The Process for Awarding Points for Applications Received prior to May 04, 2013
Officers would need to assess programs of study. Thereafter, they will need to award points based on the standards that exist in the country of study. It is worth noting that the regulations do not provide for comparisons to Canadian educational standards.
Situations might arise where some applicants possess the educational credentials referred to in the particular paragraph in R78 (2). However, they might not possess the total number of years of study mentioned in that same paragraph. In this scenario, the officers would need to award the number of points mentioned in the paragraph that refers to the number of years of study completed by the applicants in R78 (4).
For instance, an applicant might have a master’s degree, but only 16 years of education. In this scenario, the officer would need to compare the credentials and the years of study to the education points chart that follows subsequently in this document. Thereafter, based on the points chart, the officer would need to award this applicant with 22 points.
In another scenario, an applicant might have a four-year bachelor’s degree, but only 16 years of education. In this scenario too, the officer would need to compare the credentials and the years of study to the education points chart that follows subsequently in this document. Thereafter, based on the points chart, the officer would need to award this applicant with 20 points. This is because a single two, three or four-year university credential at the bachelor’s level, when combined with at least 14 years of full-time study, is worth 20 points.
Officers would also need to award points for the credential and the years of study that the applicant has completed at the time of making the application. Similarly, situations could arise where the applicant completes further studies and submits documentation between the periods of application and assessment. In this scenario, the officers would need to award the points for the highest educational credential obtained by the applicant at the time of assessment. This is in accordance with the provisions specified in R77.
It is worth noting that a distance learning credential is eligible for earning points as well. However, it would need to meet the definition of a credential as specified by the authorities in R73. Situations could arise where officers find that there is no description applicable in terms of the number of year’s duration i.e. three-year bachelor’s degree. In this scenario, the officers would need to apply the definition of full-time equivalent study and knowledge that the visa office acquired on local educational institutions and credentials.
Officers would do well to note that there is a high incidence of fraud in this area. Therefore, they would need to conduct verification checks with issuing institutions. This would ensure that everyone complies with and respects the program’s integrity standards.
Officers would need to assess the application. Thereafter, they would need to award the applicant with up to a maximum of 25 points for education as the table given below indicates. This is in accordance with the provisions specified in R78.
The Credential and Number of Years in Education |
|
The Credential and Number of Years in Education |
Points Assigned to Applicants |
If the applicant: |
|
Has not completed secondary school i.e. not obtained a diploma And Has no trade or apprenticeship educational credentials |
0 points |
Has completed secondary school i.e. obtained a diploma |
5 points |
Has a one-year post-secondary educational credential, other than a university credential And Has at least 12 years of completed full-time or full-time equivalent studies |
12 points |
Has a one-year post-secondary educational credential, other than a university credential And Has at least 13 years of completed full-time or full-time equivalent studies |
15 points |
Has a one year university credential educational credential at the bachelor’s level And Has at least 13 years of completed full-time or full-time equivalent studies |
15 points |
Has a two year post-secondary educational credential other than a university educational credential And Has at least 14 years of completed full-time or full-time equivalent studies |
20 points |
Has a university educational credential of two years or more at the bachelor’s level And Has at least 14 years of completed full-time or full-time equivalent studies |
20 points |
Has a two year post-secondary educational credential other than a university educational credential And Has at least 15 years of completed full-time or full-time equivalent studies |
22 points |
Has two or more university educational credentials at the bachelor’s level And Has at least 15 years of completed full-time or full-time equivalent studies |
22 points |
Has a university educational credential of two years or more at the master’s or doctoral level And Has at least 17 years of completed full-time or full-time equivalent studies |
25 points |
It is worth highlighting that officers would need to award points based on the single educational credential that results in the highest number of points. For instance, consider a situation where an applicant has a master’s degree that the applicant completed after 16 years of education. This applicant then, spends an additional year in school after obtaining the master’s degree. In this scenario, officers would award this applicant with 22 points. Officers would need to note that the fact that the applicant spent an additional year in school does not turn a 16-year master’s degree into a 17-year master’s degree. Therefore, officers must not award the applicant with 25 points in this instance. This is in accordance with the provisions specified in R78 (3).
Note:
- It is worth noting that medical doctor degrees are generally first-level university credentials
- This is similar to the manner in which the authorities treat a Bachelor of Law or a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacology as a first level albeit professional degree
- Therefore, officers would need to award applicants possessing such qualifications with 20 points
- Similarly, officers would need to award applicants with a second-level degree with 25 points
- However, they would only do so if the second-level degree belongs to a Faculty of Graduate Studies
- Situations might arise where officers find that they need to award the applicant with 22 points
- This would typically take place in situations where:
- The bachelor’s credential is a prerequisite to the credential but,
- Officers consider the credential itself as a first-level degree
- In these scenarios, it is worth noting how the local authority responsible for educational institutions recognises the credential i.e. as a first-level or second-level or higher university credential
- It is also worth noting that R78 (1) carries a definition of the term “full-time equivalent” in respect of part-time or accelerated studies
- According to R78 (1), the term “full-time equivalent” denotes the period that the applicant would have required for completing the studies on a full-time basis
- In situations like these, the officers would need to avoid points for the credential and the years of study that the applicant would have required for completing the studies at the time of making the application
- This is in accordance with the provisions specified in R78 (4) .
Source: Citizenship and Immigration (CIC)