How to get a permanent residence with the Canadian Experience Class || VO Visas

 How to get a permanent residence with the Canadian Experience Class || VO Visas

The Canadian Experience Class was introduced in 2008 as a pathway for new immigrants with work experience in Canada to obtain permanent residence.

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is a popular option for temporary foreign workers and international graduate students who wish to reside permanently in Canada. It is one of three economy class immigration programs administered through the Express Entry system.

What is the CEC?

The CEC is designed to simplify the process of obtaining permanent residence for those who have previously lived and worked in Canada. Those who have studied in Canada can also obtain it if they complete the additional steps. It was created in 2008 by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to encourage temporary foreign workers and international students to stay in Canada.

Who is eligible for the CEC?

Compared to other Express Entry immigration programs, CEC has the fewest eligibility criteria:

The candidate must have worked in Canada as a skilled worker for one year in the last three years.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

For jobs that fall under the NOC-A category, candidates must have a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of 7, or a CLB of 5 for skilled trades jobs.

How do I become eligible for the CEC as an international graduate?

CEC is for candidates with work experience in Canada. However, if international students wish to remain in Canada after graduation, they may complete additional steps to qualify.

Graduates of eligible Canadian Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) can apply for a Postgraduate Work Permit (PGWP). This is an open permit that allows you to work for any Canadian employer for up to three years, depending on the length of your educational program, and you do not need a job offer to apply. Graduates typically use this permit to gain the required year of skilled work experience before applying to the CEC.

I am eligible for the CEC: Now what?

CEC is one of three economic immigration pathways managed by Express Entry. Other programs are the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).

Once you have determined if you are eligible for any of these three programs, you can visit the IRCC website and create a profile. The IRCC will give you a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score based on human capital factors such as age, language skills, work experience and education. CRS scores are compared to other scores in the pool, and candidates with the highest scores receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence (ITA). Express Entry draws are held every two weeks, and if you receive an application for permanent residence, you have 60 days to submit an application for permanent residence to IRCC.

Benefits of the CEC

CEC offers a path to permanent residence for those with work experience in Canada. Research by Statistics Canada shows that Canadian work experience contributes to strong labor market outcomes upon obtaining permanent residence. CEC also has fewer eligibility criteria than FSWP and FSTP. For example, CEC candidates are not required to provide proof of funds or proof of educational assessment.

CEC invitations resume in early July 2022

From September 2021, the CEC lottery has been put on hold to allow IRCC to address its backlog of shipments on a fast-track basis. However, IRCC recently announced that it will begin inviting new applicants for the three programs managed by Express Entry, including CEC, in early July this year. Fast Track will become more and more important in the coming years. By 2024, Canada aims to welcome more than 110,000 immigrants through Express Entry.

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