CANADA – Canadian Experience Class Applications Capped From 9 November 2013
The government of Canada has announced a cap on the number of applications for the Canadian Experience Class (“CEC”) route to residency.
The CEC is applicable to foreign nationals with recent relevant work experience who wish to become permanently resident in Canada. The CEC route has become increasingly popular in recent years.
Only 12,000 applications for the CEC will be accepted between 9 November 2013 and 31 October 2014. There was previously no cap on the number of applications for the CEC stream.
Details of CEC Changes
Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis, according to the date of receipt by the Centralized Intake Office in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
From 9 November 2013 until 31 October 2014, a maximum of 12,000 applications for the CEC category will be accepted by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (“CIC”) in all National Occupational Classification (“NOC”) Skill Levels.
In subsequent years, the cap will be calculated from 1 November until 31 October of the following year.
Changes for Specific Occupations
CIC has also announced a sub-cap of 200 applications for each NOC B occupation (technical jobs and skilled trades).
Six NOC B occupations will no longer be eligible for the CEC stream:
- Cooks (NOC 6322)
- Food service supervisors (NOC 6311)
- Administrative officers (NOC 1221)
- Administrative assistants (NOC 1241)
- Accounting technicians and bookkeepers (NOC 1311)
- Retail sales supervisors (NOC 6211)
Language Screening
CIC also stated that, although language criteria for applicants in the CEC category will not change, these will now be verified on receipt of the application, rather than at a later stage of processing. Applicants who do not meet the language requirements will have their applications returned, along with the processing fee.
Action Items
- Foreign nationals considering an application for permanent residence in Canada in the CEC category should apply as soon as possible, in order to avoid applications being rejected once the cap has been reached.
- Those working in eligible NOC B occupations should submit applications especially quickly to avoid missing the sub cap for their occupation.
