There are times when people come to Canada on a temporary basis and would like to transition into a more permanent stay. Those who come to Canada to work temporarily or attend school, may transition from a temporary status to permanent residence. You should have knowledge of French and English and some qualifying work experience. This path is reserved for those who plan to live outside of Quebec.
Temporary workers who take this path should have completed at least 2 years of full time skilled work. Students sometimes take up part time work or full time work during their course of study after graduating. For those who worked full time the CEC program requires that it be at least one year of full time work experience. There is an exception to this requirement and that is, if you complete a one year master’s. This year should be completed after finishing at least one academic year in Canada. You want to have completed these two years within two years of each other and the credentials should be obtained from a post-secondary institution recognized by the province. Co op and internship programs are also counted as part of the minimum two year requirement. Whether you are a student or a temporary worker, you need to apply within the required time frame.
Having completed a one-year post-secondary educational program in Canada, you qualify for a one-year open work permit under the Post-Graduation Work Permit program. You may use this permit to gain your first year of skilled work experience. This may lead to other employment opportunities toward gaining your second year. An employer may need to sponsor you for employment beyond your first year.
Students who have a heavy workload or decide that they only want to work part time can also qualify for this class. Many students, while studying, do only work part time; mainly because of the time required for university life but also because their main purpose of their stay in Canada is their studies. Therefore, those who work part time are not left out of this option.
If you came to Canada with your spouse or common law, or if they joined you later, they can also apply CEC as the principal applicant. Whichever one of you is a stronger applicant can apply as the principle applicant. As you can see the CIC has made the Canadian Experience Class fairly flexible, which is also seen by the fact that if you have to leave or have decided to leave Canada and then want to apply for the CEC you can still do so within 1 year of leaving! The process can have its complexities, therefore, to ensure that you have a more accurate indication of how strong your case is under this class feel free to contact us.