Express Entry - Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

---

CEC Introduction

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is a program to get Canada’s permanent residency. CEC is one of the three programs that are managed by IRCC under the Express Entry online system. The CEC program is specially designed for candidates who are already working legally in Canada.

CEC is the first choice for international students, who graduated from Canadian institutions and gained skilled work experience while working with a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). Foreign workers, including open work permit holders, are also eligible under the CEC program, if they have gained enough work experience in Canada. As this program is designed for people who are already living in Canada, CEC is believed to be the fastest out of 3 Express Entry programs to get Canadian permanent residency. CEC draws also have more rounds of invitations around the year, compared to other programs.

---

Eligibility for Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

Here are the basic requirements to get Canadian permanent residency under CEC program:

• Work Experience: Candidates should have at least 1 year of paid Canadian work experience. It should be gained while working legally in Canada.
• Legal Work Status in Canada: Your Canadian work experience should be gained while working legally in Canada. (Working with an open work permit, PGWP etc.)
• Job Type: Your work experience should be for a skilled job and it should be under TEER category 0, 1, 2 or 3.
• Education Requirement: There are no education requirements set by IRCC for the CEC program.
• Language Skills: You should meet the language requirements as well set for CEC program, which is minimum CLB level 5 or 7, depending on your job’s TEER category.
• Intent to Live Outside Quebec: Province of Quebec is having its own Quebec-selected skilled workers, so for CEC, you must plan to live outside the province of Quebec.

---

CEC Canada Work Experience Requirements

To be eligible under CEC, your work experience must meet the following criteria:

• Duration: You need at least 1 year of work experience (1560 hours), either gained working full-time or part-time.
• Location: You must be physically present in Canada to perform your work duties. Even if your work is a remote job, you should be physically present in Canada and working for a Canadian employer.
• Timeframe: You must have gained this experience in the last 3 years, when you apply for CEC.
• Work Type: Your work should be a skilled job and should be under TEER category 0, 1, 2 or 3. TEER 4 & 5 work experience is not eligible under CEC.
• Multiple jobs: Experience gained from multiple jobs, is also counted towards CEC work requirements. For example, working full-time in a TEER 0 job and then another 6 months in TEER 1 job, this will sum up to 1 year of full-time experience and makes you eligible for CEC.
• Authorization: You must have gained this experience while working legally in Canada. Work experience gained while working with a Post-graduation work permit (PGWP), open work permit or LMIA-based closed work permit, all are eligible under CEC, if they meet all other CEC criteria as well.

Some important things to note:

• Self-employment: CEC won’t consider self-employment work experience for program eligibility (with exemption for physicians).
• Working as Student: CEC also won’t count your work experience, gained while you were a full-time student, no matter paid or unpaid.

---

CEC Language Requirements

To qualify for CEC, applicants should also prove their language ability in either of Canada’s official languages, English or French. For English tests, Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) is used to calculate your proficiency and for French tests, IRCC uses Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC).

The score you need is dependent on the TEER category of your job. See the table below for the minimum requirements as per TEER:

Language	Accepted Test	Minimum requirement
English	CELPIP-General test IELTS General Training PTE Core	TEER 0 or 1: CLB 7 TEER 2 or 3: CLB 5
French	TEF Canada TCF Canada	TEER 0 or 1: NCLC 7 TEER 2 or 3: NCLC 5

Important: Your test results must be less than two years old at the time of submitting your application.

---

CEC Education Requirements

There is no education requirement to be eligible for CEC. But you can still use your education to boost your CRS score. Having valid education credentials listed on your Express Entry profile, can boost the chances of getting an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residency.

Here is the breakdown of CRS score as per your level of education:

Level of Education	Maximum CRS score
High school	30
Post-secondary 1 year education	90
Post-secondary 2 year education	98
Bachelor's degree	120
Master's degree	135
Ph.D	150

To calculate your CRS score, please use the official Express Entry CRS calculator.

Important: If any of your post secondary education is from Canada, you will receive an extra 15 CRS points for “Study in Canada” factor.

Important: If your education credentials are not from Canada, you need to provide an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from some approved organization.

---

Proof of Funds Requirement for CEC

Another major benefit of applying through CEC, is that you don’t need to show proof of funds for settlement in Canada. As CEC is designed specially for applicants who already worked or working in Canada, they are already aware of Canadian culture and tend to be settled well after permanent residency, compared to Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades Programs candidates.

The Express Entry online system might still ask CEC candidates to upload proof of funds. IRCC recommends uploading a letter of explanation, stating that you are applying under the CEC program and not required to show proof of funds.

---

Step-by-Step Process for CEC PR Application

Here is the overview of step by step process of getting Canadian permanent residency through Express Entry’s CEC program:

