Economic Immigration
Canadian Experience Class Processing Time
About 53,900 people waiting · IRCC data as of October 9, 2026
The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is an Express Entry stream for people who already have at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada. Because applicants are typically inside Canada with a job and Canadian credentials, CEC applications are usually among the fastest permanent residence streams IRCC processes.
This page tracks the official IRCC processing time for CEC applications over time, so you can see whether the queue is speeding up or slowing down — not just today's number.
Processing Time History
| Date | Processing Time (months) |
|---|---|
| October 9, 2025 | 6 |
| November 6, 2025 | 7 |
| December 9, 2025 | 7 |
| January 14, 2026 | 6 |
| February 12, 2026 | 7 |
| March 9, 2026 | 7 |
| April 7, 2026 | 7 |
| May 12, 2026 | 7 |
| June 8, 2026 | 7 |
| July 7, 2026 | 6 |
| August 10, 2026 | 6 |
| September 3, 2026 | 6 |
| October 9, 2026 | 6 |
People Ahead by Application Month
IRCC also publishes how many applications submitted in each month are still ahead of you in the Canadian Experience Class queue.
| Month | People Ahead |
|---|---|
| 2024/10 | 1300 |
| 2024/11 | 1400 |
| 2024/12 | 1500 |
| 2025/01 | 1600 |
| 2025/02 | 1800 |
| 2025/03 | 2100 |
| 2025/04 | 2200 |
| 2025/05 | 2300 |
| 2025/06 | 2300 |
| 2025/07 | 2500 |
| 2025/08 | 2900 |
| 2025/09 | 3100 |
| 2025/10 | 3500 |
| 2025/11 | 4100 |
| 2025/12 | 4800 |
| 2026/01 | 6100 |
| 2026/02 | 7900 |
| 2026/03 | 12400 |
| 2026/04 | 18800 |
| 2026/05 | 26500 |
| 2026/06 | 31100 |
| 2026/07 | 36700 |
| 2026/08 | 45800 |
| 2026/09 | 53900 |
Get notified when this changes
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Canadian Experience Class take right now?
As of October 9, 2026, IRCC reports a processing time of about 6 months for Canadian Experience Class applications, with about 53,900 people waiting.
Who qualifies for the Canadian Experience Class?
You need at least 12 months of full-time (or equivalent part-time) skilled work experience in Canada within the last three years, gained with authorization to work, plus meeting the language threshold for your job's TEER category. CEC candidates apply through Express Entry and need an invitation to apply (ITA) before submitting.
Why do CEC processing times change?
IRCC's published time is a rolling estimate based on how long recent cases took. It moves when IRCC changes draw sizes, reallocates officers between streams, or works through backlogs — which is why tracking the trend matters more than any single snapshot.