Here is a Copy of a member posted on trackitt, about his interview. I hope this has been helpful.
~j
CIC Interview.
The interview was not bad at all. My immigration officer was very friendly and personal. I was called to an interview because CIC questioned my education and experience. When I mailed my application, I had not officially been awarded my degree so I just mailed transcripts indicating that all degree requirements were met. During the interview I submitted my original degree (not a copy) which convinced the IO. Also, I am self-employed which make verifying my experience difficult. She did not ask to see much of the documentation I provided. She was convinced simply by chatting with me and the knowledge I had about my field. Below is a summary of the interview experience I posted on another site. Good luck to all!
I had my interview today at the Detroit consulate. I arrived about 30 minutes before my scheduled time and approached the reception window. The attendant requested my interview letter and passport. After reviewing both, he requested the items from my document list. I was very nervous at this point and my hands were shaking as I was retrieving the items and I started to fumble. After he collected all documents, he explained that the IO will call me by my last name when she is ready.
As I waited in the sitting room, I started speaking with another SW applicant from Chicago but of Nigerian origin. We discussed everything from the SW process, the Detroit area, and the politics of McCain and Obama. This helped relax me tremendously as I was going through this interview (and the entire immigration process) alone.
After about 30 minutes, I was referred to the second interview booth. I exchanged regards with the IO when she entered. She was very personable and smiled frequently while simultaneously maintaining a professional demeanor. Her next statement is, "I am here to access your skilled worker application for permanent residency."
She started passing items under the glass back to me. As she does this, she explains that she has already reviewed my documents. She said, "Many applicants assume that we do not review the documents since we return them at the start of the interview. Especially when a case is rejected, people become really upset about that.” WHAT? We’re already talking about rejection…NOOOO! However, I just nodded that I understood.
As she reviewed my birth certificate, she asked if there is any reason why the document doesn’t show my parents’ names. I explained that is how birth certificates are issued in Mississippi. She said that sometimes she has problems with that but in my case, she doesn’t.
After handing me the documents, she explains that she will be busily taking notes in the computer and writing stuff down and that she is still listening. I expected this from other interview experiences posted in this forum but I still appreciated the fact that she took the time to explain these details to me.
IO: First, let’s get the easy stuff out of the way. Do you have any family or relatives in Canada.
ME: No
IO: Do you speak any French?
ME: No
IO: Do you have an offer of employment from a company in Canada?
ME: No
IO: Are you married, have any children, spouse, or common law partner?
ME: No
IO: Great, that makes it so much easier. Let’s talk about the concerns that I have with your application. My concerns are with your education and your experience. Since I have already seen your original degree, I do not feel the need to open these transcripts unless you feel that I should.
ME: I don’t think it’s necessary as they are the same transcripts that I submitted with my application. I just brought them because they were requested with my interview letter.
I had submitted my degree to the attendant when I arrived. The IO returned it to him 5 minutes later and he told me that she was satisfied. At this point during the interview, the IO explained that she took special care not to damage the degree. She then told stories of other applicants including an Olympic athlete who brought degrees and trophies to the office and the IOs are so afraid of damaging the items. Then we chuckled a little and engaged in small talk. The conversation progressed through several tangents and we arrived at the subject of my work experience.
IO: So, you are self-employed. Tell me what exactly you do.
ME: I am a technology consultant. I meet with business managers and make recommendations on hardware, server technologies, and software purchases. I am then responsible for implementing and configuring server hardware, server software such as email and database software, client workstations, and network firewalls.
IO: How long have you been self-employed?
ME: Since September 2002
IO: How many hours per week do you usually work?
ME: Including bookkeeping and administrative task related to running the company, usually 60-65.
IO: (laughs) So you have no life.
I explain about how much I enjoy my field of work and how I have managed to solve problems, deal with the challenges of running a business, and learn from mistakes. She then asks about a bad experience during my work that I learned from. I proceed to explain the situation to her which produces follow-up questions such as “How did the client react?” After we chat about this experience for a moment, she proceeds.
IO: How do you usually find new clients?
ME: My most successful methods have been through referrals of existing clients and networking. I have maintained strong relationships with many of the existing clients for several years and they’ve referred me to other clients in the industry. So my company has built a firm base of clients since I moved to Atlanta in 2001 and started off with nothing.
IO: (Puzzled) And, you want to give up all of that and move to Canada?
ME: I have researched the job market in Canada for the past 4 years. With the recent oil boom in Alberta along with the natural resource boom in other Western provinces will provide qualified workers with many successful long term opportunities. Combine that with the fact that much of the baby boomer population is approaching retirement and will be exiting the labour market soon. These factors allow Canada’s economy to provide abundant opportunities to skilled workers for at least the next several years.
IO: (Shocked) You are thinking so long term and so far ahead. It’s as if you are approaching this as if it’s a business strategy for you. You will do well at any job interview that you attend.
ME: Thank you
IO: First, you passed this interview (relief inside from me at this point), but just from a personal level, I want to on the interview skills that you applied here. When you speak to me, you look me directly in the eye. Also, you are not moving your hands around and moving your body around as you talk. You are not shaking your hands or tapping your feet nervously. You are clear and straight-forward when you speak. You are not stuttering over your words. That shows that you are not nervous. (I was actually very nervous at first but battled the anxiety before the interview.)
ME: (overwhelmed as I didn’t expect this) Thank you so much
IO: Also, I want to tell you that this is another reason why you’ll do well in Canadian culture. You don’t interrupt me when I speak. You allow me to finish my statement and you listen before you speak. I have very little patience for adults that interrupt me and speak before I am finished.
ME: That’s part of my experience as a consultant. I must listen and understand the needs of the customer before I can do any work or else my job delivery will be poor.
IO: Have you done your medicals?
ME: No
IO: We generally don’t do medicals before the interview but I just want to make sure that I am not duplicating something that was already done. I will have my assistant prepare medical forms for you if you don’t mind waiting about 10 minutes. (She then explains the process of finding the list of doctors on the website and the process of how the medicals reach Ottawa. She strongly recommended that I use one of the courier services listed on the website as she has witnessed several incidents where passports have been lost in the mail. I thanked her for the experience and she bid me good luck. I waited in the lobby for the forms then left.)
I am hoping that my interview experience will be beneficial to others who are awaiting interviews. Here is some advice:
Dress professionally – I wore a suit and tie and this seemed to make an instant good impression on the IO
Allow the IO to direct the interview and go from there – Let the IO bring up different subjects of your file when he/she is ready. Do not start discussing something off topic.
Do not be nervous – If you are not relaxed, the IO can’t relax and will have some pre-existing negativity against you. I found that I had to forbid myself from viewing this message board a few weeks before the interview because it gave me so much anxiety. On the day of the interview, I did not have any coffee or sugar as those would have added to my nervousness.
Make eye contact with the IO and speak clearly but pleasantly – The IO made it clear that she hates when people look around the room trying to think of what to say. Before the interview, think about what you did in the past and why you did it. Think about why you want to move to Canada. Don’t discuss stuff like how you think Canada is beautiful or you want a better life. This is a skilled worker interview so explain how your skills can benefit the market.
Rehearse your interview skills with a business colleague – I got the impression from my experience and others on this board that the main purpose of the interview is for the IO to determine if you will do well in a job interview setting in Canada because she stated several times that I succeed at any interview and could find a job easily. I say this to those of you that are not from North America and may not understand cultural norms in an interview setting. If the IO feels that you will not do well in a job interview, then you have not convinced him/her that you can successfully establish yourself in Canada.
I hope that my experiences will help you to succeed in the interview. Good luck on your interview and feel free to ask questions.
