Canadian Experience Class

Call Our Immigration Expert

Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

You can apply for Canada’s Permanent Residence programme through the Canadian Experience Class Immigration Program if you have at least one year of Canadian work experience or have studied for a year in Canada. Your profile must also be submitted to the Express Entry Pool for this programme.

CEC is a programme created for permanent residents who have Canadian work experience earned under a temporary work permit. Because temporary foreign employees are likely already integrated into Canadian society and have established support networks, they can easily convert to permanent residence and citizenship.

Before applying, the applicant must have completed at least one year of skilled job experience in Canada within the previous three years. Work experience should be either full-time or part-time in nature. It is critical that the candidate have earned work experience while legally working in Canada.

The Canadian Experience Class is for Skilled workers who have worked in Canada and desire to stay in the country permanently.

Minimum requirements

Work Experience

Have at least 1 year of skilled work experience in Canada, in the last 3 years before you apply—you can meet this in a few different ways
- - Full-time at 1 job: 30 hours/week for 12 months = 1 year full-time (1,560 hours)
  - Equal amount in part-time work: for example 15 hours/week for 24 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)
  - You can work as many part-time jobs as you need to meet this requirement.
  - Full-time work at more than 1 job: 30 hours/week for 12 months at more than 1 job = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)

Have gained your work experience by working in Canada while under temporary resident status with authorization to work

NOTE: Your expert work experience must have included compensated employment, such as salary or commissions. Volunteer work and unpaid internships are not included.

You can work more or less than 15 hours per week for part-time work as long as it totals 1,560 hours. To earn the hours you need to apply, you can work more than one part-time job.

Language