new scientist

Hi all, I am eligible to apply for PR as a PhD student in Canada, and as a skilled pharmacist. I need to decide under which stream I should apply (normal FSW or PhD stream). The cap for the pharmacist is being approached very soon, may be next Monday, so I need to submit my application in 2-3 days if I am gonna apply as a pharmacist. The FSW seems straight forward but takes almost 2 years, while nothing is known about the PhD stream. On the other hand, PhD stream is very new so I might be one of the first few to apply for it and may be get it fast.

What would you do? Is there any advantages to apply as a PhD student? is it faster to process or something?

Thanks guys for sharing your opinions

Auld Yin

What does it matter? If you want to live in Canada as a PR then get your application in for one of your two categories. As a PR you can work at anything your heart desires, just get your PR. Only you can decide which will get you faster attention, particularly as the PhD is apparently untested.

christmasoompa

No idea about the PhD stream (as Auld Yin said, it's so new nobody knows much about it or has any idea of processing time) but I did just want to say that it shouldn't take 2 years to get FSW if you apply now - recent applicants have taken around 10 months or so, it's only those that applied prior to 26th June 2010 (when the list changed) that take 2 years or more.

But you will need to hurry up and apply if you do want to get in before your cap is reached, there were only 60 slots left 2 days ago, but don't forget that won't include any that are already there waiting to be opened. So don't delay!

Good luck.

new scientist

Thanks a lot for your opinions. I thought the PhD stream would be faster in processing, just as I told about the arranged employment category. But I think my application is good enough as it is now. And, if it is only 10 months anyway, I do not think the PhD would be any faster.

Appreciate your help guys, thanks,

helcat12

I wish that was true.
Some applicants post June 26th 2010 are being processed in ten months.
Others, us included are at 14 months + and still no sign of Medical Requests.
By the time we receive PR (assuming all goes well) we will have probably been in the system for at least 18 months.

As has been discussed elsewhere on this forum, FSW is a lottery and it is anybody's guess whether you will be the lucky one or not.

If the OP has a choice, I personally would go for the newest route.

CIC will probably have been told to prioritise the new stream for political reasons.
It looks good if the politicians decide to implement something new and then they can demonstrate that it is working quickly.

Also, the new stream will have no backlog, so you will be near the front of the queue.

new scientist

Thanks helcat12 for the heads up, I think processing the PhD faster would make more sense. Although I have a friend who applied for FSW last March and got his PR in only 6 months, believe it or not, but this was in Cairo office, not in Buffalo where I intend to apply. I think the 10 months processing does not apply to Buffalo office (correct me if I am wrong).

helcat12

Buffalo is being incredibly slow from what I am hearing on other forums.
Canadajimmy is at Buffalo as FSW Cat 2 and he has been waiting for well over a year now and still not even meds requests. Other Cat 1s are also complaining of long waits at Buffalo.

Some VOs are working that fast - I have heard of Cairo and New Delhi and Manila getting applicants to PR in 6 months.

In fact London are also working that fast, if you are applying from Pakistan!

They are just not giving their native applicants the same processing time, I'm afraid.

I'd get the PhD app in right away while the initiative is still shiny and new - I would put money on the fact that the VOs will have been instructed to process them as fast as possible.

Politicians like to see instant results from their initiatives, especially as Minister Kenney has been getting flack recently from the Opposition regarding Immigration.

Ride the wave!

new scientist

I can tell them to direct my file to Cairo office if they do it in 6 months! As far as I know, I can apply to the office in my country of my citizenship (Cairo) or to that covers the country I am resident in (Buffalo).

Need to think about consequences though !!

helcat12

Not really any consequences I can see.
Cairo were processing applications faster than London and Buffalo even while they were having serious Civil unrest there, so they were doing a better job than elsewhere under much worse conditions!

As long as they have your correct postal and e-mail address, there isn't an issue with communication, any more than for other people who are in Canada and applying through their native VO (like us - in Canada, app in London).
Good Luck.

new scientist

Guys .. where in the application I select "skilled worker" not "PhD"

helcat12

Since this PhD thing only came in on 5th November, I would check the forms again and see if they have updated them to reflect the changes.

It says these have been updated for the FSW route, but have a look and see if they seem to fit your circumstances.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/informa...ns/skilled.asp

new scientist

Done!

Submitted it as Pharmacist and to Cairo office. Hopefully this would be the fast option.

Thanks you guys for your help. This forum is awesome

christmasoompa

Blimey, that was quick! It usually takes people ages to gather everything, did you already have all your paperwork already?

And just checking, but you didn't actually send it to the Cairo office did you? All FSW applications must go to the CIO in Sydney NS.

new scientist

It took me more than ages christmasoompa to prepare the application, but it was ready when the PhD stream was introduced. I hope I completed it fast enough as the received applications yesterday were 476

Yes , I send it to CIO but I required Cairo office to process it after CIO. Never heard of any one did the same, so lets hope it was a good decision. Unfortunately I did not have anytime to make a copy of my application for my reference as i had to send it yesterday before the post office closed. Anyway, I am so relieved I finally submitted it.

helcat12

Good man!
I certainly do not think you will regret nominating Cairo as your VO.
Their record is much better than many other VOs especially London.

I wish you the best of luck.