Canadian Experience Class or PNP Under Opportunities Ontario

[umairq00]

Hey Everyone!

I've been gathering a lot of information on both the procedures of Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Opportunities Ontario - Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). I'm currently in a situation that I can apply under the International Student with a Job Offer Stream or wait till one year and apply under the CEC stream. I've made a spreadsheet showing the comparison of both these procedures. It can be found here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aqgxt0uXQETXdFJxa3ZMejV5VGZmd3ZKcDE0bTQxREE&usp=sharing

- It is evident and clear that PNP is very much costly as compared to the CEC stream.

- The only advantage I can see is the processing time. One who applied under PNP can get a PR early as compared to the one who applied under CEC.

- I used the maximum processing time as mentioned on the relevant websites. For example: I have used the whole 90 days for processing the initial application forms under PNP stream.

- The requirements for the PNP stream is also complicated. Many forms have to be submitted through the mutual understandings of the employer as well as employee.

Kindly check the spreadsheet and insert your comments and point out any mistake(s) I made due to misunderstanding and advise which procedure should be followed. I personally think that CEC is a better option. I have a 3 year valid Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) so I'm good with keeping a valid status in Canada.

Also, an important thing is that the nominees allocated (about 1,300) have already been processed for this year of 2013. Now all the applications submitted will be processed starting from January 2014 on the first come first serve basis. I just can't see any clear advantage applying through PNP-Opportunities Ontario Program.

Your valuable comments would be highly appreciated.

Thanks,

 

[scarletsally]

I have no experience with Ontario PNP but we applied for BC PNP. I also applied for FSW with job offer before but our PNP application was process wayyyyy faster (11 months to get PPR). That's not including the 2 month wait for BC to approve our PNP application.

BC PNP is only $550 though compared to Ontario's $1500...

Only reason we went with BC PNP is because when we applied, bridging work permit wasn't available yet, and we didn't want to be hassled with the issue of getting an LMO over and over again. Be prepared for your PR to take anywhere from 1 - 3 years so if you can renew your work permit easily for the next 4 years or so (like the bridge open work permit!) then you can choose whichever route you like. CEC looks better in my opinion.

 

[umairq00]

Thank you very much scarletsally for your input! Yes, the cost the main factor in this case. I am quite sure the process should not exceed three years in either of these procedures.

Your response is very much appreciated. Let's see if any other experienced persons have anything to say about that.

Regards,

 

[umairq00]

One more very important calculation I made for the CEC stream! Quoting the statement from CIC website below:

You must have at least 12 months of full-time, or an equal amount in part-time, skilled work experience. Full-time work means at least 30 hours of paid work per week.

It was extracted from the below link:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/cec/apply-who.asp

My point is that at least 30 hours per week is considered full-time work. Meaning that when the 1,440 hours are completed {(30 hours)*(4 weeks)*(12 months)}, one can apply under the CEC stream. Almost all of the full-time jobs require 40 hours a week. So after doing simple math, this means that the target of 1,440 hours can be reached in about 9 months if one normally works 40 hours a week.

So I conclude that one can apply after 9 months of doing 40 hours a week, and should not wait for 12 months to complete. Please let me know if that seems to be the case.

Thanks,

 

[stuapp]

Hey,

In the spreadsheet, you did not include Cost to take IELTS under PNP.
Currently, fees is $295.

Thanks.

 

[umairq00]

Hi stuapp,

I considered the International Student with a Job Offer stream. IELTS is not required in this. It is required in the Masters Stream where you don't have to have the job offer.

Regards,

 

[scarletsally]

One more very important calculation I made for the CEC stream! Quoting the statement from CIC website below:

It was extracted from the below link:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/cec/apply-who.asp

My point is that at least 30 hours per week is considered full-time work. Meaning that when the 1,440 hours are completed {(30 hours)*(4 weeks)*(12 months)}, one can apply under the CEC stream. Almost all of the full-time jobs require 40 hours a week. So after doing simple math, this means that the target of 1,440 hours can be reached in about 9 months if one normally works 40 hours a week.

So I conclude that one can apply after 9 months of doing 40 hours a week, and should not wait for 12 months to complete. Please let me know if that seems to be the case.

Thanks,

In my opinion, it means you have to have worked a minimum of 12 months in a full-time position, whereas a full time position meaning your work hours are at least 30 hours a week, but can also be 40 hours a week...so...it goes like this...

> Check if employee is full time
>>Is Hours worked per week >=30 hours? (yes....50 hours or so per week)
>>>If yes, is months worked >= 12 months?
>>>>>If yes, then eligible
>>If hours worked < 30 hours per week
>>>Not eligible

Sorry if it's confusing...I'm a programmer lol but the minimum requirement is 12 months and the pre-requirement to that is that it must be 12 months in a full-time capacity.

