Visa Rejection because of Backlogs and work experience

[vikraman]

Would really like the opinion or advice of the people in this forum.

MY PROFILE:
10th (SSLC): 97.5%, 12th (HSC): 91.1%

UG degree: B.tech (Electronics and Communication Engineering) - graduated 1st class with 7.1cgpa under the stipulated course duration.

IELTS score: 8 bands with writing at lowest at 6 bands

My problem:
1. I've had 18 backlogs (backlogs - not the number of attempts but the number of subjects) --- but cleared all of them before graduation in 2020

2. As of now (Jan 2023 ), I've had 1.3 years of work experience which I can show on my certificates but I've worked for 1.9 years. I can't show the experience certificate for those 6 months except for the offer letter.

I have work experience as a software developer after studying ECE and now I've received an offer letter from UCW for an MBA 2-year program.

My Question: Assessing my profile from the information given, what are the chances my study visa will get rejected and what can I do about that?

Your feedback and advice would be of immense value to me.

I've also attached the link to my SOP please read it and give feedback.
My Visa SOP

 

[scylla]

Would really like the opinion or advice of the people in this forum.

MY PROFILE:
10th (SSLC): 97.5%, 12th (HSC): 91.1%

UG degree: B.tech (Electronics and Communication Engineering) - graduated 1st class with 7.1cgpa under the stipulated course duration.

IELTS score: 8 bands with writing at lowest at 6 bands

My problem:
1. I've had 18 backlogs (backlogs - not the number of attempts but the number of subjects) --- but cleared all of them before graduation in 2020

2. As of now (Jan 2023 ), I've had 1.3 years of work experience which I can show on my certificates but I've worked for 1.9 years. I can't show the experience certificate for those 6 months except for the offer letter.

I have work experience as a software developer after studying ECE and now I've received an offer letter from UCW for an MBA 2-year program.

My Question: Assessing my profile from the information given, what are the chances my study visa will get rejected and what can I do about that?

Your feedback and advice would be of immense value to me.

I've also attached the link to my SOP please read it and give feedback.
My Visa SOP

So something to consider is that UCW is a private / for profit school with a bad reputation and low quality education. Your chances of being approved will be lower since you've selected this school. And while it's obviously your choice, I personally would not spend all of that money to attend a school with such a poor reputation.

 

[tinnguyen0408]

So something to consider is that UCW is a private / for profit school with a bad reputation and low quality education. Your chances of being approved will be lower since you've selected this school. And while it's obviously your choice, I personally would not spend all of that money to attend a school with such a poor reputation.

I can tell you that is not true. UCW is also a DLI and visa officer does not look at the reputation of the school and give a straight rejection. The entirety of the file needs to be considered. The genuine intent of study that shows clear career progression needs to be clearly demonstrated.

P/s: I am not a UCW student but I do not want to hold back saying that any less well-known DLI can be a reason for rejection. That is not true. Your reasons for studying, ties to home country and employability in the home country are key to a successful study permit application.

 

[vikraman]

Thank you for your feedback guys. can anyone acutely answer my question?

 

[tinnguyen0408]

I think that the key to a successful application is to show how the MBA of UCW will help you move up the career ladder in your country (what knowledge and skills will you gain from the UCW and how do those help escalate you to a higher and more lucrative position in software development, perhaps a managerial position or project manager?) And why does it have to be an MBA of UCW? Not those traditional MBA programs in your home country, perhaps due to incomparable exposure to international business insights brought by the program in Canada? Just ask yourself those questions and the relevant ideas will come up.

 

[Copingwithlife]

I can tell you that is not true. UCW is also a DLI and visa officer does not look at the reputation of the school and give a straight rejection. The entirety of the file needs to be considered. The genuine intent of study that shows clear career progression needs to be clearly demonstrated.

P/s: I am not a UCW student but I do not want to hold back saying that any less well-known DLI can be a reason for rejection. That is not true. Your reasons for studying, ties to home country and employability in the home country are key to a successful study permit application.

