The Canadian Experience Class is a popular route to permanent residence for migrants with previous Canadian work experience, such as international students. This is a very popular visa for those already living and working in Canada on a temporary basis, but you can also apply from outside of Canada as long as you meet the requirements.
Eligibility requirements
Applicants for the Canadian Experience Class program must meet the following eligibility requirements:
Must have at least 12 months of skilled work experience in Canada which was gained in the 3 years leading up to the application, and which must have been gained under a valid work permit/visa (unless exempt)
Must meet the canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) requirements for the job in which the experience was gained
Must plan to live outside of Quebec
Work experience
Applicants must have at least 12 months of full time work experience – meaning 30 hours per week or more for a total of 1560 hours – or the equivalent amount in part time work experience, which must have been gained in the last 3 years. The experience must have been in one of the following classifications on Canada's National Occupation Classification List:
Managerial (Skill Level 0)
Professional (Skill Type A)
Technical (Skill Type B)
To check if your experience is suitable please see our National Occupation Classification List page.
English and/or French language skills
Applicants must have reasonable proficiency in English, French, or both languages. To prove this applicants must provide test results from the following language test providers on their Express Entry profile BEFORE they can apply for a visa:
The Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP), OR;
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS), OR;
The Test d’evaluation de francais (TEF)
The level of English required depends on your professional classification:
Skill Level 0 and Skill Type A applicants must score CLB level 5 in all 4 language test components (speaking, listening, reading, and writing)
Skill Type B applicants must score at least CLB level 7 in all 4 language test components (speaking, listening, reading, and writing)
Further information, help, and advice
Workpermit.com's team of specialists has over 25 years of experience in immigration services, and have helped thousands of people to study, work, and invest in Canada. All applications for Canadian visas are dealt with in-house by a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada.
For more information and advice on Canadian immigration law and Canadian visa applications please contact us on 0344 991 9222 or at london@workpermit.com
