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February 5, 2008

THE CANADIAN EXPERIENCE CLASS IMMIGRATION

Have you studied at a post-secondary institution in Canada or worked in Canada temporarily? CIC has introduced a new class of immigration. Persons will now be allowed to file for immigration under the new Canadian Experience Class of immigration. This stream of permanent residency will be available to temporary foreign workers and international students with Canadian degrees and relevant work experience. Under this new category of immigration, persons in these two groups can apply for permanent residency from within Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s goal for 2008 is to admit between 10,000 and 12,000 new immigrants under the Canadian Experience class of immigration.

There are certain rules that apply to persons filing for immigration under this class.
All applicants must have legally come into Canada to work or study and must have valid temporary status. They do not necessarily have to be employed at the time of their CEC application. A language test must be taken to show that they have moderate proficiency in French or English.

Graduates must have a Canadian post-secondary credential that requires at least two years of study. Graduates also need one year of full-time Canadian work experience in the two years before applying under the CEC class immigration.

Experience is a key factor in this class of immigration and must be obtained in an occupation that has been classified under the National Occupation Classification of Canada. Such jobs are management-related, professional, or skilled and technical occupations.

These are only some of the key deciding factors that have been outlined by CIC. Because the program is new, we can expect some changes to the initial program by the end of the year. These changes will depend on cases processed this year. Stay tuned for more information.