How much do you know about Canada immigration under CEC?

Blog highlights

• Skilled foreign nationals with work experience in Canada can become Canada PR through CEC.
• Canada Experience Class (CEC) is a stream with Canada Express Entry that gives temporary visa holders the chance to obtain Canada permanent residence.
• CEC was the most used Canada immigration stream during COVID-19 time.

The CEC (Canadian Experience Class) is meant for skilled foreign workers who possess Canadian work experience and are willing to become permanent residents.

There were many temporary visa holders who were eligible for Canada PR and were already present in Canada. During the COVID-19 period, IRCC chose to transform as many possible of this population into Canada PR visa holders to meet their immigration targets. These candidates had no issues being present in Canada due to travel restrictions during the pandemic period.

Recommended article: Canada to resume all-program Express Entry draws on Wednesday, July 6 – Immigration Minister

Minimum criteria for eligibility

To be eligible to apply for Canada immigration under CEC, you have to:

• meet the required levels of language proficiency needed for your job for each language ability namely
  • reading
  • writing
  • speaking
  • listening
• possess a minimum skilled work experience in Canada of 1 year in the last 3 years prior to filing your application, in the following ways:
  • full-time at one job: 30 hours/week for 12 months = 1 year full-time (1,560 hours)
  • equal amount in part-time work: e.g., 15 hours/week for 24 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)
    • You can work any number of part-time jobs required to meet this requirement.
  • full-time work at more than one job: 30 hours/week for 12 months at more than one job = 1-year full time (1,560 hours)
• gain your work experience by working in Canada while under temporary resident status with a work authorization

Know your eligibility to immigrate to Canada through Y-Axis Canada Immigration Points Calculator.

How is work experience calculated?

It’s necessary that your skilled work experience must be paid work. Payment will include paid wages or earned commission. Unpaid internships or volunteer work won’t be counted.

For part-time work, you are allowed to work more or less than 15 hours/week. The total work hours must add up to 1,560 hours. It’s also possible for you to work more than one part-time job to get the hours you require to apply.

No hours you work above 30 hours/week will be counted in work experience.

Your skilled work experience has to be in one or more of the following skilled job types:

• NOC skill level 0 – Managerial jobs
• NOC skill type A – Professional jobs
• NOC skill type B – Technical jobs and skilled trades

There are no education criteria for the CEC to qualify.

Language ability

You have to:

• meet the minimum language level of:
  • CLB7 for NOC 0 or A jobs. or
  • CLB5 for NOC B jobs
• take approved language tests for:
  • writing
  • listening
  • reading
  • speaking
• describe the test results in your Express Entry profile

The validity of your language tests is 2 years after the date of the test result. At the time of applying for Canada PR, the language tests must be valid.

New updates

• Considering the first 4 months of 2022, in which 20,570 new Canada immigrants came under the CEC program, the country could welcome 61,710 newcomers under CEC in 2022 if the trend is continued.
• Among individuals who aren’t eligible for Canada immigration under CEC are:
  • Refugee claimants in Canada
  • Persons working in Canada without authorization or temporary resident status
• Self-employment and any work experience gained while being a full-time student of a foreign national are also not counted towards the minimum requirements for the CEC program.

If you are willing to migrate to Canada, talk to Y-Axis, the leading immigration and career consultant in the UAE.

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