Guidelines for Canadian Experience Class is now final and will soon be published to Canada Gazette. Certain temporary foreign workers and students in Canada can start applying for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class starting September 17, 2008. The guidelines also provided opportunity for those who have previously work and study in Canada but already left.
A. Minimum requirements for graduates with Canadian work experience
Graduates of a Canadian post-secondary educational institution with Canadian work experience must meet the following minimum requirements:
successful completion of a program of study of at least two academic years (8 months of study) one year of skilled, professional or technical work experience; and language abilities appropriate to occupational skill level.
Requirements are based on a pass or fail model. That is, if the minimum requirements are met, the applicant is eligible. There is no point system as with the federal Skilled Worker Program.
Education
The applicant must be a graduate of:
a Canadian public post-secondary educational institution, such as an accredited college or a university; or a Canadian private institution authorized by provincial law to grant degrees.
The applicant must graduate from a program of study lasting at least two years—OR—in the case of a one-year master’s or certificate program, previous education prior to admission into the one-year program must have been completed in Canada for a total of two years of Canadian post-secondary education.
Work experience
Applicants are required to accumulate at least one year of work experience at Skill Type 0 (managerial occupations) or Skill Level A (professional occupations) or B (technical occupations and skilled trades) on the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC).
For graduates to meet the requirement for work experience, they may apply for the Post-Graduation Work Permit after graduation. These work permits may be valid for up to three years with no restrictions on the location or the type of work they can do. To ensure that they are eligible to stay permanently under the Canadian Experience Class, at least one year of work experience under the three-year permit needs to be at Skill Type 0, or Skill Level A or B under the NOC. The work experience needs to be obtained within two years of the application.
Language abilities in English or French
Applicants with managerial or professional experience (Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A) must demonstrate they meet the requirements for Canadian Language Benchmark 7. If the work experience is classified at Skill Level B, applicants must demonstrate they meet the requirements for Canadian Language Benchmark 5.
Who does not qualify
Applicants do not meet the minimum requirements if:
their work experience in Canada is not classified as 0, A or B under the NOC list; or their work experience is less than one year; or they have not demonstrated the required language skills, depending on their skill level; or their Canadian post-secondary program of study was shorter than two academic years; or in the case of a one-year master’s or certificate program, the sum of their Canadian education is less than two years.
B. Minimum requirements for temporary foreign workers
Temporary foreign workers must meet the following minimum requirements:
two years of skilled, professional or technical work experience; language abilities appropriate to occupational skill level.
Requirements are based on a pass/fail model. In other words, if the minimum requirements are met, the applicant is eligible. There is no point system as with the federal Skilled Worker Program.
Work experience
Applicants are required to accumulate, in the three years prior to an application, at least two years of work experience at Skill Type 0 (managerial occupations) or Skill Levels A (professional occupations) or B (technical occupations and skilled trades) on the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC).
Language abilities in English or French
Applicants with managerial or professional experience (Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A) must demonstrate they meet the requirements for Canadian Language Benchmark 7. If the work experience is classified at Skill Level B, applicants must demonstrate they meet the requirements for Canadian Language Benchmark 5.
Who does not qualify
Applicants do not meet the minimum requirements if:
their work experience in Canada is not classified as 0, A or B under the NOC list; they do not have at least two years of Canadian work experience; they have not demonstrated the necessary language skills, depending on skill level.
Here's the full text of the media release announcing the opening of Canadian Experience Class for business.
