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

[The_Prince]

Hello everyone,

Yesterday I got the PER email. this is my timeline:

Received by CIO: 17 January 2013
Money order Cashed: 11 February 2013
PER received: 19 February 2013
Work experiences + RA/TA
Applicant: 1 person
Nationality: Iranian

Also my email has that magic sentence as well: "However a final decision on your eligibility to be selected as a federal skilled worker will be made by a visa office."

For your Information: My friend has been requested to send CV and proof of fund just 3 weeks after his PER. It is the first time he applied and he has not have any application in Ottawa. By the way he didn't submit the 6 months statement at the beginning for the Sydney office.

Question: Is it possible to send new IELTS score to Ottawa? they will consider it or just throw it to garbage box

Exactly, it is a magic sentence Good to know such an update about ur friend, this means that we should be always ready and that a statement could be requested any time, even a few weeks after the PER !

 

[The_Prince]

Exactly, it is a magic sentence Good to know such an update about ur friend, this means that we should be always ready and that a statement could be requested any time, even a few weeks after the PER !

Are you planning to apply for OHIP, Plz let us know if u did it

 

[xhiddenx]

Are you planning to apply for OHIP, Plz let us know if u did it

I heard some people couldn't get OHIP jut with file number, anyway I'll get some extra information about requirements then I'll try my chance

 

[asbereth]

I heard some people couldn't get OHIP jut with file number, anyway I'll get some extra information about requirements then I'll try my chance

If I'm not mistaken, OHIP's eligibility depends on your eligibility to apply for permanent residency (not necessarily eligible for PR). I think the PER letter should satisfy exactly that (since the CIO has already found you eligible to apply for PR under MI-4), even with the additional wording that the final decision would still depend on Ottawa (doh)

For OHIP:

you have submitted an application for permanent residence in Canada, and Citizenship and Immigration Canada has confirmed that you meet the eligibility requirements to apply for permanent residence in Canada

I don't think you need to worry when it comes to OHIP, since it clearly states that you need only be eligible to apply for PR rather than being eligible for PR itself (two different things, PER email confirms the former). I think even if you got a booklet from ServiceOntario regarding OHIP, it clearly states that one need not have already received medical request to be eligible, so no problem here (though most likely you would have to appeal).

For local tuition rates though, it may be a bit tricky:

students who are (or who are dependents of) persons who have applied for permanent resident status may qualify for exemption if they have met all the preliminary immigration requirements for permanent resident status (i.e. have received preliminary/provisional acceptance/approval, or approval-in-principle).

Approval-in-principle, from the CIC website, means:

When someone meets the minimum requirements to be a permanent resident, and has received a positive stage one assessment of their application (an “approval in principle” letter).

You can always bring up York University's website, and make your school confirm with the ministry (like I did last year). While the wording did change, theoretically, there is no difference between the new and the old wording, only that the new wording emphasizes that the final decision lies completely on the hand of the visa office in question.

EDIT: back in October, the University of Waterloo sent a university-wide email regarding domestic tuition rates for eligible doctoral students. The beginning of the email went:

This week, the University of Waterloo received clarification from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) on an eligibility category for government reporting which permits international doctoral students to be assessed domestic tuition. As per the Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism instructions issued in the Canada Gazette on November 5, 2011, international doctoral students may be eligible to apply for permanent residence status under the Federal Skilled Workers program.

I really don't think the new wording changed anything regarding your eligibility.

 

[Holygun]

Hope this has nothing to do with the benefits that we can get from the PER letter. BTW did u order a new IELTS?

Nope we gave up with PhD stream... Since PNP applications are postponed to May, I will add my partner to my application.

 

[The_Prince]

If I'm not mistaken, OHIP's eligibility depends on your eligibility to apply for permanent residency (not necessarily eligible for PR). I think the PER letter should satisfy exactly that (since the CIO has already found you eligible to apply for PR under MI-4), even with the additional wording that the final decision would still depend on Ottawa (doh)

For OHIP:
I don't think you need to worry when it comes to OHIP, since it clearly states that you need only be eligible to apply for PR rather than being eligible for PR itself (two different things, PER email confirms the former). I think even if you got a booklet from ServiceOntario regarding OHIP, it clearly states that one need not have already received medical request to be eligible, so no problem here (though most likely you would have to appeal).

