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

[mengoose]

By courier for ALL categories, the mailing address is as follows as per the official CIC website:

Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Federal Skilled Worker
Arranged Employment category or PhD category
Centralized Intake Office
47-49 Dorchester Street
Sydney, NS
B1P 5Z2
Canada

Many thanks!

 

[mengoose]

I have another question: I will finish two years of my PhD on Sept 7, that was when school started two years ago. If I mail my application on the 7th, will they use the post-mark date or the date they receive my package as the date for the cap?
Tks.

 

[mapleisland]

I saw several posts regarding OHIP, sorry I'm not familiar of anything about this. Do I need to apply for one if I state I want to stay in Toronto as for the PR application, but I'm studying in Montreal right now? Thanks.

Today I visited Service Ontario for Ohip for me and my wife.

I received written response from Immigration and Citizenship Canada and that is PER. The letter states "Your application has received a positive final determination of eligibility for processing on the bases of your enrolement in a phd program as ....

Your application will be forwarded to a visa office for further processing."

They rejected my application for OHIP and on the eligibility assessment form, reason is "does not statisfy the eligibility criteria as set out in Regulation 522 under health insurance act. "

and
Other: Provided letter from federal skilled worker centralized intake office.

For my wife, the lady said her name is no where in the letter and even if you get OHIP on this letter your wife cannot until you get a letter on her name. which i think is impossible.

Please suggest what should i do for further correspondence in this regard.

 

[mapleisland]

Do you mean all the letters from university have to be sealed in envelope, including letters of attestation, reference letters for RA/TA? I only have my transcript sealed in envelope. I'm about to submit my application, do I need to work on this then? Thanks.

I got my application back this week.
They want to receive the letter of the university in sealed envelope.

 

[mapleisland]

I'm about to submit my application. Is CPP-O the only visa office in Canda right now which we can put in IMM0008 form? Thanks.

 

[TyrusX]

I'm about to submit my application. Is CPP-O the only visa office in Canda right now which we can put in IMM0008 form? Thanks.

You can apply to your home country as well. The only person to have done that so far got her MR months ago. And she is the only January applicant to have gotten that so far.

 

[mengoose]

I have another question: I will finish two years of my PhD on Sept 7, that was when school started two years ago. If I mail my application on the 7th, will they use the post-mark date or the date they receive my package as the date for the cap?
Tks.

What have you guys done? Mailing your application before the date or on the date?

 

[phdapplicant]

I have another question: I will finish two years of my PhD on Sept 7, that was when school started two years ago. If I mail my application on the 7th, will they use the post-mark date or the date they receive my package as the date for the cap?
Tks.

If I were you, I would send my application with the letter from school signed on or after Sep 7. It seems that CIC has become very picky about the 2-year requirement and the attestation letter. Better safe than sorry.

 

[andy.fan]

You need to keep calling the helpline till u are able to let them know that u have changed your address, perseverance is required in this case.

Hello, I also need to change my address.
How can I ask Canada Post to convert all my mail to my new address

 

[andy.fan]

CIC awarded sometimes, and did not some other times. The problem is, when it got to the Visa Office part of the processing, they didn't award to anyone so far.

What is this meaning?
Is it means that 5 points for adaptability will not be awarded at, even though we receive the PER?

 

[TyrusX]

What is this meaning?
Is it means that 5 points for adaptability will not be awarded at, even though we receive the PER?

It seems like Ottawa is not giving the adaptability points. But we need to wait and see, our population has been too small so far.

 

[ASG]

Application reached CIO: Feb 17,2012
PER issued: May 2, 2012
NOC: 2121
Current ecas status: In process
number of persons in application: 2
TA/RA experience: Included
Nationality: France


Hi everyone.
I applied to the FSW in Feb 2012 under the PhD stream from within Canada, my application was deemed eligible for further processing in May 2012. Since then, no communication from any VO. I had been notified that my file would be sent to a visa office, but not to which one.

I'm expecting a child for Dec 2012, so I sent a letter to the Sydney office in June to that effect, since I didn't know my file had actually been sent to Ottawa (which I discovered by calling the call center).

I emailed the Ottawa office about this, however, they state that they do not reply to emails if the timelines are still within standard processing times. In this case, how can I know they will actually take the information into account?

In addition, I wasn't able to find the processing times for the Ottawa office anywhere.

I'm hoping that I'll receive my MR a few months before I give birth, but as time passes this seems more and more unlikely, although it might still be a bit early in my case.

Does anyone here would have any info that could help, or similar experiences?

