Applicant from PhD program after 5 Nov, 2011 connect here to get status

[zhougt]

Do you mean they sent the passport request for your spouse to you? Does your spouse live with you in Canada? I mean why they did not send it to the Canadian embassy in China?
This makes sense if your spouse is only traveling in China but lives with you in Canada. Or maybe you entered his/her address in China.

I am trying to make a conclusion as I have a similar situation as you. My spouse does not live with me in Canada. I have been thinking that they'll send my pass request to me here, and hers to the Canadian embassy in my home country.

Your answer will clarify this. Thank you.

Hi hamed,

1. My wife is living in China. Actually, she has never been in Canada before.

2. CIC sent me the passport request, saying that they need my and all my dependents (including my wife)' passports.

Based on my understanding, they just send the passport request to the PA. In the email, they mentioned that:

"If you or any of your family members are residing outside North America and you are unable to send your/their passport(s) to Canada and/or to provide a return mailing address in North America, contact us at CPC-CTD-Ottawa [at] cic.gc.ca so that we can make arrangements to print visas at another office."

Thus, I think they just need the passports, no matter where you send.

 

[Jun zheng]

Hey guys,

I went to Immigration seminar at my university last week and turns out RA doesn't count as work for PhD stream any more! Also TA work only counts as work if its continuous (normally at my university its only from Sept to April) for 2/3 yrs!

Has anyone noticed this?

I was all set to apply in May 2014 but the new rules will make me ineligible! I got rejected 1.5 months ago when I had applied in CEC class! I have been in Canada for 7 yrs and 2 canadian degrees, working on the third one! Its frustrating that canada doesn't value educated people :'(

hello. Did you finally confirm that TA and RA cannot be counted as working experience for phD application? Thanks.

 

[Jun zheng]

The rejection rate was very very high at the beginning. Those who joined this forum later on were very lucky as they got advantage of the early people's experience. That time we were just getting a rejection after another because of the reference letters, and were not even sure whether we are allowed to update our reference letters or not. As I remember, it was my case for the first time in this forum that showed updated letters are considered by CIC, even if my file was rejected, and it took me 2 month to convince the CIC people to re-open it. That' why I am still here after 23 month. This rate is much much better these days as people have almost discovered all the requirements regarding the reference letters after 2 years.

hello, could you please tell me how you convinced CIA to reopen your case after rejection? Did you reapply? My is also rejected. I really want to know what I should do for next? Thanks in advance.

 

[hamed_hamed_hamed]

Hi hamed,

1. My wife is living in China. Actually, she has never been in Canada before.

2. CIC sent me the passport request, saying that they need my and all my dependents (including my wife)' passports.

Based on my understanding, they just send the passport request to the PA. In the email, they mentioned that:

"If you or any of your family members are residing outside North America and you are unable to send your/their passport(s) to Canada and/or to provide a return mailing address in North America, contact us at CPC-CTD-Ottawa [at] cic.gc.ca so that we can make arrangements to print visas at another office."

Thus, I think they just need the passports, no matter where you send.

Thanks zhougt.
That's good. They are flexible on this. By the way, didn't they ask you for bio data?

 

[Jun zheng]

I received the Confirmation of Permanent Residence letter on Thursday. And as you said, no visa counter foil required. There is one photograph attached to the letter. It does not mention that I need to bring any other photographs, but should I bring them with me when I land?

hello, does TA belong to NOC 4011, and RA belong to 4012? Thanks for your help.

 

[zhougt]

Thanks zhougt.
That's good. They are flexible on this. By the way, didn't they ask you for bio data?

No. They didn't mention anything about bio data.

 

[sgtrigger]

Hey everyone...I'm not sure if you all already know this but you might be able to claim some of your medical tests thru your insurance...I have the university insurance plan which covers diagnostic tests so I got some of the money back for both me and my wife who is also on the same plan...I'm guessing you guys can do the same as well...

