Cornfedapache

Hi everyone

I'm hoping that you can help me out with what 'should' be a simple question relating to timescales to begin the application process.

We've got a couple of 'hard & fast' deadlines:

1) We want to be landing in Toronto on or before 1 May 2018 (689 days. Eek) - we've been planning this move for some years and 1/5/18 will be enough time to pay stuff off, save money etc.

2) My other half finishes his degree next Summer (June-ish, probably) so we want to remain in the UK to get this finished.
Once his degree is done, ASAP to move really (the above deadline is based on a comfortable pay down/save up period to ease our first month or so while we move and pay checks start coming in).

We're getting back into the research swing and have gone through the Express Entry checker this morning.

Based on that, our options are:
a) For my partner to finish his degree
b) Either of us to get a job offer

One of those is enough to move us from the "Sorry, you're not eligible" category into the "Wooohooo - come on in!" category.*
*It obviously doesn't say that, but that's what I hear in my head...


A friend of mind recently moved from UK to BC and their process took about a year; her nephew took 2 and her friend took 3.

While I know that all cases are different, we really want to get the wheels turning as early as possible so that when we're ready, we can get going.

So....

My question...

Out of the two options, we know that my other half will be finishing his degree with a higher degree of certainty than getting a job offer.

Are there any ways of starting the application process now to get a 'conditional' approval to progress through the system based on my other half completing his degree? (Which would be withdrawn if he doesn't complete - in my head a bit like Uni place offers conditional on A level results. I know it's a different thing, but I hope you get what I mean!)

Or is it a case of getting ready to submit the paperwork the absolute moment that we have the result in our hands?

Finally, we've had a scout round to find what could pass for an application form so that we can start making a checklist of the stuff we'll need, bits of paper to get copies of etc. So far, we've come up dry - does anyone have a link handily available that you could share?

Thank you!
Neil

christmasoompa

Fab. Have you checked your CRS score as well though? Just being eligible to enter the EE pool won't be enough, you also need to score enough to then get selected from the pool and be invited to apply for PR - you'll need a score of above approx 450-480 as a rough guide, unless things change massively in the next year or so.

Ah, I love the voices in my head. The job offer would definitely be enough to move you in to the 'wooohooo - come on in' category (well, if supported by a LMIA - just a job offer on it's own wouldn't unless it's for a LMIA exempt role i.e. an intra-company transfer), but just the degree alone may not be (as above, depending on score).

The nephew and friend must have either applied via a different route, or quite a while ago. Processing times change all the time, so nobody can really tell you how long it will be when you do come to apply, but figure about a year as a rough guide.

Nope. You're either eligible or you're not. You can certainly apply now if you are eligible (would he score enough to qualify as a Skilled Worker without him having a degree i.e. at least 67?) but you'd then just sit in the Express Entry pool and not be invited to apply for PR, as I think it highly unlikely you'd be scoring enough to get selected without his degree. Do check it though, as you never know!

It's all done online now, so there isn't an application form you can download I'm afraid. But in terms of documents, to start with you'll just need your IELTS (potentially both of you, if you need the extra points, or just the principal applicants if not) and your ECA. Everything else (police certs, employment refs, medical, proof of funds etc) come later when you're actually invited to apply for PR, and you then have 60 days to submit those documents.

HTH a bit, best of luck.

Cornfedapache

Thank you- that's really helpful!

We haven't got the actual score yet - do you only get that when you register on the EE site? Couldn't find the numbers earlier...

christmasoompa

No, you can either tot it up yourself here - Express Entry – Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) Criteria

Or let them do it for you here - Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) - tool

You'll need to make a couple of assumptions to estimate your score i.e. your IELTS result etc, but it will at least give you an idea or not.

HTH.

Cornfedapache

Oh you are marvellous - thanks!

No idea why I couldn't find that earlier!

Cornfedapache

One more question, if I may on the whole deadlines thing (and this is just to get it straight in my head)...

Let's pretend I receive a job offer today and dive feet first into the system tomorrow.

Is it still likely that the process will take 6months to a year to work itself through before I would be able to move and take the job up?

Or does having a job offer speed everything up to a much shorter timescale?

christmasoompa

It doesn't speed up a PR application. But normally you'd just move over on the TWP/LMIA so that would be quicker, and then apply for PR afterwards.

HTH.

Cornfedapache

Haha! Thank you