How to ask IRCC to waive imminent points loss due to COVID? (Please help - I need these 5 points!)

[PrudentVillage]

Hello everyone,

Quite an unusual one here, but here goes:

My streams is FSWP and I'm currently just about scraping 467/8-70 on the points estimator. As I am 31, I am getting 99 points for age but, once I turn 32 on Oct10th, this will drop 5 points to 94; thus reducing my projection to the c.463 mark. I am worried that the likelihood of a FSWP CRS cut-off score falling to the low 460s again is slim at best (but waiting to be corrected on this if I'm wrong?).

My sticking point is my IELTS exam, which I was due to take on June20th, before all exams were cancelled/postponed until the autumn at the test centre in question due to the pandemic.

As you will all know, it is not possible to bank an Express Entry profile without a completed IELTS exam. Had I sat my IELTS on 20/6, as English is my first language, I would have been able to bank my Express Entry profile later that day (under the assumption I would have scored full marks in all categories), and, would have therefore been in contention for the FSWP draws on Jul8th & Aug5th respectively. Granted the CRS cut-offs for these were 478 & 476, but perhaps my projection could have been out by a few points, and, I may have made it through by the skin of my teeth.

There have also been 3 PNP draws since Jun20th, which I again may have been able to make it through to.

I will be sitting my new IELTS exam on Sep12th - 84 days after my previous scheduled (and confirmed) exam was meant to take place, but, was cancelled due to COVID.

My question is this:

In light of the above, does anyone think there may be any scope whatsoever (aka. however slim) to potentially request from the IRCC an "84 day exemption" from the 5 point score loss I will suffer on 10/10 due my turning 32, whereby said 5 point loss could instead be deducted from my profile on 2/01/2021 - 84 days after Oct10th? Or: is such a request simply wishful thinking, and instead, I should just man up; dust myself down and move on?

My main reason for asking is because, due to my "advanced" age, I really do need these 5 points, and obviously there wasn't anything I could do re. COVID.

I have irrefutable evidence to prove my original IELTS exam was due to take place on Jun20th.

Also: if there were to be any scope with this, would anyone know who best to contact regarding it? Ie: en e-mail at the IRCC or a specific department or employee? Again any/all help will be most appreciated.

Huge thanks in advance for any/all help on this and wishing you all luck for the next FSWP & PNP draws... I literally couldn't be cutting it any finer. I hope I haven't left it too late!

 

[akmh1b]

It's a sad situation, plenty of others have lost points as well due to age. Some folks who would have received ITA had caronavirus not happened, IRCC stopping fsw draws and their age meant they lost points. In such a situation even if you request IRCC will not be able to award the points you are looking for.

 

[Islander216]

I don't think there is any scope, as unfortunate as the situation is.

The reason being if they do it for you then they have to do it for everyone, and then it becomes difficult to sort out who is legitimately asking for an exemption and who is not. And it just becomes a lot more work for them.

It sucks but i don't think they will consider this.

 

[PrudentVillage]

It's a sad situation, plenty of others have lost points as well due to age. Some folks who would have received ITA had caronavirus not happened, IRCC stopping fsw draws and their age meant they lost points. In such a situation even if you request IRCC will not be able to award the points you are looking for.

Ok. I was expecting this to be fair. I have an ARRIMA profile banked with MIFI also. Despite Quebec being a fortress, I'm now starting to think my prospects of being able to get past MIFI may be higher due to the cut-off for Quebec being lower. I am passing for Quebec, and Montréal is where I'd love to go. As I'm sure you know, MIFI also don't dock points up to 35, so, I'm getting the max of 14 points for age.

I really hope I can manage to wing this, somehow...

 

[PrudentVillage]

I don't think there is any scope, as unfortunate as the situation is.

The reason being if they do it for you then they have to do it for everyone, and then it becomes difficult to sort out who is legitimately asking for an exemption and who is not. And it just becomes a lot more work for them.

It sucks but i don't think they will consider this.

thanks for your contribution; it's appreciated. Oh well. I will have just shy of a month between Sep12th & Oct10th.

I wonder what the chances are of there being a FSW draw over that 28 day period with a CRS cut-off of c.468-70.....

 

[dd23]

thanks for your contribution; it's appreciated. Oh well. I will have just shy of a month between Sep12th & Oct10th.

I wonder what the chances are of there being a FSW draw over that 28 day period with a CRS cut-off of c.468-70.....

If draws pick up b/w now and your birthday, maybe a good chance.

 

[Islander216]

They can also start increasing draw sizes in order to try to meet their target for the year, in which cases cut-off scores will decrease.

