If you are a temporary foreign worker or a foreign student who graduated in Canada, you may qualify for permanent residence under Canada's new "Canadian Experience Class". This Class recognizes that you are familiar with Canadian society and can contribute to the Canadian economy. You should have knowledge of English or French and qualifying work experience.

You must meet these minimum requirements to apply for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class. You must:

• plan to live outside the province of Quebec
• be either:
  • a temporary foreign worker with at least two years of full-time (or equivalent) skilled work experience in Canada, or
  • a foreign graduate from a Canadian post-secondary institution with at least one year of full-time (or equivalent) skilled work experience in Canada
• have gained your experience in Canada with the proper work or study authorization
• apply while working in Canada – or – within one year of leaving your job in Canada

According to the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC), skilled work experience means:

• Skill Type 0 (managerial occupations) or
• Skill Level A (professional occupations) or
• Skill Level B (technical occupations and skilled trades)

Your application will be assessed on two requirements if you apply as a temporary foreign worker:

• your work experience and
• your ability in English or French.

If you apply as a graduate of a Canadian post-secondary educational institution with Canadian work experience, it will be assessed using the above requirements, as well as:

• your education.

Applications filed under the Canadian Experience Class are filed with the Canadian Consulate General in Buffalo, New York for those applicants still residing in Canada. Applicants outside of Canada are required to file with the consulate or embassy having jurisdiction over their country or residence or citizenship.

Applications under the Canadian Experience Class are processed on a fairly rapid basis. We anticipate that the government will complete processing of these cases within 12 months. The process flow chart as published bi Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is as follows:

Yes. In all applications for permanent residence the principal applicant is permitted to include his or her legal dependents. The provisions of the IRPA permit applicants to include their legal spouses, common-law partners, same-sex partners, and children in their applications. Common-law and same-sex partners must be in a conjugal relationship with the principal applicant and must have lived together for at least one (1) year. Children are eligible as dependents provided they are under age twenty-two (22) and unmarried or, if over twenty-two (22), have been enrolled as full-time post-secondary students since attaining the age of twenty-two (22). In addition, children over age twenty-two (22) who suffer from a physical or mental condition and depend on their parents financially may also be included in the application.

The current government filing fees for Canadian Experience Class cases are $550 CAD for the principal applicant, $550 CAD for a spouse, common-law partner or child over age twenty-two (22), and $150 CAD for children under age twenty-two (22). In addition to these filing fees, all applicants over age 22 must pay a "Right of Permanent Residence Fee" to the government in the amount of $490 CAD following approval of their applications.

Please complete our On-line Consultation Form for a free assessment of your credentials. We will try to complete our assessment and respond to you by e-mail within forty-eight (48) hours of receiving your information.