Canadian Experience Class
What is this program?
The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is for people who have already worked in Canada in a skilled job. Instead of applying from outside the country, it's designed for people who've built a Canadian work history — often after studying here on a study permit and then working on a post-graduation work permit. The federal government considers these applicants low-risk because they've already shown they can live and work in Canada.
Who is it for?
- You've worked at least 1 year (1,560 hours) at a skilled job in Canada in the last 3 years
- The job was a TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupation (managers, professionals, technicians, skilled trades)
- You took an approved English or French language test in the last 2 years
- You're either still in Canada with valid status, or you've left in the last 3 years
- You plan to live anywhere in Canada except Quebec
What does it lead to?
Permanent residence. CEC is one of the three federal Express Entry programs. Once your profile is in the Express Entry pool and your CRS score is high enough, you'll be invited to apply for PR. IRCC's current estimate is about 7 months after you send a complete application (this changes often — check the official processing-times page).
Primary requirements
- 1 year of skilled Canadian work experience (TEER 0–3) in the last 3 years. Cannot count work done while you were a full-time student.
- Language test result: CLB 7 if your job is TEER 0 or 1 (managers, professionals); CLB 5 if it's TEER 2 or 3 (technicians, skilled trades). Test must be IELTS, CELPIP, TEF, or TCF.
- All Canadian work counted must have been authorised (valid work permit).
- Must plan to live outside Quebec — Quebec selects its own immigrants.
What you'll need to apply
- Valid passport
- Language test results (within 2 years)
- Letters from each Canadian employer: role, hours, duties, dates
- Pay stubs and T4s as backup proof of work
- Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) if you have a foreign degree (optional for CEC but boosts CRS)
- Police certificates from every country you've lived in for 6+ months as an adult
- A medical exam (IRCC will tell you when)
Where to start
Check if you match this program (free)
Or visit the official federal · express entry page for Canadian Experience Class to read the government's own requirements.
If you want professional advice before applying, work with a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or a Canadian immigration lawyer.
How we keep this page current
- Hourly source check. A scheduled job checks the official source page above every hour and looks for changes.
- Change alert. When the page changes, we record it and review the program rules again.
- Human review.A person checks the change, updates this page if needed, and updates the “Page last edited” date.
- Limits. Some government pages are harder to check automatically. The official source link is still the final source. Open it before you act on anything important.
- Attribution. We write the summary above in our own words from the official government source. Short quotes used for comparison fall under fair dealing under the Canadian Copyright Act. Crown copyright in the underlying government text stays with His Majesty the King in Right of Canada and the province or territory — the government page remains the official version.
Informational only — not immigration advice. Always confirm requirements on the official government page.