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

[TyrusX]

Ejamal and phdapplicant.-> you guys are awesome! I think this will happen a lot of people out there.

[s.guo82]

I asked the same questions 2 months ago, here are the answers (provided by immigration lawyers at my school and confirmed by a CIC representative):
- Even if you're applying under PhD Stream in FSW class, you must satisfy all other requirements like everyone else in FSW class, including one year of working experience and 67 points.
- The 1-year working experience can be part-time, but it must be continuous. If you have some break during your employment record during your study, such as no RA/TA in one term, then you cannot combine it. For example, you are doing TA in Fall 2009, Winter 2010, and Fall 2010, but nothing for summer 2010), then your experience is considered not continuous, hence unsatisfied. In other words, you cannot combine those working periods to satisfy the 1-year working requirement, BUT you can use them to calculate your scores.
- If you're working part-time, the total combined number of hours must be equivalent to 1 year of full-time of employment (around 37.5hours/week*52week).
- Worst part: In many graduate schools, international graduate students can work a maximum of 10 hours of paid employment per week -> it might take you 4 years to have enough working hours equivalent to 1 year of full-time work. So check your school policies.
- Most confusing part: Can I use my RA for that 1-year working experience? The simply rule is that if your RA is taxed, then you can use it. But if your RA is not taxed (scholarship, fellowship, etc.), then the answer is no: it cannot be counted as work experience.

Hope that help

Hi phdapplicant,

My question is kind of odd. During my second yr phd study, there were5 months when my RA was paid totally by external funding (not scholarship, fellowship, but they call it a funding package. It is prepaid money for 5 months) which was not in my pay stub. Does that mean my RA work was not continuous? I have got more than 2000hrs in total combining TA and RA which can be used for calculating my score as you said. However, am I eligible for the phd stream as the pay stub did not show a continuous RA work. I feel anxious about this.

thanks

[edwin83]

Received by CIO on Jan. 5, 2012
Waiting for news

[phdapplicant]

Hi phdapplicant,

My question is kind of odd. During my second yr phd study, there were5 months when my RA was paid totally by external funding (not scholarship, fellowship, but they call it a funding package. It is prepaid money for 5 months) which was not in my pay stub. Does that mean my RA work was not continuous? I have got more than 2000hrs in total combining TA and RA which can be used for calculating my score as you said. However, am I eligible for the phd stream as the pay stub did not show a continuous RA work. I feel anxious about this.

thanks

It depends on what documents you could provide to prove it. For example, if the funding amount is shown in your tax form, you could write a letter to explain your situation.

[s.guo82]

It depends on what documents you could provide to prove it. For example, if the funding amount is shown in your tax form, you could write a letter to explain your situation.

It is in T4A I think. It is not taxable while none of my salaries are taxable coz I am below the line of paying tax.

Butterfly in the stomach. 

[snow_walker]

So far I know, the income level doesn't matter. But the income has to be in T4 slip not T4A slip. There is a difference between T4 and T4A. Anything on T4 slip considered as income. But everything on T4A slip is considered as bursary and doesn't count as income.

For example, I get X$/yr as scholarship, my supervisor doesn't pay me anything as RA and I got Y$/yr as TA. Now my last year's T4 slip contained Y$ which was counted as my income. And all of X$ was in the T4A slip which wasn't counted as income.

If one student gets X$/yr from supervisor as RA then portion of that income goes to T4 slip as income and the rest goes to T4A as bursary. The university does this to reduce the TAX i guess. So, that student will only be able to claim work experience for: income in T4 slip/hourly wage.

I guess it will clear the confusion.

[s.guo82]

So far I know, the income level doesn't matter. But the income has to be in T4 slip not T4A slip. There is a difference between T4 and T4A. Anything on T4 slip considered as income. But everything on T4A slip is considered as bursary and doesn't count as income.

