10 Tips for a successful PR application

[Regina]

This is a grey area, but the consensus here thus far is to apply with 1 year experience based on the date of your diploma (where it says your degree is conferred) or your post-graduate work permit issue date, whichever is later (i.e. always be conservative).

I would say- the ACTUAL date of your work is the correct date for calculating dates (assuming you started working after you got your post-graduate work permit and not before). And as soon as you got marks for all final exams you can apply for your PGWP ,and start working and this is the date you can consider the first day of work for CEC purposes. No need to wait for "graduation ceremony"

Students who have evidence of program completion may apply for the work permit before the formal
notification. Calculation of the 90 days begins the day when the student's final marks
are issued .
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/op/op12-eng.pdf
p.29

 

[htrak]

Send an email to noc-cnp @ workingincanada.gc.ca with your duties (from your reference letter), and ask the HRSDC to help you in determining the NOC code for your job.

Thank you seton!

 

[seton]

I would say- the ACTUAL date of your work is the correct date for calculating dates (assuming you started working after you got your post-graduate work permit and not before). And as soon as you got marks for all final exams you can apply for your PGWP ,and start working and this is the date you can consider the first day of work for CEC purposes. No need to wait for "graduation ceremony"

Students who have evidence of program completion may apply for the work permit before the formal
notification. Calculation of the 90 days begins the day when the student's final marks
are issued .
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/op/op12-eng.pdf
p.29

Hi Regina,

You are quoting eligibility for the Post Graduate Work Permit, which is different from the eligibility rules for the CEC class. People have reported on this forum having been rejected because they didn't count their experience from the date of their diploma. You do not graduate when you finish your last final exam - you only graduate when your diploma is issued (there is a distinction).

It's not exactly clear cut, but my advice is to be conservative (i.e. use the latest between when your diploma was issued or your PGWP) so you reduce the risk of rejection.

Here is the relevant note in the Operations Manual ( http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/op/op25a-eng.pdf ):

For a student who had graduated from a Canadian post-secondary institution, only work experience gained after graduation will count towards meeting the work experience requirement (e.g. post-graduate work permit).

The operation manual uses the phrase "gained after graduation" (which again, is your diploma issuance). In the common law education system, you are a graduand between the period you complete your eligibility to graduate and you actually graduate. However, to make things as clear as mud, they throw in the "e.g. post-graduate work permit" which you can actually obtain prior to graduation.

In the Immigration Act itself, here is the actual legal clause being applied ( http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2002-227/page-39.html ):

[...not eligible for...] (a) any period of employment during which the foreign national was engaged in full-time study shall not be included in calculating a period of work experience;

The actual legal version says your experience as a full-time student is not eligible. This is where the CIC's interpretation is again hazy as this will boil down to the legal period where you are no longer considered a full-time student in Canada (it could be on the issuance of the PGWP or graduation).

My overarching point is the Act is vague and subject to interpretation. It is always safer to apply with the least amount of ambiguity, and this is why I offered this as a tip.

Note the above only applies to applications after January 1, 2013. The Act was written differently for applications submitted before then.

 

[praveen240881]

Dear All
I have been following this forum for quite sometime and have got great help during my Work Permit applications and others. Thanks.
I have explained by case in detail hoping that some of you have got patience and time to responsd to my concerns and questions please.

I worked from OCT-06-2010 till June-24-2011(258 Calendar Days) in Toronto on Work Permit and returned back to India and was working for the same
empoloyer's office in India.

My employer once again applied for Work Permit in Sep'2012 and was rejected as we didnt obtain the LMO.
So the LMO was obtained and filed for WP in March 2013 and got the work permit(for 3 yrs & valid until 2016)
and i have been working for the same employer since March-10-2013 in Toronto.

Though i would be eligible to apply for PR under CEC by end of June 2013, i may wait until Sep 2013 to file for PR. I am in the process of
understanding the required documents from the "Document Checklist", thats when the below questions popped up and would really appreciate if any of you could answer.

I will be applying for my Wife and Daughter(3 Years) as they are with me on Visitor Visa & i will be the Principal Applicant.

