Using foreign PhD as work experience

[rezasorna]

Hi,

I did my PhD in Sweden and I was employed with benefits etc. in full time basis. In Swedish system most PhDs are full time employees.
I am wondering can I use it as foreign work experience in my express entry profile.
I know for people who did their PhD in Canada, it doesn't count as work experience but I am not sure about people who did it outside Canada and as an employee in university. I can ask my previous university to write a letter and explain.

I appreciate if you would share your info/experiences regrind this.

Thanks,

 

[visaowl]

You cannot use PhD as a work experience. Period. No point of debating whether you were an employee or a student or did it in Sweden and not Canada.

Edit:- I assumed you were applying under CEC. For CEC, your work won't count if you were enrolled as a student; which means on a student visa.

For FSWP, you are golden. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?q=855&t=6

You will have to very conclusively prove the FSWP condition.

If after submitting your Express Entry profile you are invited to apply, you must show that you did the job as described in the occupational description of the NOC, meaning that you did all the essential duties and most of the main duties listed. If you do not show that your experience meets the description in NOC, your application will be refused.

 

[rezasorna]

Thanks for the info.
Is there any page at CIC website with this information?

 

[caththisking]

Thanks for the info.
Is there any page at CIC website with this information?

In general PhD is considered as education that's why they have additional points in education column after masters. That itself is information from CIC.

 

[nick.rwth]

You cannot use PhD as a work experience. Period. No point of debating whether you were an employee or a student or did it in Sweden and not Canada.

You can use PhD experience as work experience.

I already contacted CIC about that and my German PhD is counted.

To others please do not deceive people, in India or Canada it could be different as people have classes and learning.

In Germany during PhD (in technical university):
-you employed as Research and Teaching Worker;
-you have no classes;
-you do not have exams;
-you do not have education progamm at all.
-research 80%, teaching 20%, classes 0%.

In contrary in my home country where many of my friends did PhD:
-they have 40% of learning classes
-then 50% of research activity
-10% of teaching.


It is very important to clear this.
In my particular case and PhD from German University can be counted. it also depend on University.

Thesis writing which you can count as learning took only last full 4 month from 4 years of PhD.

Did you had classes in Sweden?

 

[visaowl]

Apologies. For CEC, RA/TA work won't count. For FSWP, your experience can count. (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?q=855&t=6)

Edited my post above. There is no deceit in that post. And deceit is in any case wrong word to use in that context.

 

[nick.rwth]

Apologies. For CEC, RA/TA work won't count. For FSWP, your experience can count. (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?q=855&t=6)

Edited my post above. There is no deceit in that post. And deceit is in any case wrong word to use in that context.

CEC is only for Canada ;D

 

[visaowl]

CEC is only for Canada ;D

There are PhD's in Canada too.

 

[nick.rwth]

There are PhD's in Canada too.

About Canada I agree for 100%

Been a Postdoc here in Canada for 1 year and I know how local PhD works. Quite hard with exams and educational stuff.
Not 100% pure research+teaching

 

[cherryvintage]

You can use PhD experience as work experience.

I already contacted CIC about that and my German PhD is counted.

To others please do not deceive people, in India or Canada it could be different as people have classes and learning.

In Germany during PhD (in technical university):
-you employed as Research and Teaching Worker;
-you have no classes;
-you do not have exams;
-you do not have education progamm at all.
-research 80%, teaching 20%, classes 0%.

In contrary in my home country where many of my friends did PhD:
-they have 40% of learning classes
-then 50% of research activity
-10% of teaching.


It is very important to clear this.
In my particular case and PhD from German University can be counted. it also depend on University.

Thesis writing which you can count as learning took only last full 4 month from 4 years of PhD.

Did you had classes in Sweden?

Nick , Thanks for sharing your info. I also did my PhD from Europe and I didn't have to take any classes during those 4 years. We had student admission as a PhD but we also have staff benefits. Only one course (if you have attended any workshops, schools, then you don't have to take any course), 2 departmental seminars, 1 conference and min. two published articles we needed as a requirement (credits) for enrolling into the thesis defense, then of course the writing of thesis. I already got a letter from my Prof. that I worked as research assistant and was a full time employee with 80% research and 20% teaching activities (mentoring thesis students, assisting them in assignments etc).

I hope this as a work experience counts for me too.

 

[maple325]

Thank you Nick!!!

I'm so glad I found this post because I had a near heart attack after finding out that my work experience while being a PhD candidate in Germany might not count. I'm VERY relieved now.

Do you know whether CIC automatically recognizes German PhD work experience (I provided a letter from my professor / employer with a list of duties and pay slips that also detail hours worked) or did you have to provide additional documentation? Thank you!

You can use PhD experience as work experience.

I already contacted CIC about that and my German PhD is counted.

To others please do not deceive people, in India or Canada it could be different as people have classes and learning.

In Germany during PhD (in technical university):
-you employed as Research and Teaching Worker;
-you have no classes;
-you do not have exams;
-you do not have education progamm at all.
-research 80%, teaching 20%, classes 0%.

In contrary in my home country where many of my friends did PhD:
-they have 40% of learning classes
-then 50% of research activity
-10% of teaching.


It is very important to clear this.
In my particular case and PhD from German University can be counted. it also depend on University.

Thesis writing which you can count as learning took only last full 4 month from 4 years of PhD.

Did you had classes in Sweden?

 

[AshyMashy]

You can use PhD experience as work experience.

I already contacted CIC about that and my German PhD is counted.

To others please do not deceive people, in India or Canada it could be different as people have classes and learning.

In Germany during PhD (in technical university):
-you employed as Research and Teaching Worker;
-you have no classes;
-you do not have exams;
-you do not have education progamm at all.
-research 80%, teaching 20%, classes 0%.

In contrary in my home country where many of my friends did PhD:
-they have 40% of learning classes
-then 50% of research activity
-10% of teaching.


It is very important to clear this.
In my particular case and PhD from German University can be counted. it also depend on University.

Thesis writing which you can count as learning took only last full 4 month from 4 years of PhD.

Did you had classes in Sweden?

Nick thank you so much for your excellent input! I'm just trying to re-confirm if this is still the case? I have 3 years and 8 months paid PhD research experience here in Australia and I need to see if this can be counted toward my foreign work experience for CRS? I'd very much appreciate your feedback on this. Thank you!

Cheers,
Ash

 

[amanjpro]

We will soon reach my first 4 months after AOR. And we are using
PhD work experience gained in Switzerland for our application.
According to GCMS notes everything is good so far, but no PPR yet.

 

[AshyMashy]

Thank you for your feedback Amanjpro! Just wondering if you also applied under the new system or was it different when you applied? Also, did you choose your PhD as experience under NOC 4012 or did you choose it under a code specific to your field of research? Many thanks!

 

[amanjpro]

Thank you for your feedback Amanjpro! Just wondering if you also applied under the new system or was it different when you applied? Also, did you choose your PhD as experience under NOC 4012 or did you choose it under a code specific to your field of research? Many thanks!

If you mean by new the "Express Entry" system, then yes every application since Jan 2015 are under Express Entry.
We chose NOC 4012 for our experience.