In a nutshell

it’s a diploma mill. A simple Google search will tell you that the founder made a large political donation to a political party and voila , now a DLI

The school targets a certain demographic
Internally I’m positive the IRCC has a list of schools that they’ll scrutinize applications for, just as the ESDC has more than likely one for employers that abuse the LMIA program

 

[Impatient Dankaroo]

I can tell you that is not true. UCW is also a DLI and visa officer does not look at the reputation of the school and give a straight rejection. The entirety of the file needs to be considered. The genuine intent of study that shows clear career progression needs to be clearly demonstrated.

P/s: I am not a UCW student but I do not want to hold back saying that any less well-known DLI can be a reason for rejection. That is not true. Your reasons for studying, ties to home country and employability in the home country are key to a successful study permit application.

You are a newbie on the forum, the member above has been here for a long time and has witnessed many other applicants of UCW get refused at higher rates than other DLIs so yes it is definitely a big factor in your application

BC has a lot of Degree Mills
Quebec has a lot of college diploma mills

 

[Deleted member 1083629]

I can tell you that is not true. UCW is also a DLI and visa officer does not look at the reputation of the school and give a straight rejection. The entirety of the file needs to be considered. The genuine intent of study that shows clear career progression needs to be clearly demonstrated.

P/s: I am not a UCW student but I do not want to hold back saying that any less well-known DLI can be a reason for rejection. That is not true. Your reasons for studying, ties to home country and employability in the home country are key to a successful study permit application.

Not true. The rating of a school plays a huge role in visa decisions. Someone going to UBC Vancouver, McGill, Waterloo, UToronto has much higher chances of getting a visa compared to ones going to UCW, Algoma (learnt about it 5 minutes ago), Humber, Conestoga.

 

[Deleted member 1083629]

Would really like the opinion or advice of the people in this forum.

MY PROFILE:
10th (SSLC): 97.5%, 12th (HSC): 91.1%

UG degree: B.tech (Electronics and Communication Engineering) - graduated 1st class with 7.1cgpa under the stipulated course duration.

IELTS score: 8 bands with writing at lowest at 6 bands

My problem:
1. I've had 18 backlogs (backlogs - not the number of attempts but the number of subjects) --- but cleared all of them before graduation in 2020

2. As of now (Jan 2023 ), I've had 1.3 years of work experience which I can show on my certificates but I've worked for 1.9 years. I can't show the experience certificate for those 6 months except for the offer letter.

I have work experience as a software developer after studying ECE and now I've received an offer letter from UCW for an MBA 2-year program.

My Question: Assessing my profile from the information given, what are the chances my study visa will get rejected and what can I do about that?

Your feedback and advice would be of immense value to me.

I've also attached the link to my SOP please read it and give feedback.
My Visa SOP

Alright. To answer your question:

• I am not from India and I cannot comment on backlogs (I don't know what they are).
• Your career progression makes sense. However, 2 years as a software developer is still a junior and MBA won't help you to move up the ladder but rather make a horizontal jump.
• You SOP is pretty weak in my opinion but I have read many SOPs written by Indians students and it looks like just like the next one and the previous one.
  • "Amazon, PayPal, JP Morgan, Deloitte and TCS and benefit my nation’s economy" Hold on brother. We both know that ain't happening; not with no-name MBA. So what is the point of dropping big names? "My long-term goals is to branch out on my own and start a business consultancy aiding Indian startups at performing better just as I thought of doing when I was a junior web developer." That makes more sense to me. What is your MBA focusing on? You can show how some classes will help you with your goal.
  • "The primary reason why I am not thinking of becoming permanent resident in Canada is my family." Don't say the PR part. They know you are BSing, you know you are BSing, so why say that?
  • " from world-known university" Nope. No need to sugar coat stuff. It's not and don't write like it is.
  • " was a decent educational background from a Canadian university with real world international business practise applications." That's good one!
  • "with real world case studies which bagged them the 4th place in the esteemed MBA QS ranking system in Canada." What? Here is the QS rating: https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/mba-rankings/canada/2022. No where close to the 4th place.