1. Check your CEC eligibility: Make sure if you meet all the requirements set by IRCC for CEC applicants. Use the official CEC calculator to check your CRS scores.
2. Take language test: Find the minimum CLB level required as per your job’s TEER category. Book and complete the test to score at least minimum points required for your scenario. Though you only need to upload an official test result copy once you get an invitation for PR, it's recommended to have your test completed before you create an Express Entry profile.
3. Create Express Entry Profile: To enter in the pool of candidates, you need to create an Express Entry profile by answering questions related to your work experience, education and more. At this point of time, you don’t need to pay any fee and upload any documents. Once your profile is created, IRCC will assign you a CRS score based on your answer on the profile.
4. Start gathering supporting documents: It's a good idea to start gathering your supporting documents that you need to upload once you get an Invitation to Apply (ITA). Some documents take time, and you only have 60 days after receiving the ITA, to submit a full PR application with all supporting documents. So start arranging following documents if required for your scenario:
   • ECA report (if foreign education)
   • Police clearance certificate
   • Marriage certificate
5. Receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA): If you meet the cutoff score for a general or CEC draw, you will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in your Express Entry profile.
6. Submit Your PR Application: You have 60 days to accept ITA and submit a full PR application by paying the fee and uploading all supporting documents.
7. Wait for a Decision: Usually it takes 6 months to get permanent residency approved through Express Entry, though it varies depending upon certain factors like single applicant or group application. There is no guaranteed time given by IRCC to approve your application.
8. Get PR Confirmation: If approved, you will receive an electronic copy of your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR). This document is proof of Canadian residency, and not a travel document. You still need a Canada PR Card to travel outside and re-enter Canada.

---

CEC Processing Time

Average processing time for most of CEC applications is under 6 months, from the day you submit your full application.

However actual processing time really depends on certain factors like:

• Background/security checks
• Time taken by applicant to submit biometrics and medical exams
• If any additional document requested by IRCC, how much time taken by applicant to submit that document to IRCC
• Level of application complexity

---

CEC vs Other Express Entry Programs

Express Entry has 3 programs that applicants can qualify for, based on their education, work experience, language skills and more. Here is the quick comparison of all these programs:

Feature	Canadian Experience Class	Federal Skilled Worker	Federal Skilled Trades
Work Experience	1 year in Canada	1 year (foreign or Canadian)	2 years trade experience (foreign or Canadian)
Proof of Funds	Not required	Required (Don’t need if authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer)
Language Requirement	CLB 5–7	CLB 7	CLB 5 (Speaking & Listening) CLB 4 (Reading & Writing)
Job Offer Required	No	No (but helps)
Education Required	Not required	At least secondary education	Not required
Processing Time	~6 months

CEC is best suited for international students who already have Canadian education and work experience.

---

CEC with PNP Nomination

When you create an Express Entry profile, you can show your interest in some of the provinces. There are many Express Entry-aligned PNP streams, and if your profile qualifies, you can receive Notification of Interest (NOI) from a province, within your Express Entry profile. It is possible to receive more than one NOI, but you only need to accept one and apply with the province with a full application, to get a province nomination certificate.

How PNP Helps CEC Applicants

If you get a nomination certificate from a province through Express Entry-aligned PNP stream, you will get a boost in your CRS score and additional 600 points will be added to your Express Entry profile. Some of the benefits are as follows:

• This almost guarantees your Canadian PR.
• Your CEC eligibility won’t be affected after getting PNP. It just gives your profile 600 points boost.
• If IRCC holds general or CEC specific or PNP applicant specific Express Entry draw, it is very likely that you will receive an ITA.

Important: Make sure you still follow your intentions that you showed to the province while submitting the PNP application.

Non Express Entry-aligned PNP streams

Candidates can also check their eligibility for non Express Entry-aligned PNP streams, where everything is handled by the province itself. There is no additional benefit added to your CEC profile, if you get nominated by a province through a non Express Entry-aligned PNP stream. You need to apply for Canadian PR separately after getting a PNP nomination from such a stream, which has longer processing time compared to Express Entry.

Important: If you submit a PR application for a Non-Express Entry process, and then you also received ITA for some Express Entry program like CEC, it is up to you if you want to submit a 2nd PR application as well for Express Entry. It is recommended to withdraw 1 application and only have 1 PR application in processing at a time.

---

Family Sponsorship in CEC

If you receive an ITA and want to submit a full PR application to IRCC, you are allowed to include your spouse or common-law partner and dependent children within the application. Your family members don’t need proof of work experience, education and language skills, but IRCC might need a few documents for each added family member like police clearance certificate, medical exam etc. In most cases, once your PR application is approved, you and all your added family members will become Canada’s permanent resident.

Once you are a permanent resident of Canada, you can also sponsor your parents and grandparents to Canada, if you meet certain criteria set by IRCC like required income.

---

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can You Apply for CEC from Outside Canada?
Yes. If you have Canadian experience which qualifies under CEC, you would be eligible under Express Entry’s CEC program. IRCC may ask for proof of funds, if you are not currently living and working in Canada.

Do I need to give biometrics if already given in the past?
Yes. Even if you have already given your biometric in the past and those are still valid, you still need to give biometrics again as part of the CEC application processing. Make sure you pay for biometrics as well while submitting your application.

Do I need to give a medical exam for CEC?
It depends. If you have already given a medical exam with your previous application like study or work, you can simply upload that medical exam. In most cases, it would be approved by IRCC, and if they don’t, they will ask for new medical exam results. If you haven’t taken the IRCC medical exam before, either you can do it beforehand and wait for IRCC instructions when to submit the medical exam.

Should my work experience be continuous without gaps?
No. Your 1-year work experience could be from multiple jobs and can have gaps within it, as long as you are meeting the 1-year and 1560 hours requirement.

Should my work experience be in the same TEER (NOC)?
No. You can combine your work experience from multiple skill jobs whether they are in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3, as long as you are meeting the 1-year and 1560 hours requirement. For example, you were working as a baker (TEER 3) for 6 months and then you were a manager (TEER 0) for another 6 months, you can combine these experiences to qualify for 1 year CEC work experience.