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applying to become PR as a graduate student via FSW program

hyunjinc

Full Member
Oct 21, 2009
49
1
Hello,
I am a master's student at one of the Canadian universities.
I want to immigrate to Canada badly and I am wondering if my master's degree education can count as 1 year of continuous work experience (not just my work as TA/RA, but also the time I spent for my master's thesis research).
Do the research activiteis for my master's degree thesis count toward work experience?

Thanks
 

PMM

VIP Member
Jun 30, 2005
25,494
1,950
Hi

hyunjinc said:
Hello,
I am a master's student at one of the Canadian universities.
I want to immigrate to Canada badly and I am wondering if my master's degree education can count as 1 year of continuous work experience (not just my work as TA/RA, but also the time I spent for my master's thesis research).
Do the research activiteis for my master's degree thesis count toward work experience?

Thanks
No, neither counts a work experience.

PMM
 

aidandoherty

Full Member
Dec 29, 2009
38
2
Because it's not work!!! It can count towards a Canadian experience class application but I suspect you already know that and you don't have the necessary 2 years in Canada? It's not rocket science
 

hyunjinc

Full Member
Oct 21, 2009
49
1
Hi aidandoherty,
I have been living in Canada for 11 years now, I got my high school education in Canada, my BSc in Canada and now I am about to gradaute with MSc degree.
Could you explain little more about how my master's degree education (the works that I have done for my master's thesis) will count as work experience if I apply under CEC instead of FSW?

If I apply under CEC after graduating from the current MSc program, will I be able to become a permenant resident?
I am thinking of doing PhD as well.

Thanks,
 

aidandoherty

Full Member
Dec 29, 2009
38
2
Hi there I'm no expert on immigration but from what I gather, you have obtained your b. Sc in Canada and will graduate with an m. Sc? You don't have to worry about anything. Forget fsw program and apply for Canadian experience class. You only need to be in Canada for 2 years as an international student to qualify. Even your m. Sc is irrelevant in your case. You don't need any work experience to qualify, not even a day. Have you read the cec application?
 

aidandoherty

Full Member
Dec 29, 2009
38
2
Let me go read the cec guidelines again. As I said I don't know much about immigration I could be completely wrong. It wouldn't be the first time!
 

hyunjinc

Full Member
Oct 21, 2009
49
1
Are you sure? I know that for temporary foreign worker applying under CEC, they need to have 2 years of full time paid work experience, and 1 year of full time work for international student who studied for more than 16 months in Canada.
Why do you think that I will qualify for immigration visa? I don't have 1 year or 2 year of full time work experience.
 

aidandoherty

Full Member
Dec 29, 2009
38
2
Sorry buddy I'm drunk and talking nonsense. It seems that you do need the work. Hey just do a phd and then a post doc. A life in academia is a good one, the further you go you learn more and more about less and less until you know absolutely everthing about nothing at all. Sorry again. I'm an idiot!
 

jes_ON

VIP Member
Jun 22, 2009
12,088
1,421
Category........
Visa Office......
New York
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
06-May-2010
AOR Received.
13-Aug-2010
File Transfer...
01-Mar-2011
Passport Req..
30-Jun-2011
VISA ISSUED...
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03-Sep-2011
http://www.cic.gc.ca/EnGLish/immigrate/cec/apply-who.asp

CEC has 2 steams, foreign workers and students. If you study for at least 2 years in Canada and get a degree, then you only need "1 year" (or the equivalent) of post-graduate work experience to qualify for CEC, but the 1 year of work has to be completed within 2 years of graduation. If you were employed (for example as an RA or TA) while a graduate student, that work experience may count as the necessary work experience. But it all depends how recently you completed your BA...

http://www.cic.gc.ca/EnGLIsh/resources/manuals/op/op25-eng.pdf

Go to the end of the document (well, you probably should read the whole thing), Appendix B has a list of scenarios that might help clarify whether you would qualify.

For more info on CEC, post in the Canadian Experience forum...