Start your Canadian dream with me!

I have not written for a while, part of it was because of my transition to Toronto recently as a new-comer. When your mind is occupied with so many changes at one time, chances are high that you forget to pause, journal, and write...

I am very fortunate that I have met great people, worked with sweet teams and things have worked out well for me since my first step immigrating to this vibrant Toronto. I was asked to share how I made my way here by more than one person, ranging from people that are close to me to friends on LinkedIn. More importantly, as a recruiter, it is my pleasure to converse with international candidates who require a work permit to work in Canada, which could be a barrier to their dream jobs. This note is dedicated to inspire and help all of you who want to pursue a Canadian dream in any way possible.

How to obtain a Permanent Resident (PR) to immigrate and work even WITHOUT a job offer?

I am telling you, the time is NOW and you CAN do it, BETTER than me!

I will skip the question why Canada, because that should be the first question you ask yourself before reading further. (Obviously what makes you happy is not the same for others, as Leo Tolstoy puts in Anna Karenina “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”) Keep reading is you have already known why Canada :)

1.    What scheme did I apply even though I lived, studied and worked outside Canada?

It is called Express Entry - Immigrate to Canada as a Skilled Worker.

Canada is a young country and it needs skillful citizens to become stronger.

Fact: In 2017, Canada were said to take around 72.000 skilled worker immigrants (22% higher than 2016). Most recent figure in March 29, 2018,  Canada’s federal government plans to welcome near 1 million immigrants over the next three years. (Source: https://www.immigration.ca)

You tell me, when is better time than this?

2.    What criteria do they take into consideration?

You will be assessed based on:

• Skills (your proffesional field)
• Education (Canadian education equavalence)
• Language ability (English/French)
• Work experience (how long and National Occupation Classification - NOC)
• Other factors such as age, marital status etc

The Comprehensive Ranking System CRS is a points-based system that they use for that and rank your profile in the Express Entry pool. Check out the CRS tool to measure your score! You don’t have to pay for this tool and no documents to submit at this point.

Here is picture of a likely successful PR candidate for EE program who never studied or lived in Canada before like myself (at the point of applying):

• Unmarried
• Under 30
• Have a Master Degree (Canada equivalence – I did my master in the UK)
• IELTS score 7.5 (English test)
• Have at least 3 years of working experience
• No job offer/contract from a Canadian company

CRS formula: Subtotal Core/Human Capital+ Spouse factor + Skill transferability = 495

Make sure that your CRS score is above the minimum points score of your round of invitations (440 minimum). See below:

Source: https://www.immigration.ca

3.    Now, golden question, how can you boost your CRS score? Two factors which you can prepare now is to work on your education level and your IELTS score.

IELTS seems to be a tricky part, as you will need to gain a certain level for individual skills. Ideal score is 8-7-7-7 for Listening - Speaking - Reading - Writing respectively. I found myself lucky that I used to be an IELTS teacher before taking the test for this application. (Never underestimate your part-time job!)

4.    What happens when your CRS is higher than the minimum score required? You may find yourself screaming in the middle of the night (my case) as you get an Invitation to apply for PR. I still remember a collegue of mine came to my office, almost cried when telling his HR (first person to know) that he got an ITA. Hard work paid off!

Now you are given with a timeline to decide either accept or reject it. Once accepting the ITA, you will be given a number of days (60 days my case) to gather supporting documents and load them to the CIC system. These include papers such as police check, birth certificate, health check, financial proof etc. Once summited, there are maximum 6 months waiting to be evaluated.

After assessment (2 months for my case), you are asked to send your passport to have landing visa stamped and it will be returned together with a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (another 1-2 months processing time depending on location for visa/PR application). Now that you can give yourself a pat on the shoulder, and throw a party!

5.    Over all, the whole process could range from six months to one year. You will be asked to pay some admin fee, translation fee etc. I did not use any agency throughout the process. I fortunately have good friends ^^

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This note is written on a day that the temperature dropped to minus 22*C in Toronto, it is snowing (15cm height), the most brutal winter I have been through in my life. Go back to my previous point “Why Canada?” and think careful if you are comfortable with wearing a blanket inside the office like me @@

For friends who are coming to Canada without a job offer beforehand, I am with you. Ahead is uncertainty but it is going to be fun and rewarding. As I am lucky to do the same job that I love – Recruiter, do not hesitate to reach out to me to introduce yourself. Let’s exchange stories over a cup of tea if you are in Toronto! I may be able to connect you with some offline groups I am a part of!

P/s: I am starting a new thrilling journey into IT industry in February 2019, wish me luck! #thankyou #gratitude #keepmoving #youarethechange #feelpersued