Canadian Experience Class

Work Experience:

First, find out the National Occupational Classification (NOC) for your job. Then check if it meets the requirements for skilled work experience. Find your NOC

Your skilled work experience must meet all the requirements to be eligible.
• be in 1 or more of these NOC categories: training, education, experience and responsibilities (TEER) 0, 1, 2, or 3
o Your experience can be in more than 1 NOC.
• be gained by working in Canada while authorized to work under temporary resident status
o If you worked remotely, you must have been physically in Canada and working for a Canadian employer.
• show that you performed:
o the actions in the lead statement of the NOC job description, and
o most of the main duties listed
• be paid work (you must have been paid wages or earned commission—volunteer work or unpaid internships don’t count)
• be at least 1 year of work or 1,560 hours total (30 hours per week) in the 3 years before you apply

Self-Employment and Student Work Experience
• Self-employment: Work experience gained from being self-employed does not count toward the minimum work experience requirements for Express Entry programs, regardless of how many hours you work or for how long.
• Work Experience as a Full-Time Student: Work experience gained while you were a full-time student (including co-op or internship work terms) also does not count towards the required work experience for Express Entry programs. However, if the work was part of a required co-op or internship program as part of a formal education program, it may still be recognized for other purposes, but not for immigration work experience requirements.
Exemption for Physicians
A temporary public policy was introduced for foreign national physicians who:
Were invited to apply for permanent residence through Express Entry on or after April 25, 2023.
 Submitted an application for permanent residence.
 Have work experience in providing publicly funded medical services in Canada, such as fee-for-service work, but were previously self-employed.

In this case, physicians who meet the above criteria will now have their work experience counted as Canadian work experience, even though they were self-employed.

Language ability:
To prove your language skills for Express Entry, you need to take an approved language test in either English or French. Here’s how you can do it:
English Tests:
• CELPIP- General Test: Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program
• IELTS General Training Test: International English Language Testing System
• PTE Core: Pearson Test of English

French Tests:
• TEF Canada: Test d’évaluation de français
• TCF Canada: Test de connaissance du français

Minimum Language Requirements by NOC TEER Level:
Your required language proficiency depends on the NOC TEER (Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities) classification for your job.
NOC TEER Level English CLB French NCLC
TEER 0 or 1 CLB 7 NCLC 7
TEER 2 or 3 CLB 5 NCLC 5

• TEER 0 or 1 (such as management or professional jobs) require CLB 7 (English) or NCLC 7 (French).
• TEER 2 or 3 (such as technical or skilled trade jobs) require CLB 5 (English) or NCLC 5 (French).

This means the test results must be dated within 2 years of the date you complete your Express Entry profile or submit your application.
Education:
There are no education requirements for the Canadian Experience Class.
If you want to boost your rank in the Express Entry pool, there are two ways to do this:
1. If you studied in Canada, you could earn points for a certificate, diploma, or degree from a Canadian high school or post-secondary school.
2. If you studied outside of Canada, you could earn points if you have:
o A completed educational credential, and
o An educational credential assessment report for immigration purposes.

Admissibility:
You must be allowed to enter Canada.
Some people are not permitted to come to Canada for various reasons. These could include security concerns, criminal history, or medical issues.

Where you can live in Canada:

You must plan to live outside the province of Quebec, as Quebec chooses its own skilled workers. If you plan to live in Quebec, refer to Quebec-selected skilled workers for more details.
When creating your profile, you’ll be asked where you intend to live in Canada. However, you’re not required to settle in that specific province or territory.
If you’re a Provincial Nominee, you must live in the province or territory that nominated you.