For example, I get X$/yr as scholarship, my supervisor doesn't pay me anything as RA and I got Y$/yr as TA. Now my last year's T4 slip contained Y$ which was counted as my income. And all of X$ was in the T4A slip which wasn't counted as income.

If one student gets X$/yr from supervisor as RA then portion of that income goes to T4 slip as income and the rest goes to T4A as bursary. The university does this to reduce the TAX i guess. So, that student will only be able to claim work experience for: income in T4 slip/hourly wage.

I guess it will clear the confusion.

Thanks snow walker. Does that mean my work experience is not one year continuous and not eligible for the phd stream? Do they only assess the work experience based on T4?

Thanks

[snow_walker]

   @   s.guo82: The phd stream doesn't require you to work!!! Just that your study has to be at least 2 years.... And T4/T4A slip has nothing to do with phd study. You should be fine.

But if you want to claim 1 year work experience from RA work, I believe it has to be on T4 slip.

Last year I had 0 amount in my T4 slip only because I get only scholarship and everything was in T4A slip. And I saw that I had zero income in the tax file.

[TyrusX]

 @ s.guo82:   You should be fine as long as you can get you supervisor to write a letter saying that you worked part time for the last 2 years.

 @ Snowwalker. The FSW class does require you to have an year of continuous work experience. It says nothing about "continuous study experience", just that you have to be on you +3rd year , i.e, have completed 2 years towards you PhD.

We should make a pool and try to get to a conclusion about the need of work experience or not, so others can have an easier time preparing their documentation. Is this possible? Maybe you can set that on your spreadsheet?

[s.guo82]

  @   s.guo82: The phd stream doesn't require you to work!!! Just that your study has to be continuous.... And T4/T4A slip has nothing to do with phd study. You should be fine.

But if you want to claim 1 year work experience from RA work, I believe it has to be on T4 slip.

Last year I had 0 amount in my T4 slip only because I get only scholarship and everything was in T4A slip. And I saw that I had zero income in the tax file.

Thanks snow walker, but I think there are some contradictory opinions

phdapplicant said in his post "Even if you're applying under PhD Stream in FSW class, you must satisfy all other requirements like everyone else in FSW class, including one year of working experience and 67 points." "The 1-year working experience can be part-time, but it must be continuous."

The only way to find out is waiting for the results maybe.

Thank you all.

[snow_walker]

  @   s.guo82:   You should be fine as long as you can get you supervisor to write a letter saying that you worked part time for the last 2 years.

   @   Snowwalker. The FSW class does require you to have an year of continuous work experience. It says nothing about "continuous study experience", just that you have to be on you +3rd year , i.e, have completed 2 years towards you PhD.

We should make a pool and try to get to a conclusion about the need of work experience or not, so others can have an easier time preparing their documentation. Is this possible? Maybe you can set that on your spreadsheet?

u r right. my mistake. i have updated my last post.

I am quite sure that the case would be simple like this:
1. This stream needs 1 year work experience.
2. RA experience will be counted but it has to be in T4 slip e.g. not scholarship payment.

I guess more we will discuss, it will raise more confusion. The RA income (which is in T4 slip) will be counted in FSW application. But CEC class, it may not.

[Reno]

Hello, all. Just found this forum. I applied under PhD stream as well. My application was received on Nov.28th. I used money order, so I am not sure whether they have cashed it out or not. My e-cas status is currently "in process". If I remember right, it became "in process" towards the end of Jan. Good luck everyone!

[snow_walker]

Hello, all. Just found this forum. I applied under PhD stream as well. My application was received on Nov.28th. I used money order, so I am not sure whether they have cashed it out or not. My e-cas status is currently "in process". If I remember right, it became "in process" towards the end of Jan. Good luck everyone!

  @  Reno & edwin83: i have updated the spreadsheet

 @ Reno: if ecas is showing in process then your MO is charged.

[Reno]

Thanks for letting me know, Snow_Walker. Also, thanks very much for organizing this!

[Dani1982]

 @ snow_walker : Do you get your first file number ?