Canadian Experience Class Immigration to Canada
Sofia, a Spanish citizen, is only 24 years old. She entered Canada as an international student when she was 19. Sonia completed a four-year bachelor’s program at the University of Saskatchewan. She then received a job offer from an employer in Vancouver. It is now about 14 months since she has been working for her Canadian employer as a Marketing Analyst on a full-time basis. Sonia took a CELPIP test a few months ago. She intends to immigrate to Canada, but she wonders what will be the best option for her, considering she does not have enough savings in her bank account. Is Canadian Experience Class a good option for her?
One of the options to immigrate to Canada is the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program. CEC is a suitable option for some people who have work experience in Canada. They also need to meet minimum language requirements.
Table of contents
- Minimum Work Experience Requirements
- Acceptable Language Tests
- Minimum Language Requirements if Your Job is TEER 0 or 1
- Minimum Language Requirements if Your Job is TEER 2 or 3
- Other Requirements for Canadian Experience Class
- Exemption from Settlement Funds
- Canadian Experience Class & Express Entry
- Let us help!
Minimum Work Experience Requirements
Good work experience must meet the following requirements:
- It occurred in the past three years, and
- it happened in Canada, and
- it was at least one year of full-time experience equivalent, and
- it wasn’t a self-employed job, and
- it was under job categories TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3.
Read the following articles for more information about work experience and skill levels.
- Definition of Full-time Work Experience
- National Occupational Classification (NOC) and Immigration or Work Permit to Canada
Acceptable Language Tests
You need to take at least one of the following tests.
- CELPIP: Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (Only CELPIP General is good. Don’t take General-LS)
- IELTS: International English Language Testing System (Only IELTS General is acceptable. Don’t take IELTS Academic)
- TEF Canada: Test d’évaluation de français
- TCF Canada: Test de connaissance du français
You only need to take one of the tests per language. If you present multiple test results under the same vocabulary, the officer considers the latest test results. They won’t combine the results. While taking the second language test is not mandatory, it could significantly enhance your Express Entry CRS score.
Minimum Language Requirements if Your Job is TEER 0 or 1
You must take an official language test (either English or French) and meet the minimum requirements below for TEER 0 or 1.
| Test | Language | Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing |
| CELPIP-G | English | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| IELTS General | English | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| TEF Canada | French | 310 | 249 | 207 | 310 |
| TCF Canada | French | 10 | 458 | 453 | 10 |
The figures above are minimums. You need to meet the minimum under each ability (i.e. speaking, listening, reading, and writing). Even if your score falls under the minimum for one of the abilities, you may not apply. Since you will eventually compete with other Express Entry applicants, you must get much better scores than these minimums.
Minimum Language Requirements if Your Job is TEER 2 or 3
You must take an official language test (either English or French) and meet the minimum requirements below for TEER 2 or 3.
| Test | Language | Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing |
| CELPIP-G | English | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| IELTS General | English | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| TEF Canada | French | 226 | 181 | 151 | 226 |
| TCF Canada | French | 6 | 369 | 375 | 6 |
The figures above are minimums. You need to meet the minimum under each ability (i.e. speaking, listening, reading, and writing). Even if your score falls under the minimum for one of the abilities, you may not apply. Since you will eventually compete with other Express Entry applicants, you must get much better scores than these minimums.
Other Requirements for Canadian Experience Class
Although there are no other minimum requirements for CEC, the following factors affect your Express Entry CRS score:
- Age
- Education
- Work experience outside of Canada
- Spouse or common-law partner’s education and knowledge of official languages
- Sisters or brothers who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents and live in Canada
- ….
Exemption from Settlement Funds
When you apply under CEC, you do not need to show settlement funds (i.e. a minimum amount of money in your bank account). However, I recommend you keep an equivalent to LICO in your bank account. Read the following article for more information.
Canadian Experience Class & Express Entry
The Canadian Experience Class has been managed under the Express Entry system since January 2015. For more information, read the following article.
Let us help!
Suppose you wish to visit or move to Canada or have encountered any issues with the immigration authorities. In that case, you may fill out our free assessment form or book a consultation session to assess your potential opportunities or offer you immigration, visa, or citizenship advice.
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Would you please fill out our free assessment form if you wish to visit or move to Canada? We will review it for free, but we will contact you only if we find an opportunity for you. Alternatively, you may book a consultation session. Consultation sessions are not free, but you will receive formal immigration advice from a licensed practitioner.
Al ParsaiAl Parsai, LLM, MA, RCIC-IRB
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant
Adjunct Professor – Queen’s University – Faculty of Law
Ashton College Instructor – Immigration Consulting
Author – 88 Tips on Immigration to Canada
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