Canadian Experience Class Program

Individuals who have worked in Canada and who wish to settle permanently in Canada with their accompanying dependents may qualify to apply for Permanent Residence under the Canadian Experience Class.

Canada Experience Class program recognizes the benefits to Canada by candidates who have spent significant amounts of time pursuing their studies and working careers in Canada. It recognizes their contributions to the Canadian economy and the creation of strong links to Canadian society. This strengthens the permanent residence programs to Canada.

Requirements for Canadian Experience Class

Eligibility for permanent residence under this class is assessed on a pass-fail basis where the primary criteria are the following:

Candidate has acquired 12 months of full-time work experience in an occupation categorized as Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the National Occupation Classification (NOC). Qualifying occupations are those of a managerial, professional, technical or skilled trade nature.
Candidate demonstrates sufficient proficiency in one of Canada’s official languages. The level of proficiency required is determined by the occupation in which the candidate gained qualifying Canadian work experience;
Not be inadmissible to Canada on medical, criminal or security grounds.

If you are a graduate of a post-secondary institution in Canada and have studied as a full-time student you may be eligible to apply under the Canadian Experience Class. See Work & Study Programs

You must still have the required work experience to be eligible to apply. You must have gotten this work experience after you graduated, not on a student visa. If you got work experience while on a post-graduation work permit or a similar work permit, it is considered valid.

If you were in a co-op program (or another academic program with a similar work placement or internship), your co-op work experience does not count towards this 1 year. You can only count work experience that you get after you graduate. Part-time work while you were a full-time student does not count towards your eligible work experience.