The CEC is part of a concerted effort by Canada's federal and provincial governments to encourage more temporary foreign workers and international students to build their futures in Canada.

Research by IRCC, Statistics Canada, and academics is clear: skilled worker candidates have a significant advantage in integrating into the Canadian job market if they have previously lived there.

The combination of having high human capital criteria (e.g., being young and middle-aged, having high levels of education, work experience, and education. Plus, building social and professional networks in Canada enables CEC immigrants to succeed in the labour market.

In addition to this benefit, candidates with Canadian experience are able to obtain more Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points under Express Entry. This increases their chances of getting permanent residence.

Third, CEC candidates who succeed under Express Entry usually get their permanent residence status within six months.

A fourth major benefit of the CEC is unlike the other two Express Entry programs, candidates who succeed under the CEC do not need to demonstrate to IRCC that they have settlement funds to support themselves financially upon obtaining permanent residence.

There are several requirements you will have to meet in order to qualify for the Canadian Experience Class program. It is worth mentioning that there is no education requirement for the CEC.

However, your educational background can help to boost your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points which are used to rank your profile among the pool of Express Entry candidates.

To be eligible for the CEC, you must meet the following requirements:
• Have obtained at least one year of skilled, professional or technical work experience in Canada within 36 months of the application date; and
• Meet or surpass a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 5 ("initial intermediate") for NOC B jobs or CLB 7 ("adequate intermediate proficiency") for NOC skill level 0 or A positions.
• Plan to live and work outside the province of Quebec (individuals with work experience in Quebec and who plan to reside in Quebec may apply to the Quebec Experience Class).