New Policy for International Students - April 12th, 2021

[rambag98]

The guy is also selling a +$300 "course" to prepare for this stream, he plays the "I know something you don't". Many people were excited to watch that livestream but a solid 70% was just marketing fluff, 20% guidelines that have been already published and a 10% speculation on how the stream is going to work.

All of this has been mentioned there, including the possibility of using the same portal as PNP and AIPP and having a similar checklist, which is common sense because that's how pilot programs work. As of today, we still don't have approximate processing times, we don't know anything about the processing capacity and some eligibility requirements have vague wording, then there's the BOWP issue.

It doesn't help the fact that IRCC social media team only has generic answers and avoids questions about the new streams, saying they'll provide more details in May. Let me guess, they'll provide more details the day the stream opens but people will be so hyped with FOMO that they won't read the program information until after they've applied.

Yeah, there's nothing lawyers can help with in this case.. it's on us.

 

[rambag98]

I guess we can only wait for now, but I personally have to make a decision soon on whether to apply for this or CEC, and what's going to determine my future is the BOWP possibility and processing times...Which of course we don't know yet.

Why not both?

 

[Frisk]

I think CEC is going to lower their points in the future, they are focused to give PRs to as much people who are currently in Canada, working, being international students...

For me it all depends on processing times.

I have a +470 score and one of the simplest profiles for CEC ever. I came to Canada as soon as I turned 18, all of my education and work experience is in Canada and according to the system I don't even need police certificates because I haven't spent +6 months abroad. Still, just in case I got police certificates from all the countries I've visited for +2 weeks since I turned 18 and a RCMP certificate even though technically I don't need any of that.
I've been almost obsessively tailoring my documents to make everything easy to verify for the officer processing my case.

The main difference is whether I get to apply on May 6th or I have to wait until the 15th (26th actually, because the draw on the May 15th week falls on the 12th-14th which is a few days earlier). It's not worth it to apply 3 weeks earlier if it takes a year to process, but if it takes as long as CEC and I get to apply early...That's another story.

Why not both?

I already applied for PR under PNP. Having 3 pending PR applications is a bit excessive I believe. Having 3 ongoing applications would cost me almost $6k.

 

[SatNight]

I see. We are in a similar dilemma. My wife will be eligible for CEC soon (either at the end of June or beginning of September), but our score is around 435 because of age. If they continue CEC-only draws, that should be ok, but it not...

This is why we are looking into this.

I feel your CEC profile is solid but again, it might depend on CEC-only draws. Any idea if they'll continue them, and if yes, for how long?

 

[Frisk]

I see. We are in a similar dilemma. My wife will be eligible for CEC soon (either at the end of June or beginning of September), but our score is around 435 because of age. If they continue CEC-only draws, that should be ok, but it not...

This is why we are looking into this.

I feel your CEC profile is solid but again, it might depend on CEC-only draws. Any idea if they'll continue them, and if yes, for how long?

Unfortunately we don't know that, but looking at the current composition of the pool there's +30k people in the 450-1200 range which I assume is a mix between a few CEC candidates and many backlogged FSW. When FSW draws resume scores will take a few months to go back to the 460-470 range, however, consider most CEC applicants that went to school graduated in spring and started working during summer, the number might be lower than other years because of Covid and the current job market but we can expect more CEC-eligible people soon.

My fear is that I might wait for CEC and then FSW draws resume, while people who applied for the new stream will get their PR earlier and I'll be stuck until the backlog is cleared having missed my chance.

On the other hand, if I apply for the new stream and it turns out to be a PNP 2.0 that takes +1 year to process I'll kick myself in the head for not having been a bit more patient.

 

[SatNight]

Yes, I understand that. It is a dilemma. It would be ideal if this program doesn't fill out so quickly so you have until you are eligible for CEC to decide.

 

[rambag98]

Yes, I understand that. It is a dilemma. It would be ideal if this program doesn't fill out so quickly so you have until you are eligible for CEC to decide.

Honestly, that's pretty likely too since your draw might potentially be only 1-2 weeks later.. try to eye what's happening on may 6..

 

[SatNight]

I do think (hope) that this program won't close for a few weeks.

Question: How long are police certificates good for? I have one from before I arrived in Canada, and haven't traveled since.

 

[Frisk]

Yes, I understand that. It is a dilemma. It would be ideal if this program doesn't fill out so quickly so you have until you are eligible for CEC to decide.

Honestly, that's pretty likely too since your draw might potentially be only 1-2 weeks later.. try to eye what's happening on may 6..

Well, where there are arguments to be made from both sides here's a little pros and cons:

CEC
pros
- Easy to determine eligibility and apply online
- Full processing capacity
- Online portal easy to understand
- Processing times around 6 month
- Low cutoff scores
- Possibility of getting a BOWP
cons
- Inconsistent processing times, people with Jan 2021 AOR got COPR, some Jan 2020 are still waiting
- FSW draws might resume anytime, can't compete with 6 months of backlog
- EE will change soon, and we don't know what those changes will be or affect us

TR to PR

pros
- Easy to be eligible
- Less requirements = Less processing times (?)
- Many people who weren't eligible before are going to be eligible for this
- Low IELTS score requirements
- Candidates are not ranked, they're either eligible or not
cons
- Requirements and how to apply not clear
- Processing times are going to be a lottery and we don't know processing capacity
- No BOWP

 

[rambag98]

I do think (hope) that this program won't close for a few weeks.

Question: How long are police certificates good for? I have one from before I arrived in Canada, and haven't traveled since.

They're good as long as you didn't go back and live there for 6 months or more.

 

[rambag98]

Well, where there are arguments to be made from both sides here's a little pros and cons:

CEC
pros
- Easy to determine eligibility and apply online
- Full processing capacity
- Online portal easy to understand
- Processing times around 6 month
- Low cutoff scores
- Possibility of getting a BOWP
cons
- Inconsistent processing times, people with Jan 2021 AOR got COPR, some Jan 2020 are still waiting
- FSW draws might resume anytime, can't compete with 6 months of backlog
- EE will change soon, and we don't know what those changes will be or affect us

TR to PR

pros
- Easy to be eligible
- Less requirements = Less processing times (?)
- Many people who weren't eligible before are going to be eligible for this
- Low IELTS score requirements
- Candidates are not ranked, they're either eligible or not
cons
- Requirements and how to apply not clear
- Processing times are going to be a lottery and we don't know processing capacity
- No BOWP

Honestly that no BOWP thing surprised me. In my case, I'll be eligible for CEC early 2022.. but my work permit expires soon after too, making things tight for me.. that's why this program is a good opportunity.. if it's not processed by then then I'll go for CEC if I can..

 

[hhzara]

They're good as long as you didn't go back and live there for 6 months or more.

I've been told the opposite by other CEC and inland FSW applicants, so I'm trying to get a new one. I haven't travelled outside of Canada since I came in 2018.

 

[hhzara]

Honestly that no BOWP thing surprised me. In my case, I'll be eligible for CEC early 2022.. but my work permit expires soon after too, making things tight for me.. that's why this program is a good opportunity.. if it's not processed by then then I'll go for CEC if I can..

Agreed, no BOWP is concerning. I'm hoping it means quicker processing times, but who knows? I wish they would publish the guidelines already!

 

[SatNight]

I have a police certificate but it's older. Idk how they expect us to be ready with everything when we don't even know the guidelines.

 

[techknull]

I have a police certificate but it's older. Idk how they expect us to be ready with everything when we don't even know the guidelines.

There's no expiry date on PCC as long as you did not stay for more than six months in that country.