WES and IELTS first

It has been months since I wrote here. Our timeline was disrupted because of some commitments. I also did not know that my hubby JA was actually thinking hard about this decision. A lot.

Finally when 2018 came, he told me that we would pursue it this time. He was actually planning ahead and thinking of scenarios. Then he gave me the timeline. And so here we are. 

Last Saturday, I booked a personal orientation for us at Gateway to Canada. It’s actually the same as pinoy2canada. But this time we went to the Alabang office. Mr. AA gave us the option of the Study Visa given our age. He was actually suggesting the same thing as the first consultant we talked to, when I had a free consultation months back. He mentioned that if we really want to leave early, we can target the September start of classes. We just need to show proof that we can pay the tuition fee.

He almost assured us that we would get a study visa in months time. Admittedly, it was more expensive. For a family of three, with me studying, we need to raise at least Php1.3M.
Breakdown:

• 600,000 for tuition for one year
• 400,000 for living expenses of the student
• 160,000 for living expenses of the spouse
• 120,000 for living expenses of the child.

This does not include other fees. The tuition too is just an estimate. It would really depend on the school that we want to get into. Plus the target is for 2 years so easily, we need to double the amount. If granted,  I can only work part time during that time while hubby will have an open work permit.  We replied that we would study the proposal. 

So here it goes - I thought. I would study again. I don't really know how I felt about that. Plus the bigger amount was not part of the plan. Yes, we were targeting to bring more funds but as living expenses.

That weekend still, after all the discussion, hubby challenged me about my confidence on my work experience. Of course I know my work. I have been in the industry for more than a decade. Then why are we both considering the study option route?

And it dawned on us - our selling point is both our careers and experience. We were not being cocky or arrogant but we have been in our respective industries for so long and we felt that it should amount to something. We prayed hard that weekend that He guide us with our decision. And however long we think and talk about it, the Express Entry pool and not the Study Visa program is the way to go initially. The study visa can still be considered, but perhaps later on. And also for some members of the family that we want to join us. Akala namin ganun lang yun. 

Everything happened a little fast after that. I know that I need to get my ECA and IELTS first before we can even create a profile.

That Sunday, I asked my mom to bring my diploma.

Monday, March 5. Mr. AA emailed me about the study visa program again and I replied that we would pursue the express entry. And that we need to secure our Education Credentials Assessment (ECA) and IELTS first. I also requested for a summary of expected expenses, which he quickly emailed.

I revisited my World Education Services account (I created one last January) and checked the requirements. I also googled and read blogs. I checked my diploma and realized that my diploma was in Filipino.

March 6, when I woke up, I googled for authenticated translations and saw LEXCODE. I checked reviews and it was okay. So I quickly inquired and sent them a scanned copy of my diploma for their quotation. They immediately replied and gave me the quote for Php560 inclusive of VAT. Not bad I thought. When I arrived at the office, I sent them a signed conforme and proof of my online payment. They were actually requiring just 50% for them to start but I don't want to hassle of logging in again. After confirming receipt of the conforme and payment, they said that they would start work on the translations and the document would be released the following day.

That night, I logged into the WES account again and paid the fee. They charged me CAD 322.05 inclusive of their tax and courier of results. I  used my Unionbank credit card and upon conversion, it amounted to Php13,398.17. (This was reflected in my card 2 days after). I also prepared the request form for my school. I emailed it to my husband who will print it in their office, and will also ask someone to bring it to UP. It was nearer to him since he works in Quezon City, while I work in Makati.

Wednesday, March 7, during breakfast, I checked IDP. There are 2 official institutions in the Philippines for IELTS as far as my research goes. One is British Council, while the other is IDP. I checked both their websites and registered with IDP. Why? The website was just easier for me to navigate in terms of scheduling. Also, there is a testing center in Makati. I booked for April 7 for both me and my husband.* We have one month to prepare.

That morning too, Sandie of LEXCODE emailed me and sent me a draft copy of my translations. Once I confirm, they will then finalize the document. I checked and it was okay so we arranged for pick up after lunch.

During this time too, I have been talking to my school over the phone as I need to send an authorization letter for the guy who brought my request. He also had to fill out again all the details. Good thing he is trusted by my husband. I talked to the registrar and explained to me the process. They would need 18 days for the documents to be prepared, plus another 5 days for the courier. They actually gave me the option if they would be the one to send it or should I pick it up. I asked what is usual that they do and they replied that they usually send it in the past. (Which was actually what WES requires too). I was just happy that it was not the first time to encounter the request. So I told them that they would be the ones to send it.

So that Wednesday, I got the authenticated translation and paid my school for the documents for ECA.

I planned to print out the diploma and translations and send it through LBC this weekend (WES does not require the original). 

Thursday, March 8, I went to Metrobank and filled out all the details for the April 7 IELTS as per IDP's email, and paid the fees. I also emailed them the payment slip. I had a meeting in the afternoon so I was not able to confirm if they received the payment.

Friday AM, March 9, I called IDP to check if they received the payment slip for our IELTS exam. The girl I talked to confirmed that they received it. So I was actually a little surprised when I received a notice in my email that they received the payment but the booking expired! And  I had to rebook (You're only allowed 48 hours to pay the fee for the booking to be confirmed). I want to argue with them but I did not have the time as I was on my way out for another meeting.

Was this a sign? I was thinking. Should I move the schedule?  The next schedule available in their site is April 21. That means additional 13 days before the results come out. That would be too long! But we cannot wait longer.

After my meeting, I immediately went back to my station and booked our preferred date. Fortunately, both went through. I also advised IDP that I have rebooked. A few minutes later, I received a notice in both my and my husband's email about the test confirmation. Whee! :)

An eventful week! And the wheel ran fast this week. All we can do now is wait and continue to pray. That soon, we would wake up and we would be in Canada with our baby E

* Be ready with a scanned copy of your passport or other ID that you plan to use for IELTS. The registration only allows 30 minutes for you to finish filling up all the details and uploading your ID. Note that it should not be beyond 1.5 MB.

** I may sound confident now writing this but note that this whole week, I have been having an upset stomach daily and have been waking up in the middle of the night. I was so stressed! I think the nervous fluttering in my heart has become permanent. I know a lot rely on me being the principal applicant. All I know is I rely on the Lord who gave us this dream and controls everything. 

Inquiries and Free assessment 2 - Go2Canada

After talking to the consultant, I found myself chatting with my high school friend who is now based in Ontario. She and her husband together with their then-one-year-old child migrated about 9 years ago.

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:

1. I will be the principal applicant as I am 10 years younger than my husband.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.