I asked for her reasons then since she was already a finance officer in a big multinational company while her husband was an engineer in the same company. They have 2 helps and have their own house. They don't really need the money. She mentioned that it was really for their son. They wanted security and safety while their son is growing up. Which was actually our major reason too.
I mentioned to her about our plans and she was very helpful with her tips and advice. Back then, they did all the applications on their own. When I mentioned the consultant and how much their company is charging us, she was shocked! She warned me against scams and urged me to research further. I know the consultant is legit as I have already researched about them. But they are way expensive according to my friend. When computed, they are actually charging us almost half of the settlement fund that my friend brought during that time.
She advised me to check further and read online as IRCC (Cic.gov.ca) gives out complete information for all those who want to apply.
So I went googling again. I stumbled upon www.canadavisa.com and answered their free assessment. Based on my answers, they think I am qualified to be in the express entry pool and they provided me their fees which is payable via credit card. The amount was USD2000, way lower than the initial company I talked to. However, the lawyer is based in Canada so I concluded that it would be harder to communicate.
Google again and I pored over fora. The usual that I have been reading for immigration representatives ranges from Php 80,000 to Php 100,000 ---- waaaay lower than what was initially quoted.
I mentioned this again to hubby and he encouraged me to look for an immigration consultant that would represent us. And then I stumbled upon Canadian Immigration Consultancy (www.go2canada.com) I again answered their free assessment and they sent it to me via email.
CIC has been in the Philippines for more than 20 years and they have various offices in the metro. They also conduct free seminars for a fee of Php500. I tried scheduling a visit in their Paranaque office but somehow it didn't work out. The following week, we had to apply for the baby's passport so it was again delayed another week.
Finally, around Thursday night while I was doing some overtime work at the office, I tried messaging my contact again. Finally, she replied and a seminar was arranged that following Saturday at SM Megamall.
That Saturday, we arrived at their office at the 5th floor of Mega B. We had plenty of time and they asked us to fill out again a profile form. Then the seminar began at 2:30 pm. There were about 3 couples and 2 more ladies.
CIC introduced the company and explained each of the programs in the express entry. What's good about their seminar is they were upfront with their fees. They also said that one can actually apply on their own through the website. The advantage of going through them of course is because you will be represented by a lawyer, and they have done the filling out of applications forms numerous times already. This will eliminate possible errors. A misrepresentation in your form can actually mean denial of application and being banned from applying in the next couple of years.
The seminar was informative but I cannot wait for the one-on-one session so I can ask more personal questions.
When our session with Ms. RA started, she already showed me their initial assessment:
- I will be the principal applicant as I am 10 years younger than my husband.
- We need to file soon. Maximum points for age will be given to those until age 35, and I am already past that. Points are lessened as one gets older. The older one is, the lesser the points.
- My education is almost sure to get an equal 4-years degree in Canada when I file for educational credential assessment. The Canadian government recognizes as an equal only those who graduated from the following schools: University of the Philippines Diliman, De LaSalle Main campus, Ateneo de Manila main campus and the University of Sto. Tomas. Graduates from the other schools or those from the non-main campuses of the 4 mentioned schools would only get an equivalent of 3 years of education by Canadian standards.
- The target score of 67 we need to get to be able to get into Express Entry.
RA recommended that both my husband and I take the IELTS as it would help us achieve the scores. For the ECA, it can just be me. But it is still an option for my husband to have his credits checked as well. Another point that can increase our score is if we have relatives (immediate family) in Canada, which we both do not have.
I inquired about the CRS scores which I kept reading about. RA mentioned that it would be generated once we have created the profile in the Express Entry. The higher the score, the better chances of getting the Invitation to Apply (ITA).
She confirmed that getting a provincial nomination can increase the points by 600. It would also mean that one would live in that particular province for a minimum of 2 years. We inquired about the best places to settle in Canada and she said that there are a lot of nice provinces. The more famous cities Toronto and Vancouver have higher costs of living, plus competition for a job is tougher.
My hubby and I both acquiesce that we prefer the lesser cities as we are both looking forward to a quieter life. We are both in a stressful industry after all and we feel like we are almost done with the corporate rat race. She mentioned that Saskatchewan is really beautiful and I made a mental note to google further.
Back to their fees, my husband and I are both decided that we would get CIC’s services. It would be easier for us as we are both busy working. RA said that if we go back within 30 days after the seminar, we can pay just Php50,000 then the remaining Php45,000 would be payable after 30 days. We chose this discounted option rather than the installment, which would reach up to Php140,000 in total.
When computed, RA discussed that the total fees until issuance of the PR is about Php265,000. This is inclusive of all the IELTS, ECA, up to the landing fee. The fee is exclusive of course to the settlement funds which we need to raise. All in all, the money that we need to raise is about Php 1 million.
After the assessment, we agreed that we would target creating the express entry profile before my birthday. That would mean getting the ECA by August, and reviewing and taking the IELTS by September.
Here we go. This is real. We felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness as we left the CIC office. In one year’s time, we could be having a different life, all for Baby E and eventually, the whole family.
