NewStats: 3,264,689 , 8,184,421 topics. Date: Thursday, 12 June 2025 at 04:20 AM s3o2n

Hello everyone,
I will appreciate your advice/opinion regarding my situation.

I am a PhD student studying in USA but I moved to Canada last year December after my PR application was approved.

My US visa expired 2018 but I scheduled for another one last year but my appointment was canceled due to COVID.

I’m in my dissertation phase so nothing is really going on aside from meeting online with my supervisor every two weeks. Technically, I’m still working in the states as a researcher.

Now I have to go back to USA for personal reasons before July ending. My I-20 will expire December 2022, I won’t be needing extension because I plan on graduating before then.

My main concern is can I still apply for F1 visa on an I-20 that’s less than 2yrs?
I doubt if I’ll be able to apply for visiting visa because I still work in school (but I won’t be working during summer break)

I’ll appreciate your input.

If those are the questions...then sure.

Dude04:


The questions are;
Has xxxxxxx applied to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada before? I filled Yes

Has xxxxxxx applied for Express Entry before? I filled No

If xxxxxxx has a Unique Client Identifier (UCI) please enter it below. Provided the UCI.

will this suffice?

You fill “Yes” for both questions.

1. Has ..... been refused refugee status, or an immigrant or permanent residence visa or visitor or temporary resident visa to Canada or any other county?!...Yes/No

2. Has ..... ever been refused a visa or permit, denied entry or ordered to leave Canada or any other country?!.....Yes/No

Dude04:
Happy new year everyone. So I am filling the application profile and there is the part that says have I applied to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada before?

I applied for a visitors visa in 2019 for a conference while I was still in school, unfortunately, it was denied. Do I indicate Yes in this part and fill in the UCI?

There is a telegram group for Ontario residents. Send a pm to @amdman. He was the one that added me to the group.

DottaofGod:
Hi,pls is there any wassap group for people in london Ontario? If any,I'm interested

esoheo:

Hi

Is there a WhatsApp/telegram group for Ontario residents I can .

Please.. I just landed recently, and I really want to get started with my life

I will advise you start reading from [url]https://nairaland.unblockandhide.com/6081746/canadian-express-entry-federal-skilled [/url]

nigeriainfo:

Baba I beg you Dey US? Indey here also I beg make we reason am together how you take apply.
Thanks

I already received my copr back, I was just responding to a posters question about how long it will take by sharing my experience.

tonasibe:

It took like 5 days to get mine back. Try and get the port photographs dimension right so you won't have to resubmit. I think I used an online service to edit the photos before printing it out at CVS.

Mine took 14 days excluding weekends.
port was delivered to Ottawa: Sep 30th, 2020
New port photo was requested: October 6th
New port photo delivered: October 7th
COPR received: October 19th

wizzzz:
How long does it take for the port to be returned after sending it to ottawa from the US for pr visa

@ayo4eva.. Amen oo
@realtrump, that’s good to know. It was indeed a long one year and 3 months, but I thank God it ended in praise.

RealTrump:
@teamo2

See how I am smiling from cheek to cheek as if na me collect PPR . I had ed you some time ago n your response prevented me from making a bad decision.

Your victory is kind of a victory for me too.

This process is really long, just keep doing your normal job and living your normal life untill PPR comes.

Amen... thank you.

I had given up on the whole application myself but God truly showed himself.

BlestHanneSSG:


Big congrats sis. You've conquered this already. More wins for you ahead..

I reading your Procedural Fairness Letter way back and I was like, to be honest, this person get mind sha o..., ...As in she carry biro herself write her reference letter com notarize am send give CIC? Lol... To God be the glory, it all ended in praise!

Thanks.
Yes, I’m still in US

alteco007:
Congratulations. Are you still in the US?

Thanks everyone,

I am really grateful for friends of friends of friends.

Mamaroon:


Wow! Congratulations!!

Thank God for friends of friends of friends who are willing to help!!!

Thanks for sharing your story, what I've learnt from it is that anyone planning to leave out their ref letter and send a self written notarized one should reconsider.

A good tip for people who can't get a ref letter from their far off NYSC schools in the 2nd paragraph of this post:

https://nairaland.unblockandhide.com/5471101/canadian-express-entry-federal-skilled/351#86410661

Thanks,I submitted my NYSC reference letter because it was part of the 3years work experience for the points I gained.

