Canadian Experience Class and Application Requirements

Canadian Experience Class and Express Entry

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) was introduced in January 2015, it allows foreigners with Canadian work experience to immigrate to Canada to become permanent residents. This is the opportunity for foreign workers to apply for permanent residence once they have worked in Canada for at least a year and decided that they want to stay here.

There are Three Categories under the Express Entry Route and They are:

1. Canadian Experience Class
2. Federal Skilled Program
3. Federal Trades Program

The Canadian Experience Class allows for professionals with Canadian work experience to work permanently in Canada.

First you will need to apply for the Express Entry since you cannot apply directly to the Canadian Experience Class first directly. You will be ranked amongst the other candidates in a pool. The top candidates will be chosen and you will be invited by the CIC to invite for either the:

1. Canadian Experience Class
2. Federal Skilled Program
3. Federal Trades Program

There are also certain jobs that are under the Canadian Experience Class and they are skilled. They include

• Managerial positions (NOC O)
• Professional jobs(NOC A)
• Skilled and Technical Workers(NOC B)

Your job duties must fall under the NOC description or else your application can be denied approval.

Canadian Experience Class Changes

The Canadian Experience has undergone many changes since its existence in 2008. It is a really popular program and is well received by the public. As a result

In January 2013, the CIC reduced the time that applicants are required to work in Canada from 2 years to one. Also, they introduced new language requirements through the IELTS and CLB levels.

On November 8^th, 2013 significant changes were made to the Canadian Experience Class. These changes took place the next day. But applications sent before November 8^th, will not be subject to these changes.

Some of These Changes Include:

1. Annual cap on how many can be accepted to the Canadian Experience Class (12,000 for 2013, it can go up by year)
2. Work experience gained in six occupations towards the Canadian Experience Class NOC B type occupations would not count. These occupations are:

• Retail sales supervisors
• Administrative officers
• Administrative assistants
• Food service supervisors
• Cooks
• Accounting technicians and book keepers

1. No more than 200 applications will be accepted for NOC B type occupations
2. The NOC A and NOC O type occupations will not be subject to the above limit.
3. However the NOC A and NOC O type occupations will be subject to the 12,000 cap (2013)
4. Applicants now required to provide proof of their language qualification through the IELTS (CLB 7 for NOC A or O and CLB 5 for NOC B)

• The IELTS proves their proficiency in English through testing your reading, listening, writing, and speaking
• The test can also be done in French

Applicants cannot apply directly for the Canadian Experience Class as they have to first apply for the Express Entry that was introduced in January 2015. Once they are approved by the CIC, they will then apply for the Canadian Experience Class and then for permanent residency in Canada.

If you are applying for work in Quebec and want to use the Experience Class to get in, you will need to apply for the Quebec Experience Class which has different steps in applying than the Canadian Experience Class.

Canadian Experience Class Advantages

It brings an end to having to be sponsored by an employee in order to work in Canada. You will be free to work in Canada for any employer and you will not be restricted to only working for one employer the whole time you are in Canada unless you amend your work visa.

Ultimately, it is one-step closer to citizenship, if that is what you want. This classification lasts for five years, which will give you plenty of time to see if settling down in Canada is what you really want to do or not.

Another advantage to this program is that you can still apply for it even after you had left Canada, or if you plan to leave during the application process. As long as you have complete two years of study or work in Canada, you are eligible.

Canadian Experience Class Disadvantages

There is a mandatory English proficiency test that you need to take and in order to pass you must receive a certain percentage or else you will not be eligible for the program. The program also costs quite a bit of money. There are many fees and tests that you need to pay for.

This program also requires quite a bit of paperwork. It does not involve just filling out one form and then it is over. There are certain requirements you must prove and in order to do that you need to fill out some forms.

The waiting times for the processing of this program are long. Because it is a relatively new process, the wait times are incredibly long, usually lasting from 12-14 months.

Canadian Experience Class Requirements

For the Canadian Experience Class, there are certain requirements that need to bet met in order to even be considered. First you will need to create an online Express Entry profile and then you will be placed in a pool amongst other candidates. You must rank amongst the top of the pool to be invited to apply from Citizenship and Immigration Canada. If you are invited to apply, then you will apply for the Canadian Experience Class. And while you are applying, you will also apply for permanent residency in Canada.

1. Complete an online Express Entry profile
2. Then complete a questionnaire
3. Once approved by the CIC, apply for the Canadian Experience Class
4. While this is pending, apply for the permanent resident permit

Minimum Requirements that you will need to meet for acceptance into the program:

• Minimum of one year working full-time (1560 hours which is 30 hours per a week) or minimum of two years working part-time (1560 hours which is 15 hours per a week)
• The work experience must be skilled:
• Managerial jobs (NOC O)
• Professional job (NOC A)
• Skilled Trades and Technical Jobs (NOC B)
• Admissible to Canada
• Work outside of Quebec (if you want to work in Quebec you will need to apply for the Quebec Experience Class instead)
• The experience was acquired 3 years prior to the application

Please note that co-op experience, self-employment or any other work experience attained during your full-time study does not count towards the work experience.

Canadian Experience Class Processing Time

There are advantages of this new program (Express Entry) that was established in January 2015 and they include faster processing times. The reason why it was created was to avoid backlogs, and faster processing times. The processing times for the express entry is 6 months and the application for the Canadian Experience Class itself can be about 14 months (1 year and 2 months).

Canadian Experience Class Points Calculator

The passing mark for the Express Entry is 67 points out of a total of 100. There are several considerations made when the points calculator is assessing you:

Age:

• Highest number of points if you are in the age group 21-49

Education:

• You get the most points if you have a master’s degree or Ph.D. and 17 years of full-time study or its equivalent.
• Lowest number of points for just a secondary school diploma

Work Experience:

Most points attained for more than 4 years of work experience

Language Proficiency:

• Your proficiency in Canada’s two official languages which are English and French

Arranged Employment:

• Receive more points if you have a job offer that is confirmed by the Human Resources Department

Adaptability in Canada:

• Your spouse’s educational experience
• Having a family member in Canada

There are many different online calculators online that will help you to identify if you meet the minimum requirements or not. Also it is important to keep in mind, that there are maximum scores per category.

Contact Akrami & Associates

It is recommended to hire a legal professional. They can also assess if you are eligible for the Canadian Experience Class, give you recommendations, answer questions. Moreover they can help with compiling the required and supporting documentation to present a strong application. This will further increase your chances of approval for the Canadian Experience Class. This application is not cheap, therefore, you must be willing to invest the money and time into the application and make sure it is done right or else you will be spending a lot of time just waiting. So we highly recommend you get the assistance of an immigration expert!! Please contact us at 416-477-2545 or call our toll free number at 1-877-820-7121 to help you with your immigration needs. Looking forward to hearing from you.

With Akrami & Associates there is always a way!!