In order to apply for skilled immigration under the Canada Experience Class program, an applicant must meet a number of requirements. First, to be eligible for this program, an applicant must:
- Have completed at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada within three years of the date of application. The skilled work experience in Canada must have been obtained legally and with proper government authorization. Applicants will be considered to have completed this requirement if:
- They worked 30 hours per week over the course of one year or,
- They worked 15 hours a week over the course of two years
- Note: Work experience gained while self-employed or a full time student does NOT count under this program.
- Have taken a government-approved language test and achieved the required Canadian Language Benchmark Level (see below for required levels)
- Plan to live outside of Quebec
- Not be inadmissible to Canada
Eligible Occupations for the Canada Experience Class Program
Applicants to the Canada Experience Class program must be able to show that their work experience falls within one of the National Occupation Classification categories listed below:
- Managerial jobs (NOC skill level 0)
- Professional jobs (NOC skill type A)
- Technical jobs and skilled trades (NOC skill type B)
For official definitions of the occupations mentioned above, click here.
Education Requirements for Canada Experience Class Program
There is no education requirement for the Canada Experience Class program. However, applicants will have a better chance of success if they possess:
- A Canadian high school or post-secondary diploma OR,
- A foreign high school or post-secondary diploma AND a report approved by Citizenship and Immigration Canada proving that the foreign diploma is equivalent to a Canadian high school or post-secondary diploma.
Language Ability Requirements for Canada Experience Class Program
All applicants under this program must take a language test to prove that they possess sufficient language abilities to successfully establish themselves in Canada. Language tests evaluate an applicant’s abilities with regards to:
- Listening
- Speaking
- Reading
- Writing
There are different language ability requirements for the different eligible occupations under the Canada Experience Class program.
- If you have experience in a managerial job (NOC skill level 0) or a professional job (NOC skill type A), you must obtain at least a Canadian Language Benchmark level 7 in all categories.
- If you have experience in a technical job or skilled trade (NOC skill type B), you must obtain at least a Canadian Language Benchmark level 5 in all categories.
All applicants must include their language test results in their Express Entry profile. Further, language test results can only be used in a permanent residence application if they are less than two years old. For more information on official language tests and the Canadian Language Benchmark system, click here.
Note: Applicants may include their spouse or common-law partner in their applications. It is highly recommended that the member of the relationship who is most likely to meet the eligibility requirements mentioned above apply as the principal applicant. A common-law partner is any person who has lived with the applicant in a conjugal relationship for more than one year. Common-law relationships may consist of same-sex or opposite-sex partners.
Interested employers: Kindly contact us here to receive further information.
Interested candidates: Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free on-line evaluation. We will provide you with our evaluation within 1-2 business days.
