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Questions regarding CEC (graduate+1 year work experience) program

emrulh

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Mar 18, 2013
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I am going to apply under the CEC (1 year graduate degree+1 year experience) category from BC. But I have some confusing issues -

1. So I just went through one of the interview slides done by someone from CIC at my university back in March 2012. And I got the info that "A full time qualifying graduate educational program has to be of at least two years (two academic years of at least eight months each excluding scheduled breaks, such as summer holidays”. In my case I graduated with my MA from York University (Sept 2009-April 2010). Then I had another MA from Simon Fraser University (Sept 2010-December 2011, with one summer break). Is it sufficient? They never said I can gather the education experience via 2 Master degrees?

2. Next question is about 1 year of full time work experience after I graduated from Simon Fraser University in December 2011. After that I have gathered more than sufficient hours for the application, but recently I saw this in CIC website that “Any periods of self-employment, unauthorized work, or periods of employment during which you were engaged in full-time study (e.g. work experience gained on a co-op, off-campus or on-campus work permit) will not be included when calculating the period of qualifying work experience. You must have had temporary resident status during the period of work experience acquired in Canada. If you are a student and graduated from a Canadian post-secondary institution, you can gain the work experience required for CEC through the Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP).” My situation is that, I got the Post-Graduate Work Permit they are talking about from December 2011. After that under the PGWP I gathered some experience, but from September 2012 I also got into the PhD finance program at the same university and got more RA experience while holding both PGWP and Study permit. So, do these experience after September 2012 count? Technically, I have been a student (not MA though!) from September 2012, but gathered the experience while holding both PGWP and study permit. Can I make a case out of that?

I am so freaking out now. I know my case is complex. But I need a definite answer. I don’t want to get rejected after paying the money. You will be a life saver believe me. Thanks for your help. And sorry for the long post. It was necessary.
 

jsm0085

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Feb 26, 2012
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emrulh said:
I am going to apply under the CEC (1 year graduate degree+1 year experience) category from BC. But I have some confusing issues -

1. So I just went through one of the interview slides done by someone from CIC at my university back in March 2012. And I got the info that "A full time qualifying graduate educational program has to be of at least two years (two academic years of at least eight months each excluding scheduled breaks, such as summer holidays”. In my case I graduated with my MA from York University (Sept 2009-April 2010). Then I had another MA from Simon Fraser University (Sept 2010-December 2011, with one summer break). Is it sufficient? They never said I can gather the education experience via 2 Master degrees?

2. Next question is about 1 year of full time work experience after I graduated from Simon Fraser University in December 2011. After that I have gathered more than sufficient hours for the application, but recently I saw this in CIC website that “Any periods of self-employment, unauthorized work, or periods of employment during which you were engaged in full-time study (e.g. work experience gained on a co-op, off-campus or on-campus work permit) will not be included when calculating the period of qualifying work experience. You must have had temporary resident status during the period of work experience acquired in Canada. If you are a student and graduated from a Canadian post-secondary institution, you can gain the work experience required for CEC through the Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP).” My situation is that, I got the Post-Graduate Work Permit they are talking about from December 2011. After that under the PGWP I gathered some experience, but from September 2012 I also got into the PhD finance program at the same university and got more RA experience while holding both PGWP and Study permit. So, do these experience after September 2012 count? Technically, I have been a student (not MA though!) from September 2012, but gathered the experience while holding both PGWP and study permit. Can I make a case out of that?

I am so freaking out now. I know my case is complex. But I need a definite answer. I don't want to get rejected after paying the money. You will be a life saver believe me. Thanks for your help. And sorry for the long post. It was necessary.
Refer to the CIC website for the new requirements of CEC. You are using old information, the process has changed.
 

jes_ON

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As noted, the requirements have changed in January 2013. There is only one stream now, everyone needs one year of skllled, full-time work (or the part-time equivalent) within the past three years. However, CIC has clarified that no work experience gained as a student will be accepted, so your RA experience can no longer be used under the CEC Program.

I don't know much about it, but you could check out the BC PNP program...
http://www.welcomebc.ca/Immigrate/immigrate-BC/Provincial-Nominee-Program-Home/Strategic-Occupations-Home/International-Post-Graduates-Pilot-Project-Home.aspx
 

emrulh

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Mar 18, 2013
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I am not eligible for BC pnp program cause my MA degrees are from business and economics. They need health science and other science related major.

So, even if the experience if RA gathered after MA while I'm doing phd doesn't count?
 

scylla

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emrulh said:
So, even if the experience if RA gathered after MA while I'm doing phd doesn't count?
Correct - it doesn't count.
 

emrulh

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Mar 18, 2013
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I am so worried now.

So what do you guys recommend for me? I am doing a phd but these RA experience doesn't count you are saying.

But I am also a sessional instructor at simon fraser university that has nothing to do with my pHd. That's an employment I got via my Post graduate work permit. But i don't have enough hours under this employment to apply. So, should i keep working as a sessional instructor (while doing a phd) to accumulate more hours? or these sessional instructor experience hours doesn't count as well?
 

jes_ON

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it's unclear what CIC would do with that, but one more year and you'd qualify under the FSW PhD stream -

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/apply-who-instructions.asp