What is Canadian Experience Class (CEC)?

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is an immigration pathway allowing professional skilled workers with Canadian Work experience to apply for Canada PR. This stream is eligible for International students and Temporary residents. CEC is one of the three programs managed under Canada’s Express Entry System.

Express Entry is an online system that manages skilled workers to apply for Canada PR, whereas CEC is for qualified professionals with Canadian work experience to become Canada PR.

Here are the differences between Express Entry and CEC:

The Express Entry manages CEC and the Federal Skilled Worker program. An applicant can be eligible for both programs but has to choose one. Here are the differences between CEC and FSW:

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

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

Here are the distributions of maximum points that an applicant can acquire for each factor:

Applicants, who are eligible for a CEC, must have a Canadian work experience of at least 12 months of full-time or equal part-time work experience in Canada. The Canadian work experience must have been acquired within the previous three years from the date of application. CEC is not considered an option for foreign nationals who do not have recent Canadian work experience.  Additionally, an applicant must fulfill the requirements to apply for CEC, such as:

• A valid passport
• Education qualification
• Have one year of work experience gained in Canada in the last three years as a full-time employer and in the previous three years
• If they have Part-time work experience, then they must have an equal amount of work experience.
• Must meet the job requirements according to the IRCC job description
• Gain work experience in Canada legally
• Language proficiency of CLB 7 for TEER 0 or 1 category and CLB 5 for TEER 2 and 3 categories
• Police clearance report
• Proof of relation with relatives in Canada (If applicable)
• Education Credential Assessment (ECA) reports

The language requirement can be fulfilled in French or English with tests like IELTS or CELPIP. The minimum language requirement for Canadian Experience Class candidates is different for two different TEERs. For position classified:

• TEER 0 or TEER 1, a minimum CLB score required is seven or NCLC 7 is required
• For TEER 2 or TEER 3 categories, the necessary score is CLB 5 or NCLC 5

An applicant can calculate their one year of work experience as 1,560 hours of work. An applicant can meet the 1,560 hours requirements in different ways, such as:

• Full-time at one job: Up to 30 hours a week for 12 months. 1-year full-time job of 1,560 hours
• Equal amount in part-time work: 15 hours a week for 24 months in 1 year full-time
• Applicants can also work as many part-time jobs to meet the requirement
• Full-time at more than one job: 30 hours a week for 12 months at more than one job- 1 year full-time (1,560 hours)

*Note: Self-employed and student work experience are not counted towards the minimum requirement of the program

Here are some common mistakes to avoid for a successful CEC application:

• Submitting an incomplete or inaccurate information
• Incomplete submission of documentation
• Not fulfilling Language proficiency requirement
• Not proving sufficient proof of funds
• Not providing a police certificate or not undergoing the necessary medical examination
• Not reviewing your application before submission

Below are the advantages of applying under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), which includes:

• ‘No’ proof of funds is required
• Faster processing time
• Easy application process
• Lower language criteria
• Freedom to reside anywhere in Canada
• More CRS score
• Pathway to Canada PR
• Less requirement of necessary documents with a simple application process
• Sponsor your family

Here are some successful tips to apply CEC application:

• Verify all the documentation is up to date and accurate
• Improve your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score and  gain more work experience
• Increase the level of education
• You can apply with your spouse to gain extra spousal points
• Prepare for the language proficiency test to get a higher score

Stay organized by monitoring deadlines and sorting out all documents on time