Backgrounder

The Canadian Experience Class

Proposed minimum requirements for graduates with Canadian work experience

Under the proposed changes, graduates of a Canadian post-secondary educational institution with Canadian work experience would need to meet the following minimum requirements:

• temporary resident status in Canada at the time of their application;
• successful completion of a program of study of at least two academic years*;
• one year of skilled, professional or technical work experience; and
• moderate or basic language skills, depending on occupational skill level.

* Note: an academic year means eight months of study.

Requirements would be based on a pass or fail model. That is, if the minimum requirements were met, the applicant would be eligible. There would be no point system as with the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

Education

Under the proposed changes, the applicant would have to be a graduate of:

• a Canadian public post-secondary educational institution, such as an accredited college or a university; or
• a Canadian private institution authorized by provincial law to grant degrees.

The applicant would have to graduate from a program of study lasting at least two years—OR—in the case of a one-year master’s or certificate program, previous education prior to admission into the one-year program must have been completed in Canada for a total of two years of Canadian post-secondary education.

Work experience

Under the proposed changes, applicants would be required to accumulate at least one year of work experience at Skill Type 0 (managerial occupations) or Skill Level A (professional occupations) or B (technical occupations and skilled trades) on the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC).

For graduates to meet the requirement for work experience, they could apply for the Post-Graduation Work Permit after graduation. These work permits may be valid for up to three years with no restrictions on the location or the type of work they can do. To ensure that they are eligible to stay permanently under the Canadian Experience Class, at least one year of work experience under the three-year permit would need to be at Skill Type 0, or Skill Level A or B under the NOC. The work experience would need to be obtained within two years of the application.

Language abilities

Applicants with managerial or professional experience (Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A) would have to demonstrate moderate skills in either English or French. If the work experience was classified at Skill Level B, applicants would have to prove basic language skills. Moderate language skills means the applicant can communicate comfortably in familiar social and work situations. Basic language skills means the applicant can communicate in predictable contexts and on familiar topics, but with some difficulty.

Who would not qualify

Applicants would not meet the minimum requirements if:

• their work experience in Canada is not classified as 0, A or B under the NOC list; or
• their work experience is less than one year; or
• they have not demonstrated moderate or basic language skills, depending on their skill level; or
• their Canadian post-secondary program of study was shorter than two academic years; or
• in the case of a one-year master’s or certificate program, the sum of their Canadian education is less than two years; or
• they do not have temporary resident status in Canada at the time of their application.

Applying

All applicants would have to have temporary resident status in Canada at the time of their application for the Canadian Experience Class. They would initiate their application by mailing it to CIC’s visa office in Buffalo, New York. This visa office is dedicated to temporary residents who have been in Canada for at least one year. If accepted, they could be granted permanent residence from within Canada at a local CIC office or at the closest border crossing.