CanadaPermanent residence through work

Canadian Experience Class in Canada

The Express Entry economic channel for those who have worked in Canada lawfully and want to stay for good. The programme is aimed at professionals, managers, technical staff and skilled workers — their experience falls under various levels of the Canadian occupational classification. The candidate creates a profile, receives points and, where the ranking works out, an invitation to apply for permanent residence. It is open to those settling outside Quebec: the province runs its own selection.

Threshold

Proof of settlement funds is not required for the CEC

Work

A permanent resident works for any employer without a work permit.

Residence

730 days in Canada in every 5 years; the days may be spread out.

Yes, it leads to permanent resident status

Source: canada.ca — Express Entry: Canadian Experience Class

Who can qualify on the strength of their occupational experience

Eligibility for the CEC comes not from any work in Canada, but from experience in occupations at particular skill levels — from management and specialist positions to technical and skilled trades.

Managers and university-educated professionals (TEER 0–1)

Experience in management positions or in occupations that normally require a university degree
The work was carried out in Canada lawfully, under a work permit as a temporary resident
The language test confirms a level of at least CLB 7 (English) or NCLC 7 (French)

Technical occupations and skilled trades (TEER 2–3)

Experience in technical occupations or skilled trades that require college or vocational training
The work was carried out in Canada lawfully, under a work permit as a temporary resident
The language test confirms a level of at least CLB 5 (English) or NCLC 5 (French)

When this programme is not suitable

All the work experience was gained outside Canada

Consider the Federal Skilled Worker Program — it accepts experience gained abroad

The experience was gained only in self-employment or during full-time study, including co-op placements

Such experience does not count under any of the Express Entry programmes — employed experience outside a period of full-time study is required

You plan to settle in Quebec

The application has to go through Quebec's separate system for selecting skilled workers

What it costs

Application processing — principal applicant	990 CAD
Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) — principal applicant	600 CAD
Application processing — accompanying spouse or partnerWhere a spouse or partner is included in the application	+990 CAD
Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) — spouse or partnerPaid together with the processing fee for the spouse	+600 CAD
Application processing — dependent child (for each)No RPRF is charged for children	+270 CAD
Biometrics — one applicant	+85 CAD
Biometrics — a family of two or more applicants (overall maximum)Applies as a cap for the whole family instead of paying CAD 85 for each person	170 CAD
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. “Application processing — accompanying spouse or partner” adds 990 CAD; “Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) — spouse or partner” adds 600 CAD; “Application processing — dependent child (for each)” adds 270 CAD; “Biometrics — one applicant” adds 85 CAD. Charges with no official price list are in the list below.	1,590–3 535 CAD

Paid separately

The language test (CELPIP, IELTS General Training, PTE Core, TEF Canada or TCF Canada) — Paid directly to the test centre; not part of the IRCC government fee
The educational credential assessment (ECA) — Needed only for the CRS points for education; paid to the organisation carrying out the assessment
The medical examination — Paid directly to a panel physician accredited by IRCC
The police certificate — The cost depends on the issuing country and is paid to the local authority

Documents to gather

The exact list is generated individually in the account after the invitation to apply, but it almost always includes the following.

A valid passport or travel document
The results of a language test approved by IRCC (CELPIP, IELTS General Training, PTE Core for English; TEF Canada or TCF Canada for French) no more than two years old
Proof of Canadian work experience — a certificate or reference letter from the employer
Police certificates from every country of residence
The results of a medical examination by a panel physician approved by IRCC
An educational credential assessment (ECA) — only where CRS points are needed for education obtained outside Canada
Marriage, divorce or children's birth certificates — where a spouse or children are included in the application
A certified translation of documents that are not in English or French

How the process runs

The route from a profile in the Express Entry system to permanent residence consists of several stages.

