Refused skilled worker application - Phd stream

[Matt Sh.]

Sure. Thanks again for your kind attention. Cheers...

 

[Doni]

Hi everyone.

Can anyone from you explain to me what does it mean: TA/RA experience?

Thanks in advance...

 

[calgaryimmigration]

I think, you should re apply. If they are insisting about the one year working experience, then give them more evidences that you really have.
Give them the complete details of your job description in your country. Resubmit all the necessary files.

 

[calgaryimmigration]

If they are trying to look for the credentials, then gather all the necessary documents. Evidences really matter. Give them your exact job description.
After that, try to re apply.

 

[Matt Sh.]

Thanks for all your posts. I think re-applying is my only choice. But I have a question. I was going to send them a letter explaining that what is provided in my work letteres is in fact some sub-tasks of Civil Engineering. In fact, in terms of duties for Civil Engineer, what NOC gives is too general, and it does not cover all sub-tasks. That is exactly why I was not accepted. Do you think such a letter would help?

Btw, RA/TA is Research Assistantship and Teaching Assistantship. In fact, people who apply under Phd students stream may be able to provide such experience.

Best,
M.

 

[Bigwig]

I wonder if anyone is still following this thread, because I am beginning my application and have similar questions/concerns. I'm a PhD Student whose funding package is made up of 210 hours of TA work a year, and the rest is made up of a fellowship. The fellowship runs year round, but the TA work contract starts at the beginning of the semester that I do the work, and then stops at the end of that semester. I'm in my third year, so that seems to amount to 630 hours of work - not nearly the 1970 hours needed to show an equivalent of a year full time experience. I do have other part-time jobs, Skilled Jobs (one as an Editorial Assistant, the other on the Executive Board of a Union), that in total would get me the 1970 hours. I have been in the editorial job for 3+ years continually, and the executive board member job was for a year continuous. Obviously these jobs are all related to my desired profession. I have two questions:

1) Can I use a combination of different skilled jobs to show my 1970 hours of experience (TA + Editorial work + Board Exec = 1970), or does the experience need to come form a single job (TA needs to equal 1970 by itself)?

2) Does the fact that I have been working some skilled job since my arrival mean that I have continuous employment? Or does "continuous employment" really mean "continuous employment under one employer"?

 

[TyrusX]

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/applicant-from-phd-program-after-5-nov-2011-connect-here-to-get-status-t87348.2925.html

 

[GeographyPhD]

Hi Forum!

I was recently rejected for PR under the PhD stream. Looks like many others had the same problem. Their reason was that one of my reference letters did not state the main duties performed and hence making my work experience not count for the continuous full time employment.

I then appealed, even there is NOT a formal appeal process. My grounds was that I did include the main duties performed in the letter and that it must have been misplaced. I just received a reply rejecting my appeal on the grounds that there is no appeal and that I did not include the letter.

Question 1: Does CIC have a system for 100% making sure that they do not misplace documents? I am 99.99% sure that I included the letter in question and that it sufficiently described the duties of said employment. In their response they said:

"Your application for Permanent Residence in Canada was considered on its substantive merits according to the applicable section of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and was refused. Any different or new information that you have submitted cannot be taken into consideration."
And
"NOTE: The letter you submitted from University XX you submitted with your response was not part of your original application and thus cannot be used in a re-assessment."

I wonder if it is worth persevering or whether I should just (sic) make a new application?

Question 2: continuous employment (full/part time) I think is my main weakness. asbereth, you note that 1,950 hours of continuous work experience is required. I am a 4th year PhD student and have been continuously employed as an RA and a TA through my 2year MA and the frist 3 years of my MA. These have been smaller contracts: 64hrs, the odd 80 and 120 hours, but I am still not sure that this amounts to 1950 hours. Could anyone provide clarification, please? Is there anyone in the same situation who has been granted PR and yet only did small - albeit continuos - RA/TA work.

Finally: I know that I don't have to re-do the English test (thankfully, especially because its my first language), but do I have to send original documents, or signed documents again, even though they have a copy of them already?

Thanks so much. Any help is much appreciated.

 

[ar_slm]

Hi Matt Sh., I'm assuming that, by PhD stream, you mean the one that was recently introduced under MI-4? And the reason for your rejection, I'm assuming, is because they don't recognize your work experience, therefore, not meeting the minimum of one year continuous work experience requirement?

With your application, did you include your TA/RA experience as well (with letters of reference, and everything)? If not, then re-applying with your TA/RA experience properly included may actually be worthwhile. We have found out that they accept TA/RA as paid work experience, so assuming that you have completed at least two years of RA/TA work, then you can easily claim at least one year of work experience through TA/RA (NOC 4122). Say you have done your PhD for 3 years. If there is no gap in your study (important), and if you're fully funded (which is mostly the case for most PhD students), you can easily claim more than 1,950 hours of continuous work experience, provided you can document the total number of hours properly (letters of reference with duty descriptions, funding details, etc).

With the equivalent of continuous full-time one year of TA/RA, a Master's degree [and 17+ years of education], 16 points for IELTS, and 5 adaptability points from previous study (which, once again, we have found out that you do not need to have completed a degree, but rather, just two full-time years in a gprogram), then you should have more than 67 points, even if they do NOT consider your previous work experience in your home country at all (several people [with only TA/RA experience] under these circumstances have gotten positive eligibility review from the CIO).

Another option is obviously to appeal, but then again, for your appeal to have any chance of success, then most likely you would have to submit new information or documentations, which they may or may not accept.

Anyway, you might want to check out the PhD stream thread. You can probably learn a lot by reading some of the posts there (since we actually did learn a lot on how the CIO works, issued PER, assign points, etc)

Hi asbereth,

You have mentioned that no gap in PhD is important, Can you explain why? my wife had one year for maternity leave and now she is applying under PhDstream.

 

[alwayspositive]

Hi all,

I just received a sad email from CiC that my application for SWC was refused. I applied under Phd student stream, and the reason for refusal is mentioned as follows:

"... because you have not provided evidence that you have obtained at least one year of full-time skilled work experience. The duties listed in your letters of reference from ... and ... do not match the lead statement and a substantial number of main duties under the NOC code you selected, NOC 2131, Civil Engineers. As such, I am not satisfied that you have the skilled work experience as a Civil Engineer as claimed in your application."

The fact is that I have been working as a Civil Engineer in my country, but the duties were not listed in Canadian definition of Civil Engineer. Shall I reapply, provided that I can get particular duties printed in my letters? Or, should I appeal?

I am not feeling well now, because I spent a lot of time and money for my application. I would appreciate if you could help me.

Regards,
Matt

Reapply and make sure your employer in your home country lists the duties as required in the definition of civil engineer. Same happened in my husband's case in 2010 though he applied as a student he was denied. He reapplied with the letter listing the duties. We have done medicals and currently waiting for our PPR. Even if you apply as a student they still ask that you locate yourself within a NOC and that you fulfill certain minimum job experience requirements within the last 10 yrs. An appeal may just waste your time and money.
Cheer up, it will be well