Express Entry question

[KatyS]

Hello,

I am here on an IEC work permit, want to apply for Express Entry but would appreciate some advice, as it is not straight forwards for me.

My work permit runs until mid January 2020 but I have only just been offered a position now (I had a personal situation come up in the UK which meant that I triggered my work permit this January gone but was only able to return to Canada in October).

This means that I am going to have only gained the year of work experience required for CEC Express Entry weeks before I am due to leave. With this in mind, I was wondering whether I should apply for Express Entry through the normal route or I could still apply through CEC? What happens in these situations?

I was also wondering if annual leave included from my contract would be discounted against the year if eif experience required?

Finally, I was wondering whether my employer would need to provide a LMIA if I were to apply for Express Entry through the traditional route, even though I am here on a IEC permit?

I have also heard about employers nominating employees as provincial nominees. Would this be a big deal for an employer, in terms of cost and work? Would it just be a case of me asking them?

I have a degree and masters. I also have five years' experience as a manager in tech, albeit with different role titles (i.e. Product Owner, Product Manager, Project Manager - the difference is semantics really but I'm not sure if this would negatively affect my application). So when I do the calculation online, I broadly clear the points needed.

I would love to stay and am trying to salvage what has been quite a stressful situation but can't seem to find the answers I need, so any help you can give me would be very much appreciated.

Thanks all for your time,

Katy

 

[jes_ON]

I am here on an IEC work permit, want to apply for Express Entry but would appreciate some advice, as it is not straight forwards for me.

My work permit runs until mid January 2020 but I have only just been offered a position now (I had a personal situation come up in the UK which meant that I triggered my work permit this January gone but was only able to return to Canada in October).

This means that I am going to have only gained the year of work experience required for CEC Express Entry weeks before I am due to leave. With this in mind, I was wondering whether I should apply for Express Entry through the normal route or I could still apply through CEC?

Not sure what you mean by "normal route." FSW, CEC, and FST programs all go through Express Entry now, it is their "normal route."

If you mean, you are eligible now under the FSW program, there is no reason you can't apply for that now.

What happens in these situations?
If you mean, you complete eligibility under CEC right before your work permit expires, people have 2 options - get another work permit, or leave Canada until their PR application is approved.

I was also wondering if annual leave included from my contract would be discounted against the year if eif experience required?
You mean, vacation time? Yes, that is considered "employment", you do not have to deduct that from your time (assuming it is a reasonable amount). If you get more than 2 weeks of vacation time, it is good to have that listed in your Letter of Employment as part of your remuneration.

Depending on how much time you have between completing your one year and the expiry of your work permit, it is sometimes feasible to submit the profile, get the Invitation to apply (ITA), submit your electronic Application for Permanent Residence (eAPR), and get the email confirmation in time (in time means before your work permit expires) to submit a Bridging Open Work Permit application. You would be able to resume working as soon as the BOWP is approved, however you would have to stay in Canada as a visitor until then.

Finally, I was wondering whether my employer would need to provide a LMIA if I were to apply for Express Entry through the traditional route, even though I am here on a IEC permit?
The only reason your employer needs an LMIA is to hire a foreign worker through the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program. However, if your employer did apply for an LMIA (and is approved) you would not only be eligible to apply for a new work permit, but you would get an extra 50 points in your CRS score, although it sounds like you don't need the extra points. But that is the best path to a new work permit that would allow you to stay in Canada and work.

I have also heard about employers nominating employees as provincial nominees. Would this be a big deal for an employer, in terms of cost and work? Would it just be a case of me asking them?
Requirements vary for PNP by province. There are traditional (paper-based) PNP programs that are a PITA because they take so long, most of the employer-based streams fall in that category. If you qualify now under the FSW, that is what I would recommend.

I have a degree and masters. I also have five years' experience as a manager in tech, albeit with different role titles (i.e. Product Owner, Product Manager, Project Manager - the difference is semantics really but I'm not sure if this would negatively affect my application). So when I do the calculation online, I broadly clear the points needed.

Keep in mind you only get points for the work experience you can document. If that is not a problem, you should check your eligibility now:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/works.html

This link will tell you more about what you need to do to apply (past the invitation stage).
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/permanent-residence/express-entry/applications-received-on-after-january-1-2016-completeness-check.html

 

[tessa2105]

My work permit runs until mid January 2020 but I have only just been offered a position now (I had a personal situation come up in the UK which meant that I triggered my work permit this January gone but was only able to return to Canada in October).

Have you actually started working now? If you continuously worked 30+ hours per week for 12 months it is possible to apply for PR before your IEC permit expiring and then apply for a BOWP and be eligible to stay and continue working in Canada. The only thing is ITA draws occur approximately every 2 weeks, so you could be tight with time.

It looks like you may be eligible for the FSW worker stream now if you worked in a single role for at least 1 year continuously.