NOC 0213 - eligability?

[RupertM]

Hi everyone, still trying to get my head around all this so apologies if i've repeated myself or other people's posts...

I've been an IT worker for around about 13 years and want to apply under NOC 0213.

For the first 4 years I worked in a permie role (1997-2001), starting as a DBA (NOC 2172 I believe) for 2 years before moving through the ranks to become Infrastructure Manager, taking care of many of the tasks associated with NOC 0213.

Then I was Technical Systems Manager for another company for two years (2001 - 2003), before contracting (through my own ltd company) as a DBA (2003-2007)

Between 2007 - 2009 I worked, as a contractor, as Technical Director, which again has many of the NOC 0213 elements, I think.

The question is, what kind of evidence will CIC want?

I've been self employed for about 8 years now - some of the clients i've worked for will give references, but some won't (although the recruitment agency will).

I know that the company I worked for between 1997 - 2001 went bust a couple of years ago - the old director from there recently gave me a reference, but will CIC accept a reference from him?

What kind of checks do CIC do themselves?

Sorry this post is a bit of a mess - I want to make sure everything's in order before I apply...

Many thanks
Rup

 

[RupertM]

I guess what i'm really asking is:

What documentational evidence will CHC require to validate my 2013 application?
To what extent will they go about confirming the documentation? (call the HR department? call senior managment? check payslips? check the pay actually going into my bank account?)

Thanks
Rup

 

[rupeshhari]

I am not in this situation but here is what I would do.

Imagine you are interviewing a person for a job and this person is in your current situation. How would you want him to prove that he has done what he says he has done. I see client testimonial as a good idea, pay slip should be good because that should give indication of the level of work (as is tax documents indicating pay), maybe the registration of your company for the last few years (that shows the company does exist and the tax document for the company shows it is profitable). So when you worked as a contractor, you obviously worked for someone as a contractor and there should be a contract that you made with them, produce that contract and a letter from that client, i think that should work to prove that you are 0213. After that you have to show that you have enough skill type 0,A,B experience for points and you can do that by getting letters from people you worked before.

 

[jes_ON]

RupertM,

First - re-read the standard directions. Only experience within the past 10 years is considered, so forget anything before 2000.

Second - what is your local visa office? The visa-office specific instructions sometimes have more detailed information on the documentation required for that particular office.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/EnGLIsh/inFORMation/applications/skilled-mission.asp

Third - It is inexplicably difficult to get ANY information on how to document self-employment experience. There is only one reference that I have been able to find regarding documenting self-employment - that's in the visa office-specific instructions for New Delhi -
http://www.cic.gc.ca/EnGLIsh/pdf/kits/guides/E37029.pdf

For some reason, I guess the rest of the world doesn't even think of the self-employed. When I was preparing my FSW application (for Buffalo-USA), I followed the New Delhi instructions (unfortunately, after all that work, I couldn't submit, so I can't tell you how it was accepted).

You're in better shape if you've consistently worked as a contractor for the same firms, since that will be fewer references to run down. But basically, the letter of reference from a client firm should contain the same level of detail required from an employer...

In addition to those letters, I prepared notarized copies of my contracts (that spelled out responsibilities), notarized copies of my detailed invoices (tasks performed, deliverables), notarized copies of my many 1099-MISC statements over the 10 years (US/IRS version of client-reported wages paid to contractors), and copies of my federal income tax returns indicating self-employed income. The stack of documentation was about 2 inches thick . But hey, that's what they get based on what they asked for (or in the complete absence of information).

I also wrote a letter summarizing my self-employment experience, listing my clients and contacts. And I included a table to ease the burden of calculation on the poor immigration officer (who would've had to calculate equivalent years of full-time experience on the basis of that documentation). Since "full-time" employment is 37.5 hours per week, or 1950 hours per year (self-employed get screwed out of counting "vacation" hours), for each client I counted up the total hours billed over the years and then calculated the equivalent in terms of full-time hours based on the above formula. All my work was under a single NOC, but if yours covers different NOCs, you might want to do that by each NOC.

As for the question of whether you can be considered a "manager" when you are an independent contractor... you got me, but I think it's a stretch. You'll have to have strong documentary evidence that the tasks and responsibilities you performed were similar to those described by the NOC code. If for some reason most of the other employees were also independent contractors and you performed some supervisory role over them, you might have a stronger case...

 

[qorax]

I guess what i'm really asking is:

What documentational evidence will CHC require to validate my 2013 application?
To what extent will they go about confirming the documentation? (call the HR department? call senior managment? check payslips? check the pay actually going into my bank account?)

Thanks
Rup

Dear Rupert,

Your answer might be found in the CIC criteria itself:

APPLICATION ELIGIBILITY:
Your application is eligible for processing, if you meet the following minimum requirements to qualify as a skilled worker:
• You have at least 1 year of continuous full-time paid work experience (or equivalent part-time continuous); AND
• Your work experience must be Skill Type 0 (managerial) or A (professional) or B (technical) on the 38 NOC list; AND
• You must have had this experience within the last 10 years.

That is to say, if u could produce any proof that u have a 'salaried employment' for just 1 yr in the last 10 yrs, u could satisfy CIC about your eligibility. As u said, since 1997 u worked as a contractor for 8 yrs only. That means at least 4 yrs u had a straight job. U might obtain proofs for that period. That'd do the trick, won't it?

And yes, about proving those, what u yourself opined -like pay stubs, bank statements, employment contracts, promotion letters, other internal notifications, including referral letters [if any] and business cards etc would suffice. We all did that.

Besides, Rupesh & Jes doled-out a whale of info before my post, those are the types of documents the CIC is looking for. I'm pretty sure u would manage some of those for the 4 yrs period. That'd suffice. But, purely a contractor's profile might not convince the VO/IO.

I hope that helps.
All the best, buddy !

 

[RupertM]

You've all been supremely helpful!

Many, many thanks...