JAGUAR7

does anyone know the answer to this question.
can i leave my present employer and start work with another.

wolstie

Depends.

If you are a FSW(2) applicant, you are likely on a closed work permit so the the answer is no. You would need to get a new LMO and new work permit.

If you are a PNP applicant, with a closed work permit, you should speak to the provincial office that issued your PNP certificate, and ask them if you can change employer (note though, that for employment driven PNP schemes, this may be difficult). You'd need to then get a new letter from the PNP supporting your work permit, and then send off for a new work permit.

If you are a PNP applicant with an Open Work Permit (family class, community class etc) then yes, you could change employer.

Also interesting to note is, if a FSW(2) applicant and your closed work permit is expiring soon, you can now get an open work permit issued until PR comes through - which would allow you to change employer.

sheera67

Woltsie can you explain your last paragraph a bit more please , and do you have any details of how you go about this , I'm in the position of my twp expiring soon , and if I renew or extend I would really like it to be an open permit not the closed one I have at the moment , I have applied for pr through fsw 2

Many thanks

wolstie

Yes. If your work permit is expiring in the next 4 months, and you have an application for PR in the system (that has been acknowledged), you can get an open work permit.

Check out this Operational Bulletin: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resourc...2012/ob485.asp

You apply for it the same way you would for any extension.

Geordiejake

I changed jobs in May of 2011 using my Alberta Provinical Nomination in place of an LMO - I was moving within the same NOC code.

This was a month before I applied for PR though so might be slightly unhelpful... just thought I'd pitch in!

shee22

Hi im pnp my file got transferred to Ottawa from Buffalo,i have had to do my medicals again as they expired, would i need to do my police cert again as i have been back to england twice to visit family.Im only asking as i wonder when they do request passports what do they need them for.

Thanks.

Jim Humphries

If they ask for passports it will only be for photocopies if you are a UK citizen. PCs are not likely to be requested again but it is possible.

shee22

Thanks for all your advice Jim.

Geordiejake

COPR arrived! Timeline below...

- Brit working in Canada as 'temporary foreign worker'
- Applied under AB PNP to Buffalo June 20th 2011
- Completed Medicals February 29th 2012
- Case opened by Ottawa February 13th 2013
- Request for ROPR fee, photos and passport copies February 27th 2013
- Fees paid immediately, other stuff received by Ottawa March 1st 2013
- E-CAS status changed to 'Decision Made' March 1st 2013
- COPR arrived April 3rd 2013

654 days from start to finish (656 really as I'm headed to the border on Friday).

49 days from Ottawa opening the application to me having the COPR in my hand.

Roll on Friday afternoon...

alexbowyer

Hi.

Just thought I would share my experience, to see if anyone else is in a similar situation or has any advice:

I am a British citizen working in Quebec with a Temporary Worker visa for a specific job, renewed each year since I came here in Feb 2009.

May 2012 - Applied for CSQ (Programme Experience Quebecois):
8 Aug 2012 - CSQ Received
18 Sep 2012 - Federal (Quebec Skilled Worker) application submitted to CIO (Sydney, NS)
28 Sep 2012 - Date that application is recorded as "Received" in online tool
31 Oct 2012 - Payment taken from credit card
15 Jan 2013 - Received an email (dated 28 Nov 2012, bizarrely) from CIO acknowledgin payment and confirming "your application is considered complete and will be forwarded to a visa office for futher processing"
4 Apr 2013 - As of today, application is still showing in online tool as "Application Received" - not "In Process" yet :-( - and I have no idea which visa office is processing it. I am assuming Ottawa.

Have not received any requests for medical, or for any other information. Sent police checks and everything else with initial application.

Questions:
1. Is it normal for an application to stay in "Received" status not "In Process" for so long?
2. Is there a way to determine which office is handling your application? (I am wondering if my application got lost!) I tried emailing Ottawa today, but the auto-reply says they won't reply if it's within normal processing times.
3. Is there *always* a medical step? Could it be that because I'm already in Quebec with a health card that this step isn't happening as normal?
4. The Ottawa processing times says 12 months. Is this from date of "Application Received" or from date of "In Process".
5. Changing job: I have read in this thread that there is a way to switch to an Open Work Permit... I am not sure if this applies for Quebec Skilled Workers? Does it count as Federal Skilled Worker? Also for "eligibility" what status do you need to see in the online tool? Just "In Process" or something more?
6. What about getting a new job with a new LMO and temporary work permit while waiting for PR? Anyone been through that, have any comments on whether it complicates things? Starting to feel a bit trapped in my current job!

Thanks for any help and encouragement you can offer!

Alex

alexbellamy

1. Is it normal for an application to stay in "Received" status not "In Process" for so long? Yes. Mine stayed like that until PPR.
2. Is there a way to determine which office is handling your application? (I am wondering if my application got lost!) I tried emailing Ottawa today, but the auto-reply says they won't reply if it's within normal processing times.
If from Canada, it will be Ottawa
3. Is there *always* a medical step? Could it be that because I'm already in Quebec with a health card that this step isn't happening as normal?
No. Just be patient. It will come. Usually with AOR.
4. The Ottawa processing times says 12 months. Is this from date of "Application Received" or from date of "In Process".
Received.
5. Changing job: I have read in this thread that there is a way to switch to an Open Work Permit... I am not sure if this applies for Quebec Skilled Workers?
Nearly, you can get a new TWP without LMO See here
6. What about getting a new job with a new LMO and temporary work permit while waiting for PR? Anyone been through that, have any comments on whether it complicates things? Starting to feel a bit trapped in my current job!
Will not effect PR provided it does not invalidate CSQ.

alexbowyer

Thanks for your response!

I am confused by "No". You mean Yes there is always a medical step?

Very interesting. This shows you don't need an LMO for a new job, it doesn't say anything about open work permits though, which is what I was asking about (sorry if that wasn't clear!) This suggests you still need a job offer from a specific employer and then to apply for a new temporary work visa for that job.

How could a CSQ be invalidated?

BTW, since asking the question, I found this, which is very useful. It shows that if you can secure a new job offer, you don't need a new CAQ at all - you can just send proof of CSQ & permanent residence payment. This might be just what I was looking for! Hope others find it useful!

Thanks again for your help.

alexbellamy

I mean no, it's not because you have a medical card that you have not heard. It's because you are not at that stage yet.

The link to the TWP without LMO is the same as the one in the link I posted above. Whilst not an open work permit, it is effectively the same because you can go to the border with any job offer and your CSQ and get a new TWP.

alexbowyer

Thanks for clarifying.

Do you know, would my spouse's open permit remain valid provided I get a new work permit - or does she need to be issued a new open permit as well?

thebakers4

Help needed please!!

We are here in Canada under BC PNP

Our PR application was sent to Buffalo & received on Nov 16, 2011, we received AOR & Med Requests 16 March 2011 & Meds were done April 16th 2011

Our ECAS states Application received Nov 16th 2011 & also Medical Received

I asked if our application was sent to CPP Ottawa as never received anything to say it was transferred & got a response to say yes

Since then nothing. The processing times states all applications from Oct 2011 - Dec 2011 should have heard something by March 31st, 2013

Anyone else heard anything on same timeline as my job ends in 2 weeks & was hoping to have PR in place before then?!

Thsnks