Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is for skilled workers who have Canadian work experience and want to become permanent residents. It is set out in section 87.1 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations and is one of the three federal programs managed through Express Entry.

It has the simplest requirements of the three programs: no education requirement, no proof of funds, no job offer and no selection grid. You need 1 year of qualifying Canadian work in the last 3 years and the language level for your occupation. If you are eligible for the CEC and another federal program, IRCC invites you under the CEC.

The CEC is drawn often. In 2026, before the November 3 changes, IRCC held 18 CEC rounds with 57,750 invitations, the second-largest group after French-language proficiency rounds. CEC cut-offs in those rounds ranged from 507 to 523 points.

The bar is low, but the definitions are strict. Most CEC problems are not about the amount of experience but about whether a period counts at all: work while studying full-time, self-employment and work without authorization are all excluded.

This program is likely a good fit if:

• You have at least 1 year of skilled, paid work in Canada in the last 3 years, gained while you held temporary resident status and were authorized to work.
• You were an employee paid wages or commission, not self-employed.
• You hold or held a post-graduation work permit and have completed a year of skilled work since you finished studying full-time.
• Your language results meet the level for the training, education, experience and responsibilities (TEER) category of the occupation where you did most of your work.
• You do not have a formal credential or settlement funds. The CEC requires neither.

Look at other options if:

• Your Canadian work was done while you were a full-time student, including co-op terms.
• You were self-employed or a contractor running your own business. Self-employment does not count (with a narrow exception for some physicians).
• You worked without authorization or without temporary resident status during the period you want to count.
• Your Canadian experience is more than 3 years old.
• All your experience is outside Canada. Look at the Federal Skilled Worker Program instead.

Language level when you have more than one occupation: the regulations set the threshold by the occupation in which you have the most experience in the 3-year period, not the highest-level job you held.

How hours are counted: up to 30 hours a week for 12 months equals 1 year (1,560 hours). Part-time work can reach the same total, for example 15 hours a week for 24 months, and you can combine as many part-time jobs as you need. Several jobs at the same time count up to 30 hours a week combined.

Work that does not count:

• Work done while you were studying full-time, including co-op work terms.
• Self-employment. A temporary public policy lets some physicians count self-employed time providing publicly funded medical services in Canada, such as fee-for-service work.
• Volunteer work and unpaid internships.
• Work you were not legally allowed to do in Canada, or work done without temporary resident status.
• Work done outside Canada, including remote work for a foreign employer.

Quebec experience counts, but you must show that you do not plan to settle in Quebec, and officers review that proof.

There is no selection grid. The CEC is pass or fail on the requirements above. Once you are in the pool, you are ranked only by your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.

Canadian work experience matters twice. It earns points in the new Labour Market Integration factor and also in skill transferability, where it combines with your education and any foreign work experience for up to 100 points. The skill transferability rules did not change on November 3, 2026.

Whether your occupation is high-wage depends on its NOC code on IRCC's list, not on your own pay. The 12 months can be non-continuous, part-time or spread over several eligible jobs. Instead of these points, a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation can earn 50, 70 or 100 points. IRCC gives you whichever option is higher, up to 150 points (140 with a spouse).

Other points that often matter for CEC candidates: a Canadian post-secondary credential (15 or 30), French at NCLC 7 or higher (25 or 50) and a provincial nomination (600).

Rounds: IRCC held 18 CEC rounds from January 7 to October 15, 2026, with between 1,000 and 8,000 invitations each and cut-offs of 507 to 523. Those cut-offs were set under the old scoring rules. CEC candidates can also be invited in category-based rounds if they meet a category's criteria, and they are then invited under the CEC.

1. 1

   Check each job against the rules

   Find the NOC code for each Canadian job and confirm it was paid, authorized and not during full-time study. Collect reference letters that describe your duties, hours and pay.

2. 2

   Take an approved language test

   Use CELPIP General, IELTS General Training, PTE Core, TEF Canada or TCF Canada. Results must be less than 2 years old when you submit your profile and when you apply.

3. 3

   Submit your Express Entry profile

   Complete it within 60 days of starting. Enter every job and any job offer. Your profile can stay in the pool for up to 12 months.

4. 4

   Respond to an invitation within 60 days

   Get your upfront medical exam and police certificates and submit the full application. The system asks everyone for a proof of funds document, so upload a short letter saying you were invited under the CEC.

5. 5

   Keep your status while you wait

   If your work permit is expiring, extend it or apply for a bridging open work permit once you have applied. Do not work in Canada without status.

6. 6

   Biometrics and decision

   Give biometrics within 30 days of IRCC's letter. If approved, you receive a Confirmation of Permanent Residence.

Processing times shown below come live from IRCC's processing times tool.

One point in your favour: unlike the Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades programs, the CEC regulations do not let an officer substitute their own judgment to refuse an applicant who meets every requirement.

If approved, you receive a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR). If you are already in Canada, you use it to confirm your permanent resident status and apply for government services. The COPR cannot be extended. If a province nominated you, you must settle in that province or territory.