 

[N_O]

hi there i have important question to the seniors here,

i only have TA experience in my home country for 5 years and no RA experience at all ,so my question is TA and RA are the same job?can you do both at the same time ?does one of them work if you got a ref letter?i didnt have the chance to have either during my 2 years as p.hd student here?
so what should i do?should i apply or not?


thanks

Hello M.samy,

I was rejected before because my reference letter as a TA for 4 years in my home country just listed a duty that didn't match the leading statement. Currently, I am waiting to hear about my second application, I claimed the same experince in home country again and a 2 year TA/RA in a Canadian university.

Good luck!

 

[N_O]

I originally submitted a very short, non-informative reference letter, identifying both RA/TA, and authored by the Department's graduate advisor. After reading posts on this forum and realizing that letter was worthless, I authored an updated reference letter signed by the Department's graduate advisor that referenced only TA, and had a separate letter signed by my academic supervisor that referenced only RA. Upon closer examination and a re-reading of the NOC 4012 and more posts/feedback on this forum, I realized that the 'lead statement' was not explicit. So both letters we rewritten and signed and delivered. Getting my most recent GCMS notes I observed a note in the GCMS doc that the latest letter signed by my academic supervisor was not on department stationary. Thus the fourth in a series of reference letters (third update).

With each of the three updates, I explicitly referenced the previous letter by date and subject and went on to identify the current letter as a 'supplement to' the previous letter because the current one provides more details and also wrote a brief summary of those new details as an introduction to the updated letter. I also made sure nothing in any subsequent letter contradicted anything in any previous letter.

I see! As I was rejected before because the reference letter that I submitted just listed a duty that didn't match the leading statement, then I focused on the duties in my new applications, I listed every single duty in my new experience letter from my home country, also I claimed almost 2 years of TA/RA experience this time, listing most of the duties (the only missing duty is conducting laboratory experiments). After 2 -3 month, I noticed that many applicants got rejected for not having the Magical word "Assisting", so I updated my letters.

...but did the updated reference letters meet the requirements? Do these folks know that the updated letters were not accepted/considered? Was the reason for rejection related to not considering information in the updated letters?

Sydney gave me credit for three years of high school teaching based on three one-year contracts, but I don't know if Ottawa will do so. Sydney did not give me any credit for RA/TA, but hopefully the updated reference letters will address that.

Actually, I do not know. Arian's reference letter looks good but the leading statement wasn't explicit, Arm739 didn't share his updated letter and I just remembered that NB61 used the letterhead of another institute for a previous work experience as Parkinson said.

No one can depend on Sydney's assessment, they are not consistent at all!

 

[hamed_hamed_hamed]

Hey everyone...I'm not sure if you all already know this but you might be able to claim some of your medical tests thru your insurance...I have the university insurance plan which covers diagnostic tests so I got some of the money back for both me and my wife who is also on the same plan...I'm guessing you guys can do the same as well...

Yep, I also called my insurance, and they pay at least for blood test. Not sure yet for Physical examination.

 

[sgtrigger]

Yep, I also called my insurance, and they pay at least for blood test. Not sure yet for Physical examination.

Yeah physical insurance they did not pay but blood test and x ray they paid...

 

[Jun zheng]

For applicants who are applying after 4 May, 2013 under PhD stream,

1, CIC accpets RA/TA experiences (both at Sydney and Ottawa office).
2, CIC gives FIVE points for TWO-YEAR of PhD study, no need to have completed the program by the time of application (both at Sydney and Ottawa office).

Stay happy, guys.

hello, could you please tell me where did you get this info? Thanks

 

[N_O]

Re: update

Hello. Just wondering whether you have gotten your PR? What kind of working experience did you use? Thanks

Hello there,

Would you please see the tracker, it has most of the answers to your questions.

 

[N_O]

Yeah physical insurance they did not pay but blood test and x ray they paid...

That sounds great, these tests cost an arm and a leg in my city

 

[polestar707]

Hello, does anyone know if the cap of 500 PhD application would ends in Jan of 2015 or April 30 of 2015?

And how many applications have been received by CIC since May 1, 2014?


Thank you, gus!