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

[TyrusX]

Hey all

I got my PER email today. Please update my status..

Yei! Congrats.

[websphereguy]

Hello websphereguy... It should happen any day now. It took 12 days in my case. Got my PER on the 5th of April and eCAS was updated on the 17th of April.

Does anyone have an idea what kind of change, if any, should we see in our eCAS status when AOR is issued?

Thanks for the reply GeoCanadian.

[websphereguy]

You probably mean that PhD students, just like any other students, may work ON CAMPUS up to 20 hours per week without any special work permit. They can also apply for an OFF CAMPUS employment authorization based on their student permit, also up to 20 hours per week (no limit during recess).

However, receiving PER does not give us ***t! We are still locked in within student permit regulations until we get our PR cards (even AOR does not help us in any way). My minimum program of study (3 years) ends August 31st. Let's be realistic - even based on the most optimistic case scenario, it will take at least 12 months for the PR process to conclude. So, question for me is what do I do between August, 2012, and May of 2013? I have tried to learn if there is any way to stay in status while waiting for the PR decision. Here are the options I have found:

1) Apply for the extention of my "Study Permit" and then reapply for "Off-campus employment authorization" based on the new study permit. However, before applying for the extension of "Study Permit" with CIC, I need to ask my university to grant me "Full Time Thesis Continuation" status. Otherwise, plain Thesis Continuation does not provide enough grounds to request the extention of study permit;

2) Get a limited term position contract (1 to 3 year teaching position) at some university and request "Work Permit". This requires job offer, labour-market opinion and quick exit and re-entry into Canada while TRV is still valid.

3) Have my spouse enroll in some eligible post secondary program. Then, based on my spouse's study permit I can get "Open Work Permit."

That's all the options I found... Does anyone else know of any other options?

Do you have a rough idea how much does an "Open work permit" cost?

[Brit_Immigrant]

I received my PER this morning, phew!

If you would like to put me on the tracker:

1 applicant
English
Buffalo VO
App received: May 4th
CC charged: May 14th
PER: May 18th.
RA/TA: more than 2, less than 3 years: ~4000 hours

[guowei018]

I guess it is 150$ for the open work permit.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/apply-who-eligible.asp#inside

I checked the above link which is about who is eligible for work permit.  there is one kind which is "you are in Canada because you have already applied for permanent residence from inside Canada. You will have to pass certain stages in the main application process before you can be eligible for a work permit."
so I guess we might belong to this kind. however, I am not sure if we still need LMO for this kind of permit. I checked the link "See Jobs that require a work permit but no labour market opinion", it does not include this kind but it also does not include the spouse work permit. so there might be something we can investigate.

Do you have a rough idea how much does an "Open work permit" cost?

[Brit_Immigrant]

The New Dehli VO is crazy efficient. People who got their PER in Feb have already received their Visas.

[beh467]

You probably mean that PhD students, just like any other students, may work ON CAMPUS up to 20 hours per week without any special work permit. They can also apply for an OFF CAMPUS employment authorization based on their student permit, also up to 20 hours per week (no limit during recess).

However, receiving PER does not give us ***t! We are still locked in within student permit regulations until we get our PR cards (even AOR does not help us in any way). My minimum program of study (3 years) ends August 31st. Let's be realistic - even based on the most optimistic case scenario, it will take at least 12 months for the PR process to conclude. So, question for me is what do I do between August, 2012, and May of 2013? I have tried to learn if there is any way to stay in status while waiting for the PR decision. Here are the options I have found:

1) Apply for the extention of my "Study Permit" and then reapply for "Off-campus employment authorization" based on the new study permit. However, before applying for the extension of "Study Permit" with CIC, I need to ask my university to grant me "Full Time Thesis Continuation" status. Otherwise, plain Thesis Continuation does not provide enough grounds to request the extention of study permit;

2) Get a limited term position contract (1 to 3 year teaching position) at some university and request "Work Permit". This requires job offer, labour-market opinion and quick exit and re-entry into Canada while TRV is still valid.

3) Have my spouse enroll in some eligible post secondary program. Then, based on my spouse's study permit I can get "Open Work Permit."

That's all the options I found... Does anyone else know of any other options?

You can apply for postgraduate work permit which will be a 3-year work permit for a PhD graduate.

[GeoCanadian]

You can apply for postgraduate work permit which will be a 3-year work permit for a PhD graduate.

Yes, but as I understand this, ONLY AFTER I actually get my PhD degree. I am still about a year away from the dissertation defence...

[Brit_Immigrant]

Yes, but as I understand this, ONLY AFTER I actually get my PhD degree. I am still about a year away from the dissertation defence...

If you are still enrolled as a full-time student in good academic standing you should be able to get a study permit extension within 10-14 days. I did this back in February and it was a really quick process. I now have a study permit well in to 2014 and I plan to be finished in October-November.

