IMMIGRATE TO CANADA : CANADIAN EXPERIENCE CLASS

How to Qualify for a Canadian Visa - Canadian Experience Class

If you are a temporary foreign worker or a foreign student who graduated in Canada, you often have the qualities to make a successful transition from temporary to permanent residence. You are familiar with Canadian society and can contribute to the Canadian economy. You should have knowledge of English or French and qualifying work experience.

More information about the Canadian Experience Class Visas defined by Citizenship and Immigration Canada

How Can Abrams & Krochak Help Me?

• Nearly 100% of our clients are granted access to Canada
• We are one of the largest full service immigration law firms in Canada
• Working with a Canada immigration lawyer will significantly speed up the application process and get you to your new home sooner

What's Next?

Find out if you Qualify for Canadian Permanent Residence.

Canada Immigration: Canadian Experience Class

You must meet these minimum requirements to apply for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class. You must:

• plan to live outside the province of Quebec
• have at least 12 months of full-time (or an equal amount in part-time) skilled work experience in Canada in the three years before you apply
• have gained your experience in Canada with the proper authorization
• apply while working in Canada – or – within one year of leaving your job in Canada
• meet the required language levels needed for your job for each language ability (speaking, reading, writing, and listening).

Skill level - National Occupational Classification (NOC)

You must have at least 12 months of full-time, or an equal amount in part-time, skilled work experience. Full-time work means at least 30 hours of paid work per week.

Your work experience in Canada is not classified as 0, A or B (i.e. the first digit is 0 or if the second digit is 0, 1, 2 or 3) under the NOC list

The NOC is a classification system for jobs in the Canadian economy. It describes duties, skills, educational requirements and work settings for occupations in Canada.

The NOC is divided into five (5) bands:

Find out your NOC category

To find out if your work experience qualifies you for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class, see http://www.akcanada.com/za.html. Search for the occupation(s) in which you have PAID work experience (either full-time or part-time). Your occupation(s) will appear in a list, along with a four-digit number. If the first digit is 0 or if the second digit is 0, 1, 2 or 3, your work experience in this occupation can be counted towards your years of full-time skilled work experience. Otherwise, it cannot.

If the description and list of main duties for a job classified under 0, A or B (i.e. the first digit is 0 or if the second digit is 0, 1, 2 or 3) match what you did while you worked in Canada, you probably meet the requirement for that type of experience.

If the description and list of main duties do not match your work experience in Canada, then you might not have the type of experience you need to apply. Look through the NOC list to see if another occupation matches your experience.

You do not meet the minimum work experience requirement if:

• you gained your work experience without the proper status (for example, as an undocumented worker)
• your work experience in Canada is not classified as 0, A or B (i.e. the first digit is 0 or if the second digit is 0, 1, 2 or 3) under the NOC list
• you do not have at least one year of work experience as a temporary foreign worker.

If you do not meet the minimum work experience requirements, your application for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class will be refused.

Principal applicant

If you are married or living with a common-law partner in Canada, and he/she also meets the above requirements, you can decide which one of you will apply for the Canadian Experience Class as a principal applicant.

Note: A common-law partner is a person who has lived with you in a conjugal relationship for at least one year. Common-law partner refers to both opposite-sex and same-sex couples.

Language requirements (all applicants)

Being able to communicate and work in one or both of Canada’s official languages is very important. Knowing English, French or both helps you in the Canadian job market.

You must prove your ability in English or French to qualify for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class.

Your occupation (job) will determine the language abilities you require to immigrate under the Canadian Experience Class. The requirements vary according to job classification under the NOC.

If you do not meet the minimum language skill requirement for your NOC category, your application for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class will be refused.

Proof of your language abilities

If you have some abilities in both English and French, decide which of the two is your first official language. The other is your second official language.

You must prove your abilities in your first official language only. There are two ways to do this. You must:

1. take an IELTS test to prove your ability in English or
2. take the TEF to prove your ability in French.

Note: IELTS and TEF are the only "designated language testing agencies." Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) uses IELTS and TEF scores to determine your level on the Canadian Language Benchmarks.

Note: If your first language is neither French nor English, CIC recommends taking either the IELTS test or the TEF before starting the application process. This will help you find out if you meet the minimum language requirement for your job.

If you believe you have the necessary requirements to commence the Canadian Experience Class application, you may contact Abrams & Krochak with a request for assistance, indicating why you believe you qualify. We will then confirm your eligibility based on the information you have provided, and if we are satisfied you can proceed, we will send you our agreement and payment instructions for assistance with the Canadian Experience Class.