Grreenk:



congratulations ooo, but please i want to ask, do i have to send my nysc reference letter too, because i dont understand ooo. do i have to also send all my work experience incurred all through my life post nysc or only my current work experience which covers my needed work experience

E wa bami gi ijo ope o, jesu o se!!!!


Timeline
IELTS: March 23rd,2019, LRWS: 8,7.5,7,7
ECA: April 18th, 2019, Masters degree
EE profile created: April 18th, 2019
CRS: 469
ITA: May 1st, 2019
AOR: June 8th, 2019.
MEP/BIL: July 16th, 2019.
PFL: February 5th, 2020
Automatic extension of Medicals: June 2nd, 2020.
PPR: September 23rd, 2020.
VO: Montreal

I heard about Canada EE from my friends when we were discussing alternative ways of settling abroad. I never really considered it initially because I was discouraged by the money and the thought of me writing IELTS exam was not entertaining.

Canada EE began to have roots in my mind when when I completed all my compulsory coursework PhD program and I was not interested in H1B Visa lottery wahala.

IELTS: I ed for IELTS exam in January and at the same time I was trying to turn in my Chapter one and Two of my dissertation, coupled with me going for conferences and moving to a new apartment. It was not easy but I survived. I wrote the exam on March 23rd, result was available by April 5th, LRSW 8,7.5,7,7.

ECA: I had already created a WES ICAP profile back in 2014 when I was applying to universities in USA. So I created another for the ECA and called the customer care service to transfer all my transcripts to WES ECA. My transcript were transferred FOC and my younger brother helped with my WAEC result back in Nigeria. ECA report got completed on April 18, created my profile same day with score of 469.

References: I combined 4 different NOC. I was unable to get reference letter for NYSC (NOC 4031) but wrote the letter myself and notarized it, I attached my SOA to show salary deposit.
I also used my industrial training, was paid in cash (NOC 2282/1, June 2009-November 2009, 40hrs/week), submitted only the reference letter.
Family business, paid in cash (NOC 6211, June 2014 - July 2015, 40hrs/week), Attached salary deposit.
Research assistant (RA): My RA was broken down into four parts (September 2017-December 2017, 20hrs/week), (January 2018 - May 2018, 20hrs/week), (September 2018-December 2018, 15hrs/week), (January 2019 - April 2019, 10hrs/week).

PCC: I applied for UK PCC and it was pretty straightforward and easy.
Nigeria PCC: A friend helped me out with it.
US PCC: Easy and straightforward also.

Medicals: I had already booked for medicals weeks before ITA. I live in Louisiana, I had to do a 8hrs drive down to Houston (to and fro, longest drive I’ve ever done).

Fund: I received 100% funding from my dad’s business . I never knew wire transfers could be that stressful, the agent took over 2 weeks after the money has been cleared from my dad’s . Submitted a gift deed with it. I submitted all my and credit card statement.

I raised 3 webform, 1st webform: To submit Bank letter, I initially submitted just my 6 months statement of , 2nd webform: I had a UK visa refusal back in 2011, submitted the letter, 3rd wedform: I submitted my RA work experience Paystub.

Regarding the Research Assistant reference letter i submitted for my application. I realised that i forgot to mention an extra $600 which reflects on my paystub for January 2018. I initially had a Research assistantship with another department (Same job duties) for January 2018, submitted my timesheet for that month and was paid $600 but i later moved to my current department when i received a better offer of $1250/month.
This explains the discrepancy between what was stated in my Reference letter and Paystub.

Received a Procedural Fairness Letter on February 5th regarding notarized NYSC letter I submitted, I was given 7days to respond. I was in a dilemma because I knew no-one living in Brass Island, Bayelsa state. But after pleading my cause throughout several forums, I was able to locate a friend who knew a friend who also knew a friend living in Brass Island. That was how I submitted the original reference letter and stamped statement of on February 12th.

Ordered GCMS note in August and I was relieved to see Eligibility met, just waiting on final approval.

I tried calling them this morning but it was not going through, I later had to give up not knowing that 20 minutes later I was going to receive the approval email.

My VO is Montreal

SunshineD1:


Wow... My family and I did upfront re-med o. Soon after that, we ordered GCMS notes. There, it was stated that medicals was expired. No extension for us. What's your VO?

