Canada Child Benefits (CCTB, UCCB): Our Application Experience as FSW

If you had just landed in Canada, you must be aware that there are benefits for your children under the age of 18.

During our first week in Toronto, we immediately sent the child benefits application.  It was helpful for us, especially when we don't have jobs yet to make our cash flow positive. There were many benefits that our child had received, given that our income was at the minimum.

In order for you to receive the corresponding benefit, you need to send an application to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

Who should apply?
The one who's primarily in charge of upbringing and care of the child.  For us, even though we were not yet working during the application, we agreed that my wife will be the applicant. That is usually the case for new immigrant couples.

For the New Immigrants, let me show you the step by step procedure on how to apply for the child benefits.

STEP 1 (Gather the Documents)
Gather all documents to establish your relationship with your child.

1.  Marriage certificate (copy)
2.  Birth certificate (copy)
3.  Copies of the COPR (copy)

This will not be difficult for newcomers as we had all the documents with us upon landing.

Prepare your bank account details.  If CRA fails to send payment to your bank, the benefit will be paid to you by cheque.

STEP 2 (Print the Forms)
Print the necessary documents at the Canada Revenue Agency website as follows:

1. Canada Child Benefits Application RC66
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pbg/tf/rc66/README.html

2. Status in Canada / Statement of Income RC66SCH
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pbg/tf/rc66sch/README.html

Fill out the necessary details legibly.

STEP 3 (Sending the Application)
1. Place the documents and forms inside an envelope.
2. Mail the completed forms with the supporting documents to the province where you reside.

Click the province below for the mailing address.
Source: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/bnfts/ddrss-eng.html

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Northwest Territories
• Nova Scotia
• Nunavut
• Ontario
• Prince Edward Island
• Quebec
• Saskatchewan
• Yukon

Where to Mail the forms?
Go to the nearest Canada Post branch.  Before you click the link below, you must know your Zip Code (ex: J2M H2T)

Canada Post Locator

The mail will be delivered to the CRA within 3 days.

STEP 3 (Wait for the Payment)
Once your application is complete and no additional documents needed from the CRA, you will now receive the Child Benefits through your bank account or by cheque.

CRA uses your application to determine if you are eligible for other child benefits.  So, you will receive payments from different branches of the government.

Note:
Don't forget to contact CRA if your status and personal information had changed.

If you have questions regarding my experience in this application, contact me at benalagnam@yahoo.com.  I'll can help you as fast as I can.

Please tick the LIKE button below if this is helpful and Share to new immigrants as well.

How to Know Your NOC Code and Filling up the Work Experience Form?

I have received few inquiries from my email Subscribers. One of which is about this problem, and it's time to clarify the issue.  Here are their messages...

"..my job positions are not exactly matched stated but the job description as I believe are all the same. One of example is System Administrator and my current position is Systems Engineer. There was no indicated main duties on the website but in general, the main duties of Systems Engineer covers with System Administrator description. I have a lot of positions where the job descriptions are covered on the list in NOC but the titles are not match.

Do you think the Canada Visa office would recognized that? Most of my COE has no job description included and even in contract letter has not stated as well..." - J.C. (please let me know if you want your name divulged)

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"...im still confused. what will i write on the IMM0008 (E Schedule 3) work experience part:
From To Occupation NOC Years of Experience Main DutiesAsst. Res. Engineer 2131
Should i write my current job position under the Occupation Part or the equivalent based based on job duties?..." - M.A. (please let me know if you want your name divulged)

The advice and tips that I will provide you is based on my experience when I applied for the Federal Skilled Worker Canada.  I recommend that you seek second or third opinions to other advisers or agents as well.

Job Position or Title Explained
In every country, they have their own job titles which they think will easily attract the job seekers or also known as talents.

Like in Canada, a person who goes out and meet customers, repair the machines at the customer's site is called the JourneyMan.  While if you do this kind of job in Singapore, you can be called as a Service Engineer or Service Technician.  Doing this same kind of  job in Philippines is a Technician.

"a person who goes out and meet customers, repair the machines at the customer's site"

Canada - Journeyman
Singapore - Service Technician or Service Engineer
Philippines - Technician

As you can see, they are all doing the same kind of job, but they are tagged differently.  They differ in their job titles because of the terms used and according to the country's history.

Another example is the AutoCad Draftsmen and the AutoCad Draughtsman.  These two jobs have a similar job descriptions, but they have different job titles. This is because,

Draftsmen - American English
Draughtsman - British English

Job titling almost has the same concept of marketing, which you have to create the best name of the brand, in this case is the job, making it more locally recognizable and egoistically appealing.

Who doesn't want to have a job of cleaning floors with a namecard description of "Floor Manager"?

Same job, different titles.

What is NOC in Canada?
In the Federal Skilled Worker Program in Canada, we can encounter this name NOC or the National Occupational Classification.

According to the the Employment and Social Development in Canada (ESDC),

"The National Occupational Classification (NOC), provides a standardized language for describing the work performed by Canadians in the labour market. It gives statisticians, labour market analysts, career counselors, employers and individual job seekers a consistent way to collect data and describe and understand the nature of work." -ESDC 

To ease up the confusion of job titles and descriptions, Canada had created a standard and listed it in the NOC with versions on year 2006 and 2011.

