EE after graduation

[emisaghi]

Hi everyone,

Sorry if this question has been asked before!

So, I did my Master's in Alberta and now I'm on a PGWP. I will have a full time job offer for one year in a few days. Based on what I knew from before, I wasn't eligible to apply for either one of CEC or FSW streams. However, I'm hearing from different people who are PhD students that they have been invited to apply through the EE system. Having been a graduate student, I already have an equivalent of one full time year of work experience, but that has been under my study/off-campus work permit (i.e. while I was a full-time student). I tried to check my eligibility through the CIC's website, but when it is asking for work experience it doesn't specify that the work experience should be acquired while you are not a student. So, this is my long way of asking whether I am eligible to apply for permanent residency through EE or not? My other option would be the Alberta Nominee Program, but that has a very long processing time, unfortunately.

Thanks!

 

[DelPiero07]

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=394&top=29

 

[emisaghi]

Thanks for the answer! It explicitly talks about the CEC, but what about FSW?

Thanks!

 

[jackhcd]

Thanks for the answer! It explicitly talks about the CEC, but what about FSW?

Thanks!

It you are qualified for both CEC and FSW under EE, you will automatically be categorized in CEC stream for the Invitation to Apply.

 

[kryt0n]

It you are qualified for both CEC and FSW under EE, you will automatically be categorized in CEC stream for the Invitation to Apply.

Not strictly true.

 

[emisaghi]

So, are you eligible to apply for FSW with the work experience gained through research assistantship during your master's program? Like I said, I know it says you can't for CEC, but I'm not sure about FSW.

Thanks!

 

[DelPiero07]

Any work experience during studies in Canada won't count towards skilled work experience.

 

[jackhcd]

Any work experience during studies in Canada won't count towards skilled work experience.

+1

You may also refer to the IRCC Help Centre "Can I count my work as a teaching assistant toward the work experience requirement?" (sorry I do not have an authority to post a link at this moment)

Can I count my work as a teaching assistant toward the work experience requirement?

You may be able to count experience as a teaching, research or lab assistant at a post-secondary educational institution, (see National Occupation Classification 4012) toward the work experience requirement, depending on the eligibility criteria of the programs.

If after submitting your Express Entry profile you are invited to apply, you must show that you did the job as described in the occupational description of the NOC, meaning that you did all the essential duties and most of the main duties listed. If you do not show that your experience meets the description in NOC, your application will be refused.

To be considered under the Canadian Experience Class:
You cannot count work experience you gained while enrolled as a full-time student. Your work experience must have been gained while on a valid work permit, such as the Post-Graduation Work Permit. You must have gained the equivalent amount of experience as someone who worked full-time for at least one year (1,560 hours) in the three years before you submit your Express Entry profile.

To be considered under the Federal Skilled Worker Program:
Your work experience must have been full-time (or the equivalent in part-time hours), worked continuously and paid, for at least one year in the same occupation.

 

[emisaghi]

+1

You may also refer to the IRCC Help Centre "Can I count my work as a teaching assistant toward the work experience requirement?" (sorry I do not have an authority to post a link at this moment)

Can I count my work as a teaching assistant toward the work experience requirement?

You may be able to count experience as a teaching, research or lab assistant at a post-secondary educational institution, (see National Occupation Classification 4012) toward the work experience requirement, depending on the eligibility criteria of the programs.

If after submitting your Express Entry profile you are invited to apply, you must show that you did the job as described in the occupational description of the NOC, meaning that you did all the essential duties and most of the main duties listed. If you do not show that your experience meets the description in NOC, your application will be refused.

To be considered under the Canadian Experience Class:
You cannot count work experience you gained while enrolled as a full-time student. Your work experience must have been gained while on a valid work permit, such as the Post-Graduation Work Permit. You must have gained the equivalent amount of experience as someone who worked full-time for at least one year (1,560 hours) in the three years before you submit your Express Entry profile.

To be considered under the Federal Skilled Worker Program:
Your work experience must have been full-time (or the equivalent in part-time hours), worked continuously and paid, for at least one year in the same occupation.

Thanks for posting this. This is exactly where things get messy! It says you may be able! It explicitly says you can't use it towards the CEC, but doesn't say anything about FSW!

 

[DelPiero07]

There's nothing messy about it.

Work experience during studies in Canada does not count.

Work experience during studies outside of Canada does count.