1
Preparing the documents and checking the NOC TEER level
A language test approved by IRCC must be taken and, where points for education are required, an educational credential assessment (ECA) ordered; the work experience is then matched against the required NOC TEER level.
2
Creating the Express Entry profile and entering the pool of candidates
60 days to complete and submit the profile
The profile is created in the secure IRCC account; once submitted, the candidate is ranked in the common pool by CRS score.
3
The invitation to apply (ITA)
the invitation is valid for 60 days
At the invitation rounds IRCC selects the candidates with the highest CRS ranking and sends an invitation to apply for permanent residence; if there is no response within 60 days the invitation expires and the profile is removed from the pool.
4
Filing the permanent residence application
After the ITA the documents on the personalised checklist have to be uploaded, the processing fee and the right of permanent residence fee paid, and a spouse or children declared where they are included in the application.
5
Giving biometrics
30 days from the date of the request letter
IRCC sends a letter requiring fingerprints and a photograph; this must be done within 30 days.
6
Checking the application, the medical examination and the police certificates
IRCC checks that the application is complete and the fees paid, and the decision takes account of the results of the medical examination, the police certificates and the security check; where necessary, further documents are requested or an interview is arranged through the account.
7
The decision and the grant of permanent resident status
the processing standard is 6 months
IRCC communicates the decision through the account. On the figures for the period from June 2025 to May 2026, about 79% of applications under the CEC and the Federal Skilled Worker Program were decided within 6 months, and half within 4 months or less.

Who you can bring with you

Family members can be included in the application — in which case fees must be paid and documents provided for them as well.

A spouse or common-law partner

Included in the same application; a marriage certificate or proof of the partnership must be attached, and a separate application processing fee and right of permanent residence fee paid for them.

Dependent children

Declared in the application together with a birth or adoption certificate; a separate processing fee is paid for each child, and no right of permanent residence fee is charged for children.

Renewal and the grace period

The permanent resident card (PR card) is normally valid for five years, and in some cases for one year. It has to be renewed when less than nine months remain before it expires, or if it has already expired; the application is made through the permanent residents' portal and takes a minimum of three weeks to process. Permanent resident status itself is indefinite and does not coincide with the validity of the card — the card merely confirms the status.

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	Canadian Experience Class	Asylum and refugee status	Refugees referred by the UN
Visa term	A profile lives in the pool for 12 months and an invitation for 60 days	Not a status that is renewed; if the claim is accepted the person becomes a protected person	Arrivals come straight in as permanent residents (PR)
Grounds	For skilled workers with Canadian work experience	Persecution	Persecution
Money	Proof of settlement funds is not required for the CEC	No income or savings requirement	GAR: government support for about 1 year; PSR: sponsors for about 12 months
Work	A permanent resident works for any employer without a work permit	The 2026 reforms speed up the issue of a work permit	As a PR — the right to work immediately, with no permit
Residence	730 days in Canada in every 5 years; the days may be spread out	The claim is made from inside Canada or at a port of entry	The PR obligation: 730 days in every 5 years

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to citizenship

A citizenship application is made after 1,095 days of presence within 5 years. Years of work on a temporary permit count as half a day each, up to a maximum of 365 days.

Frequently asked questions about Canadian Experience Class

Is proof of settlement funds required for this programme?

No. Unlike the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program, the Canadian Experience Class does not require proof of settlement funds.

Does work outside Canada or in self-employment count?

No. Only experience gained in Canada on a lawful basis as a temporary resident is taken into account; self-employment and work during full-time study, including co-op placements, do not count.

How long does an application take to process?

The IRCC processing standard is six months from the submission of a complete application. On the figures for the period from June 2025 to May 2026, about 79% of applications under this programme and the Federal Skilled Worker Program were decided within that time, and half within four months or less.

Is it possible to work for any employer once status is granted?

Yes. A permanent resident of Canada may live, work and study in any province without a separate work permit, apart from certain positions that require a high level of security clearance.

How long after obtaining permanent residence can a citizenship application be made?

Citizenship can be applied for once you have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days in the last five years, of which at least 730 must already have been as a permanent resident. Time spent in Canada before permanent residence — for example on a work visa — counts as half, up to a maximum of 365 days.

Other ways to move to Canada

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Canada.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.