So, here is my feedback. Less cheese and superstitious fluff ("best university, top country with highest salaries"). They know why you are going to Canada. Focus on showing YOU: your career progression that led you to think about MBA, you researching MBA, strong points about your chosen school. Just don't BS please. Don't write "Top 10 schools in the world"; IRCC officers are not banned in Google and they can search for the actual ranking. Be factual, instead of fictitious.

 

[Impatient Dankaroo]

with real world case studies which bagged them the 4th place in the esteemed MBA QS ranking system in Canada." What? Here is the QS rating: https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/mba-rankings/canada/2022. No where close to the 4th place.

Maybe he thinks he is going to McGill

 

[RamSatt]

MajorGrom made some excellent points. I'll add to them.

1. You use a lot of compound sentences and passive voice. Switch to active voice when you can, and split it into smaller paragraphs. Keep it crisp, and to the point. Use terms that North Americans can understand. (For example: you talk about going back to your native, during COVID? People outside of India, will not understand the context. You needed to mention you were working in a different city, away from your hometown and family. Those are important points)

2. You've a sizeable number of backlogs. Acknowledge them and explain how you worked to get past them. I know you described your family situation at the time, which is understandable. Add to it, proof that you will work hard to complete your degree (without failing) if you're given the chance to study in Canada.

3. UCW is unfortunately in the list of universities, which tend to offer International Students admissions quite easily. You need to be sure about the classes you're taking and the opportunities the university offers. Try to talk to alumni of the university, to find out how the classes were, the professors were, and whether they helped students with career assistance and job fairs. If the university doesn't do any of them, then claiming it is "world-renowned" isn't going to help your case. IRCC officers already know the reputation of the universities. Don't talk about the university. Talk about what you're going to do with the opportunity. Talk about the city the university is based in (Vancouver) and the things you want to do, in the 2 years you'll be studying there.

4. It is true that Indian academics are heavily theory oriented. That was a valid point you mentioned in your SOP. Build on it, provide examples of practical stuff you never got to do in your under-graduation. Compare it to similar MBA programs in India, which don't offer practical opportunities, and show how/why UCW gives you that opportunity.

5. Be specific about your work experience. Why did you switch jobs? Why did you work at 2 places in 18 months? You could've had your reasons, but them not giving you a relieving letter, isn't a strong one. Talk about any opportunity changes you got. Was the job at Company 2, better than Company 1? Better growth? Show that you switched to climb the professional ladder.

6. COVID hit everyone hard. It is ok to say that you lost your job in the interim. Explain what you did in that period of unemployment clearly. Using fancy language to beat around the bush doesn't help. (Eg: "polish my skill set as a developer and increase my competency", to paraphrase your SOP. What were those skill sets? What did you do to polish them? How did you increase your competency?)

7. Were you ever on the managerial track at any of the jobs you worked at? Did you manage a team, or mentor an intern? Showing that you were on track to be a manager, or have some management experience, is a definite plus point for young professionals wanting to study MBA. Because they'll be able to connect the theoretical concepts they learn in class, with practical examples from their past work experience. Yes, students fresh out of college get into MBA with no work experience, and can't connect the same way. But, when you're flying halfway across the world and paying a lot of money to study MBA, you need to cover your bases.

8. You need to make sure your financial proof documents are iron-clad. You mentioned failing subjects and your family going through financial strain in 2020. That isn't too long ago. So you need to show the IRCC officer that financial strain isn't going to affect you this time.

9. Returning to India, to serve the country, sounds patriotic on paper, but isn't practical. Remove those sentences, and talk about your future goals. Don't mention PR in your SOP, if your actual intention is to get PGWP and apply for PR after graduating from the program. Don't contradict yourself. You can talk about your family ties, and leave it at that.