At the NOC, each job title has its own code, depending on the skill level, and it is classified and described in accordance with the standard.

How To Determine the Equivalent NOC 2011 Code?
The NOC 2011 occupation code is important when applying for the FSW Canada program.  It is the first factor that determines the eligibility of an applicant.  The applicant's occupation should be included at the 50 eligible occupations list.

But how do you know if your current or previous job is included in the list?

To have a complete NOC 2011 equivalency of your current or previous occupation, you need to provide an evidence such as a complete Certificate of Employment (COE) indicating the job description of your occupation and other details as required by the FSW Canada.

Check out the complete requirements at the STEP3 - Document Checklist (IMM5612) item #12

Now, this is the tricky part wherein you need to compare the job description of your occupation, that was written at your COE, with the occupation at the NOC 2011.

Let's take Equipment Engineer as our sample occupation .  This job title is totally out of the NOC 2011 list, but we can find a code for this and it takes time and effort.

Given that the following details were written at the COE:

Equipment EngineerAugust 2010 - August 2014

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Write equipment handling specifications, technical reports, capacity computations, maintenance manual specifications, and maintenance schedules.
• Conduct design reviews, inspection, and evaluates the performance equipment.
• Troubleshoot machine using technical software.
• Read and interpret electrical diagram.
• Responsible for the layout preparation, scheduling, mobilization and installation of machines for production use.

We will visit the NOC 2011 Website and select the Classification structure menu (see photo below).  Then choose the classification that you think has the greatest similarity with the Equipment Engineering job and its corresponding responsibilities. 

So, we will choose #7 (see the photo and click to visit the site)

The Skill Type 7 will have a long list of occupational codes.  Scan through each occupation and find the closest match, and that is NOC 7242 (Industrial Electrician) with responsibilities that are similar with that of an Equipment Engineer.

7242 Industrial ElectriciansIndustrial electricians install, maintain, test, troubleshoot and repair industrial electrical equipment and associated electrical and electronic controls

Now, we can therefore state that the equivalent NOC of Equipment Engineer is NOC 7242 Industrial Electrician.

How to Fill Up the Form with the NOC Code?
Alright, we have now the NOC equivalent code.  Go to the application form IMM008 Schedule 3 Economic Classes - Federal Skilled Worker, item #12 - Work Experience

If you have another occupation and declared as your Primary, e.g. NOC 2241- Electrical and electronics Engineering Technologists and Technician , it should be in included in the 50 eligible occupations and meet the criteria for FSW Canada. 

Since NOC 7242 is a Skill Level B occupation, we can include this in the Work Experience.  Even though it has more than 4 years of experience, we can not make it as the primary because it's not included in the 50 eligible occupations list.

Take a look at the table below.

The space provided for the Main Duties is always not enough, you can write "Please refer to attached page" and create a document in A4 paper with the complete details of the duties.  Include it in this form as attachment.

Other Related Post:
Years of Work Experience, How to Compute?
Certificate of Employment or Letter of Reference for FSW Canada Concerns


Hope that this this post will help in your application. If you like this post or appreciate the author, please tick the LIKE button below.

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If you have any questions regarding this post, you can leave a comment below or email me at benalagnam@yahoo.com.

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If you want to know more about my life in Singapore, visit my blog at BenAlagnam.com

Passport Submission at Canada Visa Application Center (CVAC) Experience

Now is the start of my preparation for my Moving to Canada or shall I say Migrate to Canada.

After receiving the Visa Approval letter from the Canadian Embassy in Manila, I was instructed to submit the required documents to the High Commission of Canada in Singapore.  

It's a bit confusing at my part because the Canadian Embassy in Manila has been processing my documents and medicals, but as for the submission of passports, they handed it over to the High Commission of Canada in Singapore.

Anyway, it's their rules and I should just follow it.  I was instructed to prepare the following documents.

• Original Passports for me and all my accompanying dependents
• Appendix A - a tabular form that was included in the letter, which I need to indicate all our passport details and other information.
• Photos (2) pieces passport size - this is specified in the Appendix B, which is also included in the letter.
• Although the letter itself was not included in the list, better bring it along.  They need it.

I was given 30 days to submit the requirements or else my application will be refused.

Where I Submitted the Required Documents?

It was a perfect timing when I went to Philippines for a vacation because I was given an opportunity to get the passports of my dependents and our photos.

The letter states that I need to submit all the required documents at the Canada Visa Application Center (CVAC). So, I researched the center's location in Singapore. I got these information:

Canada Visa Application Center

20 Cecil St.

#11-02 to 05 Equity Plaza

Singapore 049705

My Experience at the Canada Visa Application Center
Lucky enough that I was given a free time and a chance to go to the Canada Visa Application Center (CVAC).

The night before that, I prepared all the required documents to avoid panic on the next day of submission.

