Understanding the Canadian Experience Class

Applying for Permanent Residence through the CEC

Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is one of the ways that allows you to become a permanent resident in Canada. Individuals are ranked on the government’s comprehensive ranking system (CRS), and every so often a certain number of top applicants are given an invitation to apply. In this blog, you will read about who is eligible for the Canadian Experience Class, and how to apply for permanent residence through the CEC as well.

Eligibility Requirements of the Canadian Experience Class

The purpose of express entry is to invite skilled foreign nationals who wish to come to Canada, to Canada, in the hopes that at the same time, the Canadian government can work to strengthen the Canadian labor market. Therefore, there are some somewhat specific eligibility requirements. They are as follows:

• You must have a minimum of 12 months full-time work experience or equivalent skilled work experience in Canada in the three years preceding your application,
• You must have gained experience in Canada with proper authorization
• You must meet the minimum language requirement for your job
• You must plan to live outside of Quebec

In addition to these requirements, you must specifically have work experience within certain National Occupation Classifications, otherwise known as NOC’s. The NOC’s which are recognized as skilled work experience are Managerial jobs (NOC skill level 0), Professional jobs (NOC skill type A), Skilled trades and Technical jobs (NOC skill type B). Furthermore, it is essential you understand you cannot have simply worked a position which claims to be one of these NOC’s, you must have actually performed all of the essential duties and most of the main duties set out in the lead statement of the occupational description in the NOC.

Language Ability Requirement

In order to work and live in Canada, having the language ability to communicate is definitely important. Therefore, there is a minimum level to which you must be able to communicate in English or French. At the same time, language ability will go towards your score on your Express Entry profile, so, the better you do on your language test, the better your chances of receiving an invitation to apply. Specifically, you must take a language test approved by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), and score a minimum level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 for NOC B jobs or the minimum language level of Canadian Language Benchmark 7 for NOC 0.

Education Requirement

There is no required education to apply for the Canadian experience class. Though, similar to the language ability assessment, your foreign education credentials can help you score higher on the comprehensive ranking system, and to help earn you more points and have a better chance of receiving an invitation to apply. In order to earn points for your education under Express Entry you need a Canadian High school or post-secondary certificate, diploma, or degree, OR a completed foreign credential, and an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from an agency approved by CIC, to make this completed foreign credential valid in terms of Canadian education.

What Happens if I Receive an Invitation to Apply

If you receive an invitation to apply, you have successfully completed stage 1 of your express entry application. You now have 60 days to complete your application for stage 2 of express entry, and submit the application along with paid processing fees. At this point, you may also be requested to pass a medical exam and pass criminal and security checks. Please note, receiving an invitation to apply does not necessarily mean you will be permitted to immigrate to Canada. This simply means you have a head start of the application process.

Contact Akrami and Associates

It is essential that you put together an express entry profile and an application for permanent residency with complete accuracy and honesty, as this opportunity is very unique, and due to the fact that you will immediately enter the Canadian working economy after receiving your permanent residency, immigration officers review these applications with a high degree of scrutiny. Express Entry applications can be confusing, or sometimes, overwhelming. It is highly recommended that you seek out professional and experienced help before attempting to submit an application. Akrami & Associates have experience with many different immigration issues. We have helped many of our clients gain economic experience and gain permanent residency in Canada through the Express Entry application management system. If you have questions about Canadian immigration programs, please feel free to contact Akrami & Associates at 416-477-2545 for more information or if you would like to book a consultation for more advise.

With Akrami & Associates, there is always a way!