From 2008, the CEC has provided an immigration opportunity to people working in Canada and wishing to move to permanent residency.
Express Entry invitation processes for CEC applicants are scheduled to resume in July 2022, after a temporary break in September 2021. In addition, the typical processing time for new applications is anticipated to revert to six months.
As part of a program administered by the Express Entry system, CEC-eligible individuals receive a Comprehensive Ranking System score (CRS). IRCC conducts draws for Express Entry approximately every two weeks, inviting the applicants with the best scores to register for Canadian immigration.
The steps to apply for permanent residency through the CEC are listed below.
Meet CEC’s qualifying conditions
To be eligible to apply for the CEC, you must fulfill the basic conditions:
- Get at least one year of specialized, professional, or technical employment experience in Canada during the 36 months of the application;
- Meet or exceed a CLB of 5 (“beginning intermediate”) for NOC B positions or CLB 7 for NOC skill level 0 or A positions;
- Plan to live and work beyond the borders of Quebec (people with work experience in Quebec and who decide to live in Quebec can enroll in the Quebec Experience Class).
- Plan to live and work beyond the borders of Quebec (people with work experience in Quebec and who decide to live in Quebec can enroll in the Quebec Experience Class).
In Canada, one year of work experience is considered a minimum of 1,560 hours of competent job experience. The required 1,560 hours can be earned by full-time or part-time employment. So under CEC, self-employment and job experience earned while you were a full-time student do not count.
Applicants are permitted to stay in Canada during the application process. The CEC is also available to non-Canadians, so long as their application is submitted within three years of leaving their Canadian employment.
The criteria of the CEC are based on a pass/fail basis. If the candidate meets the basic qualifications, they are applicable to enter the Express Entry pool.
Submit your Express Entry profile on IRCC’s website.
- Follow the procedures on the government website to establish a secure IRCC account. The online application will ask you to make an Express Entry profile, input your reference code, if you have one, and your personal information.
- You have 60 days to finish and submit your Express Entry profile; you must begin the process again if you do not.
- You may submit it after completing your profile, and IRCC will determine your Express Entry program eligibility.
If you are qualified for the CEC, IRCC will add you to the Express Entry pool and other eligible applicants. You will receive a score based on the job experience, education, age, and language proficiency.
Search for a Permanent Residence Invitation to Apply
Finishing an online Express Entry profile does not guarantee that you will be asked to submit a permanent residence application. You must have a score that exceeds the minimal criteria for a particular Express Entry draw.
Be prepared for the IRCC to issue you an ITA while in the pool. You will have 60 days to submit an application form if you get one. IRCC conducts Express Entry draws every two weeks on average.
If you get an ITA, submit an immigration application.
If you receive an ITA, IRCC will send you a message detailing the program for which you have been selected and future steps.
The system encourages applicants to fill under one of the Express Entry-managed categories in the following order:
- CEC(Canadian Experience Class)
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP),
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
IRCC will prompt you to provide evidence of the information you included in your Express Entry profile. Agents of immigration will determine if the information you submitted on your application differs from your profile.
If they detect incorrect or missing information, they may deny your application, declare you inadmissible, or restrict you from reapplying for immigration for five years.
Check the eligibility requirements for the program you have been asked to apply to. Before applying, you may have to reevaluate your score if your circumstances change.
If your estimated score is less than the minimal CRS cut-off score for your round of invites, IRCC will reject the application.
Refusing an invitation places you back into the Express Entry applicant pool, where you may be regarded in future invitation rounds if you remain eligible.
It has no bearing on whether you will be invited to apply in the future. There is no assurance that you will be requested to reapply, but you may increase your chances by revising your Express Entry profile or receiving a higher CRS score.
If you do not answer within 60 days, IRCC will remove your profile from consideration. To be eligible for future draws, you must submit a new Express Entry profile.
Conclusion
CEC has gained prominence since its beginning in 2008. It contributed to one-third of the record-breaking 405,000 landings the previous year.
Beginning this summer, IRCC will grant Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) holders a new open work permit, which will increase their chances of qualifying for the CEC.
Studies indicate that CEC immigrants score well in the labor market due to their Canadian experience before obtaining permanent status.
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