Applicant from PhD program after 5 Nov, 2011 connect here to get status

[TyrusX]

Thank for your reply Tyrus. I did my master's degree somewhere else. Without this 5 points I only get 66 points in total. I did not claim more than 2 yrs working experience as TA and RA. Let's see how they will deal with my application. I probably shoudl re-prepare all the documents, claiming 2 years working experience of TA/RA.

Research and immigration, both are giving me headache currently. Life is not easyyyyyyyyyy.

Tell me about, just come back from the lab. I can't stand this anymore

[asbereth]

Hi s.guo82, we have confirmed that at least TA/RA experience is accepted for eligibility review (but then again, in the two cases where TA/RA only applicants have been given PER, they claimed adaptability points through their either their spouses, or earlier degrees from Canada). Can you tell us how many hours per week for TA/RA you claimed for your applications and how many years?

One of the reasons why I kept asking for clarification a while ago regarding adaptability points was precisely because of this reason. If TA/RA experience is accepted, then assuming a PhD student who has already been enrolled for two years can claim one year of work experience, then he or she will automatically get above 67 points if the 5 adaptability points were awarded (well, assuming he scored high enough in IELTS), even if the applicant only has undergraduate degree. It would also mean that everybody that applies under the PhD stream is automatically awarded the 5 points.

I think in some of the earlier instructions (I think updated back in 07), it was stated that the points would be awarded if the program has been completed, but there was no need for any degree to be awarded (which is confusing I would say):

You, or your accompanying spouse or common-law partner, have completed a program of full-time study of at least two years' duration at a post-secondary institution in Canada. You must have done this after you were 17 years old and with a valid study permit.

There is no need to have obtained a degree or diploma for these two years of study to earn these points.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/factor-adaptability.asp

However, in the instruction guide (which was updated close to the end of last year), it was the following:

You or your accompanying spouse or common-law partner studied at a post-secondary institution in Canada for at least two years on a full-time basis. This must have been done after the age of 17 and with a valid study permit.

So it does look like that, for sure we do not need to have obtained any degree or credential to obtain the 5 adaptability points. However,  the language that the program must have been 'completed' would throw a lot of people off. It raises a question on what exactly 'having completed a program' means. I mean, how can you complete a post-secondary program without obtaining a credential?

I would say that the instruction guide was much clearer in its wording, that "you or your accompanying spouse studied for at least two years on a full-time basis", in which case, s.guo82 would be eligible for these 5 points. In this case, question 7 from IMM 0008 Schedule 3 has nothing to do whatsoever with these adaptability points, since there was no mention that the program needs to be completed for the adaptability points, at least in the instruction guide.

I really really hope everything goes well for you, s.guo82. And if you do get your PER, please let us know, as it will most definitely confirm another point of contention regarding the federal skilled worker evaluation process: that 5 points would be awarded to those who have studied full-time in a post-secondary program for at least two years, at least for PER purposes. All the best

[TyrusX]

I really really hope everything goes well for you, s.guo82. And if you do get your PER, please let us know, as it will most definitely confirm another point of contention regarding the federal skilled worker evaluation process: that 5 points would be awarded to those who have studied full-time in a post-secondary program for at least two years, at least for PER purposes. All the best

THe op-6 states this:

(The person is not required to have obtained an educational credential for these two years of study in Canada to earn the points, but simply to have completed at least two years of study.)

What that means is that the adaptability points are awarded after completion of two years of education. I believe this is one of the reasons why we can only apply after starting our 3rd year. This is in order for us to have enough points. (the other reason is the 2 years of part time work in order to have 1 year work XP)

s.guo82 will be fine. The are probably just checking the authenticity of his documents.
I think different countries have different levels of confidence within CIC, which is probably related to the amount of fraudulent applicants. Or maybe he was just unlucky enough to get a slow VO like many others.

[s.guo82]

Thank you guys. This is really the key point "The person is not required to have obtained an educational credential for these two years of study in Canada to earn the points" . In the application form, it says "completed a programme of two yrs" . However, here it seems there is no need to "complete the programme"  but  "complete two yrs study of a programme".

asbereth, I only claimed 1-yr working experience although I am in my 4th yr now. My working experience is purely based on my taxable accumulative workings hrs of TA / RA which is more than 2000hrs.

