timballs

I am a long time member of this forum, but unable to fathom out the best advice to give my son.

We applied as a family via the skilled worker route April 2010. The last update I have is that our application started being processed May 2012. My son's dream has always been to study at a Canadian University (ideally Toronto or Ryerson for Chemistry). He will be 18 in January 2014.

If our application miraculously comes through and my husband officially lands with him, can he attend university next year in effect as a Canadian citizen and stay on campus on his own until we are ready to move?

Or, if our application doesn't come through, what can he do? We can't afford international student fees If that happens he would plan to take a gap year and work in Canada until he can apply for citizenship/apply to university on his own. But what is the best way to do that? I think you need 12/14 months continuous work experience before you can apply? Would that be via International Experience Class or try and get a temporary work permit? We do have a couple of contacts who may be able to help get him work and there are several relatives he could stay with in the short term.

I want to encourage him as much as possible. It has always been Plan A, with little thought given to Plan B as we expected our application to come through with a yay or nay long before this.

Would appreciate your help in this so that we can plan ahead.

Many thanks.


Timballs

christmasoompa

But he wouldn't be a Canadian citizen? He won't be eligible for citizenship until he's lived in Canada as a PR for at least 3 years.

He can certainly attend university as a PR though, once he's 'landed' then it doesn't matter if you're not with him.

Again, you seem to be confusing citizenship with PR - he wouldn't have citizenship for several years. But as you say, he could go over on an IEC and then try and get PR, he wouldn't necessarily need to work for a year first, as he may be able to apply for PR as soon as he's working in Canada, but without knowing the job he'd be doing and the province, it's hard to say for sure.

As above, not necessarily, but it depends on the job skill level and location.

Definitely IEC would be much easier. Realistically, there's no way he'd get a LMO being an 18 year old without a degree and with little work experience.

HTH a bit, good luck.

timballs

Thank you christmasoompa. Yes, sorry, getting my terminology wrong. I meant PR. I'll investigate IEC for him.

Thanks again.

Timballs.

Aviator

One cannot help but think he might be capable of doing this himself if he is to come to Canada possibly alone and study at university?

Jerseygirl

True but he would have to pay international student fees...which is something the OP wishes to avoid.

Aviator

My point was, at 18 why would his mother be investigating this, surely this is something he should be capable of doing himself if he is to be let loose in Canada.

timballs

I take your point, thank you.

That's more his mother's fault than his. I guess I need to untie the apron strings a little? It's never an easy thing to do

Mummy timballs

Jerseygirl

I see.

orly

Why not? I wasn't aware parents just divested themselves of their kids as soon as they became an "adult"

Aviator

So they can learn to look after themselves, learn to be resourceful and independent perhaps.

I do things for my kids, but not the stuff they are fully capable of doing for themselves.