The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Program is an opportunity for individuals who are already working in Canada or having Canadian work experience and wish to obtain permanent residency. The Canadian government created this program specifically for aspirants who are currently in Canada on a Temporary Work Permit. Interested candidates must have worked in Canada for at least a year in the last 10 years in order to become eligible for this CEC program of Canada.
The CEC Canada Program has been providing a significant pathway since 2008 for applicants who have worked in Canada and desire to have permanent residency. The CEC is one of three programs offered by Canada’s Express Entry program.
Table of Contents:
Eligibility for CEC Canada Program
Education:
There are no minimum educational requirements for CEC program of Canada. However, if you attach certificates of your qualification, it will help to improve your rank by increasing your CRS score in Express Entry program. Those certificates include:
| If you have studied outside Canada |
If you have studied inside Canada |
| You can submit all of your educational credentials, like any diploma, degree, etc. |
You need to attach certificates that you received from secondary institution (high school) or post-secondary institution. |
| You also need to submit Educational credential assessment (ECA) report to confirm that your degree, diploma, or certificate (or other form of credential verification) is valid and equal to a Canadian one. |
In this case, you do not need to submit any Educational credential assessment (ECA) report. |
Language:
You need to meet minimum language level requirements, depending upon the type of job you work for in order to immigrate Canada under CEC.
- You need Canadian Language Benchmark CLB-7 for TEER 0, 1.
- You require Canadian Language Benchmark CLB-5 for TEER 2, 3.
For this, you need to give any language test of English or French approved by Canadian government:
|
Tests for English Language
|
Tests for French Language |
| IELTS |
TEF
|
|
CELPIP
|
TCF
|
Work experience:
The candidates who wish to apply under CEC program of Canada must have a minimum of one year of full-time work experience of 1,560 hours in the previous 3 years in skilled positions. Jobs fall under TEER 0, 1, 2, and 3 are accepted in this.
You can have either 1 year of full-time paid work experience in the last 3 years (i.e. minimum 30 hours per week for 12 months).
Admissibility:
You must not be inadmissible to Canada in any way in order to apply for Canadian Experience Class program.
Moreover, you must be ready to live outside the province of Quebec.
Based on your CRS score, your Canadian Experience Class application is being evaluated. If you want to know your CRS score, just use CRS tool provided by CareerPlus Immigration. If you discover that your CRS score is low, you can take the assistance of CareerPlus Immigration firm.
Documents requirement for CEC Program of Canada
- An identity document such as a passport
- If you studied inside Canada, then you require Canadian education certificates
- If you studied outside Canada, then you need to submit an educational credential assessment report. This way, you will receive extra points for your Express Entry profile
- Employment documents representing your previous and current work status
- Language test result (English or French)
Once you submit an application for permanent residence and receive an invitation to apply, you may need to attach following documents with your Express Entry profile:
- Birth certificate (necessary if you’re declaring dependent children)
- Medical examination reports
- Police Clearance Certificates
Documents requirement to show marital status:
|
Marital status
|
Documents required
|
|
Common-law
|
Common-law union form |
| Married |
Marriage certificate
|
|
Divorced
|
Divorce certificate and a formal separation |
| Widow |
Death certificate
|
Steps to follow for Canadian Experience Class program
The following steps will give you complete guide about immigrating Canada under CEC.
Obtain Work Permit:
Having a work permit is crucial in order to apply for Canadian Experience Class program. An open work permit might be an option for some individuals, such as those who qualify for the International Experience Canada (IEC) program or the spouse or common-law partner of an international student or foreign worker in Canada. Others might receive an employer-specific (‘closed’) work permit. Work permits that were given after a favourable Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and transfers within the same company are examples of closed work permits.
Minimum One Year Work Experience in Canada:
To become eligible for CEC program, you need at least a year of work experience (or more) to qualify under the Canadian Experience Class.
Make sure you also meet the language requirements:
Give your language exam. Candidates can give the IELTS or CELPIP test for English. The TEF and TCF are the choices that are available for French. Candidates who have some proficiency in both French and English may receive extra points for their second-language proficiency.
Create profile for Express Entry:
Create an Express Entry profile if you have a work visa and want to apply for permanent residency. Some personal information will be requested from you when you create your Express Entry profile. As everyone is aware, Express Entry uses CRS, (a point based methodology), to determine if a potential participant qualifies for the CEC program or not. To check your eligibility for this program, you can use CRS calculator of CareerPlus.
Boost your CRS ranking:
Once you check your CRS score, if it is below the minimum requirements needed to receive an invitation to apply, you can check the procedures below to determine if there are any potential causes for your low CRS.
Your poor CRS score for the CEC program may be the result of not providing academic credentials. As under the CEC program, it is not mandatory to provide educational certificates, unlike the programs, Federal Skilled Trade Program (FSTP) and Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP). However, you may be eligible to gain an additional 150 points if you submit your academic credentials when applying for this program.
There could be a variety of other reasons for your low CRS score. If you want to raise your CRS score, you can also contact the CareerPlus immigration firm.
Receive an invitation to apply:
Once you have required CRS score, then you can submit your profile in Express Entry pool. When the IRCC conducts one of its draws of the Express Entry pool, invitation to apply (ITA) are given out. Once you receive an invitation to apply, you will then have 60 days to complete and submit your application for permanent residence.
If your work permit is about to expire within the next four months, you can also apply for open work permit so that you can continue working throughout the rest of the process.
Submit your Express Entry profile:
To submit an application for Express Entry profile, you need to follow below steps:
- You must include documentation supporting the completion of a medical examination with an IRCC-approved panel doctor with your application.
- A police background check (commonly known as a “clearance certificate”) from each nation you have lived in for at least six months since turning 18 is also required.
- The e-application also requires thorough work reference letters from past employers, which must be submitted within 60 days of acquiring an ITA. It is a good idea to compile the background checks and work reference letters before you acquire an ITA because of the short turnaround time.
Obtain confirmation of your status as a permanent resident:
Applications for CEC are generally reviewed within six months, so you will only receive the confirmation of approval for your PR status within six months. When permanent residence is granted, an official at a Canadian port of entry or at an IRCC office signs and dates this document.
Get assistance of CareerPlus Immigration Consultants for your Express Entry profile.
If you are working in Canada on a temporary visa and want to become a permanent resident, you may bes able to apply through a Canadian Experience Class (CEC). Eligible candidates will be able to apply for a PR visa under this program for qualifying work experience in Canada. CareerPlus immigration firm can help you in this. We are a licenced, legitimate, and award-winning firm that has been helping clients obtain their Canadian PR since 1999.
