Applying for CEC as research assistant (NOC 4012)

[googler]

It's sad to learn that the new rules will prevent me from applying for CEC class In fact, a couple of my peer friends obtained their PR status via this option in 2012 with same situation as me, and now rules are changed when I finally decided to apply for PR

 

[jes_ON]

That may be true (wait to see what the final rules are in January), but you also have many more opportunities as a student than those before you... see the PNP program for your province, or if you're in a PhD program, see the Federal Skilled Worker - PhD stream...

 

[elm662]

That may be true (wait to see what the final rules are in January), but you also have many more opportunities as a student than those before you... see the PNP program for your province, or if you're in a PhD program, see the Federal Skilled Worker - PhD stream...

May the final rules in January be different than those proposed changes mentioned by ConfuseApplicant?
"(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;"

Well as we can see from the title, they are PROPOSED and not finalized yet.
Aren't the new changes published yet? if they are published where can I find them on the net?

 

[pepe84]

Hi All,

Happy New Year!

I am an international MSc student currently working as a Graduate Research Assistant at the University where I am registered as a full time student. The University pays me as an employee with the only difference that I hold a study permit instead of a work permit, but I have got my T4 split from them and my advisor is willing to give me a reference letter as requested by CIC. I have been one year working 35 hrs/week as a Graduate Research Assistant. My question is:

1-Am I eligible to apply under CEC as a worker?

The new checklist document says that Applicants who are authorized to work in Canada without a work permit are eligible to apply under the CEC, but must provide documentation of their legal status (eg. visitor record).

2-Can I assume Study Permit as well?

 

[GaryF]

The CEC application guide says:

Note: Any periods of self-employment, unauthorized work, or periods of employment during which you were engaged in full-time study (e.g. work experience gained on a co-op, off-campus or on-campus work permit) will not be included when calculating the period of qualifying work experience. You must have had temporary resident status during the period of work experience acquired in Canada.

I don't know whether this is new or not, but it certainly indicates that RA work experience for graduate students does not count.

 

[googler]

Hi All,

Happy New Year!

I am an international MSc student currently working as a Graduate Research Assistant at the University where I am registered as a full time student. The University pays me as an employee with the only difference that I hold a study permit instead of a work permit, but I have got my T4 split from them and my advisor is willing to give me a reference letter as requested by CIC. I have been one year working 35 hrs/week as a Graduate Research Assistant. My question is:

1-Am I eligible to apply under CEC as a worker?

The new checklist document says that Applicants who are authorized to work in Canada without a work permit are eligible to apply under the CEC, but must provide documentation of their legal status (eg. visitor record).

2-Can I assume Study Permit as well?

From my point of view, there is some confusion in this situation. As per check list, a study permit gives legal status to work on-campus as a research assistant. But recently, one clause is added to the regulations which states that:
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 (please see above posts for source)
I think this is the reason why a question is now included in form IMM 0008 - Schedule 8 which asks: "Were you a full-time student during any of the above listed employment periods?"

However, there is still no direct mention of the added clause in CIC website or application guides. I would rather wait for senior members of the forum to comment on this.

 

[pepe84]

Thanks googler!
You are right, this is very confusing. I just checked the NOC 4012 (which is eligible for CEC) and it clearly states that one requirement for Research Assistant is to be enrolled in a full time program at the University. I also read the clause stating that no one engaged as a full time student can declare this period as a work experience.

Do they refer to off-campus work permit and/or on-campus work permit where students are allowed to work in fields not related to their research topics? Like in a book store on-campus, call-center office on campus, grocery store off campus etc???

Please a Senior on CEC would be much appreciated to answer these very confusing questions.

Many Thanks

 

[elm662]

I also am interested to figure this out!
Please a senior help us...
There is a limit of 10,000 people for this stream per year.
I am afraid to be eligible and miss it!

 

[ConfuseApplicant]

Below is an extract from the new guideline (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/5609ETOC.asp#5609E2)

As RA/TA is an on-campus work, so I am sorry to say, from my perspective, that work experience gained during RA/TA does not help to apply CEC.

[Start of Quote]
Work experience requirements

You must have obtained at least 12 months of full-time, or the equivalent in part-time, skilled work experience at NOC Skill Type 0, or Skill Level A or B. Full-time work means at least 30 hours of paid work per week.

This work experience must have been acquired in Canada within the 36 months preceding the date your properly completed application is received by the CIO.

You do not have to be employed at the time of your application.

Note: Any periods of self-employment, unauthorized work, or periods of employment during which you were engaged in full-time study (e.g. work experience gained on a co-op, off-campus or on-campus work permit) will not be included when calculating the period of qualifying work experience. You must have had temporary resident status during the period of work experience acquired in Canada.

If you are a student and graduated from a Canadian post-secondary institution, you can gain the work experience required for CEC through the Post-Graduate Work Permit.

[End of Quote]

 

[pepe84]

Thanks ConfuseApplicant,

I gave them a call this morning and spoke with an Agent, he asked two persons from the Call Center and they confirmed that International Student can NOT apply as a GA or TA only, they MUST have one year of Work Experience gained through the Post-Graduate Work Permit, or even before becoming a Grad Student whose period of work must lie within the 3 years before the application is being submitted.

Sorry, but I also felt very frustrated after hearing that. Please, a senior in this matter is very much appreciated. Also, I do NOT trust 100% in what the agent said, because sometimes they have given me the wrong answer. Although I don't think this is the case.

 

[jes_ON]

The CEC application guide says:

I don't know whether this is new or not, but it certainly indicates that RA work experience for graduate students does not count.

Yes, this is new (at least the part about excluding employment as a full-time student).

 

[jes_ON]

However, there is still no direct mention of the added clause in CIC website or application guides. I would rather wait for senior members of the forum to comment on this.

Yes, there is - see "Work Experience Requirements" in the new application guide -
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/5609ETOC.asp

Note: Any periods of self-employment, unauthorized work, or periods of employment during which you were engaged in full-time study (e.g. work experience gained on a co-op, off-campus or on-campus work permit) will not be included when calculating the period of qualifying work experience. You must have had temporary resident status during the period of work experience acquired in Canada.

 

[chi_1988]

I think the most important part is

If you are a student and graduated from a Canadian post-secondary institution, you can gain the work experience required for CEC through the Post-Graduate Work Permit.

So any other work experience obtained without the Post-Graduate work permit is invalid regardless of the NOC number.

I hope it wont affect old applications that will be evaluated this year *praying*

 

[jes_ON]

these kind of conditions were not explicitly stated in the old CEC application?

Before, self-employment and (obviously) unauthorized work were excluded. As well, in the old "post graduate stream", work had to be completed AFTER graduation. So - for the most part, yes - but it is now much more clear cut.
Working while a full-time student is now specifically excluded.

 

[jes_ON]

I have the old guide lines for the CEC application:

Experience requirements
Experience: Work experience as a Temporary Foreign Worker
You must have obtained the equivalent of 24 months of full-time or full-time equivalent (one week is
37.5 hours of work) Canadian skilled work experience at NOC Skill Type 0, or Skill Level A or B. This
work experience must have been acquired in Canada (within 36 months preceding the date the
application is made*).
You do not have to be employed at the time of the application.

Note: Any periods of self-employment or unauthorized work cannot be included when calculating
the period of work experience. You must have temporary resident status during the period of work
experience.--------------

it is clear that work experience during study is not mentioned in the old system. Hopefuly it does work for the old applicants.

Well.. those are the rules for the foreign worker stream. The relevant rules would have been those for the post-graduate stream. Take another look

The new rules simplifies things - 2 streams have been eliminated, only one set of rules.