As instructed on the letter, I did the following:

• Organized the passports according to age (principal appicant to my youngest son).  Removed the plastic covers, left it bare.
• Placed 2 photos inside a small envelope for each of the dependents and labeled with the details below.  I have a total of 4 envelopes.

Application Number

Name of the Photo Owner

• Filled up the appendix A and placed the following information at the top left most part of the document.

Name of Applicant

Application Number

Return Address

Contact Number/s

• Inserted all the documents inside a big envelope for easy handling to CVAC. 

The next day, I prepared the things as early as I can.  Took the MRT GREEN line and alighted at Raffles Place MRT Station.

I followed the way to EXIT E, which is going to the Equity Plaza building.  This is how it looks like standing outside the exit.

Way to Equity Plaza Building

I crossed the D'almeida St. heading to the brown building.  The Equity Plaza is at the next building.

Walked the isle heading to Equity Plaza

I walked pass through the isle going to the Equity Plaza building and saw this entrance.

Entrance of Equity Plaza

 At the right side of the building, there's a small entrance leading to the lobby.

Equity Plaza Building (Canada Visa Application Center) Lobby

At the lobby, the guard asked for my Identification Card (IC) for their recording.  Then he pressed the button to open the gate.

I proceeded to the 11th floor and found few people at the entrance.  The guard at the entrance instructed me to turn off the cellphone and checked my body with a metal detector.  Then he gave me a queuing number.

I went into a small room, labeled VFS Canada Visa Application Center.  There are only two counters because of the room size.

The lady called my number and asked me about my purpose.  After telling her the reason, she instructed me to produce all the documents and asked me to wait for a while.

After 5 minutes, she stamped stickers on each passports and the letter.  Then she asked me to pay for the 4 passports and also offered me if I prefer to collect personally or use the service of a courier.

They also have an SMS service where they will inform the customer about the status of the passport though text message.

For me, I'd rather collect it personally to avoid conflict of time at my house and at least the passports are secured at their premises.

I did not avail of the SMS service since I can check the status online.

Each passport costs SGD32.85.  So I paid a total of S$131.40 for the four of us.  The lady informed me that the process takes 3-5 days if no problem arises.  The whole process took around 30 minutes to finish.

This is it, I need to prepare for our airline tickets.  Follow me by checking my blog from time to time.  I will post the status of each procedures until I reach Canada.

Is the blog useful to you? Please tick the LIKE button below.

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If you have any questions regarding this post, you can leave a comment below or email me at benalagnam@yahoo.com.

Important: Please read the DISCLAIMER Page

For questions not related to this post, leave a comment at the ASK ME.

If you want to know more about my life in Singapore, visit my blog at BenAlagnam.com

How much you need to prepare for the applications, visit EXPENSES.

Check on what are the documents you need to prepare and more info on RESOURCES

Two College Degrees: How to Compute the Number of Years

What if you had 2 degrees in college, how do you compute for the total number of years of your studies?

To explain it further, I will use my experience as an example that suits this problem perfectly.

It happened that I got two Engineering Degrees in College, I'll just name it as Eng-1 and Eng-2.   Each degree is normally a 5-year course.

How Long Did I Finish My Two Degrees?

For the Eng-1, I finished it for just 4.5 instead of 5 years, it's because I was so excited to finish that course.  I was so enthusiastic back then.  

The school that I enrolled into allows us to take advance courses during summer.  So, I went to school to take the summer courses that was supposed to be taken on the next semester.  My classmates that did not took this program were overtaken.  

After finishing the Eng-1, now I have a vacant of 0.5 years, right?  Then I decided to take Eng-2.

Eng-2 is a 5-year engineering degree also, but the minor subjects from my Eng-1 are all credited so I just needed to finish the major subjects to graduate/finish the degree.  And, it took me 1 year to finish it.

To summarize my educational background, I had tabulated it below:

Summary

Eng-1 - 4.5 years

Eng-2 - 1.0 years

             5.5 actual years in school

How Did I Fill-up the Form IMM008 (FSW Canada) for My Two Degrees?

At the Schedule A Background Declaration (IMM5669) item #7- Education form, I counted the number of years of studies based on my secondary and post-secondary education in Philippines.

We have 6 years of elementary/primary school, which starts from Grade 1 to Grade 6 and  4 years in Secondary/High School from First Year to Fourth Year.

I indicated 6 years on the University/College.  Even though I have 5.5 actual years in this level but Eng-1 is a 5-year course and took another year for Eng-2, a total of 6 years.

For the Trade school or other post secondary school section, I left it as "0" because I don't have one.  But if you do have, like 1 or 2-year courses, you can indicate it there.

I guess had explained it here clearly. If you have any questions regarding this post, you can leave a comment below or email me at benalagnam@yahoo.com.

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For questions not related to this post, leave a comment at the ASK ME.

If you want to know more about my life in Singapore, visit my blog at BenAlagnam.com

How much you need to prepare for the applications, visit EXPENSES.

Check on what are the documents you need to prepare and more info on RESOURCES.

Certificate of Employment or Letter of Reference for FSW Canada Concerns

One of the requirements for FSW Canada application is to provide a Certificate of Employment or also called as Letter of Reference from your employer.