10. Run your SOP through a bunch of grammar checkers (Grammarly comes to mind). That would help. Make sure the font, style, and size is uniform throughout the SOP.

Good luck.

 

[tinnguyen0408]

You are a newbie on the forum, the member above has been here for a long time and has witnessed many other applicants of UCW get refused at higher rates than other DLIs so yes it is definitely a big factor in your application

BC has a lot of Degree Mills
Quebec has a lot of college diploma mills

Still, completely irrelevant, man.

I did look up the diploma mill issues UCW had faced for a while. I am perfectly aware of these issues. But the fact that UCW is a DLI still renders students eligible to apply for a study permit. There is no subjectivity or any prejudice from the visa officers against any DLI. It is just that the onus is on the applicant to explain genuinely the reasons he/she would like to pursue the program.

If you look up all the GCMS notes, the reasons for refusal are always about, genuine intent, the reasonableness of pursuing such expensive program in Canada, comparison with local options, poor academic performance, just to name a few. There have never been any reasons pointing toward the institutions themselves.

If you talk about the values brought by the program and whether or not the institution can help expand your networking and increase your chance of landing your job, then I agree that the MBA program of UCE is in no way comparable to programs of UoT, Queen or any other high-ranking institutions.

Besides, I still see students enrolled in the MBA of UCW have their study permit applications approved and there are really no statistics telling otherwise.

Unless UCW is delisted from the DLI, I'll stand firmly with my view until then.

P/s: I did get accepted to UCW but went for an MBA at another DLI. It was not because I had anything against UCW but just found that the other program better suited me.

 

[vikraman]

Alright. To answer your question:

• I am not from India and I cannot comment on backlogs (I don't know what they are).
• Your career progression makes sense. However, 2 years as a software developer is still a junior and MBA won't help you to move up the ladder but rather make a horizontal jump.
• You SOP is pretty weak in my opinion but I have read many SOPs written by Indians students and it looks like just like the next one and the previous one.
  • "Amazon, PayPal, JP Morgan, Deloitte and TCS and benefit my nation’s economy" Hold on brother. We both know that ain't happening; not with no-name MBA. So what is the point of dropping big names? "My long-term goals is to branch out on my own and start a business consultancy aiding Indian startups at performing better just as I thought of doing when I was a junior web developer." That makes more sense to me. What is your MBA focusing on? You can show how some classes will help you with your goal.
  • "The primary reason why I am not thinking of becoming permanent resident in Canada is my family." Don't say the PR part. They know you are BSing, you know you are BSing, so why say that?
  • " from world-known university" Nope. No need to sugar coat stuff. It's not and don't write like it is.
  • " was a decent educational background from a Canadian university with real world international business practise applications." That's good one!
  • "with real world case studies which bagged them the 4th place in the esteemed MBA QS ranking system in Canada." What? Here is the QS rating: https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/mba-rankings/canada/2022. No where close to the 4th place.

So, here is my feedback. Less cheese and superstitious fluff ("best university, top country with highest salaries"). They know why you are going to Canada. Focus on showing YOU: your career progression that led you to think about MBA, you researching MBA, strong points about your chosen school. Just don't BS please. Don't write "Top 10 schools in the world"; IRCC officers are not banned in Google and they can search for the actual ranking. Be factual, instead of fictitious.

Thanks a lot for that, this was really valuable, I'll be sure to write a second draft.

 

[vikraman]

MajorGrom made some excellent points. I'll add to them.

1. You use a lot of compound sentences and passive voice. Switch to active voice when you can, and split it into smaller paragraphs. Keep it crisp, and to the point. Use terms that North Americans can understand. (For example: you talk about going back to your native, during COVID? People outside of India, will not understand the context. You needed to mention you were working in a different city, away from your hometown and family. Those are important points)

2. You've a sizeable number of backlogs. Acknowledge them and explain how you worked to get past them. I know you described your family situation at the time, which is understandable. Add to it, proof that you will work hard to complete your degree (without failing) if you're given the chance to study in Canada.

