Canadian Experience Class

Frequently asked Questions

• Do skilled temporary foreign workers need a certain education level to apply for permanent residence?

  No. You don’t need a certain level of education to apply to stay permanently in Canada. But, you can get Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points if you have high school education or higher.

  To get points for education outside Canada, you must have an Education Credential Assessment.

  You can now also earn additional CRS points for study in Canada above high school:

  • 15 points for a one- or two-year diploma or certificate
  • 30 points for a degree, diploma or certificate of three years or longer, or a Master’s, professional or doctoral degree of at least one year.

• I am from an English speaking country. Do I still need to provide proof of language ability to apply under the Canadian Experience Class?

  Yes. All applicants must provide proof of language ability in one of Canada’s two official languages. You must give us official test results designated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

• Can I count both high-skilled and low-skilled experience toward the work experience required to apply under the Canadian Experience Class?

  No. You can only count work experience in one or more of these 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) categories:

  • Skill Type 0 (managerial occupations),
  • Skill Level A (professional occupations) or
  • Skill Level B (technical occupations and skilled trades), except for the six ineligible occupations (listed below).

  You cannot count work experience in these National Occupational Classification (NOC) categories:

  • Skill Level C, or
  • Skill Level D.

  National Occupational Classification (NOC) Skill Levels C and D occupations include semi- and low-skilled workers in the trades, primary and manufacturing industries, sales and services, as well as certain clerical and assistant categories.

• Does the one year of work experience to qualify under the Canadian Experience Class include non-paid employment? Is there a minimum wage requirement for qualifying employment?

  Non-paid employment does not qualify under the Canadian Experience Class. You must have been paid a wage (or earned a commission) but there is no minimum wage requirement for your qualifying work experience.

  Full-time work experience means working at least 30 paid hours per week. To qualify, you must have skilled work experience, meaning work in occupations listed at NOC Skill Type 0 (managerial), or NOC Skill Level A (professional occupations) or NOC skill Level B (technical and trade occupations).