Six Selection Factors? Score of 67 needed? (confused) - Best way to apply Common Law versus AINP? PNP? FSW? Express Entry?

[thestormtrooper]

Hi,

My partner and I feel we have a reasonably strong case to apply under Common Law, however, our one year in our own home isn't until the end of May, and processing time is at least a year.

So this led us to thinking I should apply Express Entry? PNP AINP? FSW? (Alberta nomination only) which might be easier and faster? My CRS seems easily high enough However... I'm now confused due to the Six Selection Factors.

Situation:

Partner: Canadian Citizen / My Common Law Partner.
Myself: Scottish, Native English speaker, 42 years old (43 at the end of June), Masters Degree, currently living with my partner in Alberta on an extended Visitor Visa for nearly 18 months. My CRS score I think would be around 365-399. I also have a career on the required NOC list.

My Queries:

1. I have to score 67 or higher in the 6 factors part to even proceed? is that correct?
2. The last section of the 6 factors seems to give points for your common law partner or spouse, what if I'm living with my common law partner in Alberta already? and she's a Canadian citizen? Does she get any points for me?
3. In the last section... I receive NO points at all because I'm not bringing a common law partner or spouse into Canada?
4. My Aunt and Uncle are both Canadian and live on Vancouver Island, do I get any points for them? 5 pts? or 5 for each? or none?
5. Proof of work over the last 10 years? what is required as proof? I could reach the required points here... However... I've worked freelance for a company but the payments have been sporadic, I've worked for them over the last 10 years on and off (mostly on), it was part time, around 20 hours per week on my laptop as I travelled. I'm not sure how I'd prove this other than showing payments? So this may equate to the 4-5 years or the 2-3 years. Having it as 4-5 years (full time equivalent) gets me an extra 2pts that might be very crucial. I'm just worried about putting 4-5 years and then showing limited payments to cover the full duration? Is it just a letter from my employer confirming I was working those years?
6. I think I'd potentially have to get CLB level 9 or higher across the board in the language test (full marks) Depending on some of the results from the factors above, potentially I could get away with CLB level 8 across the board. How realistic is it to ace the test and get CLB 9 or higher as a native English speaker?

The whole thing I'm finding quite depressing, I can't seem to find the best or most logical way to apply. The cost of an English test, ECA verification, and the actual application is also a consideration as we've been on one income during the last 18 months I've been in Canada.

Any help, tips, advice, or pointers in the right direction are greatly appreciated. I'm more and more confused the more I research and unsure of how I actually can apply in the most logical way to stay in Canada with my partner.

Thanks for your time.

 

[scylla]

Hi,

My partner and I feel we have a reasonably strong case to apply under Common Law, however, our one year in our own home isn't until the end of May, and processing time is at least a year.

So this led us to thinking I should apply Express Entry? PNP AINP? FSW? (Alberta nomination only) which might be easier and faster? My CRS seems easily high enough However... I'm now confused due to the Six Selection Factors.

Situation:

Partner: Canadian Citizen / My Common Law Partner.
Myself: Scottish, Native English speaker, 42 years old (43 at the end of June), Masters Degree, currently living with my partner in Alberta on an extended Visitor Visa for nearly 18 months. My CRS score I think would be around 365-399. I also have a career on the required NOC list.

My Queries:

1. I have to score 67 or higher in the 6 factors part to even proceed? is that correct?
2. The last section of the 6 factors seems to give points for your common law partner or spouse, what if I'm living with my common law partner in Alberta already? and she's a Canadian citizen? Does she get any points for me?
3. In the last section... I receive NO points at all because I'm not bringing a common law partner or spouse into Canada?
4. My Aunt and Uncle are both Canadian and live on Vancouver Island, do I get any points for them? 5 pts? or 5 for each? or none?
5. Proof of work over the last 10 years? what is required as proof? I could reach the required points here... However... I've worked freelance for a company but the payments have been sporadic, I've worked for them over the last 10 years on and off (mostly on), it was part time, around 20 hours per week on my laptop as I travelled. I'm not sure how I'd prove this other than showing payments? So this may equate to the 4-5 years or the 2-3 years. Having it as 4-5 years (full time equivalent) gets me an extra 2pts that might be very crucial. I'm just worried about putting 4-5 years and then showing limited payments to cover the full duration? Is it just a letter from my employer confirming I was working those years?
6. I think I'd potentially have to get CLB level 9 or higher across the board in the language test (full marks) Depending on some of the results from the factors above, potentially I could get away with CLB level 8 across the board. How realistic is it to ace the test and get CLB 9 or higher as a native English speaker?

The whole thing I'm finding quite depressing, I can't seem to find the best or most logical way to apply. The cost of an English test, ECA verification, and the actual application is also a consideration as we've been on one income during the last 18 months I've been in Canada.

Any help, tips, advice, or pointers in the right direction are greatly appreciated. I'm more and more confused the more I research and unsure of how I actually can apply in the most logical way to stay in Canada with my partner.

Thanks for your time.

