CEC Requirements

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) category of permanent residence is geared toward foreign-skilled workers who have already obtained valuable experience in eligible occupations in Canada. Eligible workers, based on their education, experience and occupation, may obtain permanent resident status in Canada through this program. This category seeks to facilitate this transition while filling labour shortages that exist in the Canadian labour market.

In order to qualify, you must have:

• plan to live outside the province of Quebec
• have at least 12 months of full-time (or an equal amount in part-time) skilled work experience in Canada in the three years before you apply,
• have gained your experience in Canada with the proper authorization
• meet the required language levels needed for your job for each language ability (speaking, reading, writing, and listening).

Beyond these requirements, you will need to demonstrate that you are currently employed or have obtained experience in an eligible occupation.

According to the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC), skilled work experience means:

• Managerial jobs (NOC skill type 0)
• Professional jobs (NOC skill type A)
• Technical jobs and skilled trades (NOC skill type B)

You must have at least 12 months of full-time, or an equal amount in part-time, skilled work experience. Full-time work means at least 30 hours of paid work per week.

Further, in order to qualify, your occupation must be on the most recent list of eligible occupations. Currently, there are a few recent exclusions as to which occupations no longer qualify:

• Cooks (NOC 6322)
• Food service supervisors (NOC 6311)
• Administrative officers (NOC 1221)
• Administrative assistants (NOC 1241)
• Accounting technicians and bookkeepers (NOC 1311)
• Retail sales supervisors (NOC 6211)

This means that if you fall under one of the occupations above, your occupation is no longer eligible for the Canadian Experience Class. If your job does indeed appear above, contact us so that we may assist you in determining another viable option for you to obtain your status in Canada.