Last verified: June 28, 2026 · Official source: canada.ca/CEC eligibility
General information, not legal or immigration advice. For advice on your situation, consult a licensed RCIC or immigration lawyer.
Why CEC matters for former international students
The Canadian Experience Class is the primary federal PR route for former international students on a PGWPPGWP: Post-Graduation Work Permit — the open work permit you get after graduating from an eligible Canadian program. PGWP work experience qualifies for CEC.. Unlike the Federal Skilled Worker program, CEC does not require a job offer, foreign credentials assessment, or a certain number of points on a separate grid. If you have skilled Canadian work experience and meet the language requirement, you can enter the pool.
→ Study → PR Pathway Map — see how CEC fits the full journey
Core eligibility requirements
To be eligible for CEC, you must have:
1. Canadian work experience
At least 1 year of full-time (or equivalent part-time) skilled work experience in Canada, in a NOCNOC: National Occupational Classification — the federal job classification system. CEC requires experience in a TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupation. TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupation, within the last 3 years at the time you apply.
- Full-time = at least 30 hours/week (1,560 hours over 12 months qualifies)
- Part-time at multiple jobs can combine if the hours add up
- Self-employment generally does not count
- Experience while on a study permit can count if it meets NOC TEER criteria
2. Language requirement
| Your occupation's NOCNOC: National Occupational Classification level level | Minimum CLBCLB: Canadian Language Benchmark — IRCC's language scale. CLB 7 is approximately upper-intermediate. CLB 5 is intermediate. |
|---|---|
| NOC TEER 0 or 1 | CLB 7 in all four abilities (listening, reading, writing, speaking) |
| NOC TEER 2 or 3 | CLB 5 in all four abilities |
Your language test (IELTS General, CELPIP, TEF Canada, or TCF Canada) must have been taken within the last 2 years.
⚠️ Language requirements are set by IRCC and can be updated. Confirm current minimums on canada.ca.
3. Intention to live outside Quebec
CEC applicants must intend to reside in a province other than Quebec. Quebec has its own immigration selection system (CSQCSQ: Certificat de sélection du Québec — Quebec's own selection certificate, required before applying to IRCC for PR as a Quebec-selected worker. Quebec selects its own immigrants independently of Express Entry.).
What counts as skilled work experience?
NOCNOC: National Occupational Classification TEER categories:
| TEER | Examples |
|---|---|
| 0 | Senior managers, directors, executives |
| 1 | Engineers, accountants, nurses, teachers, software developers |
| 2 | Supervisors, technical occupations requiring college diploma |
| 3 | Most administrative, clerical, technical assistant roles |
| 4 | Retail sales, food service, care aide (not eligible for CEC) |
| 5 | Labour, cleaning, packaging (not eligible for CEC) |
If your job is in TEER 4 or 5, it does not count toward CEC eligibility. A job offer can help with some PNP streams, but not with CEC.
How to apply: the Express Entry pool
- Confirm eligibility — meet the work experience and language requirements above.
- Take a language test — IELTS General Training, CELPIP (for English); TEF Canada or TCF Canada (for French). Scores must be less than 2 years old.
- Get an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) if you want education points — an ECAECA: Educational Credential Assessment — a report from a designated organization verifying that your foreign degree is equivalent to a Canadian credential. Required for FSW; optional but worthwhile for CEC to claim education CRS points. from a designated organization (WES, ICAS, etc.).
- Create an Express Entry profile on IRCC's portal — include your work history, language scores, and education.
- Enter the pool and receive a CRS score — use the CRS Calculator to estimate before creating your profile.
- Wait for an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in a draw. IRCC holds draws approximately every two weeks — check the Draw Tracker for the latest cutoffs.
- Submit your PR application within 60 days of receiving an ITA.
How to improve your CRS score
If your current score is below recent draw cutoffs, consider:
- Improving language scores — a higher CLB directly boosts CRS, especially CLB 9+ vs CLB 7/8.
- French as a second language — strong French skills earn significant bonus points and may qualify you for French-language category draws with lower cutoffs.
- Canadian education — a Canadian degree or diploma adds CRS points.
- Provincial nomination — a nomination from an Enhanced PNP stream adds +600 CRS → effectively guarantees an ITA.
- Time — CRS age points decrease from about age 30, so for young candidates waiting 6–12 months to improve language or get more experience is often worthwhile.
→ Express Entry Overview & CRS — full breakdown → CRS Calculator → Draw Tracker — live draw data
The OINP connection
For graduates working in Ontario, the OINP Workforce Priority stream (as of June 26, 2026) offers a provincial nomination that adds +600 CRS — but now requires a qualifying job offer. For many graduates, the realistic choice is:
- Federal CEC (if CRS is competitive or you qualify for a category draw)
- OINP + CEC (use the +600 PNP points to guarantee an ITA)