[GeoCanadian]

If you are still enrolled as a full-time student in good academic standing you should be able to get a study permit extension within 10-14 days. I did this back in February and it was a really quick process. I now have a study permit well in to 2014 and I plan to be finished in October-November.

Thank you, Brit_Immigrant! I also found this route to be my best bet. As I mentioned earlier though, since I am finished with all my seminars and coms (I am ABD), in order for me to apply for the study permit extension I just have to get a letter and enrolment confirmation from my university that I am granted so-called "Full Time Thesis Continuation Student" status. This is just a formality and should not be too difficult to get. Then, I can apply for study permit for another 4 years (!) as this is the maximum lenght my institution allows for completing the dissertation. Just one problem - this, of course, limits my employment to on-campus part-time teaching, unless I get off-campus ("open") work permit, which is also limited to up to 20 hours per week. Then again, if I do get a job offer and sign a term contract I can easily get TWP specific to that employer.

I guess it is 150$ for the open work permit.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/apply-who-eligible.asp#inside

I checked the above link which is about who is eligible for work permit.  there is one kind which is "you are in Canada because you have already applied for permanent residence from inside Canada. You will have to pass certain stages in the main application process before you can be eligible for a work permit."
so I guess we might belong to this kind.

Oh, I wish! I was so hopefull! And it would make a lot of sense - if one is applying under FSW from within Canada and has already received PER, I think, should be allowed to apply for "Open Temporary Work Permit". Unfortunatly, here is what the guide says under who may apply for such permit: "•In-Canada permanent resident applicants and their family members who are members of the following classes, determined eligible for permanent resident (PR) status: live-in-caregiver, spouse or common-law partner, protected persons, and humanitarian and compassionate considerations (H&C)." As you see there is no mention of FSW class at all. Unless they have amended this after introducing the PhD stream, this is how it is right now. See the link: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/5553ETOC.asp#5553E3

[Brit_Immigrant]

Is there anyone here who has received PER but still cannot log in to eCAS? I have tried my UCI and Application numbers but still can't log in. Is this because my application has not been received by the VO? Do you only get the 'In Process' status when the VO has received your application from the CIO? This may have been covered earlier but I am not really sure how it works. I am under the assumption that I will not get a notice now until the VO is actively working on my application (i.e. months-year away).

[TyrusX]

Is there anyone here who has received PER but still cannot log in to eCAS? I have tried my UCI and Application numbers but still can't log in. Is this because my application has not been received by the VO? Do you only get the 'In Process' status when the VO has received your application from the CIO? This may have been covered earlier but I am not really sure how it works. I am under the assumption that I will not get a notice now until the VO is actively working on my application (i.e. months-year away).

Ecas has been slow in updating people's information. They update things only on Tuesday. You got Per. It may or may not be fast. Did you apply in Buffalo too? Since you are British, I think you have a good chance of having a fast process compared to some of us. Your documents will probably be more trustworthy to the VO.

[Brit_Immigrant]

Ecas has been slow in updating people's information. They update things only on Tuesday. You got Per. It may or may not be fast. Did you apply in Buffalo too? Since you are British, I think you have a good chance of having a fast process compared to some of us. Your documents will probably be more trustworthy to the VO.

Thanks for the help Tyrus. Hopefully it will be fast I have sent my IELTS and police record from the UK with my application which should help and I am landed in Canada, but everything in Buffalo seems to go in slow motion compared to other VO's. Oh well, I will just have to be patient the same as everyone else and just see what happens.

Do Buffalo notify you when they have received your application or has nobody found that out yet?

[TyrusX]

Thanks for the help Tyrus. Hopefully it will be fast I have sent my IELTS and police record from the UK with my application which should help and I am landed in Canada, but everything in Buffalo seems to go in slow motion compared to other VO's. Oh well, I will just have to be patient the same as everyone else and just see what happens.

Do Buffalo notify you when they have received your application or has nobody found that out yet?

Nobody has been notified yet. My initial forecast for AOR was about a month ago. Now I think it will take about 2 more months. So about 5 months between PER and AOR. Maybe another 8 to 12 months after that until everything is done.

[Brit_Immigrant]

Nobody has been notified yet. My initial forecast for AOR was about a month ago. Now I think it will take about 2 more months. So about 5 months between PER and AOR. Maybe another 8 to 12 months after that until everything is done.

OK, that is what AOR means (thanks). I thought that was when they acknowledged that they were working on your particular application and not that they have just received it from the CIO and put you in their system. Everything is a bit clearer now. I think your timescale predictions for Buffalo sound about right. You never know though, the speed we have advanced compared to all of the people that applied back in 2010-2011 through FSW is promising.