You need to provide all COEs from your employers for the last 10 years or from your 18th birthday (whichever is applicable).

What are the Problems When Getting a Certificate Of Employment?
1. The previous company was closed - The company had been closed and no longer in operation.  There is no way you can get a COE.

Suggestion: You can provide an affidavit from a lawyer stating that your previous company has already been closed and there is no way for you to contact the administration or Human Resources personnel handling the manpower records.  The letter should be notarized.

2. The Human Resource personnel will not provide customized format for COEs - Every company has its own rules regarding the format of the certificate.  Some HR personnel are too busy to attend to your request.  They don't want to create a new format just for you.

Suggestion: Create your own format in a Microsoft Word or any word processor with all the truthful details that is required by the CIC.  Then hand it over to the HR personnel inside the thumb drive or any other devices. Ask her if she can provide the COE with your format.  Don't forget to smile.  That is why you need to be friendly with the HR's.

3. The Human Resource personnel do not issue COE's - I am not sure of the legalities for companies that do not issue COE's.  If they really can not provide in spite of your persistence, then this is what I suggest.

Suggestion: Before you joined the company, you signed a contract to them, right?  Every month, you have your payslip with you.  And in Singapore, you have the In Principle Approval before you join the company.

These will be your proof that you are working with this company and you can insert a written letter addressed to Canada that your company does not provide COE's to their employers. 

4. The employer will only provide a standard format - These are usually multinational companies that has a large number of employees.  They can only give you a standard format.

Suggestion: You can combine the standard format COE and Suggestion #3.  Send this together with your application.

Details: 

Document 1. Create a COE like format but without the letterhead and with the complete details of your Job Description.  Let your supervisor or manager or the person higher than you, sign the document. The important thing is to show your Job Description there.

Document 2. Get a standard COE from your employer/HR.

Document 3. Make a letter explaining the reason why you can not provide a COE with the complete details as required by Canada.

Attach documents 1, 2 &3 together and include in your full application. 

My Experience in Securing the COE's
Based on my experience, I have done item #2 and 4.  I have worked for three companies and I have difficulties approaching them one by one.   You need to be persistent with a down-to-earth attitude.  Make a request with a kind approach and this will soften the HR personnel's heart.

This is true specially with my first employer.  It is a multinational company with over 1,000 employees.  I went straight to the HR Manager.

"Hi Ma'am, how are you?"I approached her with a smile.

"Fine, and you?" she replied.

"I have a very important request to ask you.", speaking closely next to her.  My eyes looks so sad like the Puss in Boots in Shrek.

I explained to her that I am planning to immigrate to Canada because the situation in the Philippines is not good (on 2002).  This is my opportunity to be in a better place with a greener pasture.  Then added that it would be for my future family.

"In order for me to apply, I need to request from you for a COE, but Canada has a required format so I typed it first in the MSWord, is it alright if you transfer it with the company letterhead?", showing him the disk (sorry this is still the year 2002).

After a week, she handed me the COE with her signature and I asked for her business card, which I attached with the letter.

The lesson here is that you need to be soft when talking with the HR.  Explain to them clearly what is your situation now and why are you migrating.  They will understand because they are only Humans.

Do you want a sample of the COE?
If you want to have a sample of the COE, Register to MM2C Community to download the document. Click the photo below.

Register to MM2C Community

SAMPLE Certificate of Employment - This is only a sample, do not copy and paste it as is.  This is only for your reference.  You change the format as necessary, the most important thing is that the details of the COE's are present .

The details like salary, company, and work descriptions inside the COE letter are all fictitious.

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If you have any questions regarding this post, you can leave a comment below or email me at benalagnam@yahoo.com.

For questions not related to this post, leave a comment at the ASK ME.

If you want to know more about my life in Singapore, visit my blog at BenAlagnam.com

How much you need to prepare for the applications, visit EXPENSES.

Check on what are the documents you need to prepare and more info on RESOURCES.

How to Fill Up the Forms That Lacks Spacing

You've just started filling up the forms for the FSW Canadian Immigration application and found that the space provided in the PDF file is not enough.

Then how do you fit the word "Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communications Engineering" in the box provided?

At the form Schedule A – Background/Declaration [IMM 5669]item #7, for example, you can see that the boxes are too small for the long words.

You can type the abbreviated words in it but it will be informal and inappropriate if you don't type it completely.  There are tons of Degree names in the world and it would be difficult to trace that abbreviation.

We can do something about this though.

How to Fill Up The Forms If There are No More Space?

Actually, the form stated that the information can be type-written or hand-written.  There are two options that I can suggest.

Option 1 - Type all the words first for the answer of the questions that fits to the boxes and print the whole form, and those that does not fit should be written by hand.

Writing by hand should be in a clear and PRINTED manner so that it can be read clearly by the officer.

Option 2 - Type all words that fits at the other question boxes and type inside the description tab as "Pls. See Attached Sheet".

At a separate sheet of paper, you can create the whole table and indicate your name, title of the document form, and insert all your details.

