They are not slow tbh. A very large number of your cohort will get their application processed within 6 months. They do have extremely poor tech infra to manage our applications, but within those constraints, they operated very well in 2023.
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- Thread starter jyothisjohn
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they Are slow. Them sending PPRs in under 2 months during Q2, was an exception due to them being "60% overstaffed". That's how it always should be. It's called Express Entry Online application for a reason, and they should treat it as such. Case officers don't spend over 10 minutes on a single application anyway. And applicants should be able to track any movement right after AOR. Instead, we are to remain clueless and anxious for weeks without any update. Makes it more frustrating.
Case processing isn't a 10 minute job. There are at least 3-5 case processing officers involved(BIL trigger, R10 clearance, BGC checks, MEC checks, translation support through RROC, final approval that requires another officer to validate, etc).
As long as the SLA says it is 6 months to process 80% applications, best to base your expectations on top of this. Anything else is an assumption and they always hurt. You are expecting a process change that has no significant benefit to Canada(going from 6 months to 2 months in processing). Those of us who live here advocate for more meaningful changes that have next to nil chances of getting fixed(e.g. shitty healthcare or housing) - we are neither anxious nor as frustrated.
My point being, you can use the time to earn extra $10k, $100k,... to help your future settlement, make networks that can help you find jobs, think about starting a business here, etc. The most unhelpful thing any outland applicant can do right now is to worry over things that are way beyond their control.
And, I'm not just making words up. I figured out my housing, job, etc way before I landed in Canada. I ended up buying my house within the first week of landing and was able to do so much that I see most immigrants take years and years to reach. This is not a flex, but a better way of thinking about settling in an expensive country. And I think immigrants in 2024 should approach things with way more caution.
As an applicant, the current situation raises valid concerns. Some applicants are dealing with medical inadmissibility concerns for example, the opacity in the system adds an extra layer of stress for us. The inability to track progress effectively means being in the dark about critical issues, like the outcome of medical assessments. Given the significant investment of effort and money we put in our applications, it's reasonable to expect a more transparent process that keeps applicants informed about such aspects of their application. This would allow individuals to address potential challenges proactively, havàing a sense of control and understanding during what is already a complex and life-altering process.
How can we start preparing our landing if we're not even sure that our application will get approved ?
And if immigrants take years and years before achieving important things in canada, it's because most of them start from 0 and struggle to pay the rent, they can't afford to buy a house unless they bring a big amount of money which is not possible for the majority.
Tbh, it is upto you on how you deal with uncertainty in life. But, as an immigrant you don't really have to start from zero unless your job/industry requires you to. At the end of the day, I look at the definition of something like FSW, where "S" should stand for skilled. And it isn't impossible for so many of us to do better and not start from zero. Talent pool in Canada isn't the best to challenge anyone that's 75th percentile and above candidate.
Not starting from zero shouldn't be discarded as an option. Be it through working two jobs in home country(instead of worrying over things you got zero control over), be it through freelancing/consulting in Canada, etc. It is something that should be considered. Always keep thinking about adding a layer of safety/security while you wait.
About how you can start preparing you landing despite uncertainity?
1. Well, only worry if you got something real to worry about. I'm a diabetic, go through my history of ITA and see if I was ever worried about medical inadmissibility. I was for a bit pre-ITA, but then I read through the forum to understand that it is unlikely to impact me.
2. Assume things are going to go well if #1 isn't an issue and work on it. Mature people know how to make the most out of these situations.
I'll emphasize #2 because that's the difference between you landing here with every help you need vs struggling for no reason. And this is something that not only helps you, but also makes it an amazing experience for your family too. These things are going to a massive help to you, not to me or anyone else on the forum. I'd like to see more and more immigrants not be scammed and succeed here at the end.
Regarding the topic you mentioned earlier about turning wait time into a productive period. I am a finance professional and It's often mentioned that international experience and qualifications may not be as as relevant in Canada. Is this assessment accurate, especially when considering entry-level positions rather than maintaining my current level? Additionally, would pursuing international certifications in software and finance contribute any value? I appreciate your insights. Thank you.
