Canadian Experience Class: for skilled work done in Canada.

Overview

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is one of the three federal programs managed through Express Entry. It is for skilled workers who have gained qualifying work experience in Canada and plan to live outside Quebec.

Meeting the CEC rules lets you enter the Express Entry pool. It does not guarantee an invitation: candidates are ranked by their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. From February 20 to October 16, 2026, IRCC held CEC-specific rounds about every two weeks, with cut-offs between about 507 and 523.

Eligibility rules

• Work experience: at least 1 year of skilled work (1,560 hours, counted at up to 30 hours a week) in the 3 years before you apply.
• Occupation: TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC). The year can be made up of more than one job or NOC.
• In Canada, with authorization: the work must have been done in Canada (Quebec included) while you were authorized to work under temporary resident status.
• Remote work: counts only if you were physically in Canada and working for a Canadian employer.
• Duties: you must show that you performed the lead statement and most of the main duties of the NOC.
• Paid work: wages or commission only.
• Language: CLB / NCLC 7 in all four abilities if your work is in TEER 0 or 1; CLB / NCLC 5 in all four if it is in TEER 2 or 3. Results must be less than 2 years old.
• Admissibility and settlement: you must be admissible to Canada and plan to live outside Quebec.

Lowest test scores for CLB / NCLC 7 and 5

Each of the four abilities must reach at least these scores on an approved test: the CLB 7 row if your work is in TEER 0 or 1, the CLB 5 row if it is in TEER 2 or 3.

For TEF Canada, use only the "Équivalence ancien score" column. Convert other levels with our language score converter.

What work does not count

• Work done while you were a full-time student, including co-op work terms
• Self-employment, except for some physicians who provided publicly funded medical services in Canada (for example, fee-for-service work) under a temporary public policy
• Volunteer work and unpaid internships
• Work done when you were not authorized to work in Canada
• Work done from outside Canada, even for a Canadian employer or on a Canadian payroll

Education and proof of funds

How it works

1. Confirm the NOC and the hoursCheck your duties, the TEER category, the dates, your work authorization and where you physically were. Use our NOC finder.
2. Take an approved language testYour result must meet the minimum for the TEER of your experience, and stay valid when you apply. Use our language score converter.
3. Create the Express Entry profileEnter complete work, education, language and family information. The system shows which programs your profile appears to meet.
4. Respond to an invitationAfter an invitation to apply (ITA), submit the personalized checklist and documents within 60 days.

Documents and evidence

• Reference letters from each Canadian employer, showing your position, dates, weekly hours, pay and duties
• Work permits and other proof of your status and work authorization
• T4 slips, Notices of Assessment, pay stubs or contracts, where relevant
• Valid language test results
• Passport, civil-status documents, police certificates, medical exam and the other items in your personalized checklist

CEC and the November 3, 2026 changes

IRCC announced on October 16, 2026 that, from November 3, 2026, a new Labour Market Integration factor will change how Canadian work experience is scored in the CRS. CEC eligibility rules do not change. What changes is the score:

• You keep the existing points for the length of your Canadian work experience (up to 70 with an accompanying spouse, 80 without).
• If you have at least 12 months of qualifying Canadian experience in a high-wage occupation, you can earn 20, 40 or 70 extra points, depending on the occupation's national median wage level (not your own salary).
• Alternatively, a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation can earn 50, 70 or 100 points. You receive whichever route is higher, never both.

Rounds are expected to pause while IRCC recalculates profiles, which it says may take up to two weeks. See the full rules and check whether your NOC is on the high-wage list.

Important cautions

• One year with an employer does not always equal 1,560 eligible hours. Only qualifying, paid, authorized skilled work counts.
• If your work permit is about to expire, plan your status. Ask about extensions, maintained status and bridging open work permits before it lapses.
• Your CEC year must be within the 3 years before you apply. As time passes, older work drops out of the window.
• Work in Quebec counts, but you must show that you plan to live elsewhere in Canada.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• IRCC: Canadian Experience Class eligibility
• IRCC: Language test results
• IRCC: Proof of funds
• IRCC: Changes to Express Entry (November 3, 2026)
• IRCC: Rounds of invitations
• IRCC: Express Entry documents

This page is general information about Canadian immigration law and policy as of the date above. It is not legal advice for your situation. Programs, forms and fees change often; check the official sources before you apply.