Canadian Experience Class

Who is it intended for?

Foreign workers who have completed at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada within the last three years can pursue permanent immigration to Canada through the Canadian Experience Class.

How does it work?

Candidates under the Canadian Experience Class must create an Express Entry profile and be invited to apply for immigration to Canada before submitting an application through Express Entry .

What’s the advantage?

• Candidates have built up at least one year of Canadian work experience. This is a highly-valued factor under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), and, as such, gives these applicants something of a “head start” against other candidates in the pool.
• Because the required documentation is minimal, applications are processed quickly, often within three to four months.
• Applicants are not required to show proof of settlement funds.

How much does it cost?

About $1,500–$2,000, including educational and language assessments, obtaining documents, and payment of fees, if you complete the process yourself.

How long does it take?

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) aims to process applications within six months, though in many cases Canadian Experience Class applications have been found to be processed more quickly.

Other considerations

Eligibility for the program does not guarantee that an invitation to apply will be issued or that permanent residence will be granted.

Canadian Experience Class applicants must:

• Have at least 12 months of full-time (or an equivalent in part-time) skilled work experience in Canada within the last three years. This experience must have been obtained while on a valid work permit and needs to be in one or more occupations in Training, Education, Experience, Responsibilities (TEER) categories 0, 1, 2, and 3 under the National Occupational Classification (NOC). The one year of experience can be gained in two different NOC codes, so long as they are skilled positions and the work experience is gained legally;
• Plan on living outside the province of Quebec; and
• Meet the required language levels needed for the job for each language ability (speaking, reading, listening, and writing). These levels are outlined in the table below and must be proven by taking an approved language test.

• Documents for your profile

  You don’t need to upload documents to submit a profile, but you may need information from some or all of these documents:

  • a passport or travel document
    • Venezuelan passport holders: You may need to complete extra steps when you create a profile or fill out your application.
  • language test results
  • proof of Canadian education or an educational credential assessment report for immigration purposes if
    • you’re applying through the Federal Skilled Workers Program, or
    • you want to get points for the education you got outside Canada
  • provincial nomination (if you have one)
  • written job offer from an employer in Canada (if you have one)
  • proof of work experience
  • certificate of qualification in a trade occupation issued by a competent Canadian authority - for example, a Canadian province or territory (if you have one)
  • proof of funds