1.Proof of Language Proficiency: Should my Wife also take the IELTS exam, or is it sufficient if I alone take the IELTS exam

2. Work Experience in Canada: I have a copy of te T4 tax information slips from my employer(2010 & 2011), but i dont have a "Notice of assessment/reassessment" .
So i called up the CRA to see if i can get a duplicate and they told as i didnt file for TAX returns i wouldnt have one.So is there a way for me to get the "Notice of assessment".

3. I am going to check with my Employer to see if there is a way to get the experience letter on their letter head but not really optimistic if i would
ever get one. So is there an alternate way for this.

4. Lastly, is there any Law firms that any one have used and would suggest, though i am not really keen on using the service(as i wudnt be able to afford) but any firms who help
with alternate documents for above


Regards
PK

 

[seton]

I worked from OCT-06-2010 till June-24-2011(258 Calendar Days) in Toronto on Work Permit and returned back to India and was working for the same
empoloyer's office in India.

My employer once again applied for Work Permit in Sep'2012 and was rejected as we didnt obtain the LMO.
So the LMO was obtained and filed for WP in March 2013 and got the work permit(for 3 yrs & valid until 2016)
and i have been working for the same employer since March-10-2013 in Toronto.

Though i would be eligible to apply for PR under CEC by end of June 2013, i may wait until Sep 2013 to file for PR.

You need 52 weeks of full-time experience within the last 3 years. By my calculation, you have 37 weeks from your 2010/2011 experience, so you would need an additional 15 weeks of experience to meet the full requirement (assuming it is skilled and eligible). End of June seems about right, but I think it's a good idea to apply with a buffer in case of any calculation difference.

1.Proof of Language Proficiency: Should my Wife also take the IELTS exam, or is it sufficient if I alone take the IELTS exam

Only the principal applicant needs to perform language testing.

2. Work Experience in Canada: I have a copy of te T4 tax information slips from my employer(2010 & 2011), but i dont have a "Notice of assessment/reassessment" .
So i called up the CRA to see if i can get a duplicate and they told as i didnt file for TAX returns i wouldnt have one.So is there a way for me to get the "Notice of assessment".

Did you file a tax return in 2011? Based on the dates, it is likely that you would have been a resident for tax purposes and you should have filed a tax return.

My suggestion to you would be to file a return for 2011 (you can file late returns without penalty, if you did not owe tax. Even if you owe tax, you can file a late return and possibly get the interest/penalties waived). You will receive a notice of assessment for 2011. You can submit a written explanation to explain that you weren't a Canadian resident in 2012 (and did not file a return), but you should include recent payslips so that the CIC can verify your income for 2013 (this is the primary purpose for them requesting a notice of assessment).

3. I am going to check with my Employer to see if there is a way to get the experience letter on their letter head but not really optimistic if i would
ever get one. So is there an alternate way for this.

This is a primary requirement of this class. I think the best approach for this is not to use the term "reference letter", but ask for a letter stating your employment period and duties performed. In the HR world, a reference letter is a recommendation letter, which is not actually what the CIC needs. They really need is a detailed employment record showing your duties.

Consider drafting the letter for them and emphasizing that this is not a recommendation, nor is your employer sponsoring your application. All you need is evidence that you worked there, with the period, salary, hours, and duties performed.

4. Lastly, is there any Law firms that any one have used and would suggest, though i am not really keen on using the service(as i wudnt be able to afford) but any firms who help
with alternate documents for above

No experience here, as I did not use a representative/consultant/lawyer, but I would ensure that the person is an authorized representative at the very least.

 

[rakagg]

good work .. thanks for info

 

[Mimmi]

Can anyone guide me about the bridging visa.
When to apply and how.

 

[SenoritaBella]

Here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/bulletins/2012/ob485.asp

Bridging Open WP – Eligibility Parameters

To be eligible for a bridging open WP, the following parameters must be met:
•The foreign national is currently in Canada;
•They have valid status on a WP that is due to expire within 4 months;
•They have received a positive eligibility decision on their PR application under one of the Economic Class programs above; and
•They have made application for an open WP.

Determining if a Positive Eligibility Decision has been made

For the purposes of determining if a positive eligibility assessment has been made, the processor will review if the Eligibility Assessment value is set to “Passed” in GCMS. If this decision has not been entered yet, for the purposes of this Operational Bulletin (OB), a “positive eligibility decision” will also be considered made when it is confirmed in GCMS that:


FSWP: the “Ministerial Instructions” status has been set to “Met” or a positive Final Determination of Eligibility letter/ e-mail has been sent.

