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

[pepe84]

NEVER write full time hours for RA/TA during the two years you have completed towards your PhD. Try to include 20 hours/week for winter and fall (where most courses are offered) and 35 hours/week for the summer (dead semester). That will undoubtedly complete the equivalent to a continuous full time year. If you write full time hours for the whole period, they may reject your application saying that as a full time student how is possible that you have been also working full time during all this period?

heads up!

Does anybody have an idea about the working hours per week for TA/RA to be accepted by CIC? Do they accept 30 hours /per week (full time) to be claimed?

 

[pfau]

Hi again,

I got what I assume/hope is some good news today: my eCAS was changed to "Decision Made" (attention: admin). So hopefully I'll hear within a few days/weeks what that decision is.

I have a couple of questions that my Google and forum searches haven't been able to fully answer. I was hoping someone here might have an answer or two.

1. Although I'm still a full-time student at my Canadian university, I'm in the U.S. right now doing my thesis research (I'm an American citizen). If they request my passport soon, is it possible to send it directly from here, or will they only accept it from/return it to a Canadian address?

2. Also, it is my understanding that I can "land" at the closest approved U.S.-Canada border crossing (regardless of what province I plan to live in within Canada), rather than fly back across the continent to get back to the province where my university is (or fly to where I hope to get a job). Am I correct on that? (Obviously Quebec presents its own set of difficulties, but I am neither studying/living there nor do I plan to in the future.)

3. Technically, my student visa expired two days ago at the end of September (but since I'm in the country of my citizenship, it isn't a problem yet) and I haven't renewed it yet because I was hoping that my PR would be granted soon (saving my wife and I a couple hundred dollars); any guesses on whether I will have to have a renewed student visa before they will issue my PR visa in my passport or before I "land"? In other words, do you think I can get my PR visa and "land" under the Ph.D. stream without having an existing student visa?

In any case, I wish luck to all on this continuing (never-ending?) saga!

 

[pepe84]

Hello,

Here I give you my answers;

1. It doesn't matter at all where they send the passport to. You are the person who is going to pay for both envelopes, the one directed to Ottawa and the one back to the US. In other words, you are the one who is going to write the remittance addresses. Understood?

2. You can land even through Quebec airports, you just need to land in Canada. CBSA will never ask you through which program you got the PR Visa.

3. This one may be an issue. Do you have your Student Visa expired but the Study Permit remains valid, am I right? If both expired, you must have a Valid Study Permit to remain registered as a full time student in Canada. If your study permit is also expired, please renew it soon. As an American citizen, you do not need a Visa stamped in your passport to re-enter Canada. However, study permits must remain valid while being a student here. If CIC notices that you have an expired study permit, this may be assumed as an illegal act and they may refuse your PR. Please renew your study permit soon!

Hope this helps!

Hi again,

I got what I assume/hope is some good news today: my eCAS was changed to "Decision Made" (attention: admin). So hopefully I'll hear within a few days/weeks what that decision is.

I have a couple of questions that my Google and forum searches haven't been able to fully answer. I was hoping someone here might have an answer or two.

1. Although I'm still a full-time student at my Canadian university, I'm in the U.S. right now doing my thesis research (I'm an American citizen). If they request my passport soon, is it possible to send it directly from here, or will they only accept it from/return it to a Canadian address?

2. Also, it is my understanding that I can "land" at the closest approved U.S.-Canada border crossing (regardless of what province I plan to live in within Canada), rather than fly back across the continent to get back to the province where my university is (or fly to where I hope to get a job). Am I correct on that? (Obviously Quebec presents its own set of difficulties, but I am neither studying/living there nor do I plan to in the future.)

3. Technically, my student visa expired two days ago at the end of September (but since I'm in the country of my citizenship, it isn't a problem yet) and I haven't renewed it yet because I was hoping that my PR would be granted soon (saving my wife and I a couple hundred dollars); any guesses on whether I will have to have a renewed student visa before they will issue my PR visa in my passport or before I "land"? In other words, do you think I can get my PR visa and "land" under the Ph.D. stream without having an existing student visa?

In any case, I wish luck to all on this continuing (never-ending?) saga!

 

[Viva2014]

Thanks Viva2014, I just realized that June 6th applicants are now receiving their PERs. So for June 9th which is the next batch of applications (due to a weekend June 7th and 8th) will likely start getting the PER email tomorrow. Let's see what happens.

Do you have any idea or clue of why CIO has dramatically and sharply increased the times to just open the application packages and charge the CC (from 1 month to 4 months)? I thought it was going to be fast because of the money thing, but it seems they don't need a lot of cash as for now .

Cheers! What status you have on your application?

I have no idea for this increase! They might focus more on other streams now.
Regarding my status, I sent my application in September but obviously no PER yet

 

[pepe84]

Wish you best luck Viva2014, you have been of great help

I have no idea for this increase! They might focus more on other streams now.
Regarding my status, I sent my application in September but obviously no PER yet

 

[Viva2014]

Wish you best luck Viva2014, you have been of great help

Thank you Pepe84. Me too wish the bests for you .
We will both have a long journey 8)

 

[pfau]

Hello,

Here I give you my answers;

1. It doesn't matter at all where they send the passport to. You are the person who is going to pay for both envelopes, the one directed to Ottawa and the one back to the US. In other words, you are the one who is going to write the remittance addresses. Understood?

2. You can land even through Quebec airports, you just need to land in Canada. CBSA will never ask you through which program you got the PR Visa.

