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

[espg_007]

Wow for someone just starting the process seeing so many good news is very exciting! Congrats to all!

I'm trying to apply in the next few weeks (was initially going to apply next year but apparently it is not clear if the PhD stream will survive the Express Entry revamp or not ), so I have a few questions.

1. I didn't know about the ECA until last week and I'm worried that it will be complicated. I'm going to go with WES since it has mostly positive reviews (faster, cheaper) but I have a problem. They require academic transcripts to be sent directly by your home institution. Now, I went to a big public school in Colombia and I know how things work there, there is no way that they will send it directly. At most they will put them in a sealed envelope. Do you guys think it's OK if someone family/friend sends them directly to WES (or simply me along with the other documents)? I sent an email to WES asking but haven't heard back.

2. For the proof of funds, is it just bank statements that add up to more than the minimum amount ($11824)? Do they look at transactions?

3. I have ~3 years of RA/TA. Is it better to have a letter that states this from the department head or from the supervisor? I remember I once saw around here some examples of successful letters, can someone please point me to them? I can't seem to find them.

4. Finally, looking at the amazing google docs tracker that you guys have built , I see that apparently no one has applied in the last ~5 months and very few this year. Any idea why ? I'm worried that I'm missing something :-[ (Only 33 out of the 500 cap as well)

 

[sia_kb8]

Wow for someone just starting the process seeing so many good news is very exciting! Congrats to all!

I'm trying to apply in the next few weeks (was initially going to apply next year but apparently it is not clear if the PhD stream will survive the Express Entry revamp or not ), so I have a few questions.

1. I didn't know about the ECA until last week and I'm worried that it will be complicated. I'm going to go with WES since it has mostly positive reviews (faster, cheaper) but I have a problem. They require academic transcripts to be sent directly by your home institution. Now, I went to a big public school in Colombia and I know how things work there, there is no way that they will send it directly. At most they will put them in a sealed envelope. Do you guys think it's OK if someone family/friend sends them directly to WES (or simply me along with the other documents)? I sent an email to WES asking but haven't heard back.

Not really sure about this one.

2. For the proof of funds, is it just bank statements that add up to more than the minimum amount ($11824)? Do they look at transactions?

A statement with only the total is good enough to start the applications. They will asked for a 6 month history later on.

3. I have ~3 years of RA/TA. Is it better to have a letter that states this from the department head or from the supervisor? I remember I once saw around here some examples of successful letters, can someone please point me to them? I can't seem to find them.

http://goo.gl/47qIZF

4. Finally, looking at the amazing google docs tracker that you guys have built , I see that apparently no one has applied in the last ~5 months and very few this year. Any idea why ? I'm worried that I'm missing something :-[ (Only 33 out of the 500 cap as well)

Not sure about this one. I feel like the number will soar once a whole bunch of people become eligible come September 1st.

 

[maniac1986]

Hi,

I am new to this forum. I am looking for helpers to answer my questions.

I will turn into my 3rd year studying in a PhD program at one of the Canadian universities. I am interested to apply for PR through the PhD stream under FSWP. I do not have much money so I plan to apply for it DIY instead of looking for an immigration agent.

I really need the points from the working exp in Canada because other than that, my total point is just 67. (language:24, work experience:9, age:12, education:22). And I have heard some stories on this forum that RA in an university here does not count towards work experiences in Canada.

Here are my questions about the adaptability points calculation:

Q1: I am a full-time engineering graduate student. Like most Eng/Sci students, I received monthly allowance from my supervisor and do projects for him as a research assistant. I do not receive scholarships from a third party like NSERC, etc. Does this RA job counts towards the full-time work experience in Canada? I checked the NOC website, the job code of RA is 4012 which belongs to Skill Level A.

Q2: Just double check. I think everyone who applies for PR through the PhD stream will earn the 5 pts from his/her past study in Canada, right?

Thanks in Advance!

Joe

 

[arm739]

She's due to get her first tomorrow.

Hopefully, you will understand what kinds of action to take once receive it.

 

[mamali]

Hopefully, you will understand what kinds of action to take once receive it.

Is that necessary to request GCMS? I applied in Jan 2014 as well. What are the actions we have to do after that?

Thanks,

 

[arm739]

Is that necessary to request GCMS? I applied in Jan 2014 as well. What are the actions we have to do after that?

Thanks,

Useful information can be obtained. You can check whether or not you have passed the eligibility. If not, you can update your letters of reference proactively. It can also give you the hints about your overall points you have been awarded. To request it, you need to go to the following website and select privacy act and electronic files. It may take up to one month.

https://atip-aiprp.apps.gc.ca/atip/welcome.do?lang=en

 

[RA_toronto]

Q1: Many people having only RA as a work experience got PR, including myself.
Q2: I think so but I have master's in Canada so my case is not same as yours.

Hi,

I am new to this forum. I am looking for helpers to answer my questions.

