How I became a Permanent Resident through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC)?

How I became a Permanent Resident through the Canadian Experience Class?

My name is Christoph Weiffen and I work towards being an Immigration Consultant in INGWE Immigration. I have been through Canada’s immigration process myself and I know what it’s like and how frustrating it can be. After I graduated from University in Germany, I moved to Toronto on a Working Holiday Visa which was valid for one year. My English was not exactly great and I had no idea how Immigration in Canada worked so I took the first job that was available working as a food prep in a restaurant. But soon I realized that I needed to get what is called “high skilled” work experience. So, I quit my job after a couple of months and went on the Job Hunt. Luckily soon after I found an Employer who was desperately looking for a German Speaker for a high skilled position and did not care too much about my lack of Canadian Work Experience which is often a deal-breaker when it comes to finding employment in Canada. But for your case, if you think you are ready and eligible to apply, contact our office today to get help on the process, important documents, and much more.

My experience with Immigration Lawyers

While being employed with my company, I went out to seek help from professionals (Immigration Lawyers). Because a lot of people told me they were more knowledgeable than consultants when it comes to Canadian visas, permanent residency (PR Card), Express Entry and much more. But as it turns out they were not necessarily as well versed in immigration. The first lawyer told me I would be better off leaving Canada and going back to Germany to pursue a Masters Degree and work in any office job for at least one year – despite the fact that I was already here in Canada on a work permit working in a high skilled position.  The advice that the lawyer gave me wasn’t beneficial in my particular situation. Had I returned to Germany and focused solely on the education aspect, I would have lost out on a job offer, the CRS points I was receiving for my Canadian Experience, and economically it would have been more expensive to go home. And keep in mind that CRS points for Express Entry decrease once when you’re past 30.  So, when I weighed my options I decided to stay and chose to ignore the advice given by the lawyer. My Working Holiday Visa Expired eventually, however, I was lucky to obtain the Young Professionals Visa, an employer-specific work permit which was also valid for one year. That way I was able to gather one full year of Canadian High Skilled Work Experience and thus eligible to join the Express Entry Pool. Once I entered the Express Entry pool it was all about increasing my CRS Score, meaning getting more points in order to meet the threshold in the upcoming draws and getting an invitation to apply. In my case, that would mean taking multiple IELTS and CELPIP English tests until I had the right score. I went on to see another lawyer to see if there is anything else I could do to increase my points. The second lawyer went on to calculate my points and missed my 50 points for my Canadian Job Offer. She told me: “You’re not getting those points” not realizing that my Work Permit was LMIA exempt which meant I was eligible for those points. The lawyer must have realized it later on when she offered to take my case for the express entry pool. I received confirmation of permanent residence about 4 months after I submitted my documents to the IRCC website.

Why should you get help from a Professional Immigration Consultant?

I’m convinced that I was very lucky. I was lucky to be able to go to university. I was lucky to get a work permit and find employment in Canada, even though I didn’t have any Canadian work experience and I was lucky to be able to stay in Canada permanently. My case was straight forward. I was in my mid 20’s, I didn’t have any health issues, I did not claim any work experience from outside Canada, I did not have any dependents, I did not live anywhere else in the world other than Germany, I just did not have a lot of issues that many new immigrants have. Dealing with immigration can be complex and sometimes overwhelming. INGWE Canada's experience and attention to detail can help identify and prevent situations which can potentially lead to failures during the application process. By helping more than 350 international cases, the INGWE team will ensure that your application is accurate and contains no misleading information, which has the potential to penalize applicants with a five-year ban for misrepresentation of statements on their application. It is often the little, easily preventable things that cause an application to be rejected. Our firm has helped hundreds of clients receiving their Permanent Residence Status and it is our mission to help individuals to be successful with their immigration process, whether it be with study permits, work permits or starting a new life with new opportunities in Canada. Our job is to make it easier for you to navigate the various options that are available and figure out if you qualify. Contact our office today to get help on the process, important documents, and much more.

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