misskatpaw

Hi all,

We are really pleased this morning, having woken up to an e-mail from my husband's potential employer in B.C., with an official offer of employment as CIC/HRSDC have approved our application for an AEO, in just over 6 months!

We currently have an application with CHC London as you can see from our timeline.

What would you say is the best way of notifying CHC of this update? Would you fill in the additional part of the official application form and forward that to them, along with a copy of the job offer letter?

Do you think that in the current situation of long processing times (20 months, 27 months, who knows), this additional info will make a blind bit of difference to them at CHC? Bearing this in mind, we don't feel that we can get too excited at the moment re; the AEO.

With an AEO now in place, would it be a good idea to look into the BCPNP and potentially start all over again?

Also, the job offer letter stipulates an "agreed start date" which is March 1st 2012. We're not sure where this has come from (we didn't get asked for an input on that) and whether it's a formality the employer has to put in the letter, or.....? We would of course love to be there for that date!

Does anyone have a similar experience of submitting an AEO, a long time after they submitted their application?

Thanks in advance :fingers crossed:
katie

christmasoompa

I'm confused, why have you applied for the AEO?

Is your current FSW application a category 2 application, if so, presumably you already have a LMO? So the AEO won't make any difference at all.

If your current application is cat 1, then you can't add the AEO to it, the only thing you can do is withdraw your cat 1 application and reapply as cat 2. If you send the AEO in, you'll have to cancel your current application and start all over again.

As for the BC PNP, you don't need an AEO for that. But you may well be able to apply for that, depending on the job and whether or not your husband's potential employer is prepared to go through the paperwork for it.

HTH a bit, if you can clarify exactly what you have already applied for then hopefully we can give you a proper answer.

misskatpaw

Hiya,

We don't have an LMO, therefore that must make us Cat 1.

We applied for AEO as husband had a potential employer who wanted him and we didn't think it would harm. However from what you're saying, if I tell them now about the AEO it would mean we'd have no choice but to withdraw? So potentially could harm? Especially if we just wanted to sit-out the wait... when researching the AEO on the HRSDC website and in numerous other places, there was nowhere that I read that indicated successfully getting an AEO after you submit an application isn't necessarily a good thing.

We've just tried to do what we thought was best and one of us having a job to go to is a good thing in our opinion.

I realise you don't need an AEO for the PNP but I would've thought it'd be more favourable to have one?

Not sure what HTH means?

cheers, Katie

christmasoompa

OK, so you applied under the list of eligible occupations? There are two categories for FSW applications - cat 1, which is 'the list', and cat 2, which is arranged employment. Sounds like you've applied under cat 1 as you say, so the AEO is going to make no difference at all to your current application I'm afraid.

You could send the AEO in if you wish. It won't make any difference or speed things up though, as it has no relevance to a cat 1 application anyway. You wouldn't have to withdraw, but it would be an option for you if you wanted to reapply as a cat 2.

Personally, I wouldn't send the AEO in as any additional paperwork that bears no relevance will only delay your application, plus CIC may just get confused! Your call though.

It's not necessarily a good thing, but it's not a bad one either. It just has no bearing on a cat 1 application - it's rather like sending in a certificate you've received for flower arranging, i.e. not required or relevant! Does that make sense?

It is indeed a good thing, and congrats to your hubby on the job offer. But it will make no difference to CIC as a job offer isn't a requirement for cat 1 applications.

Nope, an AEO is only relevant to FSW cat 2 applications, although I guess it wouldn't harm to include it. You'll still need your employer to apply for the PNP for you though, and then you can go over once you get the work permit at the first stage approval.

Oh, and HTH is 'hope that helps'.

HTH!

misskatpaw

"HTH"....yes it does, thx

All this has prompted me to get the original file out for the first time since submission last year and go through the documents, checklist, AOR etc.

I realise that an AEO at the time of applying, would've meant an extra tick in section 8 of the form and a submitted copy of the HRSDC document. Then, the AOR we received would've had an 'X' in the "AEO in Canada" box, not the "Work experience in an occupation specified in the Instructions...." box

Thats it. They might have then put the file in the 'propping up the wonky desk' pile instead of the 'holding the broken door open' pile...

They've done Jack with our application as it is, so it makes me wonder why they couldn't change it to Cat 2 now....

I realise that common sense may not prevail, but I can't help thinking, how can it possibly be better to withdraw and start again? It just doesn't make any sense!

Plus, the sight of the big file of documents and the thought of having to wade through it all again, is making me feel terribly unwell

christmasoompa

Yep, that's it.

You never know, it may just be in the 'place to put a pretty plant' pile, and I've heard that one gets processed fastest.

