian Experience Class. If you are currently residing in Canada on a temporary resident status can apply for the CEC even if you are currently unemployed. Your work experience must be gathered while you were on temporary resident status in Canada and must have completed at least 12 months of full-time paid work experience in any job roles listed under TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupations.

 

How to apply for CEC?

The following are the steps to apply for CEC under the Express Entry program:

Step 1: Check your eligibility

Step 2: Create an Express Entry profile

Step 3: Submit your Express Entry Profile

Step 4: Wait for an ITA

Step 5: Apply for Canada PR upon receiving an ITA

You might be eligible for more than one program under the Express Entry. If you meet the criteria for all three programs, then you would receive an invitation to apply for the CEC. Candidates cannot choose the program they will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for.

 

CEC Processing Time and Fees

The processing time CEC application is generally around 3 to 4 months. The table below has the details of the fees for CEC candidates:

Type of fee	Amount to be paid (in CAD)
Application fee	$950 (per person)
Right of Permanent Residence fee	$575 (per person)
Fees for dependent child	$260 (per child)

 

Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)

Canada and the Express Entry use the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to assess and rank the applicants according to their eligibility. Candidates are given points based on certain factors, such as:

• Age
• Education
• Canadian work experience
• Language proficiency
• Adaptability
• Arranged employment

The table below has the maximum points that can be acquired for each factor:

Factors that affect	Score points
Age	Maximum 12 points
Education	Maximum 25 points
Language Proficiency	Maximum 28 points (English or French)
Work Experience	Maximum 15 points
Adaptability	Maximum of 10 points
Arranged employment	Additional 10 points (not mandatory).

 

CEC Points Calculation

Express Entry uses a points-based system to select candidates for sending Invitations to Apply. You will receive a CRS score depending on the information you provide in your Express Entry profile. The IRCC decides the category of the Express Entry draw to be held and the minimum score requirement for the draw.

The minimum CRS score required to be eligible for the Express Entry draw is 67 points under the CRS score calculator. However, the score requirement for each stream under the Express Entry is different. IRCC determines the cut-off score for each draw and decides the number of candidates to invite. You might be eligible for more than one stream under Express Entry if you meet the eligibility criteria for the streams.

The IRCC follows this order for candidates who are eligible for more than one stream under the Express Entry system:

1. Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
2. Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
3. Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)

If you meet the Canadian work experience criteria required for the CEC stream, you will receive an Invitation to Apply for the CEC. In case you meet the eligibility criteria for both CEC and FSWP, you would still receive an ITA for CEC as per IRCC's preference. Candidates do not get to choose the Express Entry stream. The CRS system itself sorts and decides the stream on the basis of the information entered by the applicant.

 

What to do if you receive an ITA?

IRCC will send you an Invitation to Apply (ITA) to apply if your Express Entry profile meets the criteria for any of the streams under Express Entry. You will receive a letter or an e-mail which will notify you about the program you have been chosen for and will specify a time period within which you must apply for Permanent Residence.

The steps to apply for Canada PR are listed below:

Step 1: Gather the documents required

Step 2: Apply for Canada PR

Step 3: Pay the fees required

IRCC will verify the documents provided and the formation available on your profile. Once you complete the fee payment, the IRCC will send you the following:

• Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR)
• PR visa
• Letter having details about your COPR and other requisites

 

What to do if you do not receive an ITA?

The IRCC will send you an Invitation to Apply within 6 to 12 months of your application submission date. If you do not receive an ITA within 12 months of submitting your Express Entry profile, your profile will automatically expire.

Your profile expiry date can be seen in your account. The profile will be removed from the system after it expires. The validity of an Express Entry profile is one year. Once it expires, your information and the profile will be removed from the system. You can create a new Express Entry profile after your old profile is removed or if you have withdrawn your existing profile.

If you do not receive an ITA, you can try other alternatives like the Provincial Nominee Program or consider increasing your CRS score to improve your chances of receiving an ITA in the next Express Entry draw.

 

Tips to improve your CRS Score

You can increase your eligibility for receiving an ITA while being in the Express Entry pool of candidates. IRCC assesses the applicants in the pool using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Therefore, improving your CRS score will help you increase your chances of receiving an ITA.

Here are some ways to improve your CRS score:

• Improve your language proficiency: Language proficiency plays a major role while applying for the Express Entry program. Consider retaking language tests like IELTS and CELPIP if there are chances to score higher for language proficiency. This will not only increase your CRS score but might also make you eligible for category-based draws where candidates are invited based on their language ability.
• Increase your level of education: Applicants with a higher level of education receive higher CRS scores under the Canada CRS Points Calculator. You can enroll yourself for a degree or course related to your profession and interest to increase your highest level of education and your CRS score. You will receive more points if your degree or course is from a DLI (Designated Learning Institution) in Canada.
• Receive a provincial nomination: A provincial nomination letter from any of the Canadian provinces can fetch you an additional 600 points under the CRS score calculator, thereby making you eligible for an ITA.
• Apply with your spouse to claim spousal points: You can claim additional spousal points if your spouse has language proficiency or a higher education level. Spousal factors can add up to 30 points if you plan to apply with your spouse. However, single applicants can also claim these points with their own abilities.
• Get a job offer in Canada: Having a valid job offer from a Canadian employer can significantly increase your CRS score under the arranged employment factor, thereby increasing your chance of receiving an ITA. If you get a job offer in one of the in-demand job roles in Canada, your chances of getting an ITA will increase further.

 

Canadian Experience Class Draws 2024

The table below lists the latest draws held to invite candidates under the Canadian Experience Class stream:

Draw no.	Date	No. of ITAs	Min CRS sore
309	August 14, 2024	3,200	509
307	July 31, 2024	5,000	510
304	July 17, 2024	6,300	515
297	May 31, 2024	3,000	522

 

How can Y-Axis help you?

As the world’s No. 1 overseas immigration consultancy, Y-Axis has been providing unbiased immigration services for every client. Our team of visa and immigration experts will provide step-by-step assistance to help you migrate and settle in your dream destination. The services we provide include:

• Arranging the immigration document checklist
• Filling out application forms
• Documentation and petition filing
• Getting you updates and follow-ups
• Finding relevant jobs with Y-Axis Job Search Services
• Obtaining Canadian Permanent Residence