 

[orwell46]

Ok. I was expecting this to be fair. I have an ARRIMA profile banked with MIFI also. Despite Quebec being a fortress, I'm now starting to think my prospects of being able to get past MIFI may be higher due to the cut-off for Quebec being lower. I am passing for Quebec, and Montréal is where I'd love to go. As I'm sure you know, MIFI also don't dock points up to 35, so, I'm getting the max of 14 points for age.

I really hope I can manage to wing this, somehow...

Are there any advantages with Quebec PR if one has french language proficiency? Also, what is MIFI please?

 

[nns14]

@PrudentVillage I am sorry about your situation. COVID has disrupted many of us. My application was going quite well in Jan, Feb this year (My AOR Sep last year), but suddenly my LVO stopped all work in March and I have been waiting since. I was expecting to be in CAN by now but ohh well. My CAN preparations started way back Feb 2018! Unfortunately, unlike you, English is not my first language or even second so had struggles with IELTS and took me 9 months to clear it.

Anyways, the journey is long and tedious, but your planning is great and you seem to know the process well. I am sure you will get through at some point in 2020.

 

[PrudentVillage]

@PrudentVillage I am sorry about your situation. COVID has disrupted many of us. My application was going quite well in Jan, Feb this year (My AOR Sep last year), but suddenly my LVO stopped all work in March and I have been waiting since. I was expecting to be in CAN by now but ohh well. My CAN preparations started way back Feb 2018! Unfortunately, unlike you, English is not my first language or even second so had struggles with IELTS and took me 9 months to clear it.

Anyways, the journey is long and tedious, but your planning is great and you seem to know the process well. I am sure you will get through at some point in 2020.

I wish you look in getting through. What is AOR btw? and LVO? Not heard of these expressions before. I agree IELTS is bloody tough. Even for me. The reading section is ridiculous. I am telling you - as a native speaker - that the passages are unnecessarily difficult and complicated. Reading them gives me an absolute headache, and the reading section is by far the most difficult to pass. You won't ever find passages written to such a degree of complexity in real life. I personally think this is a farce. For instance, if they just copied an excerpt from a standard English language magazine, such as National Geographic, and based the questions from this, it would be much fairer. I have yet to do the mock listening, speaking or writing tests but I expect they'll be fine for me.

Thanks so much for your kind wishes re. getting through this year. I really am planning the hell out of this. I first had the idea in May 2019 and stalled quite a bit due to indecisiveness and work commitments. So, I think given the timeframe that's been in it, my progression has been relatively ok. I'm so set on the plan though. I'd love to spend the rest of my life in CA, if not just the remainder of the decade. Let's see if I can.

Where in CA would you like to aim to move to first?

 

[PrudentVillage]

Are there any advantages with Quebec PR if one has french language proficiency? Also, what is MIFI please?

Well of course. Though if you're asking this, you probably need to spend a lot more time researching how the Quebec system works. Quebec is the hardest province to gain PR from/get into. Your French will help but it will depend on what level you're on (unless of course you're a native speaker/bilingual?). Though I'm quite confident MIFI will appreciate any effort on the part of the applicant to learn/improve their French. I'm about to sit an A2 DELF. It won't get me any points on Quebec's scoring grid but I'm hoping they may appreciate the effort and consider my ARRIMA.

If you don't know what MIFI is, like I said; you'd best start researching

 

[PrudentVillage]

They can also start increasing draw sizes in order to try to meet their target for the year, in which cases cut-off scores will decrease.

can you clarify what you mean by increasing draw sizes? From what I've researched, the more applicants in the pool - or, the higher the number of applicants in a draw - the higher the CRS cut-off becomes? Or am I completely wrong on this?

or do you mean if they start increasing draw frequencies?

 

[nns14]

I wish you look in getting through. What is AOR btw? and LVO? Not heard of these expressions before. I agree IELTS is bloody tough. Even for me. The reading section is ridiculous. I am telling you - as a native speaker - that the passages are unnecessarily difficult and complicated. Reading them gives me an absolute headache, and the reading section is by far the most difficult to pass. You won't ever find passages written to such a degree of complexity in real life. I personally think this is a farce. For instance, if they just copied an excerpt from a standard English language magazine, such as National Geographic, and based the questions from this, it would be much fairer. I have yet to do the mock listening, speaking or writing tests but I expect they'll be fine for me.

Thanks so much for your kind wishes re. getting through this year. I really am planning the hell out of this. I first had the idea in May 2019 and stalled quite a bit due to indecisiveness and work commitments. So, I think given the timeframe that's been in it, my progression has been relatively ok. I'm so set on the plan though. I'd love to spend the rest of my life in CA, if not just the remainder of the decade. Let's see if I can.

