CEC Calculator – Do You Qualify for the Canadian Experience Class?
Check the Canadian Experience Class minimum requirements in a minute: your Canadian work hours, your language level for your job's TEER, and where you plan to live. Based on IRCC's published rules, verified Oct 14, 2026.
Canadian Experience Class: key facts
- Canadian work experience
- At least 1 year (1,560 hours) of paid, skilled work (TEER 0–3) in Canada in the 3 years before you apply
- Language
- CLB/NCLC 7 in all four abilities for TEER 0 or 1 jobs; CLB/NCLC 5 for TEER 2 or 3
- Education
- No requirement (but it earns CRS points)
- Where you live
- You must plan to live outside Quebec
- Latest CEC draw
- #449 on Oct 15, 2026: cut-off 519, 2,500 invitations
- CEC cut-offs, last 12 months
- 23 rounds, 507–533 (average 517), 71,750 invitations
Updated
You appear to meet the CEC minimum requirements. That lets you enter the Express Entry pool under CEC; an invitation still depends on your CRS score.
- 1,560 qualifying hours — meets the 1,560-hour minimum.
- Lowest language level CLB/NCLC 7 — meets the CLB/NCLC 7 minimum.
- Language results are less than 2 years old.
- You plan to live outside Quebec.
- None of the counted hours are from work that cannot count.
Not assessed here: whether each job's duties match its NOC, admissibility (security, criminal, medical) and proof of funds rules. This is not immigration advice.
Canadian Experience Class requirements
| Requirement | What IRCC asks for |
|---|---|
| Canadian work experience | At least 1 year of work or 1,560 hours total (30 hours per week) in the 3 years before you apply; TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3; paid wages or commission; gained in Canada while authorized to work under temporary resident status. Remote work counts only if you were physically in Canada working for a Canadian employer. You must have performed the duties of the NOC description. |
| Language | An approved English or French test, with at least CLB/NCLC 7 in all four abilities for TEER 0 or 1 jobs, or CLB/NCLC 5 for TEER 2 or 3 jobs. Results must be less than 2 years old. |
| Education | No requirement. A Canadian credential, or a foreign one with an ECA, earns CRS points. |
| Where you live | You must plan to live outside Quebec. Work experience gained in Quebec can still count. |
| Admissibility | You must be admissible to Canada (security, criminal and medical grounds). |
Sources: IRCC, Canadian Experience Class and language test results (canada.ca), verified Oct 14, 2026.
Work that doesn't count
- Work while you were studying full time, including co-op work terms.
- Self-employment — except that some physicians can count self-employed work providing publicly funded medical services.
- Volunteer work and unpaid internships.
- Work you were not legally allowed to do in Canada.
How long it takes to reach 1,560 hours
IRCC counts up to 30 hours a week, from one job or several combined. At a steady weekly average:
| Average paid hours per week | Months to reach 1,560 hours |
|---|---|
| 30 or more | 12 |
| 25 | 15 |
| 20 | 19 |
| 15 | 24 |
| 10 | 37 |
Language scores you need for CEC
Minimum score in each ability (listening / reading / writing / speaking), from IRCC's equivalency charts. You need the level in all four abilities.
| Test | Level | Needed for | L / R / W / S |
|---|---|---|---|
| CELPIP-General | CLB 7 | TEER 0 or 1 | 7 / 7 / 7 / 7 |
| CELPIP-General | CLB 5 | TEER 2 or 3 | 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 |
| IELTS General Training | CLB 7 | TEER 0 or 1 | 6.0 / 6.0 / 6.0 / 6.0 |
| IELTS General Training | CLB 5 | TEER 2 or 3 | 5.0 / 4.0 / 5.0 / 5.0 |
| PTE Core | CLB 7 | TEER 0 or 1 | 60 / 60 / 69 / 68 |
| PTE Core | CLB 5 | TEER 2 or 3 | 39 / 42 / 51 / 51 |
| TEF Canada | NCLC 7 | TEER 0 or 1 | 249 / 207 / 310 / 310 |
| TEF Canada | NCLC 5 | TEER 2 or 3 | 181 / 151 / 226 / 226 |
| TCF Canada | NCLC 7 | TEER 0 or 1 | 458 / 453 / 10 / 10 |
| TCF Canada | NCLC 5 | TEER 2 or 3 | 369 / 375 / 6 / 6 |
Meeting CEC is not an invitation
The requirements above only let you enter the Express Entry pool under the Canadian Experience Class. Invitations go to the highest CRS scores in each round: the latest CEC round (#449, Oct 15, 2026) had a cut-off of 519, and the last 12 months ranged from 507 to 533. Your first year of Canadian work also adds CRS points — see Canadian work experience points.
CEC calculator FAQ
How many hours of work do I need for CEC?
At least 1,560 hours of paid, skilled work in Canada in the 3 years before you apply. That is 30 hours a week for 12 months; part-time counts too (15 hours a week for 24 months also equals 1,560 hours). Hours above 30 a week, combined across jobs, don't add extra.
Does part-time or multiple-job work count for CEC?
Yes. You can combine part-time jobs, and you can count more than one job at the same time, as long as you count no more than 30 hours a week in total and every job is in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3.
Does work while I was a student count?
No. Work done while you were studying full time does not count, and co-op work terms do not count either. Work after your studies, for example on a post-graduation work permit, can count if it meets the other rules.
Does work in Quebec count for CEC?
Yes, Canadian work experience gained in Quebec counts, but you must plan to live outside Quebec and show proof of that when you apply.
Does self-employment count?
Generally no. Under a temporary public policy, some physicians can count self-employed work providing publicly funded medical services in Canada.
What CRS score do I need for a CEC draw?
There is no fixed score. Over the last 12 months CEC rounds had cut-offs from 507 to 533 (average 517); the latest, on Oct 15, 2026, was 519. Meeting the CEC requirements only gets you into the pool; your CRS score decides whether you are invited.
Updated Oct 28, 2026 (latest round #453, Oct 28, 2026). Source: IRCC, Express Entry rounds of invitations (canada.ca).