1. Yes, that means you have the basics to proceed. Whether you are selected under Express Entry will depend on the number of CRS points you have (not FSW points).
2. No points for a partner who is Canadian.
3. That's right. Your partner is already Canadian. You aren't bringing them with you as a dependent.
4. Under the FSW points structure - yes. Under the CRS points structure - no (siblings only).
5. There are a number of threads on this forum that deal with the evidence you need to provide to prove your work experience, as well as the info on the IRCC site. Suggest you dedicate time to reading through those.
6. Definitely realistic if you put the right amount of effort into it, study the points structure in advance and take practice tests.

 

[scylla]

Hi,

My partner and I feel we have a reasonably strong case to apply under Common Law, however, our one year in our own home isn't until the end of May, and processing time is at least a year.

So this led us to thinking I should apply Express Entry? PNP AINP? FSW? (Alberta nomination only) which might be easier and faster? My CRS seems easily high enough However... I'm now confused due to the Six Selection Factors.

Situation:

Partner: Canadian Citizen / My Common Law Partner.
Myself: Scottish, Native English speaker, 42 years old (43 at the end of June), Masters Degree, currently living with my partner in Alberta on an extended Visitor Visa for nearly 18 months. My CRS score I think would be around 365-399. I also have a career on the required NOC list.

My Queries:

1. I have to score 67 or higher in the 6 factors part to even proceed? is that correct?
2. The last section of the 6 factors seems to give points for your common law partner or spouse, what if I'm living with my common law partner in Alberta already? and she's a Canadian citizen? Does she get any points for me?
3. In the last section... I receive NO points at all because I'm not bringing a common law partner or spouse into Canada?
4. My Aunt and Uncle are both Canadian and live on Vancouver Island, do I get any points for them? 5 pts? or 5 for each? or none?
5. Proof of work over the last 10 years? what is required as proof? I could reach the required points here... However... I've worked freelance for a company but the payments have been sporadic, I've worked for them over the last 10 years on and off (mostly on), it was part time, around 20 hours per week on my laptop as I travelled. I'm not sure how I'd prove this other than showing payments? So this may equate to the 4-5 years or the 2-3 years. Having it as 4-5 years (full time equivalent) gets me an extra 2pts that might be very crucial. I'm just worried about putting 4-5 years and then showing limited payments to cover the full duration? Is it just a letter from my employer confirming I was working those years?
6. I think I'd potentially have to get CLB level 9 or higher across the board in the language test (full marks) Depending on some of the results from the factors above, potentially I could get away with CLB level 8 across the board. How realistic is it to ace the test and get CLB 9 or higher as a native English speaker?

The whole thing I'm finding quite depressing, I can't seem to find the best or most logical way to apply. The cost of an English test, ECA verification, and the actual application is also a consideration as we've been on one income during the last 18 months I've been in Canada.

Any help, tips, advice, or pointers in the right direction are greatly appreciated. I'm more and more confused the more I research and unsure of how I actually can apply in the most logical way to stay in Canada with my partner.

Thanks for your time.

BTW, if you want the "easiest" way, get married to your partner now and have them sponsor you for PR as their spouse. No need for WES or IELTS or any of that. No reliance on points or an ITA or being selected by a province. You have a very easy path readily available to you that most people don't have. Pretty simple.

 

[sgoldsmith]

If you want to become Permanent Resident via Express Entry, I think that the logical way to proceed in your case would be first to get that Alberta Provincial nomination so that you can bump your CRS score up with 600 points and be sure to receive an Invitation to apply in Express Entry.

There is also the "spousal sponsorship for common-law partner", but since you are not mentioning it in your post, I guess that you have already looked into that.

Regarding the IELTS test, I am a native French speaker and I studied English at university to become a translator. My IELTS score was in the band 8. I would suggest to get information about the "mechanics" of the test because you can easily make mistake (for exemple, if a answer calls for 3 words, you need to reply "word 1, word 2, word 3". If you would write "word 1, word 2 and word 3" that would be 4 words and your answer would not be correct)

 

[ih01]

With regards to the language test (I am also from Scotland), I just scraped "CLB 9 or higher" in IELTS. The tricky part is not necessarily the English, but the format of the test and what IELTS expect in your answers for each section.

I would recommend doing a fair bit of practice around the format of the test - particularly listening and writing - I didn't do enough but fortunately got away with it. The website IELTS Liz seems a decent free resource.

 

[thestormtrooper]

Thanks for all the responses. After a bit of further research I've found some clarity. The Alberta Express Entry site currently says they are not accepting anyone unless they are already working in Alberta. With my visitor record I'm not allowed to work, so it leaves the common law application as our most logical and only realistic route.

Their site says:

"Only individuals living and working in Alberta will be considered for a nomination at this time."

I'd be wasting my time applying via Express Entry, I'm much better to sit tight and go ahead with the sponsored via my partner route, most likely after the 28th of May when we'll have had our own house for one year (as long as they provide me with another extension after May 21st). It probably makes most sense to apply once we've been a year in our own house rather than relying on a letter from my partners mum stating we were there for several months beforehand.

Thanks again for all the responses they are very much appreciated.