PNP: the “Eligibility EC-QC/PNP” status has been set to “Passed” or the Acknowledgment of Receipt letter/e-mail has been sent by the Centralized Intake Office (CIO).

CEC: the “Eligibility CEC” decision has been set to “Passed” or the Acknowledgement of Receipt letter/e-mail has been sent from CIO.

FSTP: the Acknowledgement of Receipt letter/e-mail has been sent from CIO.

The AOR(acknowledgement of receipt) is the letter/email you get that has your file number(starts with B or E) and sometimes includes instructions for medicals.

Can anyone guide me about the bridging visa.
When to apply and how.

 

[Mimmi]

Here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/bulletins/2012/ob485.asp

Bridging Open WP – Eligibility Parameters

To be eligible for a bridging open WP, the following parameters must be met:
•The foreign national is currently in Canada;
•They have valid status on a WP that is due to expire within 4 months;
•They have received a positive eligibility decision on their PR application under one of the Economic Class programs above; and
•They have made application for an open WP.

Determining if a Positive Eligibility Decision has been made

For the purposes of determining if a positive eligibility assessment has been made, the processor will review if the Eligibility Assessment value is set to “Passed” in GCMS. If this decision has not been entered yet, for the purposes of this Operational Bulletin (OB), a “positive eligibility decision” will also be considered made when it is confirmed in GCMS that:


FSWP: the “Ministerial Instructions” status has been set to “Met” or a positive Final Determination of Eligibility letter/ e-mail has been sent.

PNP: the “Eligibility EC-QC/PNP” status has been set to “Passed” or the Acknowledgment of Receipt letter/e-mail has been sent by the Centralized Intake Office (CIO).

CEC: the “Eligibility CEC” decision has been set to “Passed” or the Acknowledgement of Receipt letter/e-mail has been sent from CIO.

FSTP: the Acknowledgement of Receipt letter/e-mail has been sent from CIO.

The AOR(acknowledgement of receipt) is the letter/email you get that has your file number(starts with B or E) and sometimes includes instructions for medicals.

Thank you señorita but can tell me that is it mandatory to apply for open work permit before your current work permit expires.and then apply for bridging visa , right?
Or do we have to apply directly for bridging visa.

 

[SenoritaBella]

You must apply for a bridging work permit before your current work permit expires. When you receive the new work permit, then you can apply for a TRV(temporary resident visa) from CPP-Ottawa.

Thank you señorita but can tell me that is it mandatory to apply for open work permit before your current work permit expires.and then apply for bridging visa , right?
Or do we have to apply directly for bridging visa.

 

[Mimmi]

You must apply for a bridging work permit before your current work permit expires. When you receive the new work permit, then you can apply for a TRV(temporary resident visa) from CPP-Ottawa.

And do we need to apply again for LMO for the bridging work permit.and what about the spouse whose on open work permit ,does the spouse and the principal applicant both have to apply for bridging visa .And how much is the bridging visa processing time.

 

[Cruiser55]

This is amazing stuff

 

[cinderella]

great job seton.really helpful tips for everyone.congrats for the result of uour application
***please help on my inquiry
1.) IMM0008-generic form:Q7:a)no,b) N/A then c) it says if no, when did u apply for your CSQ?..what should i answer?
2.)national identity: is that the SIN?

really confused w/ this.tnx

 

[seton]

1.) IMM0008-generic form:Q7:a)no,b) N/A then c) it says if no, when did u apply for your CSQ?..what should i answer?

If you select the province you intend to live in as anything but Quebec (box #6), then box #7 is greyed out - you don't need to enter anything.

If you intend to live in Quebec, then you cannot immigrate using the CEC class.

2.)national identity: is that the SIN?

This is an identity card from your home country, not Canada.

 

[cinderella]

tnx alot seton....by the way with regards to the letter of reference...i only have 1 year and 2 months skilled work within three years...but it says there i hve to provide letter of reference from my employers fir the last 3 yrs...do i really have to include those mon skilled letter too?...tnx in advance