I will turn into my 3rd year studying in a PhD program at one of the Canadian universities. I am interested to apply for PR through the PhD stream under FSWP. I do not have much money so I plan to apply for it DIY instead of looking for an immigration agent.

I really need the points from the working exp in Canada because other than that, my total point is just 67. (language:24, work experience:9, age:12, education:22). And I have heard some stories on this forum that RA in an university here does not count towards work experiences in Canada.

Here are my questions about the adaptability points calculation:

Q1: I am a full-time engineering graduate student. Like most Eng/Sci students, I received monthly allowance from my supervisor and do projects for him as a research assistant. I do not receive scholarships from a third party like NSERC, etc. Does this RA job counts towards the full-time work experience in Canada? I checked the NOC website, the job code of RA is 4012 which belongs to Skill Level A.

Q2: Just double check. I think everyone who applies for PR through the PhD stream will earn the 5 pts from his/her past study in Canada, right?

Thanks in Advance!

Joe

 

[vivi]

Hello guys,

I got an update reference letter from my supervisor. Now I am going to submit this supplementary letter to CIC. Would you please help me how I can do that? Should I scan and email it? If yes, please give me the email address. And If I have to mail it, please give me the CPP-Ottawa address. Do I need to update any form? or need to attach a cover letter?

Thank you.

 

[AmberImm]

Hi,

I submitted my application material in early May 2014 and finally got the letter CIC saying that my material was accepted. (YEAH FINALLY~~~ ) I would like to be added to the tracker.

Q1: Can anyone tell me what info I should provide for the tracker?
Q2: And also what is the next step I should take besides booking GCMS(maybe?).

THANKS!!!

 

[AmberImm]

Hello guys,

I got an update reference letter from my supervisor. Now I am going to submit this supplementary letter to CIC. Would you please help me how I can do that? Should I scan and email it? If yes, please give me the email address. And If I have to mail it, please give me the CPP-Ottawa address. Do I need to update any form? or need to attach a cover letter?

Thank you.

Hi there,

First of all, are you required to submit the supplementary material? I know that my friend sent an updated reference letter before using email and mail but then the updated reference didn't get accepted. The reply message said things about "don't submit supplementary material without being notified". I don't know if this is a general case or it depends on who responds to your supplementary material though.

The email and mail address are here.

"Any correspondence should be forwarded to cpc-ctd-ottawa@cic.gc.ca or by mail:

Canada Post:
CPC – Ottawa
PO Box 9780
Ottawa ON, K1G 4B9

Courier:
CPC – Ottawa
365 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa ON K1A 1L1"

 

[vivi]

Hi,

Thanks for reply. I am going to update my RA letter to explain how I spend 40 hours/week (20 hours toward my phd, and 20 hours as RA). In the first sentence of the updated letter, it is mentioned that:
This is a supplementary letter to the initial letter on February 3, 2014. Do I need to just email it to CIC?

Thanks

Hi there,

First of all, are you required to submit the supplementary material? I know that my friend sent an updated reference letter before using email and mail but then the updated reference didn't get accepted. The reply message said things about "don't submit supplementary material without being notified". I don't know if this is a general case or it depends on who responds to your supplementary material though.

The email and mail address are here.

"Any correspondence should be forwarded to cpc-ctd-ottawa @ cic.gc.ca or by mail:

Canada Post:
CPC – Ottawa
PO Box 9780
Ottawa ON, K1G 4B9

Courier:
CPC – Ottawa
365 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa ON K1A 1L1"

 

[meyakanor]

Hi,

I am new to this forum. I am looking for helpers to answer my questions.

I will turn into my 3rd year studying in a PhD program at one of the Canadian universities. I am interested to apply for PR through the PhD stream under FSWP. I do not have much money so I plan to apply for it DIY instead of looking for an immigration agent.

I really need the points from the working exp in Canada because other than that, my total point is just 67. (language:24, work experience:9, age:12, education:22). And I have heard some stories on this forum that RA in an university here does not count towards work experiences in Canada.

Here are my questions about the adaptability points calculation:

Q1: I am a full-time engineering graduate student. Like most Eng/Sci students, I received monthly allowance from my supervisor and do projects for him as a research assistant. I do not receive scholarships from a third party like NSERC, etc. Does this RA job counts towards the full-time work experience in Canada? I checked the NOC website, the job code of RA is 4012 which belongs to Skill Level A.

Q2: Just double check. I think everyone who applies for PR through the PhD stream will earn the 5 pts from his/her past study in Canada, right?

Thanks in Advance!

Joe

Hi maniac1986,

You mentioned that you got 22 points for education? Did you get two Bachelor's degrees? If these degrees are not Canadian, make sure that you got both evaluated by WES (or other accredited agencies by CIC) as the equivalent of Canadian Bachelor's degrees.

Since you already got 24+22+12=58 points that they would have to give you (again, provided that you did have both your Bachelor's degrees evaluated as equivalent to Canadian Bachelor's degrees), then you only need 1 year of work experience to get 67 points. Unlike work experience, the education, age and language points are objective points, and with proof, they cannot deny you these points.

