Canadian experience class: Determining membership in the class
This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.
Membership in the Canadian experience class is based on a pass and fail system. For their application to be approved, applicants must meet the minimum qualifying requirements for all criteria. The initial assessment of whether an applicant is a member of the class will be done by the Centralized Intake Office (CIO) or by the Express Entry system (if the application was submitted after January 1, 2015). If the applicant is not a member of the class, the application will be refused.
All applicants must
- intend to reside in a province or territory other than Quebec;
- meet the minimum proficiency levels in English or French;
- have maintained temporary resident status during any periods of work experience used to qualify for the Canadian experience class (CEC); and
- have qualifying skilled work experience in Canada.
Note: Applicants under the Post-Graduation stream only must also have a qualifying Canadian educational credential.
If the applicant meets all of the requirements, the officer will approve the application.
If the applicant fails to meet any one of the requirements, the officer will refuse the application.
If the officer is unable to make a decision, due to lack of information or documentation, or there are serious doubts as to the legitimacy of the documents submitted, the officer will
- write to the applicant, explaining the concerns, and allow the applicant to respond to those concerns through correspondence/documentation and/or an interview; or
- refuse the application.
Fraud detection and deterrence
Interviews, site visits, and telephone checks are the most effective ways to detect and prevent fraud.