Express Entry and NAFTA

[pixelfrontier]

I just finished filling out my EE profile and now I'm logging in and realising no points have been awarded to me for arranged employment even though I have been working in Canada since October 2013. I am a NAFTA professional, and as such my employer didn't have to issue any LMIA when they hired me. This is retarded since I have been working just as hard or harder than my other non-Canadian coworkers who came here from different countries and had LMIAs issued for them...

So I have three questions, if someone could please help me out here I would be very thankful:

1. Is there any way I can get the 600 points of arranged employment even if I'm a NAFTA professional? Can I ask my employer to get me a LMIA for instance? Would that take forever or be very expensive for them? Is that even possible?

2. I am bilingual in English and French and have pretty good scores in all EE sections except for education since I didn't get an ECA for my studies (I didn't think it would be necessary since I have been working in Canada for longer than a year and have a job offer that expires in 2016!), but even if I get my ECA there will be many people with LMIAs who would be scoring way higher than me, does that mean there's no chance at all for me to ever be selected for PR under EE?

3. If I hold a master's degree and a bachelor's degree would I have to get an ECA for both of them or only for my master's?

 

[doubleym]

I just finished filling out my EE profile and now I'm logging in and realising no points have been awarded to me for arranged employment even though I have been working in Canada since October 2013. I am a NAFTA professional, and as such my employer didn't have to issue any LMIA when they hired me. This is retarded since I have been working just as hard or harder than my other non-Canadian coworkers who came here from different countries and had LMIAs issued for them...

So I have three questions, if someone could please help me out here I would be very thankful:

1. Is there any way I can get the 600 points of arranged employment even if I'm a NAFTA professional? Can I ask my employer to get me a LMIA for instance? Would that take forever or be very expensive for them? Is that even possible?

2. I am bilingual in English and French and have pretty good scores in all EE sections except for education since I didn't get an ECA for my studies (I didn't think it would be necessary since I have been working in Canada for longer than a year and have a job offer that expires in 2016!), but even if I get my ECA there will be many people with LMIAs who would be scoring way higher than me, does that mean there's no chance at all for me to ever be selected for PR under EE?

3. If I hold a master's degree and a bachelor's degree would I have to get an ECA for both of them or only for my master's?

I've been here working on open work permits for two years and am in the same boat. It's just the way it is I'm afraid, you'd have to get your employer to obtain an LMIA to get that extra 600 points.

However it sounds like you'd score highly on base points anyway so there is no reason to expect you'll never get drawn. I'd get an ECA done soon though, I had to send both my BSc and MSc off to WES for assessment.

Because obtaining new LMIAs is very difficult and the PNP system is all over the place at least for the initial few draws I'd expect many people to get in under base points.

 

[akhil5293]

I've been here working on open work permits for two years and am in the same boat. It's just the way it is I'm afraid, you'd have to get your employer to obtain an LMIA to get that extra 600 points.

However it sounds like you'd score highly on base points anyway so there is no reason to expect you'll never get drawn. I'd get an ECA done soon though, I had to send both my BSc and MSc off to WES for assessment.

Because obtaining new LMIAs is very difficult and the PNP system is all over the place at least for the initial few draws I'd expect many people to get in under base points.

Hi!!
How we suppose to do the Education Assessment!

Can you help me out!

 

[doubleym]

Hi!!
How we suppose to do the Education Assessment!

Can you help me out!

http://www.wes.org/ca/fswp/

 

[pixelfrontier]

Thanks for your reply doubleym. I'm so disappointed in this EE program. It feels even racist I would say since this means that all of us NAFTA professionals who have been working in Canada for a while on a perfectly valid work permit are awarded no points at all for arranged employment just because we come from either Mexico or the US and our employers didn't need to get a LMIA to hire us. Thanks for the advice about the ECA, I paid for it yesterday and started requesting documents from my Universities yesterday too. Hopefully I'll have it done by the time of the 2nd draw this 2015, whenever that might be.

 

[CholoCan]

Any update regarding this issue? I am also NAFTA visa and have a permanent full time position in Canada (more than a year working). I was about to apply and noticed the LMIA exempt. Do I really need to ask my employee to get an LMIA? +

 

[kora]

I am also working as a professional. I am a open work permit holder which will expire on july 2016.

I am a indian citizen and i m in canada as a open work permit holder.

May i covered under NAFTA professional. As they mention aliens are covered if they have valid status ?

Please reply that May I covered under NAFTA professional.

Because i want to extend work permit and need to choose option that "I am working under international agreement"

 

[PMM]

HI

I am also working as a professional. I am a open work permit holder which will expire on july 2016.

I am a indian citizen and i m in canada as a open work permit holder.

May i covered under NAFTA professional. As they mention aliens are covered if they have valid status ?

Please reply that May I covered under NAFTA professional.

Because i want to extend work permit and need to choose option that "I am working under international agreement"

No, for a NAFTA work permit you have to be either a Canadian, American or Mexican citizen