Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is a popular immigration program for individuals who have gained valuable skilled work experience in Canada. It is one of the three main federal immigration programs managed under the Express Entry system, alongside the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. To be eligible for the CEC, applicants must have at least one year of full-time (or equivalent part-time) skilled work experience in Canada within the last three years from the date of application. This work experience must be classified under one of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 TEER categories 0, 1, 2, or 3.

Applicants must also meet minimum language proficiency requirements in English or French, as demonstrated by an approved language test. For TEER 0 and 1 occupations, the minimum is Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7, and for TEER 2 and 3 occupations, it's CLB 5. Additionally, individuals must intend to reside in Canada, though not necessarily in the province where they gained their work experience. The Express Entry system ranks eligible candidates based on a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, and successful candidates are invited to apply for permanent residence.