Work experience as a Phd Student/Research Assistant

[aachen]

Dear all,

I am a Phd candidate in Germany since 2 years. I am planning to apply for Canadian PR soon.

The only confusion to me right now is that I need at least 1 year of full time or equivalent part-time work exp.

All PhD candidates in Germany are given paid Research Assistant position from third party projects which is for 20 hours/week. This is not a scholarship and I pay taxes from my salary and get salary slip.

I am given a work contract which states that I am employed from a project of German govt. for 20 hours/week (half money compared to a normal full-time position). Here in Germany, it's treated as part time job cum research. So this means, it's equivalent to 1 year of full time exp. for me.

Does Canadian office recognize this PhD position as part of education only or also consider a kind of job ?
If they do not recognize it even as a part-time job then I fail to apply for PR because apart from this work I don't have any real company work experience. I had worked in a company for 1 year on paid internship but that was a part of my Master's curriculum, so I don't count that.

I can get 71 points (more than 67) based on my and my wife's qualifications and language skills IF they consider my PhD as work experience.

One more thing: On my work contract, nowhere it is mentioned that this work is a part of my PhD research. I could also leave without getting a PhD degree and in that case it will be recognized as work exp. in Germany.

Please give me suggestion if I should apply for PR or not.

Thanks,
Gopesh

[gte439u]

Dear all,

I am a Phd candidate in Germany since 2 years. I am planning to apply for Canadian PR soon.

The only confusion to me right now is that I need at least 1 year of full time or equivalent part-time work exp.

All PhD candidates in Germany are given paid Research Assistant position from third party projects which is for 20 hours/week. This is not a scholarship and I pay taxes from my salary and get salary slip.

I am given a work contract which states that I am employed from a project of German govt. for 20 hours/week (half money compared to a normal full-time position). Here in Germany, it's treated as part time job cum research. So this means, it's equivalent to 1 year of full time exp. for me.

Does Canadian office recognize this PhD position as part of education only or also consider a kind of job ?
If they do not recognize it even as a part-time job then I fail to apply for PR because apart from this work I don't have any real company work experience. I had worked in a company for 1 year on paid internship but that was a part of my Master's curriculum, so I don't count that.

I can get 71 points (more than 67) based on my and my wife's qualifications and language skills IF they consider my PhD as work experience.

One more thing: On my work contract, nowhere it is mentioned that this work is a part of my PhD research. I could also leave without getting a PhD degree and in that case it will be recognized as work exp. in Germany.

Please give me suggestion if I should apply for PR or not.

Thanks,
Gopesh

With respect to your paid work while completing your masters degree, that DOES qualify for work experience in Canada.

With respect to your work as a research assistant, you need to find the appropriate NOC code for your work, but it will count.

[rajesh25]

It will certainly be counted. Hope you have proof's of employment.

[kisunja]

Gopesh,
Fore international PhD students in Canada, study time and research towards your own diss does not count as work experience, but paid  teaching -research assistantships do. I think, they will treat your German experience in the same way. Full-time week in Canada is 37.5 h, so two years on a 20h/w contract will give you an equivalent of a one year of full-time experience.
However, "Postgraduate Teaching and Research Assistants" are not in the new list of 29 occupations, eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, so if this contract is your ONLY experience, you might want to describe it as another, eligible occupation (i.e. "Biologist")
Hope that helps!

[aachen]

Thanks all for replying my question.

There is no separate NOC code for research and teaching assistants. So I plan to apply under category of medical physicists (natural sciences) as this is what I am doing now.

I would also include internship exp. and see what happens.

Thanks.

[kato]

any paid work in a university (that is tallied with a PhD program) will only and most likely be taken as a 'postgraduate research/teaching assistant' position, no matter what the nature of the actual task is. the immigration officers are usually not stupid enough to consider a research assistantship as an industrial occupation.

[NewtonUA]

There is no separate NOC code for research and teaching assistants.

4122 Post-Secondary Teaching and Research Assistants

[kathe]

Thanks all for replying my question.

There is no separate NOC code for research and teaching assistants. So I plan to apply under category of medical physicists (natural sciences) as this is what I am doing now.

I would also include internship exp. and see what happens.

Thanks.

If your working experience matches the job descriptions of any one of the 29 occupations, you are eligibile to apply.You ought to

•have a valid offer of arranged employment, OR
•be a skilled worker who has had one year of continuous full-time or equivalent part-time paid work experience in at least one of the following eligible occupations within the last ten years:

◦0631 Restaurant and Food Service Managers
◦0811 Primary Production Managers (Except Agriculture)
◦1122 Professional Occupations in Business Services to Management (Cap reached)
◦1233 Insurance Adjusters and Claims Examiners
◦2121 Biologists and Related Scientists
◦2151 Architects
◦3111 Specialist Physicians
◦3112 General Practitioners and Family Physicians
◦3113 Dentists
◦3131 Pharmacists
◦3142 Physiotherapists
◦3152 Registered Nurses (Cap reached)
◦3215 Medical Radiation Technologists
◦3222 Dental Hygienists & Dental Therapists
◦3233 Licensed Practical Nurses
◦4151 Psychologists
◦4152 Social Workers
◦6241 Chefs
◦6242 Cooks
◦7215 Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades
◦7216 Contractors and Supervisors, Mechanic Trades
◦7241 Electricians (Except Industrial & Power System)
◦7242 Industrial Electricians
◦7251 Plumbers
◦7265 Welders & Related Machine Operators
◦7312 Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics
◦7371 Crane Operators
◦7372 Drillers & Blasters - Surface Mining, Quarrying & Construction
◦8222 Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service

you can check detailed job descriptions on this link and click on NOC code list.

http://www5.hrsdc.gc.ca/NOC/English/NOC/2006/QuickSearch.aspx?val65=*