What does the Canadian Experience Class program consist of?

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) launched the Canadian Experience Class (also known as Canadian Experience Class -CEC) program to provide a specific pathway for temporary foreign workers and qualified international graduates who wish to obtain permanent residency in Canada.

This program has become one of Canada's major immigration avenues for skilled workers. However, remember that Express Entry works by a points grid that is used to assess the applicant's eligibility, so the higher the score, the more likely you are to get an invitation to apply.

Learn more about the point system.

Restrictions for this type of visa

  • Work experience must have been acquired within 3 years prior to application.
  • English and/or French language proficiency required.
  • Only work experience within Canada with a valid permit counts.
  • The work must be paid. That is, volunteers or unpaid internships do not count.
  • Does not apply to refugees or illegal workers.

Requirements for this type of visa

  • At least one year of qualifying work experience in Canada in one of the TEER 0, 1, 2, 3 job categories. Such work experience may be
  1. Full-time - 30 hours per week for a period of 12 months.
  2. Part-time - 15 hours per week for a period of 24 months.
  • Demonstrate a good command of English and/or French. Proficiency in both languages is a plus.
  • Level of Education. Post-secondary studies done outside Canada must be assessed through an ECA. For more information about the ECA click here.