Canada Experience Class filling quickly, could reach quota soon

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? The Canada Experience Class (CEC) has received over 6,000 applications since the annual filing began in November 2013, and its quota of 12,000 could be reached before the end of the fiscal year.

What does the change mean? If the quota is reached, applicants must wait until November, when the category reopens, to apply.

• Implementation timeframe: Immediate and ongoing.
• Visas/permits affected: CEC for Permanent Residence.
• Who is affected: Foreign nationals applying in this category.
• Impact on processing times: None.
• Business impact: As one of the most popular avenues to permanent residency, foreign workers may have to delay submitting applications until the next fiscal year, which starts in November 2014.
• Next steps: File applications as soon as possible before the quota is reached.

Background: The CEC allows foreign skilled workers to apply for permanent residency if they have lived and worked in Canada for at least 12 months; they must also meet language criteria. Citizenship and Immigration Canada will accept a maximum of 12,000 applications in the CEC category between Nov. 9, 2013, and Oct. 31, 2014. Within the general quota, there are sub-caps of 200 applications for certain job categories.

BAL Analysis: The pace of filings indicates that the category could be filled by August. Foreign nationals who qualify should file their applications as soon as possible.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in Canada. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

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