mf4361 said:
IIRC there is a FAQ page on CIC website noting say yes to "Do you have a job offer" only when you have LMIA-based job. And that's what I put in. I can't find that page now, it was discussed in this forum before.
I did tried to say yes, and then answer No to "Do you have LMIA" and "Job does not need LMIA" further down the form, and no 600 points awarded to me, as expected.
This has been an area of discussion for a long time. Most people will tell you to say no if you don't have an LMIA, and, indeed, there is or was a direction to that effect on the CIC website. I think, since you can later indicate that you do not have an LMIA, that it is dishonest to say you don't have a job offer when you do. To that, some people will say "Yes, but CIC clearly defines a valid job offer as one with an LMIA," to which I say, "The question asked if I had a job offer, NOT if I had a VALID job offer." So there is room for disagreement there.
If you say yes, and then no to LMIA, of course you will not get the 600 points. Once you get an ITA, though, you will be asked to provide the job offer and a letter of employment. To me, this opens up the door to use your salary as at least partial Proof of Funds, if your invitation was under FSW, as mine was. I was not so brave as to RELY on my salary for proof of funds - I have the required money in savings - but I think it should help to prove I can establish myself in Canada financially, so I am glad I answered 'yes'.
Which path you take will depend on your interpretation of the question or set of questions. In my case, I felt it was safer to acknowledge that I do indeed have a permanent source of income in Canada, that I would like to keep.
