I just received this letter from my university, hopyfully this will help the future applicants.
Message on behalf of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC):
Since November 2011, international students who are pursuing a PhD at a Canadian post-secondary institution (as well as recent graduates of a Canadian PhD program) have been eligible to apply for permanent residence as Federal Skilled Workers. This special eligibility stream, which is capped at 1,000 new applications per year, is particularly attractive to doctoral students who had found it difficult to meet the requirements introduced in 2010 that determine an applicant’s eligibility for the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) reports that early outcomes are encouraging: in only five months, hundreds of applications have already been received. However, CIC finds it necessary to make an adjustment to how applicants complete their applications. Effective immediately, those applicants who are now required to submit a letter of attestation from their institution must use a template, available on the CIC website [http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM5612E.pdf]. The letter, which will need to be printed on institutional letterhead, complete with stamp or seal, will be signed by the Dean of Graduate Studies or his/her designate. Note that the letter must be an original – no photo copies – and as is the case now, must be submitted by the applicant with their application. Applicants are directed to CIC’s website for more information on meeting the application requirements.
As well, CIC wishes to remind all applicants that the PhD eligibility stream introduced in November 2011 is not in and of itself a program for permanent residence and that meeting the requirements of the PhD stream does not guarantee an applicant will receive a visa for permanent residence. Rather, the PhD stream is a set of criteria that determines an applicant’s eligibility for consideration under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, which is a program under which foreign nationals can obtain permanent residence in Canada. Applicants who are positively assessed against the PhD stream eligibility criteria – or the criteria of any of the other eligibility streams – must then fulfill the requirements of the Federal Skilled Worker Program, including that they have at least one year of continuous, paid work experience (full-time or the equivalent in part-time), in a skilled occupation (Skill Type 0, or Skill Level A or B as set out in the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC) list. Applicants will also be assessed against the selection factors in the skilled worker selection points grid and must be found admissible to Canada. Applicants are strongly encouraged to ensure they meet all requirements before submitting their application. See CIC’s website for more information on the Federal Skilled Worker Program: [http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/apply-who.asp].
Thank you.
Have we heard from MASOUD? He ought to be the next geting the MEDs...