3. This one may be an issue. Do you have your Student Visa expired but the Study Permit remains valid, am I right? If both expired, you must have a Valid Study Permit to remain registered as a full time student in Canada. If your study permit is also expired, please renew it soon. As an American citizen, you do not need a Visa stamped in your passport to re-enter Canada. However, study permits must remain valid while being a student here. If CIC notices that you have an expired study permit, this may be assumed as an illegal act and they may refuse your PR. Please renew your study permit soon!

Hope this helps!

Thanks so much for replying. This was helpful. The reason I didn't think that letting my study permit expire would be a problem is because when I asked the adviser at my university's international student office if I could let my study permit expire while I was doing research out of the country and see if my PR would be approved in the meantime, she told me that "it’s just best to let your study permit expire. The next time you return to Canada for your thesis defense, if you still haven’t been approved for permanent residency, you should apply for a Canadian study permit at the border." So this seems to be different from your (much appreciated) advice. Does anyone have any experience with their study permit expiring (while still a full-time student) before they got permanent residency?

 

[sia_kb8]

Does anybody have an idea about the working hours per week for TA/RA to be accepted by CIC? Do they accept 30 hours /per week (full time) to be claimed?

I claimed 30 and had no problem. I also got the full-time work experience to boot.

 

[pepe84]

Man, all I can tell you is that My University always asks for a new study permit exactly a week before my old study permit expires. If you have already submitted your thesis or finished all studies in Canada and you are just waiting for convocation, you may be exempt from study permit renewal. But if you are still registered as a full time grad you do need a valid study permit. You better ask your Univ Intl adviser to see what you can do now, because even if you try to renew it now CIC will fine you $400 for status restoration (due to an expired study permit) plus the $125 of the new permit.

Thanks so much for replying. This was helpful. The reason I didn't think that letting my study permit expire would be a problem is because when I asked the adviser at my university's international student office if I could let my study permit expire while I was doing research out of the country and see if my PR would be approved in the meantime, she told me that "it's just best to let your study permit expire. The next time you return to Canada for your thesis defense, if you still haven't been approved for permanent residency, you should apply for a Canadian study permit at the border." So this seems to be different from your (much appreciated) advice. Does anyone have any experience with their study permit expiring (while still a full-time student) before they got permanent residency?

 

[zorroo]

I claimed 30 and had no problem. I also got the full-time work experience to boot.

Thanks for your answer. By the way, which NOC did you choose as your primary one?

 

[cantaloupe]

You do NOT need to have a valid study permit to land as an immigrant. This is a completely separate process, even though when you applied, you had to show a valid permit for up to 1 year, solely because you were not applying from within your country of citizenship.
Also, regarding your ongoing studies in Canada, study permit is intended to show you're legally "residing" in Canada... In other words, as long as you do not currently live IN Canada without a valid status (or an implied status) you are fine. If you need to go back to Canada to continue your degree, and you have not landed yet, then yes, you should renew your study permit at the border (or online).

Thanks so much for replying. This was helpful. The reason I didn't think that letting my study permit expire would be a problem is because when I asked the adviser at my university's international student office if I could let my study permit expire while I was doing research out of the country and see if my PR would be approved in the meantime, she told me that "it's just best to let your study permit expire. The next time you return to Canada for your thesis defense, if you still haven't been approved for permanent residency, you should apply for a Canadian study permit at the border." So this seems to be different from your (much appreciated) advice. Does anyone have any experience with their study permit expiring (while still a full-time student) before they got permanent residency?

 

[sia_kb8]

Thanks for your answer. By the way, which NOC did you choose as your primary one?

I only had RA/TA work experience.

 

[vivi]

Hello guys,

In my RPRF request email, I am asked to email the proof of payment to CPC-CTD-Ottawa@cic.gc.ca. But 2 of my friends, who got their RPRF request just 3 and 4 weeks before me, are asked to mail their proof of payments to Case Processing Centre – Ottawa. Isn’t it weird? Has anyone else got the same email like me? I am very suspicious about the Ottawa email system. They never answered or acknowledged my previous emails. At least I have sent 4 emails to them with no reply, even no automatic response.
One more question: What and when should I expect to see a new line in the online system? It still shows only one line: “We received your application for permanent residence on February 13, 2014”.

Thanks

 

[Neilneil2001]

Hi all,

Can you please kindly answer this qustion of mine:

I have just finished the second year of my PhD program, Can I account on 5 points of adaptability?

the website says:
"Your past study in Canada
You finished at least two academic years of full-time study (in a program at least two years long) at a secondary or post-secondary school in Canada.

Full-time study means at least 15 hours of classes per week, and you must have stayed in good academic standing (as set out by the school) during that time.

Most PhDs don't have that much of class work as me. did they accept it for anybody before?

 

[kab]

Hi guys, I would really appreciate your help as I finished collecting all documents but I have one problem with my national ID. My national ID is in my home country but I have a photocopy of it on my laptop. I asked a professional translator to translate it and he did. However, I believe that I should also get this photocopy notarized. Unfortunately, I cannot do that because in order to have notarized, a lawyer should compare the original to the photocopy. Do you think I should write an explanation letter about this and include it in my application? Or, should I just submit the photocopy with the translation (and affidavit) without any information about why I did not get notarized?

P.S: I will also submit my birth certificate. Therefore, I am not sure if they want me to submit a notarized photocopy + Translation of my ID.