In addition, I got a bit worried by the conversation at the beginning of this thread regarding the fact that even PhD-streamers need the least 1 yr of full time work. I applied under this stream because I didn't have the "work experience", rather my experience was through my Msc + PhD... So I'm afraid I might be rejected for "lack of experience" later on despite receiving PER.

Thanks for your input!

ASG

 

[kaziahmmed]

Application reached CIO: Feb 17,2012
PER issued: May 2, 2012
NOC: 2121
Current ecas status: In process
number of persons in application: 2
TA/RA experience: Included
Nationality: France


Hi everyone.
I applied to the FSW in Feb 2012 under the PhD stream from within Canada, my application was deemed eligible for further processing in May 2012. Since then, no communication from any VO. I had been notified that my file would be sent to a visa office, but not to which one.

I'm expecting a child for Dec 2012, so I sent a letter to the Sydney office in June to that effect, since I didn't know my file had actually been sent to Ottawa (which I discovered by calling the call center).

I emailed the Ottawa office about this, however, they state that they do not reply to emails if the timelines are still within standard processing times. In this case, how can I know they will actually take the information into account?

In addition, I wasn't able to find the processing times for the Ottawa office anywhere.

I'm hoping that I'll receive my MR a few months before I give birth, but as time passes this seems more and more unlikely, although it might still be a bit early in my case.

Does anyone here would have any info that could help, or similar experiences?

In addition, I got a bit worried by the conversation at the beginning of this thread regarding the fact that even PhD-streamers need the least 1 yr of full time work. I applied under this stream because I didn't have the "work experience", rather my experience was through my Msc + PhD... So I'm afraid I might be rejected for "lack of experience" later on despite receiving PER.

Thanks for your input!

ASG

I do not think you will be rejected at this stage for lack of experience since you have already awarded PER. I think they have considered your TA and RA as your experience and based on previous experience from other applicants many of them have awarded the experience just from their TA, RA. The reason its taking bit longer for your case might be they have transferred your file to one VO to another VO (Ottawa) and I heard it will take a while for them to be settle down.

 

[TyrusX]

I do not think you will be rejected at this stage for lack of experience since you have already awarded PER. I think they have considered your TA and RA as your experience and based on previous experience from other applicants many of them have awarded the experience just from their TA, RA. The reason its taking bit longer for your case might be they have transferred your file to one VO to another VO (Ottawa) and I heard it will take a while for them to be settle down.

kaziahmmed is right. You probably submitted your TA/RA as proof of work experience, otherwise you would not get PER unless there was some mistake. Given the current trend, it is actually preferable to apply with TA/RA as they constitute CANADIAN EXPERIENCE, not only work experience, and this is now preferable. NOTE that this is my current opinion and that before that I was wrongly informed by my lawyer that TA/RA would probably not count towards valid work experience. I now regret not having included that in my application. Unfortunately I think it may take some time still for us to receive MR, as Jason Kenney stated that they are giving priority to applicants of pre-MI-1, MI-1, as they have been waiting for 4 or 5 years, which is fair.

 

[ASG]

kaziahmmed is right. You probably submitted your TA/RA as proof of work experience, otherwise you would not get PER unless there was some mistake. Given the current trend, it is actually preferable to apply with TA/RA as they constitute CANADIAN EXPERIENCE, not only work experience, and this is now preferable. NOTE that this is my current opinion and that before that I was wrongly informed by my lawyer that TA/RA would probably not count towards valid work experience. I now regret not having included that in my application. Unfortunately I think it may take some time still for us to receive MR, as Jason Kenney stated that they are giving priority to applicants of pre-MI-1, MI-1, as they have been waiting for 4 or 5 years, which is fair.

Thanks for your replies. At least one thing I can stop worry about!

Just wondering though: is there a chance they would expedite an application based on the birth of a child in Canada?
If they don't reply to communication, how can we know that they do receive updates on family status, etc...?
And although it totally makes sense to have them focus on the backlog first, how can we get information on the Ottawa VO processing times, or reasonably, what can we hope for regarding timelines?

I'm pretty sure we're all in the same boat here, but I'll be defending in April 2013. Before that, I'll have to find a job offer to be sponsored for a temporary work visa if I haven't gotten PR by that time...and it seems highly unlikely.
My husband is on an open work visa that is linked to my student visa, so as soon as I defend, he'll also have to find an employer that sponsors him as well...unless one of us gets sponsored and the other gets a work visa linked to the spouse...

My point being: I just wish there was a way to have clear info on the within Canada VO processing times, as this would greatly help plan things ahead. The tracker is pretty awesome for that, btw.