If you want to view and get a copy of the sample form, you can email me at benalagnam@yahoo.com so I can share it to you at my Google Drive.

SAMPLE ATTACHMENT(Lack Spacing - Schedule A Background/Declaration

(Please send me an email if you want a link to the document)

How to Fill Up The Forms With More Than 5 Entries?
Another problem is that the forms have limited number of rows, especially at the form (Schedule A – Background/Declaration [IMM 5669]item #8 "Personal History").

The only option that I can suggest to you is to type in all the entries that fits to the form.  After the last entry, you will type at the Activity section as "Additional Details at Attached Sheet". It should look like this...

Then you need to create an attachment with your additional details and insert that right next to the form's page.

I made sample attachment sheet for your reference.  Please do take note that all contents on that sample sheet are all fictitious.

SAMPLE ATTACHMENT (Lack Spacing - Personal History)

(Please send me an email if you want a link to the document)

How to get the Sample Attachments?
Those who are interested, you can email me at benalagnam@yahoo.com so I can share the documents to you.   These documents are intended to those who are interested only, that is why I did not included it here.

Leave a message to me and please indicate the document that you want.

So now, your problem is solved and you can already fit the long words perfectly to the form.

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If you have any questions regarding this post, you can leave a comment below.

For questions not related to this post, leave a comment at the ASK ME.

If you want to know more about my life in Singapore, visit my blog at BenAlagnam.com

How much you need to prepare for the applications, visit EXPENSES.

Check on what are the documents you need to prepare and more info on RESOURCES.

How To Get an NBI Clearance in Singapore?

If the Canadian Embassy requests a copy of your NBI clearance, usually they will ask for a time limit of 1 to 2 months for you to submit.

The process will be easy if you are in the Philippines and given that you have no previous criminal record or have the same name (namesake) with a criminal record.  If you do, the result will show in the computer as "WITH HIT".

Read more >> If you have a "WITH HIT"

Where Do I Get a Copy of the NBI Clearance in Singapore?
What if you are working in other country and it's not possible for you to process it? Is there any way to solve your problem?

You should go to a Philippine Embassy at the country where you stay and inquire on how to get an NBI clearance.

In Singapore, you need to set an appointment with the Philippine Embassy by sending them an email at consular.sgpe@gmail.com and it may look like this.

*************************
To: consular.sgpe@gmail.com

Subject: NBI Fingerprinting Appointment

Dear Sir/Ma'am,

May I request for an appointment for the NBI fingerprinting on ______ ?

Sincerely yours,
Ben
*************************
To have an up to date procedure on how to get a copy of the NBI clearance in Singapore, please visit the official website of the Philippine Embassy in Singapore.

The consular office is open for the slots of NBI Fingerprinting from Monday to Friday at 4pm to 5pm only.
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If you have any questions regarding this post, you can leave a comment below.

For questions not related to this post, leave a comment at the ASK ME.

If you want to know more about my life in Singapore, visit my blog at BenAlagnam.com

How much you need to prepare for the applications, visit EXPENSES.

Check on what are the documents you need to prepare and more info on RESOURCES.

50 Eligible Occupations for Federal Skilled Worker Canadian Immigration 2014

As of May 1, 2014, Canada released the new set of occupations that are eligible to apply for the Federal Skilled Worker category for the Canadian immigration program.

Before applying for the FSW, you must check the list below to know which occupation that you have experienced for at least one year of continuous, full-time (or at least equal amount of part-time) with salary within the last 10 years.  

Click on each occupation below to know its corresponding job descriptions.  

Please remember that once you click a job number, it will direct you to the Canadian National Occupational Classification official website. 
  
What are the 50 Eligible Occupations for FSW Canadian Immigration 2014?
Source: www.cic.gc.ca

This affects you only if you applied on or after May 1, 2014. If we got your application before that date, we will process it using the rules that were in effect at that time.

You must have one year of continuous, full-time (or an equal amount of part-time) paid work experience, in at least one of these occupations within the last ten years:

• 0013 Senior managers – financial, communications and other business services
• 0015 Senior managers - trade, broadcasting and other services, n.e.c.
• 0111 Financial managers
• 0112 Human resources managers
• 0113 Purchasing managers
• 0121 Insurance, real estate and financial brokerage managers
• 0311 Managers in health care
• 0711 Construction managers
• 0712 Home building and renovation managers
• 0811 Managers in natural resources production and fishing
• 0911 Manufacturing managers
• 1111 Financial auditors and accountants
• 1112 Financial and investment analysts
• 1113 Securities agents, investment dealers and brokers
• 1114 Other financial officers
• 1123 Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations
• 1212 Supervisors, finance and insurance office workers
• 1224 Property administrators
• 2113 Geoscientists and oceanographers
• 2131 Civil engineers
• 2132 Mechanical engineers
• 2133 Electrical and electronics engineers
• 2145 Petroleum engineers
• 2171 Information systems analysts and consultants
• 2172 Database analysts and data administrators
• 2173 Software engineers and designers
• 2174 Computer programmers and interactive media developers
• 2232 Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
• 2234 Construction estimators
• 2241 Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians
• 2243 Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics
• 2263 Inspectors in public and environmental health and occupational health and safety
• 2281 Computer network technicians
• 3011 Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors
• 3012 Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
• 3111 Specialist physicians
• 3112 General practitioners and family physicians
• 3132 Dietitians and nutritionists
• 3141 Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
• 3142 Physiotherapists
• 3143 Occupational Therapists
• 3214 Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
• 3215 Medical Radiation Technologists
• 3216 Medical Sonographers
• 3233 Licensed practical nurses
• 3234 Paramedical occupations
• 4011 University professors and lecturers
• 4151 Psychologists
• 4214 Early childhood educators and assistants
• 5125 Translators, terminologists and interpreters

