Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

To qualify for the CEC, you must meet specific thresholds regarding your work history in Canada and your language abilities.

1. Canadian Work Experience

You must have at least 12 months of full-time skilled work experience (or an equal amount in part-time work, totaling 1,560 hours) in Canada.

• Recency: This experience must have been gained within the 36 months (3 years) before you apply.
• Skill Level: Your job must fall under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3. This generally covers management, professional, and technical/skilled trades.
• Legal Status: You must have been authorized to work in Canada (e.g., on a Post-Graduation Work Permit or an LMIA-based permit) while gaining this experience.
• Exclusions: You cannot count work experience gained while you were a full-time student (such as co-op terms), self-employment, or work performed without valid status.

2. Language Proficiency

You must prove your ability to communicate in English or French by taking an approved language test (IELTS, CELPIP, PTE Core, TEF, or TCF).

• TEER 0 or 1 jobs: You need a minimum CLB 7 (Canadian Language Benchmark) in all four categories (reading, writing, listening, speaking).
• TEER 2 or 3 jobs: You need a minimum CLB 5 in all four categories.
• Validity: Your test results must be less than 2 years old at the time of application.

3. Intent to Reside

You must intend to live in any Canadian province or territory except Quebec. Quebec manages its own immigration system; if you wish to settle there, you must apply through the Programme de l'expérience québécoise (PEQ).

4. Education

While there is no formal education requirement to be eligible for the CEC, the Express Entry system is competitive. Most successful candidates provide a Canadian degree/diploma or an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for foreign studies to increase their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.