3. UCW is unfortunately in the list of universities, which tend to offer International Students admissions quite easily. You need to be sure about the classes you're taking and the opportunities the university offers. Try to talk to alumni of the university, to find out how the classes were, the professors were, and whether they helped students with career assistance and job fairs. If the university doesn't do any of them, then claiming it is "world-renowned" isn't going to help your case. IRCC officers already know the reputation of the universities. Don't talk about the university. Talk about what you're going to do with the opportunity. Talk about the city the university is based in (Vancouver) and the things you want to do, in the 2 years you'll be studying there.

4. It is true that Indian academics are heavily theory oriented. That was a valid point you mentioned in your SOP. Build on it, provide examples of practical stuff you never got to do in your under-graduation. Compare it to similar MBA programs in India, which don't offer practical opportunities, and show how/why UCW gives you that opportunity.

5. Be specific about your work experience. Why did you switch jobs? Why did you work at 2 places in 18 months? You could've had your reasons, but them not giving you a relieving letter, isn't a strong one. Talk about any opportunity changes you got. Was the job at Company 2, better than Company 1? Better growth? Show that you switched to climb the professional ladder.

6. COVID hit everyone hard. It is ok to say that you lost your job in the interim. Explain what you did in that period of unemployment clearly. Using fancy language to beat around the bush doesn't help. (Eg: "polish my skill set as a developer and increase my competency", to paraphrase your SOP. What were those skill sets? What did you do to polish them? How did you increase your competency?)

7. Were you ever on the managerial track at any of the jobs you worked at? Did you manage a team, or mentor an intern? Showing that you were on track to be a manager, or have some management experience, is a definite plus point for young professionals wanting to study MBA. Because they'll be able to connect the theoretical concepts they learn in class, with practical examples from their past work experience. Yes, students fresh out of college get into MBA with no work experience, and can't connect the same way. But, when you're flying halfway across the world and paying a lot of money to study MBA, you need to cover your bases.

8. You need to make sure your financial proof documents are iron-clad. You mentioned failing subjects and your family going through financial strain in 2020. That isn't too long ago. So you need to show the IRCC officer that financial strain isn't going to affect you this time.

9. Returning to India, to serve the country, sounds patriotic on paper, but isn't practical. Remove those sentences, and talk about your future goals. Don't mention PR in your SOP, if your actual intention is to get PGWP and apply for PR after graduating from the program. Don't contradict yourself. You can talk about your family ties, and leave it at that.

10. Run your SOP through a bunch of grammar checkers (Grammarly comes to mind). That would help. Make sure the font, style, and size is uniform throughout the SOP.

Good luck.

This was really valuable, thanks a lot.

 

[vikraman]

Still, completely irrelevant, man.

I did look up the diploma mill issues UCW had faced for a while. I am perfectly aware of these issues. But the fact that UCW is a DLI still renders students eligible to apply for a study permit. There is no subjectivity or any prejudice from the visa officers against any DLI. It is just that the onus is on the applicant to explain genuinely the reasons he/she would like to pursue the program.

If you look up all the GCMS notes, the reasons for refusal are always about, genuine intent, the reasonableness of pursuing such expensive program in Canada, comparison with local options, poor academic performance, just to name a few. There have never been any reasons pointing toward the institutions themselves.

If you talk about the values brought by the program and whether or not the institution can help expand your networking and increase your chance of landing your job, then I agree that the MBA program of UCE is in no way comparable to programs of UoT, Queen or any other high-ranking institutions.

Besides, I still see students enrolled in the MBA of UCW have their study permit applications approved and there are really no statistics telling otherwise.

Unless UCW is delisted from the DLI, I'll stand firmly with my view until then.

P/s: I did get accepted to UCW but went for an MBA at another DLI. It was not because I had anything against UCW but just found that the other program better suited me.

Thanks a lot for this info.