If with these points alone, you already got 58, then all you would need is one year of work experience to get above the pass mark, which you would need anyway to satisfy the minimum requirement of continuous one year work experience.

It would not matter whether you got 67 or 100, so don't worry too much about adaptability points, and focus on getting very strong letters of reference for your RA (we have several templates of those here, so follow them closely which match your situation).

 

[AmberImm]

I think email is sufficient though my friend did both email and mail.

Hi,

Thanks for reply. I am going to update my RA letter to explain how I spend 40 hours/week (20 hours toward my phd, and 20 hours as RA). In the first sentence of the updated letter, it is mentioned that:
This is a supplementary letter to the initial letter on February 3, 2014. Do I need to just email it to CIC?

Thanks

 

[manor]

Hi Guys,

Could you please help me find the errors for this work experience letter? My documents was just returned due to the letter. The letter is given as follows:

----- letter 1---------------
May 6, 2014

To whom it may concern:

This letter is to confirm that Mr. XXX is currently a PhD Candidate under my supervision in the Department of XXX, at the University of XXX, since January 2012. He also works as a part-time Research Assistant (RA) in the XXX Group (18 hours/week), under my supervision from January 2012 to August 2013. His annual salary is approximately $24000 plus differential fees (about $5,000). From September 2013 to August 2014, he works as an intern at XXX Inc. After finishing his internship, he will continue to work as a RA in my group until the completion of his PhD and project in Summer 2015.

XXX has what must almost be a unique combination of experience in academia and industry, with XXX Engineering on one side (MSc degree), XXX Engineering (BSc degree) and industry experience through internship XXX Inc. (one of the leading integrated chip design companies in XXX) and work at XXX Co., LTD. (one of the leading XXX in the world). Since joining graduate studies at University of XXX, XXX has done extremely well in his graduate studies work; he took three courses with overall GPA of 3.9/4 and published three conference papers (XXX, XXX, and XXX). He also is an excellent team worker who integrates well with a large variety of people. He shares his ideas freely and is not threatened when others pick them up. The high quality of his work resulted in a research project with industry for the development of XXX. XXX shows an excellent balance of theoretical and practical skills, the ability to work independently and to organize the different stages of his part as a young scientist.

XXX is an exceptional student who has received numerous awards from academia and industry. I believe that XXX has great potential that has yet to be realized in the field of XXX. XXX’s PhD research work is a novel topic in the “XXX” and will contribute to our knowledge on XXX. I firmly believe that his skill set matched what should be looked for in PhD graduate students. He has excellent communication skills, sound judgment and excellent potential as a leader. I am glad to have him as one of my graduate students.

I have always believed that opportunities should be given to those who are capable and willing to scale new academic heights. After his graduation from PhD program, I believe that he will have great opportunities as a XXX Engineer who will contribute to the Canadian economy. I will also be happy to hire him as a research associate to conduct further research in my laboratory for a year at an annual salary of XXX plus benefits. I give XXX my highest recommendation for his application to the Permanent Resident status under the Skilled Worker Class.

Please feel free to contact me if your office should require any further information.

Sincerely,
------

I also attached my modified letter here. Could you please also help me check this letter?


---- letter 2 -------------------

To whom it may concern:

This letter is to confirm that Mr. XXX is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of XXX at University of XXX. He enrolled in the Ph.D. program in January of XXX. Mr. XXX worked as a part-time Research Assistant (18 hours/week, total number of 1566 hours) in the field of XXX at the XXX group under my supervision from January 2012 until August 2013. He receives an annual salary no less than $20000 plus differential fees. His main duties are listed:
1. Plan and conduct scientific research in XXX.
2. Conduct literature reviews, technical reviews and surveys in the field of XXX.
3. Design and conduct experiments to test XXX performance.
4. Compile and analyze the experimental results.
5. Assist me in preparing publications (journal articles and conference posters)
6. Prepare and deliver research presentation.
7. Participate in research group meetings and seminars.

Since joining our group, XXX has done extremely well in his course work (GPA 3.90 out of 4 in all his graduate level courses), received many awards during his studies, published two refereed conference papers, one non-refereed conferences paper, and is currently working on publishing a journal paper. This put him near the top of PhD students at our Department. I can highly recommend him for his honesty, integrity, hard work and excellent professional skills.

If you need any further information on Mr. YXXX, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

-----

Thanks very much.

 

[Viva2014]

Guys, I need your opinion.

CIC has updated the schedule 3 form. In this form, as you may know, we put our work experience(s). In the new version, there are gaps between years as follows:
1 year
2 to 3 years
4 to 5 years
6 or more.

Now, if we have a work experience of 3 years and 6 months, then, which box should be checked?
Or, for instance, if we have a work experience of less than a year, how should it be addressed?

The previous version was more straightforward than this.