What is the Canadian Experience Class (CEC)?

This class is for skilled workers who already have Canadian work experience and want to become permanent residents.

To be eligible to apply, you must:

Have at least 1 year of full-time (or equivalent) skilled work experience in Canada
Apply within 3 years of obtaining your skilled work experience
Have had legal status while working, or studying, in Canada
Meet minimum language levels in English or French; and
Plan to live outside the province of Quebec

You can find a detailed list of eligibility requirements on the IRCC website.

What kind of work experience do I need?

Your work experience must be Skill Type 0 (managerial occupations) or Skill Level A (professional occupations) or Skill Level B (technical occupations and skilled trades) on the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC).

It is important to note, however, that some occupations within these categories are not eligible for the program.

Your work experience must be paid, full-time or the equivalent hours part-time. Full-time means at least 30 hours per week. You must have had this work experience in Canada.

What If I completed a post-secondary program in Canada?

If you are a graduate of a post-secondary institution in Canada and have studied as a full-time student for at least 2 academic years, you may be eligible to apply under the CEC.

You must still have the required work experience to be eligible to apply. You must have gotten this work experience after you graduated, not on a student visa. If you got work experience while on a post-graduation work permit or a similar work permit, it is considered valid.

If you were in a co-op program (or another academic program with a similar work placement or internship), your co-op work experience does not count towards this 1 year. You can only count work experience that you get after you graduate. Part-time work while you were a full-time student does not count towards your eligible work experience.

How do I apply under the CEC?

If you are eligible to apply under the CEC category, you may submit your profile to Express Entry. Express Entry is a new online application system for economic immigration categories, such as the CEC.

For More Information

Canadian Experience Class (CEC) - Information about immigrating under the Canadian Experience Class. From Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
National Occupation Classification (NOC) - The National Occupational Classification (NOC) is the nationally accepted guide to occupations in Canada.
IRCC Help Centre - A tool that helps answer frequently asked questions on immigration matters. It offers several ways of searching through the information available, including search by keyword. From Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
I am an international student. Can I apply for permanent residence? - Information about different immigration classes available to eligible students. From Settlement.Org