Because applications made under the current rules are supposedly being processed much quicker, recent people on the forum have received PR within approx 10 months. Given that those that applied in 2010 are being told to expect processing times of 2 years or more now, would it be quicker to reapply with the AEO? Only you can make that choice I'm afraid. Not sure if you can have both a FSW cat 1 and cat 2 application in at the same time? That may be worth looking in to.

Good luck.

misskatpaw

Are you aware of how any of these newer applicants, getting PR within 10 months, applied? Cat 1 or 2? If that's what they even call it nowadays Just wondering how much difference, if any, an AEO would make under the current rules?

Fortunately only 38 people have applied under NOC 7215 so there is space for an identical application, if necessary...

I will try to find out if you can have both running concurrently. As we're 15 months since AOR, one wonders if we should we just hang on then if for some reason things don't work -God forbid- (like they don't think we have enough points for some reason, not that I think this will happen) the we could maybe reapply then. Don't tell me though, an AEO is probably only valid for about 2 weeks or something ridiculous like that

AmyDavid

Is there a reason you don't get an LMO for the AEO approved job and just move over now, and wait for PR to eventually come through?

helcat12

Waggle's Wife who applied in late August/early September 2010 got PR in ten months as Cat 1.
We applied at the same time (a couple of weeks apart) as Cat 2 and we haven't even had our med requests yet.
Another Cat 2 applicant on this forum who applied at the same time as us has had their meds and passport requests but still not decision made and PR in hand.

That is only three examples, but there are so few people who apply as Cat 2 compared to Cat 1 that assessing who is faster is difficult anyway.

Our experience shows that recently Cat 2 is a lot slower than Cat 1, which may be due to them uncovering a lot of AEO fraud not long before we all applied but may just be they are in a mess and put Cat 2 on the back burner (or in the "under the old tins of paint and the broken deck chair at the back of the shed" pile)

wolstie

Don't forget that this would be quite costly - another set of application fees, police certificates, language tests etc etc.

misskatpaw

Hiya AmyDavid,
From what I know, the LMO process & requirements are very much a different one to the AEO process and i assume that having an AEO in place would have nil bearing on a new LMO application...? Besides which, the topic of LMO's haven't even been broached with the employer & we're not sure about starting a new process having just completed one! Unless you can tell me any differently?

Thanks for that info helcat...pretty interesting. Will have to keep a better eye on post June 10 timelines. While trying to figure out how they work out the filing system in the staff kitchen in & amongst the tea-fund tin, sugar dispenser & leaky kettle. How hard must it be to read file numbers when they're caked in sticky coffee granules?

Yes Wolstie I concur, not only the brass but the massive headache of having to go through all that palava again. I really hoped once would be enough!

helcat12

The processes are complicated and difficult to understand (as we know from our experience) but I am still not sure why you applied for AEO and not LMO.
For other readers information, AEO is only any use if you are using it to support your application for PR as it clearly states on the website that the AEO alone does not allow you to work in Canada.

LMO allows you to start work in Canada any time within the following 6 months (which is how long you have to activate the LMO by using it to get a Temporary Work Permit.)
You can either get your TWP at Port of Entry like my OH did or apply for the letter of authorisation through London.

You could still do this, as it seems your PR through Cat 1 will just trundle on regardless and may well be faster than Cat 2 anyway.
If you have been granted AEO, you should be able to get LMO, I would have thought because the requirements are not that different at all.

I assume that the company have tried to employ a Canadian, but cannot find a suitable candidate locally or they wouldn't be waiting so long for a foreigner, so you have almost certainly fulfilled all the criteria the LMO requires anyway.

The benefits of the LMO are;
*It costs nothing for the application.

*Once approved, you can go over there and work right away if you want to, or within 6 months.

*The company have probably already done all the required advertising etc, so there should be no cost to the employer.

* The forms are short and easy to complete.

* It is relatively fast - we got ours in B.C in 4 weeks (that was in June.) I hear it can be longer in other Provinces and times do vary, but in any case it will be done before the March date you mentioned.


It depends what you want to do - if you want to start work sooner rather than later, LMO would be a good plan and since it costs nothing......

PMM

Hi

You should note that the AEO and LMO are 2 completely different processes. For an AEO the employer doesn't have to advertise the position nor does s/he have to demonstrate that there are no Canadians/PRs available for the possession.

helcat12

Thanks PMM for the clarification.
I just thought that, on the offchance that the company HAD advertised it, it would be worth applying for LMO.

I just couldn't see what use AEO was to this applicant, but maybe I am missing something......

AmyDavid

I am just confused why you bothered with the AEO and did not just do an LMO to start with? Unless you had assumed that once you had the AEO you could add it to your Cat 1 application, turning it to a Cat 2 and assuming it would go through faster - all of which is not something you can do anyway.