Ontario College Diploma or Ontario College Graduate Certificate?

[tyson450]

Hello,

I am 32 year old British student. I want to study in Ontario, graduate, obtain post-graduate work permit, gain skilled employment for 12+ months and apply for PR via CEC.

I have a 4 year BSc in Business from a UK university (2.2) and a 3 year LLB from a UK university (2.2).

All of the Masters level courses in Canada I have investigated have required a 2.1 undergraduate degree (from a British university) as the admissions criteria.

So that leaves the Ontario College Diploma (OCD) or Ontario College Graduate Certificate (OCGC) as my options.

Having already completed my studies at undergraduate level, is there any point in applying for diploma courses? I do not want to submit an application that is rejected when it comes to getting a visa.

I have read on here that one method of getting the 3 year post-graduate visa is doing one certificate course for one year then completing another certificate course the following year. Will the visa office really allow int'l students to study for two courses at the same educational level?

I know that Humber and Lambton offer the 2 year graduate certificate in Business/Global Business. That does not appeal to me. I am interested in following the Law Clerk or Paralegal studies in Ontario.

Any advice will be gratefully received. Thanks

 

[canadastudentvisa]

Hello

I have also recently graduated a UK university with a 2.1 in Business. I have applied for my student visa to a diploma in HR in Toronto. A couple of people have advised on here that they have completed a bachelors degree and applied to do another undergrad bachelors degree and have had their visa approved. As we are British and visa exempt I am not sure if the visa officers will scrutinise the course selection as much? Well I am hoping not anyway :s

As far as I understand and researched, If one was to pursue a one year post grad followed by another 1 year post grad course a 1 year PGWP would be issued. I think it would have to be a progression ie PG diploma to Masters.

I have applied online on 7 October but not yet heard back. I believe this maybe because I have applied for my husband to accompany me on an OWP and he is an Indian passport holder with permanent residency in the UK.

 

[tyson450]

Thanks, canadastudentvisa for your reply.

I guess with the uncertainties of the situation I will apply for a diploma course first and touch wood be accepted by a college and subsequently be able to get the student visa.

Bachelors degree in Canada is too long for me, 4 years, at least at my age!

I hope that your visa is approved and granted soon. Are you trying for a September 14 entry? Which college did you go for?

I have not yet applied for a college, after submitting an application and assuming it is accepted is there a deadline by which you have to accept their offer of the place?

How did you construct your "letter of explanation", short of stating the vocational aspects of training and the desire to study abroad and gaining experience of another culture I am a bit short of ideas! Thanks

 

[canadastudentvisa]

Hi

I am hoping for a Jan 2014 start have been accepted into a college and paid fees. Centennial College I have applied for and they provided a deadline of early November to accept place and pay fees. It states that the process is 7 weeks on the website so should hopefully hear back in 3 weeks.

I did not actually write a letter of explanation as it stated that it was optional and not mandatory. After having read this forum though I wish I would have written one. I think if I was to write one I would mention how the course links to my previous studies and how I would benefit from the course.

Good luck with your application

 

[tjarain]

Hi

I am hoping for a Jan 2014 start have been accepted into a college and paid fees. Centennial College I have applied for and they provided a deadline of early November to accept place and pay fees. It states that the process is 7 weeks on the website so should hopefully hear back in 3 weeks.

I did not actually write a letter of explanation as it stated that it was optional and not mandatory. After having read this forum though I wish I would have written one. I think if I was to write one I would mention how the course links to my previous studies and how I would benefit from the course.

Good luck with your application

from where u applied I mean which country.....

 

[canadastudentvisa]

I applied online in England. I am a British Citizen but my husband has an Indian passport with PR in UK.

 

[tyson450]

Hi

I am hoping for a Jan 2014 start have been accepted into a college and paid fees. Centennial College I have applied for and they provided a deadline of early November to accept place and pay fees. It states that the process is 7 weeks on the website so should hopefully hear back in 3 weeks.

I did not actually write a letter of explanation as it stated that it was optional and not mandatory. After having read this forum though I wish I would have written one. I think if I was to write one I would mention how the course links to my previous studies and how I would benefit from the course.

Good luck with your application

Can I ask whether you paid in full, i.e. the fees for one year? I personally would be uncomfortable in paying fees before the visa is granted. Since I am aiming for Sept 14 I hope that fees are due after the visa is authorised.

With your course starting in January will you have the summer off? I ask this because courses that start in Jan or May are often taught in a continuous mode, so the 2 years of teaching will occur in 16 months without a break. Whether one gets a 16 month post-grad work permit or a 3 year work permit seems to be unclear if that is important to you.

 

[canadastudentvisa]

Hi

I paid the first semester as I am unsure that I would get a visa. Yes the course is 16 months but as far as I am aware the PGWP should be 3 years. The letters from the college all state 2 years. There is much uncertainty in the extention period though.

 

[tyson450]

I did not realise that the work permit could be extended.

After graduating from your course and gaining skilled employment, be it via the CEC or a PNP then you should be able to apply for and obtain PR without the need to extend the work permit?

 

[canadastudentvisa]

Hi

Yes that depends on the ability to obtain employment there and if I like Canada. If not I will have experience of living and studying out there and come back to England.

Which course and college are you hoping to attend?

 

[tyson450]

Hi

Yes that depends on the ability to obtain employment there and if I like Canada. If not I will have experience of living and studying out there and come back to England.

Which course and college are you hoping to attend?

if I go down the Ontario College graduate certificate route, it will be one of Centennial, Conestoga, Durham or Fanshawe. I am leaning towards Fanshawe at the moment. Basically Centennial did not reply to my enquiry. Conestoga only responded with an automated generic e-mail. Both Durham and Fanshawe have been helpful to me but Durham's course duration is 2 semesters over 8 months, Fanshawe's is 12 months and 3 semesters. As per the length of study, Fanshawe is the better fit This is the Paralegal course.

If I want to go down the Diploma route there are many more colleges to choose from Durham, Humber, Loyalist, Seneca, Sheridan and St. Clair and others. I have yet to get in touch with them all but I e-mailed St. Clair and no reply! With the diploma there are more courses I have yet to investigate fully in related areas e.g HR, Law Clerk, Legal Office Administration.

The past month has been nothing but research and going to work. One minute I am certain of what I am going to do, the next I am dithering and almost back at square one. If I cannot study in Ontario I will aim to study in the UK but I am keen for a fresh start and mentally at least all my eggs are in an Ontario basket.

I imagined Canada to have a superior customer service culture, to have some colleges no respond to you is demoralising. All I can judge colleges on are their websites, their interactions with me and forums. Just because the program has a nominated contact it does not mean that they will automatically get back to you!

I am wondering which colleges are considered better than others. I would want a college that has lots of direct teacher-student interaction not e-learning.

 

[canadastudentvisa]

Hi

I completely understand your situation as I have been researching options available to me in Canada
from The beginning of this year! I was keen to do a Masters however I have not found any masters courses which have been of interest to me. I also contacted many of the universities which resulted in no reply or automated email responses. I would advise calling the contact centres for the colleges as they have provided me with emails of the people to ask questions to or have answered my questions.

I think as international students it will be a case of having to get to Canada and experience the colleges and or learning styles. I also attempted to find out which colleges were better reputed than others however people have varied opinions.

 

[EDIFEL13]

Hello, please I want to ask if OCGC or PGD FOR 2 YRS CAN APPLY TO IRCC IN THIS NEW LAWS FOR PGWP IN CANADA

 

[EDIFEL13]

In next yr October 2025

 

[EDIFEL13]

From an eligible school like a Conestoga college Doon campus for cloud data management course