The Canadian Experience Class is the Express Entry program for people who already have skilled work experience in Canada — most often former international students on a post-graduation work permit, and temporary foreign workers.
Main requirements (summary)
- At least 1 year (1,560 hours) of skilled Canadian work experience in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3, gained in the last 3 years while authorized to work.
- Language: CLB/NCLC 7 for TEER 0 or 1 jobs; CLB/NCLC 5 for TEER 2 or 3 jobs, in all four abilities.
- Self-employment and work done while a full-time student don't count toward the requirement.
- You plan to live outside Quebec.
Always confirm the full criteria on canada.ca — this is a summary.
CEC draws
IRCC regularly runs CEC-only rounds. In 2026 most CEC cut-offs have landed between about 507 and 523. See the full CEC draw history.
How the November 2026 changes affect CEC candidates
CEC candidates benefit most from the new high-wage occupation points: 12+ months of Canadian work in a high-wage NOC adds 20–70 points on top of work-length points.
Working in Canada on a PGWP? If it will expire after you apply for PR, see the bridging open work permit. Compare CEC with FSW in the side-by-side table, and check current processing times.