Where in CA would you like to aim to move to first?

AOR : Acknowledgment Of Reciept. This is the day you have submitted the visa application.
VO: Visa Office is the office that is currently processing your visa application.
LVO: Local Visa Office. End October 2019, my file was transferred from Canada VO to my LVO (Nairobi, Kenya) for load redistribution reason.

These are terms you will get familiar once you are either about to file the visa application or already filed it.

IELTS is crazy. Strangely though Reading was not much of an issue for me, but Writing was why I kept repeating the exam. My biggest issue was grammar, but you won't face that since you are native. Reading is all about time management, so even if you are native but slow reader you will suffer. Have strict timeline for each section. Some of the sections require skimming for details (earlier sections). Speaking was very simple. Listening was not hard and in most cases I was able to get 8 and above, but I practiced a lot since it was very strange for me to write and listen at the same time.

Yes, it is all about having a plan and stick to it. Immigration process is not easy and not for the fainted hearts. You will experience different emotions throughout the process but be determined and don't lose hope. Do what is in your power and hope for the best. I remember some people that were so hopeless in 2019 because the CRS points they had were between 438 and 440 and the selection CRS points never reached that in the whole of 2019, but for the first time in a year and half, after a back to back draw, Canada did a draw on 28 (I think) January 2020 with cut off score of 438!!! They got invited for visa application. So, never give up and keep doing what is in your power. I know it is difficult time to travel but see if neighbouring countries have centers opened.

 

[PrudentVillage]

AOR : Acknowledgment Of Reciept. This is the day you have submitted the visa application.
VO: Visa Office is the office that is currently processing your visa application.
LVO: Local Visa Office. End October 2019, my file was transferred from Canada VO to my LVO (Nairobi, Kenya) for load redistribution reason.

These are terms you will get familiar once you are either about to file the visa application or already filed it.

IELTS is crazy. Strangely though Reading was not much of an issue for me, but Writing was why I kept repeating the exam. My biggest issue was grammar, but you won't face that since you are native. Reading is all about time management, so even if you are native but slow reader you will suffer. Have strict timeline for each section. Some of the sections require skimming for details (earlier sections). Speaking was very simple. Listening was not hard and in most cases I was able to get 8 and above, but I practiced a lot since it was very strange for me to write and listen at the same time.

Yes, it is all about having a plan and stick to it. Immigration process is not easy and not for the fainted hearts. You will experience different emotions throughout the process but be determined and don't lose hope. Do what is in your power and hope for the best. I remember some people that were so hopeless in 2019 because the CRS points they had were between 438 and 440 and the selection CRS points never reached that in the whole of 2019, but for the first time in a year and half, after a back to back draw, Canada did a draw on 28 (I think) January 2020 with cut off score of 438!!! They got invited for visa application. So, never give up and keep doing what is in your power. I know it is difficult time to travel but see if neighbouring countries have centers opened.

As a native English speaker - I categorically + absolutely disagree with you that the Reading section is about time management. I make my point again that if the passages weren't so ridiculously and intentionally complex, the time-management issue you speak of wouldn't be an issue. I read at lightning pace. What my brain struggles with - as I'm sure most do - is completely ridiculously complicated and unnecessary information which has absolutely zero rounding in reality or day-to-day scenarios. Case-in-point: if we're to take one of their train station "information leaflets": you will never, ever, ever find a "train station information" leaflet written like this. You just won't. I live in London. and I'm telling you that you won't. So, you can either believe me, or don't. Your choice

Thanks for your advice for IELTS; I am completing 'Rd to IELTS' so am well researched on the recommended techniques. Having said this, I just scored 28/40 in the mock listening test! I can't wait to see that answer sheet to see how pedantically out by an eighth I was on 12 answers....

I assure you I'm the last person you need to advise on perseverance but thanks.

neighbouring countries? Until I get an Invitation to Apply, I'm dealing exclusively with MIFI & IRCC....

 

[PrudentVillage]

after a back to back draw, Canada did a draw on 28 (I think) January 2020 with cut off score of 438!!!

I'm not sure from where you're getting this information, but it's incorrect. The lowest CRS cut-off score this year so far has been 415 and this was for FST only. The next lowest scores, ranging from 431-67, were all CEC only.

The lowest FSWP cut-off for 2020 has been 470 on Feb19th. The draw on Jan22nd had a cut-off of 471. There was no draw on Jan28th.

From where are you getting your info.?