These occupations are either:

• Skill Type 0 (management occupations) or
• Skill Level A (professional occupations) or
• Skill Level B (technical occupations and skilled trades)

Source: www.cic.gc.ca

After You Know the Code, What's Next?
After you've checked your occupation and its corresponding job description, remember that you need to show a proof of this occupation.  You will later indicate this code at the application form.

You need to have a Certificate of Employment (COE) or Letter of Reference from your latest or the previous company as a proof of your experience.

Take note, you must get an original copy from your employer, better ask for 2 or more copies, have it photocopied.  Do not send the original with the forms yet, send the photocopy instead. The original may be requested later by the Visa Officer.

For all the contents of your Letter of Reference or COE.  Check the checklist below under "No. 12 - Work Experience ".

Checklist for Document Checklist (FSW Canada 2014) Source: www.cic.gc.ca 

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If you have any questions regarding this post, you can leave a comment at the ASK ME.

If you want to know more about my life in Singapore, visit my blog at BenAlagnam.com

How much you need to prepare for the applications, visit EXPENSES.

Check on what are the documents you need to prepare and more info on RESOURCES.

Experience with IOM Manila Health Center Medical Exam for FSW Canada

It was time for my wife and kids to undergo a medical exam in the Philippines as requested by the Canadian Embassy for our FSW application.

My medical exam was already done in Singapore and the result was already forwarded to the Canadian Embassy in Manila.  It was directly sent by the Raffles Medical to the embassy.

What are the Things to Prepare for the FSW Medical Exam
My wife prepared all the documents and photos according to embassy's instructions.  These are the list of what she prepared.  Some of the list are not included in the instruction but was asked by the Hospital during the appointment.

1. Medical Report Form (IMM1017E) and the cover letter from the Canadian Embassy, Manila.
2. 5 pieces of passport size photos with white background for each dependents
3. My wife's eye glasses and her contact lenses
4. Passport of my wife and kids
5. List of medicines taken recently
6. Birth Certificates (not included in the form but required by IOM)
7. 2 Identification Cards (Philhealth and company ID)
8. Ballpen

What Hospital Did We Choose for the Medical Exam?
A week before that, my wife and I were discussing about where they should take the medical exam.

The embassy had provided us the list of the Panel Physicians in the Philippines.  Since they are in Manila, my wife have two choices of centers, those were IOM and St. Lukes. 

IOM Manila Health Center
15th Floor, Units A&B Trafalgar Plaza,
105 H.V. Dela Costa Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City, 1227,
E-mail address: mhc.can@iom.int
Smart mobile: +(63 2) 0919 993 4667
Fax number: +(63 2) 883-9377
Telephone: +(63 2) 883-9333/ +(63 2) 511-8770
/0917 593 4688 Globe mobile
Spoken Languages: English, Tagalog

Here is the Map of IOM Manila Health Center:

St. Luke's Medical Center Extension Clinc/ St. Luke's Medical Center
1. St. Luke's Medical Center Extension Clinic, 1177 J. Bocobo St., Ermita, Manila 1000,
2. St. Luke's Medical Center, 10'th Floor, Room 1002, Medical Arts Bldg, Bonifacio Global City,
Rizal Drive, Taguig City 1634,
Website: www.slec.ph
Fax number: +(63 2) 526-0208
Telephone: +(63 2) 521-0020/ 521-8647 (Manila)
+(63 2) 789-7702/ 789-7703 (Taguig)
Spoken Languages: English, Tagalog

Sources: www.cic.gc.ca, www.google.com

My wife made a call to St. Lukes and it was all busy the whole time.  So she called the IOM and they were fast enough to book an appointment.  So, they were scheduled for the Medical Exam 5 days after the call.

The reason why we took the service of IOM is also because of their location.   They are located near the Canadian Embassy, Manila RCBC Plaza, which is just 5 minutes away from them. Their messenger will be fast enough to deliver our results, just my thoughts.

Latest Posts:  Read It Here

Medical Exam Experience at IOM Manila Health Center
My wife and kids took a taxi from Paranaque to IOM Manila Health Center in Makati and paid P250. They arrived at 8:05am at the entrance, logged in at the guards log book and surrendered her company ID. 

After logging in, they went up to the 15th floor and was given a queuing number 14.  The number was labelled Canada because this Center also conducts medical exam for United Kingdom applicants.

