My IELTS Experience

With the hopes of increasing my IELTS scores, I took the test twice, enrolled in review classes twice, and got my results revaluated twice. I spent double on everything. Another ouch! Looking back, I do not regret applying for my IELTS results revaluation because the possibility of increasing my scores could have qualified me for the Ontario PNP which required a 400 CRS score to get an ITA. YES, I was considering other PNP's because the NBPNP stream was not open yet. 1st exam with IDP - I thought I nailed the listening part and boy was I surprised to get a 7. I was so sure of myself and my answers. This 7 brought down my overall level badly which is why I strongly felt the need for an evaluation. Results came back with no change. I eventually discovered how tricky the listening exam is in the course of my 2nd review class. Practice and anwering tests with the teacher helped a lot. I learned that immense FOCUS IS KEY IN THE LISTENING PART. You cannot be distracted at all. The recording goes so fast that in a blink of an eye you can miss one item affecting the next questions as well. You will only get better with constant practice in class. You need to know where you stand for you to improve. On my 2nd IELTS attempt, my listening score increased. Hard work does payoff. The only problem was that my writing score went down this time. I thought I did okay with writing so of course I had to ask for a reevaluation. I was so ckose to that 400 mark. Of course, the scores still came back the same. Very frustrating indeed. At this point I gave up on my target score of 400 for OINP. I was definitely not taking the test again. Thankfully, the NBPNP stream opened last May 2018. and the rest is IELTS history. 😁

Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)

Another requirement that you need to start working on other than the IELTS is the Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).

In a nutshell, the Canadian government requires an ECA to understand the level of your educational background or college degree based on Canadian standards. Foreign standard vs. Canadian standard. In some cases, you may have completed  a 4 year course here in your home country but to them it is only equivalent to a 3 year degree or even a vocational course. This will have bearing on your total CRS points because a higher equivalent will mean higher points.

I got my ECA from World Education Services (WES). Thankfully, the report confirmed that my foreign degree is equivalent to a 4-year Bachelor's degree in Canada. It will cost you CAD 220 come Januay 2019.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=681&top=29

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Exam Dates in the Philippines for 2019

For immigrants, please choose the General Training (GT) Exam. The Academic Exam is for international students only and not for those wishing to migrate to Canada.

The GT exam is composed of 4 parts - Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking, all of which are timed. The speaking exam is nerve wracking because it is similar to a job interview where questions are thrown at you. Plus, there is a voice recorder the whole time. Normally, the Speaking test is done on a different day. You will be asked to choose a schedule for this. The Listening, Reading, and Writing exam happens all together which takes half a day. By the time you finish you will be so exhausted, hungry, and relieved. So for me, I suggest to schedule the speaking test on a different day and not right after the exam. 😊

Below is an overview of the available dates for the GT exam. Please visit both websites for detailed information. Note that most exams are conducted in hotel ballrooms due to the large number of examinees. Exams are booked online through either the British Council or IDP.


British Council Exam Fee - P10, 270

https://philippines.ielts.britishcouncil.org/iorpsea/html/registration/selectExamTypeServlet.do

IDP Exam Fee - P10,270

Upcoming New Brunswick Information Sessions in Manila etc. 2019

The New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). This is a provincial, economic immigration program made possible through an agreement with the Government of Canada.

In order for you to qualify for the NBPNP, you need to attend an Information Session. Please monitor this website for the updated schedules - http://livinginnb.ca/.

So far, there are a total of 4 upcoming sessions in the Philippines on January 2019. There will be 2 in Cebu and 2 in Metro Manila.

You need to sign up by clicking the yellow button on the right. More details are usually posted on the sign up page, such as, which occupations are needed. If your occupation is not listed then you may not be able to register.

http://livinginnb.ca/

Once you click the sign up button, you will be directed to the ff. pages.

Top IELTS Review Centers in Manila

The IELTS exam will greatly affect both your CRS and PNP scores. I highly recommend taking a review class to prepare yourself for the exam. Below is a list of pros and cons for enrolling in a center:

Cons
1. Cost. You will shell out P5,000-P10,000 or higher depending on the package you choose. Plus other fees such as your transportation and meals for when you attend a class.
2. Limited class schedules and venues
3. Time consuming. In most cases,  be ready to spend half a day or 1 whole day for a class. In my case, I took classes on weekends because I had work on weekdays. Schedules vary per branch and review center.

Pros
1. Practice tests during class. You will get to see your actual scores and where you made mistakes. This gives you an idea of where you stand and where you need to improve.
2. Mock exams. Here you will get a feel of how an actual exam goes. Similar to the practice tests, this will give you an idea of how you did overall. If you've achieved your target scores then you are ready for the real one.
3. Confidence. On the day of the IELTS exam you will get so nervous. Believe me! Why? Because this test will make or break your application to Canada. Being prepared and familiar with what will happen during exam day gives you confidence and helps lessen the jitters. Oh and did I mention that all tests are timed?
4. Do it right the first time. Maybe you won't need to retake the test if in the first attempt you already hit your target scores.

Do check both IDP and British Council exam dates online so that you can plan your schedule ahead. Identify which exam date and venue you prefer  then align the review class schedules available. Make sure to book the class soon as you've decided.

Now about my own IELTS journey... I really wanted to get high scores so I took the exam twice, enrolled in two different review centers, and also paid for reevaluation of scores twice. With that, I was able to experience both IDP and British Council, take classes in Jrooz review and 9.0 Niner.
Lastly, I got the same scores after paying fo reevaluation. Ouch!!!

