Canadian Experience Class(CEC) | Eligibility, Requirements and Points Calculation

Canada’s expanding economy is reliant on immigration. As a result, the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) has gained popularity in 2021. This is due to the fact that applicants for this program are already in Canada.

If you are working on a temporary work permit and want to become a permanent resident in Canada, CEC is the ideal option for you.

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So, what is the Canadian Experience Class (CEC)?

The CEC, or Canadian Experience Class, is an immigration program for those working in Canada and wanting to settle permanently. This programme was created in 2008 by IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) under the Express Entry program for skilled professionals who work in Canada on a temporary basis and want to become permanent residents.

Express Entry

The Express Entry program is for skilled people who desire to live in Canada permanently. It’s an online application system that manages eligible candidates’ applications. Skilled employees can be classified into the following categories:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program
• Federal Skilled Trades Program
• Canadian Experience Class

Who is eligible for the Canadian Experience Class?

Skilled workers who are temporary foreign workers in Canada for international students who have work experience in Canada are invited to apply for permanent residence in Canada.

CEC Requirements

The things that are required under the CEC program are:

Work Experience

For this program, you are expected to have at least 1 year of skilled Canadian work experience. This one year of experience must have been obtained within the last three years before submitting your Permanent Residence application (eAPR.)

What kind of work experience is counted in CEC Immigration Canada?

The work experience that is taken into account must be full-time or equivalent part-time paid work experience gained in Canada under legal conditions. This program does not include any voluntary labour or unpaid internships. Additionally, any working hours more than 30 hours/week are not counted.

The part-time work should be no more or less than 15 hours/week as long as it adds up to 15,60 hours. You can also prove work experience from more than one part-time employer.

The skilled work experience that are considered are [according to National Occupational Classification (NOC)] :

• Skill Level 0 – Managerial Jobs
• Skill Type A – Professional Jobs
• Skill Type B – Technical Jobs and Skilled Trades

How is work experience calculated under the CEC program?

1. Full-Time at 1 job = 30 hours/week for 12 months (1 year) : 1,560 hours.
2. Part-Time work = 15 hours/week for 24 months (which is counted as 1 year full time) : 1,560 hours.
3. Full-Time work at more than 1 job: 30 hours/week for 12 months at more than 1 job (1 year) : 1,560 hours.

Language proficiency

You are required to provide proof of a Canadian government-approved language test to demonstrate your language proficiency. The test comprises an English or French language proficiency test.

The approved language tests by the Canadian government are:

• IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
• TEF (Test d’Evaluation de Francais)
• CELPIP (Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program)

In order to check your English and French proficiency, the two types of systems are used. They are:

• Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) – For English
• Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) – For French

In each of the four language categories, you must achieve a minimum score of 7 in CLB or NCLC for NOC skill level 0 and A jobs, and a minimum of 5 in CLB or NCLC for a CLB 5 for NOC B jobs.

Education

There are no prerequisites for the Canadian Experience Class. However, under the Express Entry CRS score, you can gain points if you attended a Canadian school and have a diploma, certificate, or degree. However, if you attended a foreign educational institution and have a diploma, certificate, or degree, you must submit the EAC requirements and certificates

CEC Eligibility

In order to qualify for the CEC program, an applicant must fulfil the following eligibility requirements.

How are Canadian Experience Class (CEC) points calculated?

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) points are calculated on the CRS point system. There is no separate CEC point system.

How are CRS points calculated?

CRS stands for Comprehensive Ranking System, is a point-based system that the Canadian government uses to analyse and score each candidate’s express entry application.

Age, employment experience, education, language ability, and a number of other factors go into determining a candidate’s CRS. Setpoints 600 and extra 600 points are included in the CRS point total. The final score is based on a total of 1,200 points. To be invited to CEC drawings, CEC applicants must have a CRS of at least 403 points.