Immigration Canada

Improving the Canadian Experience Class

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Ottawa, November 8, 2013 — Today, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander announced changes to improve the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) so that the program continues to attract top quality candidates.

“The Canadian Experience Class has allowed more than 25,000 people to stay in Canada permanently to contribute their skills and talents,” said Alexander. “The government is taking concrete action to reduce backlogs and processing times. By making these changes to the Canadian Experience Class, we are moving toward a more effective and efficient immigration system.”

In order to manage intake, maintain reasonable processing times and prevent a backlog from developing in the CEC, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is introducing an annual cap on the number of new CEC applications. CIC will accept a maximum of 12,000 CEC applications from November 9, 2013, to October 31, 2014.

Despite the annual cap on applications, the department will admit approximately 15,000 individuals under the CEC in 2014.

CIC is also seeing an overrepresentation of certain occupations in the program. In order to bring in as diverse a skill set as possible, the department will introduce limits on the number of applications under certain occupations.

Effective November 9, 2013, CIC will introduce sub-caps of 200 applications each in certain skilled occupations. Also, six particular occupations will no longer be eligible for the CE

Between November 9, 2013 to October 31, 2014, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will accept a maximum of 12,000 new applications under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

Because of an overrepresentation in the CEC applications received to date, the following six occupations will no longer be eligible for the CEC starting November 9, 2013:

cooks (NOC code 6322);
food service supervisors (NOC 6311);
administrative officers (NOC 1221);
administrative assistants (NOC 1241);
accounting technicians and bookkeepers (NOC 1311); and
retail sales supervisors (NOC 6211).

CIC already has a large inventory of applications in these occupations and will continue processing them to a final decision.

In addition, CIC will establish sub-caps of 200 applications each for National Occupational Classification (NOC) B occupations. These are mostly technical and administrative jobs or those in the skilled trades. NOC 0 and A (managerial and professional) occupations will not be sub-capped, but they will be subject to the overall cap of 12,000 applications.

Finally, CIC will maintain the same language criteria for applicants but will verify them upfront as of November 9, 2013. The current language requirements are Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 for NOC 0 and A occupations, and CLB 5 for NOC B occupations. This new measure will ensure that applicants who do not meet the minimum language requirements are screened out earlier and processing resources can be concentrated on those who are more likely to qualify.

At the same time, this is more client-friendly, as applicants who do not have the required language proficiency will have their applications returned to them along with the processing fee.

International Students: Bring Your Loved Ones with You to Canada

English: Confederation Building, St. John's, Newfoundland (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Close to 100,000 international students from all over the world come to Canada each year to obtain a high-quality post-secondary education. Canada’s generous immigration policy allows the spouse and minor children of international students to accompany them to Canada to work and study. In this way, a student’s entire close family can benefit from a Canadian experience.Spouse or Common-Law Partner

The spouse or common-law partner of an international student may apply for an open work permit. The student must be studying full-time at:

A public post-secondary institution; or
A private post-secondary institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as a public institution and receives half of its overall operations budget from government grants; or
A private institution authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees.

An open work permit allows the holder to work for any employer in Canada, and does not require a Labour Market Opinion or job offer. The work permit will usually have the same period of validity as the study permit. However, the open work permit may exclude certain occupations in which the protection of public health is essential, unless the applicant undergoes an immigration medical examination.

In this way, not only can the spouses or partners of international students gain valuable Canadian work experience, but also can help support their families financially.

Minor Children

Any person under the age of majority is considered to be a minor child. The age of majority varies by province. In Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan, the age of majority is 18, while in British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut and Yukon it is 19.

Minor children who are already in Canada with at least one parent who is allowed to work or study in Canada do not require a study permit to attend school at the pre-school, primary, or secondary levels. However, once the child reaches the age of majority in their province, he or she must apply for a study permit to continue their studies in Canada.

The Application Process

An international student may bring his or her dependents to Canada by one of two routes.

One possible route is for the student and dependent family members to submit their visa applications concurrently. Another option is for the student to wait until he/she has received a study permit, and then submit applications for his or her accompanying dependents.

When applying for a study permit, information must be provided for all family members that will be accompanying the student to Canada. In order for their application to be approved, the student and his or her family will have to demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to support their stay in Canada. In addition, applicants may be required to undergo a medical examination and submit Police Clearance Certificates.

Depending on the applicants’ country of citizenship, a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) may be required in addition to any study or work permits. A full list of countries requiring a TRV to enter Canada can be found here.

A spouse or common-law partner who plans to work while in Canada has the option to apply for his or her Open Work Permit before entering the country, upon arrival to Canada, or after entering the country.

Oftentimes, minor children entering Canada may receive a visitor record, even if the child will be studying in Canada. This is because minor children in Canada may study at the pre-school, primary or secondary levels without needing to secure a study permit.

The Final Word

Canada’s commitment to family unification means that international students and their families have the opportunity to experience Canadian life together. Whether it is for a few months or for several years, international students will be comforted to know that their loved ones can be nearby as they pursue their dreams of obtaining a Canadian education.

“Canada is home to some of the most distinguished colleges and universities in the world,” said Attorney David Cohen. “Aside from putting money into the Canadian economy while studying, many international students remain in Canada after graduation and become valuable members of our workforce and general society. It is only natural that the Canadian Government has established generous laws that allow them to stay close to their families and feel welcome in their new home.”