I’m sorry for the confusion, was in a rush when I typed the message earlier.

And No, I did not do re-med.
My medical was automatically extended. It expired May 1st and by June 2nd, my profile was showing I had ed my medical exam.

SunshineD1:


I don't understand, biko help me out, no vex.
Your medicals expired May 1st, 2020 and on June 2nd, you got a mail saying you ed the medical exam? Did you do a re-med? Was your medicals extended?

Edit:
My medical was automatically extended.

I will advise you wait until you are asked. Mine expired May 1st 2020 and by June 2nd my profile showed I had ed medical.
So basically my profile went from “July 16, 2019. You ed medical” to “You do not need a medical exam.....” then finally to “June 2nd, 2020. You ed the medical exam..”

Medical expires the day you do it, which in your case will be 14th of August.

fadeofresh:
Please I have a situation and i need advise from the Gurus in the house.

So, I recently added my baby to my application and I've been asked to go for my baby's medicals, Now my wife and I, our medicals will expire in 2 to 3 months from now (Not sure which one is the actual deadline because We did the medicals on the 14th of August 2019 and it was updated on my application on the 13th of September 2019).

Can We request to retake another medicals right away so that I can just schedule everything the same time as my baby's medical or wait until they prompt me to retake medicals, I just want everything to go smoothly going forward as I'm not based in Lagos or Abuja, therefore prompting us for another medicals in the future would mean planning another trip, waste of time and more expenses etc.

.....

Someone is already helping me with the letter.

Appreciate your response.

bankyh1905:
Since the issue is having written the reference letter yourself, what you can do is to seek the assistance of someone who served in the school with you. Let them sign the reference letter for you and attach other docs of theirs like posting letter and/or discharge certificate, shared picture (if possible), which will confirm that you were both at the school together. Then back it up with a LOE, explaining why your former colleague had to write the letter and not a teacher of the school. That should work. The case officer just need a third party to vouch for you. In fact, that's what a referral implies - one can't write his/her reference letter.

PS: @bolded- I suppose that doesn't include the supposed former colleague I referred to above.

I found someone through one of the groups.

Thank you

Erigo23:


WRITE A LETTER OF EXPLANATION. Explain you don’t live in Nigeria atm and that Bayelsa is far from you and your family and that you have tried to reach the school if you have evidence of you trying to get the reference letter pls add it then submit your posting letter and the discharge certificate and salary input and then hope for the best

OR YOU CAN TRY YOUR HARDEST GO ON FACEBOOK CHECK FOR ANYONE SERVING THERE ATM LOOK FOR SOMEONE THAT CAN GET YOU A TEACHER THAT CAN SIGN THE LETTER AND ADD ID CARD. DO NOT MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY. THERE IS NOTHING SOCIAL MEDIA CANT DO START SEARCHING FOR SOMEONE IN BAYELSA TO HELP YOU. I served in benue and I got in touch with my state co ordinator I found him on Facebook after explaining that I couldn’t physically come there he gave me the ref letter. Nothing is impossible TRY!

Thanks for your response.
Someone has gotten it for me through one of the Whatspp groups.
I am blessed to be surrounded by well-meaning Nigerians.

Hopefully I get a favorable response from the VO.

SchwarzMann:
I also left Nigeria after youth service and i experienced difficulty in getting ref letter from the PPA.
This was what i did, i paid someone who travelled to the town (6hrs drive), he met a respected elder in the town who accompanied him to the school and spoke to the principal. they made video call with me asking how i wanted the letter and all.

Letter came out instantly.

Let your money do the job

I served in Twon Brass island, Bayelsa in 2010. And I left the country in 2016, the AI was the only person who i still had his number.

Right now I don’t even have anybody’s . In my initial application, I submitted my statement highlighting the allawee and my discharge certificate.

Now I don’t know what else to submit, than resubmit the statement and certificate, and hope for the best.

olalekan9320:

Who is AI? For me, the best thing is to get reference letter from the principal school, resubmit the statement of highlighting allawee, adding discharge certificate might help

You might have been misinformed about g reference letter yourself

Received this letter on my profile.

The letter they are requesting for was during my service year. before submitting my profile back in June 2019, I asked my AI if he could help me get the letter because I’m not currently in the country but he said they don’t give out such letter.
Now I get this from CIC and I don’t know what else to do.

