Hello everyone,
I’m 32F and my husband is 32M. We’re planning to apply for Canada PR through Express Entry / PNP, with me as the primary applicant and him as accompanying spouse.
About me: I recently completed my PhD in the USA and have 6+ years of research experience during my PhD. I’m currently working as a research employee at the same university (past 3 months).
About my husband: He has a Bachelor’s degree in Hotel/Hospitality Management, with 6 years of work experience in India. He also completed a 1-year PG diploma in Canada and has over 1 year of Canadian work experience (TEER 4–5).
We’re both planning to take IELTS and are aiming for CLB 9. Based on initial calculations, our CRS score is around 482.
I spoke with an immigration agency, and they mentioned that my PhD research experience can be counted as foreign work experience under NOC 41201 (Post-secondary teaching and research assistants), which would give me 6+ years of experience.
I wanted to ask:
- Has anyone here successfully counted their PhD research/assistant experience toward Express Entry?
- Is this classification (NOC 41201) valid in practice, or could the agency be misleading?
- With a CRS around 482, what are our realistic chances for EE or PNP?
- How helpful is learning French at this stage to boost CRS?
- If PhD experience is not counted, are there other pathways (EE/PNP) that are more suitable for PhD holders to improve chances?
Any insights or shared experiences would really help. Thank you in advance!