Primary occupation different from job offer

[CXTina]

I am doing a postdoc at the United States and haven't worked in Canada before. I recently got a faculty offer from a Canadian university, starting Fall 2023. The university told me that I can apply for the express entry program before my arrival. However, after I submitted my application, it immediately got rejected and the website said "Based on the information you gave in your profile, you do not appear to meet the minimum eligibility criteria for any of these programs at the moment".

I tried to find out why and I think the reason is that I don't have enough work experience. I was a postdoc (NOC: 4012) for a year but my "primary occupation" is going to be a professor (NOC: 4011), that means I don't have "one year work experience in my primary occupation" and do not meet the Federal Skilled Worker Program requirement. (I am confident that my language skill and level of work experience are fine.) Can I apply again changing my primary occupation to 4012, but is it going to be a problem since my job offer is for a faculty position? Otherwise, is there any way for me to meet the express entry criteria soon, or am I supposed to wait until I've worked for a full year in Canada?

 

[Naturgrl]

I am doing a postdoc at the United States and haven't worked in Canada before. I recently got a faculty offer from a Canadian university, starting Fall 2023. The university told me that I can apply for the express entry program before my arrival. However, after I submitted my application, it immediately got rejected and the website said "Based on the information you gave in your profile, you do not appear to meet the minimum eligibility criteria for any of these programs at the moment".

I tried to find out why and I think the reason is that I don't have enough work experience. I was a postdoc (NOC: 4012) for a year but my "primary occupation" is going to be a professor (NOC: 4011), that means I don't have "one year work experience in my primary occupation" and do not meet the Federal Skilled Worker Program requirement. (I am confident that my language skill and level of work experience are fine.) Can I apply again changing my primary occupation to 4012, but is it going to be a problem since my job offer is for a faculty position? Otherwise, is there any way for me to meet the express entry criteria soon, or am I supposed to wait until I've worked for a full year in Canada?

To have an EE profile, IELTS and ECAs for degrees are mandatory. Do you have those completed? Also to be eligible, you need one year, continious, full-time experience in one NOC. Do you have that?

You don’t get points for job offer unless you have an approved LMIA. If LMIA exempt (and I think yours is) then you need one year of Canadian work experience to claim points.

 

[CXTina]

To have an EE profile, IELTS and ECAs for degrees are mandatory. Do you have those completed? Also to be eligible, you need one year, continious, full-time experience in one NOC. Do you have that?

You don’t get points for job offer unless you have an approved LMIA. If LMIA exempt (and I think yours is) then you need one year of Canadian work experience to claim points.

I have my CELPIP test with score 12/12/10/8. I also got my PhD degree certified using World Education Services.

I understand that the job offer is not mandatory. But the website will ask me to submit a job offer and it will say my job title is “junior faculty” (4012). But my one-year work experience is in postdoc (4011), which should be my “primary occupation”. I wonder if that will cause any problem. Basically, I don’t know if it is okay to enter my primary occupation as 4011, because it doesn’t match my job offer.

 

[Naturgrl]

I have my CELPIP test with score 12/12/10/8. I also got my PhD degree certified using World Education Services.

I understand that the job offer is not mandatory. But the website will ask me to submit a job offer and it will say my job title is “junior faculty” (4012). But my one-year work experience is in postdoc (4011), which should be my “primary occupation”. I wonder if that will cause any problem. Basically, I don’t know if it is okay to enter my primary occupation as 4011, because it doesn’t match my job offer.

You don’t have a job offer so you answer NO since you don’t have a LMIA. Your NOC is the job where you have one year of continuous full time experience.

 

[CXTina]

You don’t have a job offer so you answer NO since you don’t have a LMIA. Your NOC is the job where you have one year of continuous full time experience.

Thank so you much for your reply!! I still have one question regarding the job offer, though. As you said, I will choose the NOC to be 4011 (where I had one year of full time experience). However, my job offer is in a different NOC (4012) and my employer is working to get a LMIA for me now. After I get a LMIA from my employer, do I still choose NO, or do I submit the LMIA that is in a different NOC from my primary occupation?

 

[Naturgrl]

Thank so you much for your reply!! I still have one question regarding the job offer, though. As you said, I will choose the NOC to be 4011 (where I had one year of full time experience). However, my job offer is in a different NOC (4012) and my employer is working to get a LMIA for me now. After I get a LMIA from my employer, do I still choose NO, or do I submit the LMIA that is in a different NOC from my primary occupation?

So is this a LMIA exempt permit? if so it is not part of your EE application until you have worked in position for one year in Canada.

If you don’t get an ITA then you will need to apply for a closed work permit. You will need to prove you have the experience to do the job. This is because the employer would have shown they can’t hire a Canadian or PR, only you.

 

[CXTina]

So is this a LMIA exempt permit? if so it is not part of your EE application until you have worked in position for one year in Canada.

If you don’t get an ITA then you will need to apply for a closed work permit. You will need to prove you have the experience to do the job. This is because the employer would have shown they can’t hire a Canadian or PR, only you.

Yes, my employer said they are working to get me a LMIA exempt work permit as a "Significant benefit to Canada". Thank you.