Canadian Government Announces Expansion of the Canadian Experience Class

On October 31, 2012, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced that the Canadian Government is expanding the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). This is welcome news for Canada’s labour market because the CEC program ensures that highly skilled workers with Canadian work experience remain in the country.  

First introduced in 2008, the CEC program allows international students and temporary foreign workers, who have recent Canadian work experience, to apply for fast-tracked permanent resident status in Canada. It is designed to keep immigrants who have already become successfully established in Canada in Canada.

According to the press release by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), CIC will admit between 240,000 to 265,000 new permanent residents in 2013. This is the same annual target that has been in place since 2007. However, the amount of permanent residents accepted through the CEC program will increase from 7,000 in 2012 to 10,000 in 2013 – a huge increase from 2,500 in 2009.

Please call us to find out if you qualify for the CEC.

For more information on this announcement, please see:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/releases/2012/2012-10-31.asp