 

[umairq00]

Thanks again scarletsally for your input!

I have the following counter arguments:

- Let's say for the sake of argument that CIC will check the number of months, not the hours. So if a person works 25 or even 29 hours in a week, that particular week won't be counted towards the 12 months period? That seems unfair.

- In my opinion, the basic unit for doing the calculations should be the number of hours. There is also mentioned "equal amount in part-time" at the CIC website. How will this be calculated then?

- Also, in the main application form for CEC application, the number of hours is asked pertaining to each job done.

Do you have a confirmation from CIC? I gotta clear this up from them.

Regards,

 

[scarletsally]

Thanks again scarletsally for your input!

I have the following counter arguments:

- Let's say for the sake of argument that CIC will check the number of months, not the hours. So if a person works 25 or even 29 hours in a week, that particular week won't be counted towards the 12 months period? That seems unfair.

- In my opinion, the basic unit for doing the calculations should be the number of hours. There is also mentioned "equal amount in part-time" at the CIC website. How will this be calculated then?

- Also, in the main application form for CEC application, the number of hours is asked pertaining to each job done.

Do you have a confirmation from CIC? I gotta clear this up from them.

Regards,

Have you tried the Eligibility tool? They as for years, not hours:
How much full time (or equivalent to full time) skilled work experience do you have in Canada?
>No experience
>Less than 1 year
>Between 1-2 years in the alst 3 years
>1-2 years over 3 years
>More than 2 years in the last 3 years
>More than 2 years over 3 years ago
>At least 1 year in the past 10 years


And here's the "info" bar to help you answer that question:

Help

Generally, skilled work experience is associated with:

• managerial jobs;
• professional jobs; or
• technical jobs and skilled trades.

"Full-time work" means you work at least 30 paid hours a week.

"Equivalent to full-time" means that if you add up your hours of paid work, they make up at least 30 a week. For example, 15 part-time hours a week for 2 years is equivalent to one year of full-time work.

So, it means as long as you hit working 30 hours a week, then it's counted as full time, and you may include that when you're counting for number of years you've worked. See the example they gave in the CIC website as I've quoted: For example, 15 part-time hours a week for 2 years is equivalent to one year of full-time work.

But these are all speculations and who knows, CIC always changes the rules. A friend of mine applied for CEC when he reached 2 years though (it used to be two years) although he was working 40 hours. Again, better call CIC to verify this.

 

[umairq00]

Keeping in mind that the eligibility tool is very much generic - I just answered various questions and gave my answer to the "work experience in Canada" question as "less than one year". Still it recommended the CEC stream at the end.

I will dig deep and try to have a concrete answer from CIC.

Thanks,

 

[scarletsally]

Keeping in mind that the eligibility tool is very much generic - I just answered various questions and gave my answer to the "work experience in Canada" question as "less than one year". Still it recommended the CEC stream at the end.

I will dig deep and try to have a concrete answer from CIC.

Thanks,

I think it always defaults to recommend the CEC stream since that's the only stream you can apply for PR without anything other than canadian experience, which everyone is almost always bound to meet anyway. I don't think it ever tells you "sorry you can't apply right now", rather "oh you can apply for CEC in the future!"

 

[umairq00]

Sounds good! Thanks scarletsally. I got a couple of advice recommending CEC and one recommending PNP. I am more leaned towards CEC at the moment.

Let's see if anyone else has anything to share.

Regards,

 

[umairq00]

Got the confirmation from CIC and by the below answer in the FAQ section:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?q=664&t=6

It is indeed about number of months of experience and not about number of hours. Thanks again scarletsally for your help. But even when a 12-months experience is required for CEC, still it looks a better option than PNP.

Hope that anyone else who has a practical experience of getting PR through Opportunities Ontario-PNP stream will share his/her thoughts.

Regards,

 

[alexb]

I'm still in the process of getting PR, but I applied through the Ontario PNP. 90 days is not the maximum amount of time it will take. For me it took 8 months. It depends on what point in the year you apply, there's only a fixed amount of positions available under all PNP streams, last year it was ~1100, this years its 1300 and they get filled very quickly. Once it gets filled in, you have to wait until next year for an update to the number of available positions.

Also, under the costs for both CEC and PNP you have to include the RPRF, the Right of Permanent Residence Fee, which is $490.

 

[alexb]

Also, for the cost factor you have to include the legal fees, i.e. you have to do affidavits for some of the documents under PNP, don't know about CEC, but Im guessing the same. And then there's the translation fees, if you're not from an English-speaking country. Since PNP requires a lot more documents, the translation fees can add up pretty quickly.