For local tuition rates though, it may be a bit tricky:
Approval-in-principle, from the CIC website, means:

You can always bring up York University's website, and make your school confirm with the ministry (like I did last year). While the wording did change, theoretically, there is no difference between the new and the old wording, only that the new wording emphasizes that the final decision lies completely on the hand of the visa office in question.

EDIT: back in October, the University of Waterloo sent a university-wide email regarding domestic tuition rates for eligible doctoral students. The beginning of the email went:

I really don't think the new wording changed anything regarding your eligibility.

Many thanks for this comprehensive post, I really appreciate that, for sure I will fight for domestic fees starting from the next semester and if I got that I will go on with the OHIP

 

[The_Prince]

Nope we gave up with PhD stream... Since PNP applications are postponed to May, I will add my partner to my application.

Gave up !!
OK, wish u all the best with your PNP application

 

[asbereth]

Nope we gave up with PhD stream... Since PNP applications are postponed to May, I will add my partner to my application.

I don't know much about the status of many 2012 PNP applications, but one of my friends did his medical mid May last year, and hasn't heard anything ever since. Is this common among a lot of 2012 PNP applicants?

Many thanks for this comprehensive post, I really appreciate that, for sure I will fight for domestic fees starting from the next semester and if I got that I will go on with the OHIP

I think there is a higher probability of success for OHIP rather than getting your tuition reduced to local rates. You will have to wait until three months after the PER date before you can be covered by OHIP, but it's not a bad idea to start the whole process sooner rather than later (since you would have to appeal, then wait for the positive decision letter to come [maybe 8 weeks], then go back to ServiceOntario, then wait again until you get your card [another 6 weeks]). If you start now, by the time you get your card, three months most likely would've been passed anyway

 

[The_Prince]

Good to know that about OHIP application process. BTW, several students here in my University have used their PER letters to change into domestic fees, I was just worried about the new wording of the letter

 

[The_Prince]

Alright but what happens with OHIP and domestic status if some when got rejected later :

 

[asbereth]

Good to know that about OHIP application process. BTW, several students here in my University have used their PER letters to change into domestic fees, I was just worried about the new wording of the letter

Did the university make any official announcement about this? I really don't think the new wording changes anything. The fact that the university accepted the old wording for PhD stream PER email should make things easier for you to fight (if you have to fight at all).

For most PhD international students though, the differential fee is usually covered, and, it ended up not mattering too much (only about 10 bucks more for the whole term for some students in my school, since the difference in tuition is pretty much exactly covered by international student fee differential fee waiver). OHIP usually is the one that gives the majority of the difference between the net amount international students and the local students receive.

Well, unless you have a dependent, and are paying international fees for them, then it would make a HUGE difference

 

[The_Prince]

In my university the difference is much more than that, I think it may be around $1,500/semester, even without applying for OHIP (I need to double check), but by ALL means it will not be that trivial difference.

But do u have an idea about what would be the case if someone got rejected after getting these benefits for some time?

 

[andy.fan]

"(3) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b), a skilled worker shall be awarded 5 points if the skilled worker or their accompanying spouse or accompanying common-law partner, by the age of 17 or older, completed a program of full-time study of at least two years' duration at a post-secondary institution in Canada under a study permit, whether or not they obtained an educational credential for completing that program."
This is from the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (SOR/2002-227)

I am confused about the completion of a program.
For my Ph.D program, I have finished 60 credit hours and completed comprehensive examination.
The final work is the Ph.D dissertation.
So, can I say I finish my Ph.D program???

 

[hamed_hamed_hamed]

"(3) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b), a skilled worker shall be awarded 5 points if the skilled worker or their accompanying spouse or accompanying common-law partner, by the age of 17 or older, completed a program of full-time study of at least two years' duration at a post-secondary institution in Canada under a study permit, whether or not they obtained an educational credential for completing that program."
This is from the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (SOR/2002-227)

I am confused about the completion of a program.
For my Ph.D program, I have finished 60 credit hours and completed comprehensive examination.
The final work is the Ph.D dissertation.
So, can I say I finish my Ph.D program???

No, it's not done yet, and they won't accept it.

 

[AST]

Guys, good news..... Got medical request....