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readytofly

Star Member
Jan 19, 2012
61
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Category........
Visa Office......
Seattle
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
Jan. 29th, 2010
Doc's Request.
Mar. 8th, 2010
AOR Received.
Sep. 27th, 2010
File Transfer...
Oct. 14th, 2011
Med's Request
Feb. 3rd, 2012
Passport Req..
May 7th, 2012
VISA ISSUED...
May 9th, 2012
LANDED..........
May 19th, 2012
Hi All,

As the instruction in the CEC guideline is not clear about the transition period when recent graduates can work full time with off campus work permit after graduation until they receive their post graduation work permit (which might take up to 3 months), I was wondering if anybody has had any issue claiming that duration as work experience?

My case is:
graduated Dec. 2010.
Started work from Jan 1, 2011 full time until now
Received PGWP March 1st, 2011

I just do not want to wait another month!

Your help is appreciated.
 
Unfortunately, you have to wait another month. All working experience counted for CEC can't be under off-campus work permit.

Work experience

As a graduate of a Canadian post-secondary educational institution, you must have one year of full-time (or equivalent) work experience in Canada after graduation. Your work experience must be gained within two years of applying.

You may get work experience by applying for the Post-Graduation Work Permit after graduation. Work permits may be valid for up to three years with no restrictions on the type of work you can do or where. To ensure that you can apply for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class, at least one year of work experience under the permit must be at Skill Type 0, or Skill Level A or B under the National Occupational Classification (NOC). Your work experience must be gained within two years of the time you applied.

Full-time work experience means working at least 37.5 paid hours per week.

Note: Work experience gained during your studies does not count toward meeting the requirements for work experience. Only work experience gained after graduation can be counted.


http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/cec/graduates.asp#work
 
Thanks for the reply.

Still, the guideline is confusing. I think they mean the work experience under off campus work experience while studying. If you have a look at here,

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/op/op25-eng.pdf

It clearly says:
Eligible work experience under the Post-Graduation Stream of the CEC must occur after graduation. Work performed on an Off-Campus Work Permit
(during studies) does not count under the CEC.

And here is a person who has applied in these condition and has received his PR.

http://www.trackitt.com/usa-discussion-forums/canadian-experience-class/269730399/is-my-work-experience-enough
 
readytofly: Patience pays off in your case. I`ve seen people rejected cause of the work experience being partly gained during off-campus WP. Just wait another month and save yourself from disappointment. Good luck with your application.
 
Hey guys, i kind doubt what you guys are talking about.
technically off-campus work permit is only valid when you are in school. if you graduated college/University, study permit ,off campus work permit and coop work permit are not valid. To get PGWP can take a few month(after graduation). so off campus work permit can be used as a transition. its like a implied status.
so the months you worked without PGWP is countable for CEC. because simply you gained after graduation.
CEC said coop work and off campus are not counted because it is gained when in school.
 
I am sure everyone applying through the graduate stream faces this question. This sentence from the CEC guidelines is not very clear.

"Note: The experience must be acquired after you have completed the required study and obtained a Canadian credential (work performed under the Off-Campus Work Permit Program or co-op work terms do not count)."

I wish they had written it in a better way to avoid any misunderstanding, probably "while studying" would have resolved this ambiguity.

I think they really meant work experience during studies under off campus work permit does not count.

That is why I just wanted to ask if some body has been rejected for claiming work experience for this transition time.
 
Hi readytofly,

I received your email. I'm already here in Canada. I don't think it's a problem unless it's a noticeable. The med exam now is fast and don't examine very well unlike before, but to be sure I got a med cert from accredited hospital to make sure and when I was asked if I have a lump, I said none :D.
 
@ readytofly: Hi, I have the same question as yours. I followed all the postings and I believe it will count towards the experience (I followed this too
trackitt.com/usa-discussion-forums/canadian-experience-class/269730399/is-my-work-experience-enough ).
I was wondering whether do you have any additional information about this in the past two months?

Thanks
 
username27 said:
@ readytofly: Hi, I have the same question as yours. I followed all the postings and I believe it will count towards the experience (I followed this too
trackitt.com/usa-discussion-forums/canadian-experience-class/269730399/is-my-work-experience-enough ).
I was wondering whether do you have any additional information about this in the past two months?

Thanks

@username27: Hi, I do not have any more information. Based on my understanding of the regulations, I THINK that experience will be considered eligible but I could not find anything official. If it is not a big deal, I suggest you waiting. I know it may be difficult but at least you won't be worried about your application for a few month until you hear from them.
 
readytofly said:
Hi All,

As the instruction in the CEC guideline is not clear about the transition period when recent graduates can work full time with off campus work permit after graduation until they receive their post graduation work permit (which might take up to 3 months), I was wondering if anybody has had any issue claiming that duration as work experience?

My case is:
graduated Dec. 2010.
Started work from Jan 1, 2011 full time until now
Received PGWP March 1st, 2011

I just do not want to wait another month!

I have the same concern but I didn't realize it until after my application send out already.Hope VO give me a pass for that.


Your help is appreciated.
 
It's very clear. Off campus work permit experience does not count, you will be rejected.

If you read the following paragraph it states so very clearly.
"Note: The experience must be acquired after you have completed the required study and obtained a Canadian credential (work performed under the Off-Campus Work Permit Program or co-op work terms do not count)."
 
Pouce said:
if you graduated college/University, study permit ,off campus work permit and coop work permit are not valid. To get PGWP can take a few month(after graduation). so off campus work permit can be used as a transition. its like a implied status.
so the months you worked without PGWP is countable for CEC. because simply you gained after graduation.

wrong, according to CIC, "Only work experience gained after graduation can be counted." Definition of "graduation" is the date of your convocation. So any experiences before the date of your convocation wouldn't be counted. You may receive your PGWP before the date of your convocation, but the months you worked before your convocation date still wouldn't be valid for CEC.

so, to readytofly:
off campus work permit = NO
experiences after CONVOCATION under your PGWP = YES
 
Agree to Johny. Not only the work has to be under PGWP, but also after your graduation ceremony. I am not sure which institute in Canada holds graduation ceremony in December (as the original poster claimed his graduation was on December 2010). Note that, don't confuse your last exam day with graduation ceremony.
There is no scope of confusion. Every where it says that the experience has to be after you get your degree/diploma (or so on). You officially get that on convocation day.
However, people who have applied bit earlier, re-send the updated letter from your employer. For some people it has worked (but does not guaranty that the officer will be satisfied).
 
I thought it was the date the diploma was conferred? My convocation and degree issuance were different days.
 
kushari said:
I thought it was the date the diploma was conferred? My convocation and degree issuance were different days.

It's the date of your convocation that the Visa Officers go by. This is from the post "May 2012 Applications" , it's one of the many examples regarding this issue:

Always.Asif said:
Unfortunately my application is rejected.

I completed my graduation on Dec, 2010 , result published on Jan 2011.

But as per convocation I received my certificate on June 2011. I got job on 22nd Feb 2011 which ends on 29th Feb 2012 ( total 1 yr 7 days).

Unfortunately the visa officer count my job experience starting from June 2011 ( after the receiving of graduation certificate) which accumulate only 8 months.

Here is the comment:

under the post-graduation stream, an applicant must have acquired 12 months of full-time skilled work experience after having obtained a Canadian educational credential on the completion of a program of full time study. As your degree was conferred June 17, 2011, the qualifying period commenced on that date and you had attained only 8 months of skilled work experience when you submitted your application.