My wife paid in cash since she was informed that they don't accept credit cards.  She paid a total of P9,000 for her and my 2 kids.

Wife - P5,000
Kids - P2,000/kid

At 9:00am (an hour after), IOM staff started to call the patients/applicant.  As their number was called, my wife showed all the requirements (please see above) with the Medical report form (IMM1017E).

Tip:  Do not forget to bring the IMM1017E Medical Report Form
Here is Why?
A man was complaining at the IOM staff because he wanted to have the medical exam but he don't have the Medical Report form.  He told the staff that he did not saw that letter in his email and was only instructed by his wife to proceed to IOM for the medical exam.

The staff explained to him that he can still undergo the medical exam but will manually trace back the results once the medical report is available. 

The staff warned him that this will be a tedious process since he will trace it against so many applications at their office and with the embassy.  This will take 3 months.

The best option is that he will just print the form IMM1017E and come back on his next appointment.

After the submission of documents, the IOM staff pasted the photos on the form.  My experience in Raffles Medical in Singapore, I have to paste the photos by myself.  The Raffles staff just gave me a glue.

The staff then took the photocopies of the NSO birth certificates, handed my wife with an IOM form to sign and took a photo of my wife and kids.  They were asked to wait for their number to be called.

The first call was at the X-ray station for my wife only and followed by a urine test for my wife and my 9 year old kid.  They were then instructed to wait for the nurse. 

The Nurse
They went in to the room with the nurse and were interviewed about their medical history.

A blood extraction was done for my wife only.  They took her blood pressure, weight, height and checked her vision.  She was asked by the nurse to wear her eyeglasses for the eye vision check.

The nurse took the blood pressure and eye vision for my 9-year old kid. For my 2-year old, she took the height, weight and the measurement of the head.

The Doctor
It's their turn for the physical exam and they were asked to enter the doctor's room.  For my wife and my 9-year old, the doctor checked their ears, tongue, eyes, throat, stomach, and checked their chest using the stethoscope.

She was then asked to remove all her clothing except the underwear and the doctor checked if there were any lumps at her breast.

Medical Exam Done and What's Next?
The whole medical process was finished until 1:00pm. My wife was given a piece of paper with a telephone number to call if she wants to follow up the result. 

She was also informed that the results will be forwarded directly to the embassy within 21 days if there were no problems with the exam.

The next part is the request for the passport or maybe an update for some of our documents. Hopefully it would be only for the passport request and the waiting starts again...

Update: VISA APPROVED for Federal Skilled Worker Canada: My Experience

Questions Regarding Your Application?
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My Medical Exam Procedure at the Raffles Hospital in Singapore

On my previous blog, I mentioned about how I prepared the documents for my medical exam.

To find out which hospital should I ask for an appointment,  I checked the list of hospitals and the  doctors in Singapore  from the list provided to me by the Canadian Immigration.  

See the list of Panel Physicians to find the doctor in your area.

Canadian Immigration List of Panel Physicians

 

After setting an appointment at the Raffles Hospital in Singapore,  which I found the telephone attendant more friendly than the other clinic, I searched its address online and found that it was just beside the Bugis MRT Station.


View Raffles Hospital in a larger map

What are the First Steps of My Medical Examination?
It was Saturday and lucky enough it's not raining. The appointment was around 9:00am and I entered the building entrance facing the Victoria St.  Good thing of having an appointment is that you don't have to queue.

The lady at the desk is attentive and I informed her that I'm having a medical examination for the Canadian Immigration requirement.  She handed me a form to fill up, around 5 pages.

I finished filling all the questions for around 20 minutes.  Then I stick the photos at the forms, using the glue that the lady had provided me.

I submitted back the form to the lady and she instructed me to wait for my number to be called. She handed me a bottle, where I need to place my urine sample.

The toilet was just at the corner and so I took samples of my urine.  I dropped the bottle at the Window 8 drop box as instructed.

I sat down the waiting area and waited for my number. 

Details of the Medical Examination
First, I was called to go inside the room, where the nurse took some blood samples.  This part is the worst for me because I hate needle poking.  I told her to signal me once she starts to poke the needle in to my skin.  It took around 10 minutes for the whole ordeal.

Second, I was then asked to wait outside for another instruction.  My number was displayed on the screen prompting me to go inside another room.  This time, the nurse took my height, weight and asked me to read the letters at the wall. Easy!

Third, again the waiting never stops until my number appeared once more and so I got inside the other room.  This time, it's the doctor...she asked me questions that are also almost the same as the one in the form. 

Then, she asked me to take off everything except the underwear and asked me to lie down, she pressed few corners of my stomach while asking questions like, do I have tattoos or operations.

She took my blood pressure and thank God it's normal.

I was then asked to wait for another step, which is the x-ray.  This is the fastest procedure, when I went in, I was then instructed to take off my upper clothing and asked to press my chest against the x-ray plate, took a deep breath and it's done!

After the Medical Exam Process, What's Next?
The next 3 minutes was waiting for the x-ray film that I never had a chance to see.  The nurse instructed me to pay at the counter, where I saw my x-ray film beside the cashier, and to pay the medical examination fee. 