You need to check if you fall under a regulated profession, those are biggest pain as they would require you to secure a license to be able to work in your field. For some positions in finance and accounting it is entirely possible that your foreign work exp is not relevant at all. But for those, I'd suggest getting some freelance/contract experience to bridge the gap. Most recruiters in Canada are going to ask you for Canadian exp in some of these professions and would blindly reject those that don't have it. If you have freelance/contract work exp in Canada, that won't be an issue.
Getting some certificates help, for example if you are Physiotherapist, prepping for PCE through CAPR in advance would make it easy for you to get certified and be able to work post landing. Those are well recognized certifications that are helpful. But let's say if there are certifications like CPHR(for someone in HR), they are a good to have and maybe have a mild impact on your overall application - so I don't recommend those types.
Best course of action for you(as finance is a quite broad for me to get into specifics), talk to 3-4 people from your target job title. It will be best if you they are recent immigrants in Canada. You can offer them something for an hour of their time with you, but that's will do three things:
1. give you a relatively unfiltered view of what to expect - you can make decision on whether you'll soft land to get a SIN/bank for work authorization and only land after getting a job vs a normal landing
2. build out a network that can potentially refer you jobs
3. help you gain very specific insights into what's somewhat useless(e.g. CPHR certification) vs what's very helpful(PCE from CAPR).
If you do this networking right, it can also help you find a mentor here that can help and guide you for a much longer time. I always recommend getting mentors!
You can also use something like TRIEC(for Toronto, you can find one for every major city): https://triec.ca/mentoring-newcomers/ and find people who are willing to help you and are extremely relevant to your field. I'm personally a part of CRIEC(Calgary) and talk to somewhere between 15-20 new immigrants in my field through it each month.
There are a lot more help for newcomers like you, they could be in different forms through, e.g. country specific Facebook groups for each city "Pinoys in Calgary", "Indians in Calgary", etc where you can make posts and get in touch with people from your field.
Thank you for the response, I appreciate the feedback. I am in risk management, I've been reading job offers for the position, that is why I decided to do the certifications that I am doing as I saw they ask for them. I will defently try to speak with someone already in the industry as well. Thanks a lot!
You have done well in supporting persons here on this and other forums. I commend and appreciate your efforts, support and time. Your insights are very impactful. Keep up the good work. Cheers!
Thanks! These things don't hurt at all though. People have different levels of exposure and priorities and they react accordingly. These things are also very cyclical, happens after every 3-4 months. All good here. I just mark their profile as "ignore" and move on.
Overall, we should maintain propriety. We are bound to disagree on perspectives and opinions but I strongly believe that we should take the good from every discussions. What you considered as not important might have made a significant and an insightful impact on another fellow.
The NOV AOR processes has been very frustrating. I am hopeful that January 2024 will come with good news and we will all be happier.
Take it easy and do have a wonderful 2024.
Cheers and best regards.
The NOV AOR processes has been very frustrating. I am hopeful that January 2024 will come with good news and we will all be happier.
Take it easy and do have a wonderful 2024.
Cheers and best regards.
Thanks for bringing this thread back. I was horrified to see where it was leading!
I think we should expect lots of MEP/BIL this month.
Happy New Year!
Thanks mate! January 2024 will come with Eligibility passed. The wait will come with good news. We will all be happy again. The average processing time is now 5 months. MEP and BIL is by the corner. Work starts tomorrow. Timelines will begin to change and we will all share good news.
Happy 2024 to everyone.
Hi
My PCC validity is ending on January 11th, is IRCC gonna ask me for a new one as my UCI didn't change yet and i don't know if the processing of my application started?
Thank you.
My PCC validity is ending on January 11th, is IRCC gonna ask me for a new one as my UCI didn't change yet and i don't know if the processing of my application started?
Thank you.
Once you have submitted your application all supporting documents are “locked”. So you don’t need to submit a new PCC.