Questions about my application

[EdithF86]

Hey guys!

I am a Belgian woman currently living in New Zealand.

I'm new to this forum and to the immigration process in general and trying to find my way through all the information provided here.
I have quite a few questions that I haven't been able to find an answer to yet.

1) The ECAs
--> I have a bachelor of Computer Science. Is it sufficient to get an ECA for this diploma or will I have to get one for my high school diploma too?
2) The language tests
--> I speak English so will get my IELTS as soon as possible. Are they American English or British?
--> I speak basic French too but there are no options to take the TEF in New Zealand. Would this make a big difference to my application? I'm trying to figure out if it's worth traveling all the way to Australia for.
Can I start my application and add it later on if I don't get invited with IELTS only?
3) Proof of funds
--> I will get the funds gifted to me by my parents so I've read that I will need a notarised gift deed. Do I need to get this arranged before I apply for EE? I read that they look at the 6 month balance but at what point in the immigration process do they do this? Also when it's a gift, does the 6 month balance still matter?
4) Processing time
--> Is there a topic somewhere where I can see how long the whole immigration process has taken for people?
5) PCC
--> I read that I can wait to get my PCC for Belgium until after EE, but I also need to get one for Canada since I have lived there for a year on a Working Holiday Visa. Should I start applying for this now already and where do you apply for this?
6) Prices
Since all these tests and assessments are pretty expensive, I was wondering if it's worth investing my time in comparing prices? I see there's quite a few places to get your ECAs and IELTS etc. Are prices pretty much the same for all these and in different countries or are there big differences?

 

[bellaluna]

Hey guys!

I am a Belgian woman currently living in New Zealand.

I'm new to this forum and to the immigration process in general and trying to find my way through all the information provided here.
I have quite a few questions that I haven't been able to find an answer to yet.

1) The ECAs
--> I have a bachelor of Computer Science. Is it sufficient to get an ECA for this diploma or will I have to get one for my high school diploma too?

No, just the Bachelor in Computer Science is enough.

2) The language tests
--> I speak English so will get my IELTS as soon as possible. Are they American English or British?

British/Australian, which I guess would be preferable for you. I struggled through the accents in the Listening section as I'm more used to hearing neutral/American accents.

--> I speak basic French too but there are no options to take the TEF in New Zealand. Would this make a big difference to my application? I'm trying to figure out if it's worth traveling all the way to Australia for.
Can I start my application and add it later on if I don't get invited with IELTS only?

IMO, it's not worth it to take the TEF unless you are C1/C2 level, so you can do without it.

3) Proof of funds
--> I will get the funds gifted to me by my parents so I've read that I will need a notarised gift deed. Do I need to get this arranged before I apply for EE? I read that they look at the 6 month balance but at what point in the immigration process do they do this? Also when it's a gift, does the 6 month balance still matter?

They require the monthly average balance for 6 months, but the statement has to meet the LICO. This is required after the ITA, when you submit your PR application, and not yet when you create an EE profile. But when you do create it, you have to at least type the LICO for your family or else your profile will be ineligible. You can edit it later.

4) Processing time
--> Is there a topic somewhere where I can see how long the whole immigration process has taken for people?

You can see for yourself on the CIC website: 6 months, which applies to 80% of applications.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/

The topics are scattered around the forum, grouped by months.

5) PCC
--> I read that I can wait to get my PCC for Belgium until after EE, but I also need to get one for Canada since I have lived there for a year on a Working Holiday Visa. Should I start applying for this now already and where do you apply for this?

Canada does not require a PCC because they can check it themselves--they will request it in rare cases if needed.
You can get your PCC for Belgium now if you do not intend to travel there soon. The PCC from countries you previously lived in must have been issued after your last departure.

6) Prices
Since all these tests and assessments are pretty expensive, I was wondering if it's worth investing my time in comparing prices? I see there's quite a few places to get your ECAs and IELTS etc. Are prices pretty much the same for all these and in different countries or are there big differences?

They're all pretty much standard, even IELTS.