Many people around the world with the goal of migrating to Canada take the exam several times. The reason? They did not reach their target scores = not enough points to get an Invitation to Apply from CIC under the Express Entry system.

JROOZ Review Center Makati

12B 12Flr. Vernida IV Building, 128 Leviste St., Salcedo Village, Makati City.

desk@jroozreview.com

(02) 832-3093 | (02) 750-6612 | Fax (02) 846-4533 | 0917-895-4671

9.0 Niner IELTS Review Center

http://ninerreview.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

certifiedniner@yahoo.com

414 2192 , 851 1739 , 926 6682, 257 0842

Fast Forward: Our PNP & CIC Express Entry Timeline

Sharing our timeline for both the Provincial Nominee Program of New Brunswick and CIC's Express Entry. We are beyond grateful for this opportunity.

With Canada's Express Entry system, the target is to process all applications within 6 months time. So it is a big improvement from years back where you had to wait 3-5 years for the results.

Our Timeline:

• Feb 17, 2017: Attended the NB Information session here in Manila
• May 2, 2018: Expression of Interest submitted
• June 11, 2018: Invitation to Apply received
• July 11, 2018 Acknowledgment of Receipt email received
• July 24, 2018 NB nomination received

——

• August 3, 2018 Medical exam @ St. Luke's BGC
• August 16, 2018 CIC AOR
• Sept 7, 2018 Medical passed (IP1)
• October 18, 2018 Additional Document Request (ADR)
• Nov 14, 2018 Passport Request (PPR)
• Nov 22, 2018 application approved on the CIC EE account

In every step of the way, always remember to have faith and believe. 💖

Immigration consultant services in Manila

Hiring an immigration consultant or service is very expensive. If you do decide to hire one, make sure to do research about the company and its success rate. Get to know your consultant very well because you will be relying on them for everything. Shop around. I met with 2 agencies before deciding, but best to meet with three just to be sure.

Be ready to spend around P80,000-P200,000 or roughly CAD 2,000-5,000. This was the price range when I inquired back in 2017. Note that this estimate is for a family of three. I went the agency which quoted the lowest fee. 

It is important to note that the Canadian government does not recommend hiring a representative. Doing so will not guarantee your application's success.

I will not mention the company I hired simply because I was not happy with their service, but somehow their guidance was helpful in directing me to the right path. Many applicants regret paying fees because in the end they realize that they could have done the whole process themselves. A common complaint is the response time of the consultant and quality of work. 

So, if I had to do this all over again. I would do it slightly different mainly because I can allocate the funds for other upcoming expenses related to the application. This is only the beginning.

Some things to consider:

1. Look for a service that can provide an initial assessment service. Negotiate. Tell them that you need assistance in the following items only:

- introduction to the whole process
- eligibility for Express Entry
- identify CRS score. Is it enough to get invited to apply?
- identify which stream to take best based on your work history, education, age etc. Relatives? Which province in Canada can help you increase your CRS score?

2. No need for their assistance with:
- consolidating your documents
- encoding and creating of express entry profile and/or other provincial application
- preparing of forms
- immigration representative details
- going to the visa center when passports are requested

The importance of the agency is that they can assess your profile and recommend which stream is the most viable option. They give you direction! From there, you can end your consultation and do your own research online.

You should also note that in the event that you decide to hire a representative, it must be declared on your application. It is also stated online that you must hire a representative in good standing. Hiring a representative means that your Express Entry profile will be created under 1 account which is managed by the agency and representative. You may not be given access to your Express Entry profile, and for control freaks like me this posed a problem!

Here are some of the consultancy firms operating in Metro Manila. Please research and do your due diligence before deciding.

• https://www.visacenter.org/
• https://www.go2canada.com/page/homepage
• http://www.cpnis.com/

The Canadian Dream

Hello there! It's nice to e-meet you! ☺️

I'm glad you stumbled upon this new blog about migrating to Canada. 🇨🇦

Like you, I started this journey by reading blogs and forums discussing immigration options. However, I noticed that most blogs are already around 3-4 years old and no longer updated. So here I am now starting my own page to share anything and everything I can, based mostly from my own experience. 😃

Just a short introduction.

I'm a mom to a sweet little girl and wife to a very loving and hardworking man. We both are working full time in the metro.

It was my mother who convinced me to look into the possibility of migrating to Canada. Me being tired and exhausted from the daily traffic of QC to BGC welcomed the idea. A total of 4 hours of travelling daily stuck in the car. Precious time wasted day in day out. What more when my daughter will need to go to school? How tired will she be after school? How early will she need to wake up to get to school on time? What if we no longer have to wake up so early to get to work at 8:00 AM? What if we had more time to spend with our daughter? What if we could spend some days working out at the gym? What if we had more time to do other mundane things like binge watch on the latest Netflix series? So many possibilities. 💡💡💡

Why not, right? So my husband and I decided to give it a shot. Personally, I did not want to look back and have any regrets.

This is where our journey started and I hope yours will too. NOW is the time. Do not wait any longer. The younger you are the better. I'll discuss the age factor on another entry. Weigh the options and believe me there are more PROs than Cons. ✅✅✅. You will maybe lose some thousands IF you are not granted visas but you will gain much more if the opposite happens. High risk, high return? 😄

YOU are not alone! There are so many people around the world dreaming of moving to Canada. It's not too late to start, but I will tell you that it is definitely hard work!

Lastly, congratulations is in order, because by stumbling upon this page means you have already taken steps in fulfilling The Canadian Dream.

Source: BANFF ALBERTA, CANADA

P.S. let me know which topics you'd like to read about