I served as a secondary school teacher in Brass Island, Bayelsa state.

I have 7 days to respond unless my application will be rejected.

AOR: June 8,2019
VO: Montreal

P.S. I submitted my bank statement with the notarized reference letter written by me.

Hello everyone,

I’m an F1 student currently studying in the state but will like to come home for December/January break.
The issue is my F1 visa got expired last year November and I’m yet to renew it, I have all my documents ready and my I-20 is still valid till 2021.
Some issues to keep in mind:
1) I had a surgery last year October which was fully paid for by some charity organization at the hospital.
2) In my initial I-20, I was given full assistantship with stipend for my first year but due to budget cut I now have half assistantship with no stipend.

Is it advisable to come back home?

Congrats Topsmamen....You’ve been really helpful, May you always be favored wherever you go.

Topsmamen:
[s]

TIMELINE
ITA wait: October 2017-December 2018 (14 months)
ITA: December 19, 2018
AOR: January 15, 2019
Medicals ed/BIL: February 23, 2019
Biometrics Done: March 7, 2019
Ordered GCMS Notes: April 24, 2019 (Notes are yet to be received)
ADR received: May 11, 2019 (1. Birth Certificates to prove sibling relationship. 2. Proof of sibling residence in Canada)
ADR submitted: May 13, 2019
PPR: May 15, 2019
Visa Office: Ottawa
Single Applicant

Congrats!!!

teepee4Him:
PPR STORY

The decision to try EE - May 2018
IELTS - Oct 28, 2018 - L8.5 R7.5 S7.5 W7.5

ECA - February 12, 2019
EE Cut off Draw - 457
CRS - 475
NOC - 9213
Marital status - Single
No of family - 1
ITA - February 20, 2019
AOR - February 27, 2019
CSE 1 Raised - March 27, 2019 - to add ECA certificate
MEP/BIL - April 11, 2019
Biometrics completed - April 18, 2019
CSE 2 Raised - To know VO processing application - April 25, 2019
PPR mail - May 14, 2019

Thanks to all, for all the information and insight, shared on this platform. May it all end in praise.

.

Thanks, just added it.

CRS score remains the same. It was not computed in my score.

Ifeoma77:

Why give yourself the raw material for sleepless nights? Put it so you can have one less thing to worry about

Thank you.

Topsmamen:


Include it in your personal history instead. You can leave qualifications out if you didn't claim points for them.

Do I need to add my ongoing doctorate degree to my education history even though I did not evaluate it?

I only evaluated my Masters and I don’t know if not putting it in my education history will count as misrepresentation.

Congrats @konti, @joo2018, @obi1conte

Thanks for taking you time to help me calculate. I also got 7months for NOC 4012.

Regarding the “educational” /employment requirement, I saw the screenshot attached on canada,.ca website.

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/permanent-residence/economic-classes/federal-skilled-workers/assessing-applications-against-minimum-requirements.html

Btw... I’ve been trying to send you a pm.

Thank you, appreciate your effort

Stencil:
NOC 2282 - 6 months
NOC 4031 - 12 months
NOC 6621 6211 - 13 months
NOC 4012 -
Sept - Dec 2017 - 2 months full time
Jan - April 2018 - 2.6 months full time
Sept - Dec 2018 - 2 months full time
Jan 2019 - April - 1.3 months full time

You need 36 months to claim 3 years. You have a little above 36 months from my calculations. I did this quickly so please crosscheck.
I did not check the educational requirements for each NOC. Please make sure you do you can claim these experiences.

The formula I used was [No of months x No of hours worked] ÷30 You can use this to calculate yourself.
PS: Divide by 12 to give you number of weeks.

Appreciate your response.

I’ve read on canadavisa forum where the applicant claimed work experience while studying as a full time bachelors degree student.

Still doing my research on the subject matter because it’s either I claim the IT work experience or I rewrite IELTS which will cost me another $380.

njbybrthnly:
First off, congratulations on your IELTS results.

For your industrial training experience, I don't think it will fly if it was gotten before graduation i.e before getting your bachelors degree.

Then, for your experience as a research assistant, the hours worked are less than 30 which means it won't fly as full time experience. Therefore, you can only claim 6 months for the 20hr/wk role(not sure what you can claim for the 10hr/wk role)

Anyway, I'm just thinking out loud...let others weigh in.