Should I apply for a Work Visa Extention or Permenant Residency?

[jeredl]

Hi Everyone,

I'm trying to make a decision whether to apply for a work visa extension or permenant residency.

Here's my situation.

1. I came to Canada in 2002 and received two degrees from a fully accredited university. I graduated on May 2007 with a degree in Psychology and a degree in communications under a study permit and a one 1 year extension study permit.

2. I worked from June 2007 to March 2009 at an outsourcing HR company as an account executive under a post-graduate one year visa and had it extended to a 3-year open post-graduate visa which I'm still under.

3. Since June 2009, I've been working as a program director at an international development organization (non-profit sector) in Vancouver.

4. My post-graduate work visa expires on August 2010 which is in 7 months.

I love my job and my current employer will do whatever it takes to keep me. Would it be wiser for me to apply for an extension AND than residency or should I just apply for residency right away?

I figure I should be a shoe-in to stay since I've had 5 years post-graduate studies under my belt and 2.5 years work experience in Canada. But I want to make sure my bases are covered since I've never done this. Any help would be awesome. Thanks everyone and happy 2010.

 

[jes_ON]

well, you're ahead of the game by asking 7 months in advance

Apply for PR ASAP, CEC class is probably the fastest, but it will still take time - you have to get your police clearances before you can submit your application - and processing times are not clear yet for the CEC class.

You probably qualify under either the foreign worker or post-graduate route.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/EnGLish/immigrate/cec/index.asp

First, determine your NOC codes and make sure they are skill level 0, A, or B - your current job is probably 4164 or 4165, skill level A, but you need more than 1 year of skilled experience (for the post graduate stream).
http://www5.hrsdc.gc.ca/NOC/English/NOC/2006/ProfileNocCode.aspx?val=4&val1=4164&val17=4165&val18=0&val19=0

Because it will probably take longer than 7 months to process the PR application, you may have to obtain a temporary work permit as well. This means that your employer would first have to obtain a positive Labor Market Opinion from HRSDC and then you could apply for a new work permit. Should apply for the LMO about 4 months before your current permit expires.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/apply-who.asp

If after reading all this info and something doesn't quite work, there are alternatives under the Federal Skilled Worker class, but the process is more complicated...

 

[jeredl]

Wow thank you for all of that. It gives a lot of clarity.

Do you know if my 1.8 years of experience working as an account executive in Canada (prior to my job as a program director at my non profit) would count towards skilled experience or does the experience have to come from my current employer?

You're awesome,
jered

 

[jes_ON]

I gave you the link for the HRSDC's site on NOC codes. At the top left there's a link that says "Search the NOC." Search away...