The nurse informed me that they will directly send the results at the Canadian Embassy, Manila.  She wrote the phone number at my receipt to dial in case I need to inquire about the document tracking.

Tracking the Result Documents
Few weeks had passed, I called the Raffles Hospitalnumber to ask about the result of my medical.  They said that they cannot provide the information of the result but informed me that my documents have already been sent to the Canadian Embassy using their USAHA courier. 

So I called the USAHA courier for the update, the guy was friendly enough to provide me the DHL tracking number.

I found out at the DHL online tracking that the Raffles Hospital had sent the results 4 days after my exam procedure. 

Sending the documents from Singapore to the Canadian Embassy, Manila took 2 days.  The whole sending process was less than a week.

Hoping for a good result!

How I Sent My FSW Application Documents to Nova Scotia, Canada

Sending the documents to Nova Scotia is not a rocket science.  I don't know the reason why it's so difficult for me to consolidate my full application before sending it to the Canadian Embassy in Nova Scotia.

It's so simple that packaging it was so hard to decide.

• Do I need to staple each document?  
• What is the size of the paper that I use?  
• Do I need a paper clip?  

So simple, yet so many questions...

Can I Staple the Documents?

There are documents that has more than 1 page such as:

1. Certificate of Employment

2. Additional Information sheets  (specially if you have long list of family information)

3. The application forms 

....and others.

I stapled the documents that has 2 or more pages together.

What Paper and Envelope Should I Use?

The documents such as the additional information sheets should be printed by the applicant.  I printed it in an A4 size paper.  

There is no problem with this in Singapore since almost all of the offices uses A4.  If you can not get from your office, you can buy this paper at the Popular or any book store in Singapore.

I inserted my documents inside a white large envelope and made sure that the A4-sized documents fits into it.

How Did I Compile my Documents?

After the gathering the documents and ready for packing, these were the next steps that I did:

1. I photocopied each document for my personal filing. 

2. I printed the mailing address (From/To) in a piece of A4-sized paper, as stated in the instruction manual of Canada.  I stick  it using a glue at the back of the white envelope.

3.  I arranged the documents according to the order as written at the document checklist.  

4.  I placed the printed bar code pages on top of all the documents and the checklist.

5.  Inserted all the documents inside the white envelope WITHOUT paper clips.

6.  Sealed the white envelope with the use of the tongue (water is better). To be sure, add more glue.

Put a check mark at the Document Checklist (IMM5612) for those documents that you have included in your application, otherwise, put an X mark.  

I used a blue pen as it is mostly used by Singapore offices.  You can also use a black pen and there's no need to rely on computer technology this time.

As the document were sealed, I then took a deep breath, and whispered to myself...."GOOD LUCK!".

Here is the post about sending my document to Nova Scotia using the DHL.

Medical Request from the Canadian Embassy, Manila

Just got an email from the Canadian Embassy, Manila  for our Medical Request for each of us, Me my wife and 2 kids.

The email had an attachment, an instruction letter together with the IMM 1017E form.  The details were already printed in the form and this will be presented to the hospital where we have our medical exam done.

The form states that I need to prepare the following:

1. 4 pcs of passport sized photo
2. The letter from Canada and the IMM 1017E form
3. Any previous medical results (if there is any medical history)
4. Payment for the medical (depends on the hospital billing)

So, I made a call to the hospital in Singapore and booked an appointment for my own examination only. 

My plan, for my children and my wife, is to have their medical exam in the Philippines.

Hoping for a good result...

First Step to Do If You Are Eligible for FSW

After checking that your experience is eligible to apply for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you need to prepare for other eligibility factors.

These are the factors that will make you eligible to apply for the FSW program.
1. Basic Eligibility.
2. Minimum Requirements for Work Experience, Language Skills and Education.
3. Age
4. Adaptability in Canada
5. Proof of Funds
6. Inadmissibility Factors.

All of these factors can be assessed by visiting the Selection Factors. A score of 67 points is the passing mark to be eligible to apply for FSW.

What is the First Step to Do If You're Eligible?
The proof of fund is the difficult to accumulate especially if you're not earning that much.  The best thing you could do is to gather all your assets information, may it be cash or property and get all the documents that will prove your ownership.

For the cash, this will be a certificate from the bank showing that you have this amount deposited in their vault, evidence of savings balance, and/or time deposit statements.  The account is recommended to be more than 6-month old.

Property can be proved by securing the title of ownership with the assessment from the municipality.  This is to show the worth of your property.

Gather all the documents for your stocks, bonds and other investment portfolio.

You have to accumulate the Proof of Fund before you have plans to submit your application for the FSW.  The funds should not be borrowed from other sources.

How Much is the Proof of Funds?
Proof of Funds depends on the size of the family.  You can check how much is the amount for a certain number of family members in the Canadian Website. 

Please check the link.

If you have any other questions, please leave a comment below.

Other Posts:
Centralized Intake Office Response
Years of Experience To Be Eligible for FSW
How Relatives Can Help Your FSW Application