I am not sure how CIC will calculate my points as in the application form I chose "no" for  "completed a programme of two yrs".

[TyrusX]

I am not sure how CIC will calculate my points as in the application form I chose "no" for  "completed a programme of two yrs".

How did you guys answer this question? I also chose NO.

[AST]

How did you guys answer this question? I also chose NO.

I selected 'Yes'

[sarsanballa]

How did you guys answer this question? I also chose NO.

I answered "yes" to that question too. 

[asbereth]

How did you guys answer this question? I also chose NO.

I answered 'no' as well, because I thought that completing a program meant completing a degree. Apparently, it is somehow possible to complete a program without obtaining a degree or credential (or that clause in the adaptability section wouldn't make sense).

Hopefully what they really meant was just "having completed two years of full-time study in a program" rather than having "completed a program of full-time study", else it wouldn't make any sense. And that was what was mentioned in Guide 7000 (which was updated late December last year, so it's pretty recent).

[sarsanballa]

 @ TyrusX:

Can you also add my information into the tracker file?

My app was received on 13th Feb, 2012
The credit card was charged on 2nd Mar, 2012

I did not include RA/TA as my work experience or to be complete, I didn't include any proof for work experience.
The Ecas shows the status as "IN PROCESS"

Thanks.

Hopefully, we will all get PER soon. 

[TyrusX]

I selected 'Yes'

Hum. I wonder if I should contact them to clarify on this.

[s.guo82]

Hum. I wonder if I should contact them to clarify on this.

Me too. Is there any consequence of calling them to make corrections? Will the application be returned?

[TyrusX]

I did not include RA/TA as my work experience or to be complete, I didn't include any proof for work experience.
The Ecas shows the status as "IN PROCESS"

You didn't show any work experience at all? This is not good, because our interpretation is that it is mandatory to have at least an year of continuous work experience. Do you have any?

[AST]

Me too. Is there any consequence of calling them to make corrections? Will the application be returned?

  @  s.guo82 and TyrusX: it is understood that you have completed 2 years of study here as you have submitted a letter from your university stating this fact.

Also, this matters for the calculation of points. If you check self-assessment test, you can see that the question is "Completed at least two years of post-secondary education in Canada since the age of 17". So, I guess, they will give 5 points for all the PhD applicants as we became eligible in this stream by completing 2 years of full time study.

[TyrusX]

  @   s.guo82 and TyrusX: it is understood that you have completed 2 years of study here as you have submitted a letter from your university stating this fact.

Yep. I agree. I hope they are smart enough to understand that the question is a bit ambiguous and take in consideration that we have shown this with documents elsewhere.
Anyways, I will send them an email to rectify this.

Ok. So I asked a Canadian friend of mine to interpret that session in the  Economic Class form. Here is what he said:

Yup I would say this is asking if you have "completed" as in finished the program and received your degree or diploma. So you completed a 2 years masters degree etc..

Therefore, it is very ambiguously stated, and one would not know what to answer without looking at the OP-06. Funny enough, I have been stating the correct answer is yes, because of what is written there, as in completed two years of school, not necessarily graduating, but answered no myself because I filled the forms in November.

[sarsanballa]

You didn't show any work experience at all? This is not good, because our interpretation is that it is mandatory to have at least an year of continuous work experience. Do you have any?

I didn't supply any work experience proof during my application and yes, I have one year work experience as an assistant technical engineer, also I've been doing RA/TA work till now since the start of my Ph.D program in September, 2009.

One interesting thing is, prior to applying in Ph.D. stream, I had applied under Federal Skilled Worker program as Mechanical engineering using NOC 7216 Contractors and Supervisors, Mechanic Trades, yet, I received an e-mail from CIC saying that my work experience proof was not detailed enough to convince them of what I had claimed to be, so it was ineligible for processing. Just some time ago, I received some original copy of the documents which I had submitted to CIC in that application, however, I did not receive the original copy of the work experience proof. So I'm assuming they are using that work experience proof to process my application, but I could be wrong, I might receive an e-mail from them soon saying that my application is not ok to be processed.

Anyways, I'm waiting and watching.