Apply for Express Entry or...

[codeguru]

Hello Everyone,

First of, I must say this discussion board has been very helpful to me and has significantly reduced my worries every time I post a question. However, I still have some more questions and I hope to get some advice on.

I just received my new passport as the previous one was expiring soon. I currently have a 'Worker' status in Canada which is set to expire February 2016. I am in the process of applying an extension to my Work Permit as I was only given a 2 Year Work Permit instead of 3 Year Work Permit after graduating from a university with a diploma in Information Technology due to the reason that my passport was expiring sooner.

My question- I have been in Canada for well over 6 years (International Student and then Worker for 2 Years), Should I just go ahead and try my luck in the Express Entry as I do have my interests in staying in Canada for a longer period of time or Extend my Work Permit and then apply for PR through Express Entry or any other options?

Please advice as to what my options are and the level of difficulty on achieving them.

On the Note of Extending my Work Permit- while going through the Document Checklist, it mentions to submit 'Offer of Employment to a Foreign National Exempt from a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) IMM 5802 with proof of payment by the employer (receipt number)'. Do I need to submit this or is this for new workers or something?

I do have a Letter Of Employment from my employer stating my position and my full-time hours. Is that suffice along with other documents such as the 'Copy of My Current Work Permit', 'Copies of Passport Pages', 'Application Payment Receipt' and so on...

Please advice? Once again, this community has been very helpful to me and of course to the others as well. Thank you.

 

[BCworker]

my advice:
if u already completed your 1 year canadian experience in skill type o,a,b job and did your english test general one, then it would be better to create EE profile and apply.
at the same time, u should apply your work permit extension as well.

 

[codeguru]

my advice:
if u already completed your 1 year canadian experience in skill type o,a,b job and did your english test general one, then it would be better to create EE profile and apply.
at the same time, u should apply your work permit extension as well.

Thank you BCWorker. In regards to my work permit extension- do I need to ask my current employer to do something in regards to LIMA or can I just pay the $255 fees and apply for the Open Work Permit extension. I am just quite confused in regards to whether I need to submit 'Offer of Employment to a Foreign National Exempt from a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) IMM 5802 with proof of payment by the employer (receipt number)' or is this not applicable to me as I am not applying for a job-specific work permit but rather for an open work permit and I do have a Letter of Employment that states my current employment and its position.

Thank you.

 

[amamh]

Hey man,

The job offer is not mandatory. Getting a job offer or a province nomination means that you get 600 extra points.

However, without getting a job offer or a nomination you can still be accepted if you get above 450 points. You can get that with 1 year experience, good English and MSc degree.

Here is one problem that you will face though. I believe the passport needs to be at least 2 years old. I don't remember where I read this, you have to google it, but I remember it has to be 2 years old at least and has more than 2 years to expire.

 

[codeguru]

Hey man,

The job offer is not mandatory. Getting a job offer or a province nomination means that you get 600 extra points.

However, without getting a job offer or a nomination you can still be accepted if you get above 450 points. You can get that with 1 year experience, good English and MSc degree.

Here is one problem that you will face though. I believe the passport needs to be at least 2 years old. I don't remember where I read this, you have to google it, but I remember it has to be 2 years old at least and has more than 2 years to expire.

Thank you for your prompt response. I only have a diploma in IT from a Canadian University. I work as a Computer programmer /Project Assistant. My new Passport is valid for 10 years but it is fairly new. Should I just try to extend my work permit or try my luck in express entry?

 

[amamh]

Creating a profile online and entering the pool is free.

 

[codeguru]

Creating a profile online and entering the pool is free.

Ok. So after creating the profile and entering the pool, if I get a positive response from CIC- that means I should be eligible for PR?

On another note- what category does a computer programmer/project assistant fall under?

I really appreciate for your guidance. Thank you.