The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) was introduced in 2008 as a path to permanent residence for those with eligible work experience in Canada, usually obtained as a result of temporary residence as a foreign worker or international student. The program is complementary to the Federal Skilled Workers Program but uses simplified criteria, including eligible skilled Canadian work experience and a minimum level of proficiency in English or French. The program provides a streamlined and usually faster route to permanent residence for those who have already established themselves in skilled work in Canada. This allows Canada to retain talented workers who have already contributed to the Canadian economy. The selection and processing involve the granting of permanent residence to qualified applicants, as well as the refusal of unqualified applicants.
Ongoing monitoring and assessment of the CEC to improve the program so that it continues to attract top-quality candidates with diverse skill sets,and can successfully integrate into the future EOI application intake system to be launched in 2015. A Management Response and Action Plan will be developed in response to the findings of the CEC evaluation to be completed in 2014–2015.