CIIP/COA Seminars

As researched, Canadian Immigrant Integration Program (CIIP) or Canadian Orientation Abroad (COA) are separate free seminars offered by the Federal Government of Canada for first time immigrants. CIIP is to prepare us in finding our first job while COA is to provide overview of life both in Canada.

However, when it was our time to register on said free seminars above, we were informed by COA that we need not to register with them since we are already registered with CIIP because as of date, both partnered to cater service with first time immigrants. So, if you have tried registering for both entities, CIIP and COA, you will notice that both will redirect you to PLANNING FOR CANADA.

Here is a screenshot of COAs reply email to me with my query why when I tried registering with them I was redirected again to Planning for Canada.

So, you will notice that CIIP is a 2 days seminar and it requires both the husband and wife to register or common law partners. It is also suggested that you do the seminar a month time or more before your departure in our country. It will be explained later when you will attend CIIP. Note that I cannot divulge more information in our seminar because it is copyrighted by the Federal Government of Canada and I do not want breaking some laws here, LOL. Thus, attend the seminar and I promise you, the seminar is of great help for first time immigrants like us. 

Anyway, on 11 April 2016, is our Day 1 of our CIIP seminar. True enough, CIIP tackled on living, working and others in Canada plus an overview of its 13 provinces and territories. In the seminar, my favorite parts to where I really took down notes are as follows:

1. If we want to study just to have a Canadian degree, we must ask our college if they offer scholarship, bursary and award so we can be entitled for free schooling or allowances while we are studying. Of course, competition is at stake here so we need to eat lots of peanut so our minds will be sharpened again, hahaha, funny me. Why college not a university? In Canada, a college offers short-term courses where you will choose what to specialize on like bookkeeping, etc. In our country, I think this our vocational courses where you choose what specialization you want to study for a maximum of 2 years. A university offers a 4-year course. Note that in Canada, you can finish a bachelors degree in a university then study again in a college just to specialize on something. Example given to us is Accounting. Finish a 4-year course in Accounting in a university then enroll in a specialization course in auditing in a college. Make sense, right? 
2. For us to get a Canadian work experience, we need to look for internships, volunteer jobs, temporary work offered by recruitment agencies and others. If we have these work experiences, we can now then add these to our CVs. Indeed, an instant Canadian work experience. 
3. During interviews, we should and must not answer a "NO" in a question even if our answer is "NO". As our speaker says, you will instantly fail on your interview. One example given to us is "Do you have a Canadian work experience?" Our answer of course, as first time immigrants, is NO but a sample answer to this is "I have with me a universal work experience which is applicable in my country and in Canada as well". Boom, LOL. Indeed, a Miss Universe like answer to a question. 

Bottom line is that the speaker says that we should not just aim for a survival jobs. We went there with our credentials on hand then we must be patient in finding a job based on our school credentials and work experiences. We just need a little of the Canadian word added to degree and work experiences. That is why CIIP/COA is there to help us. Thus, do not forget to register with one of them.

A lot more were discussed in the seminar but as stated above, I will not go into detail because it is copyrighted by the Federal Government of Canada. Even taking picture is prohibited but they took a group picture of us, LOL. Oh, and did I tell you we have unlimited coffee for an 11 participants plus 2 boxes of Krispy Kreme donuts, LOL.

We started at 7:45 AM and ended at around 4:20 PM for Day 1 seminar. We were asked to come back the following day for a one-on-one seminar where they will also linked us to some partners in our selected provincial destinations.

On Day 2, 12 April 2016, we went back for a 1 and 1/2 hour of one-on-one session to one of their speakers. We were scheduled at 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM. At the session, we were asked what they want to expound based on the session on Day 1. We asked more on jobs. And what is clearer for me and my husband, especially me as the principal applicant, is that no need for me to find jobs on NOC 1311 only but I can also scout on NOC 1242 or NOC 1241. If we are permanent residents to Canada, they will no longer check on our jobs. At least now I can apply for more jobs same as with my husband. A 2 weeks or more volunteering jobs, internships is plus points on our CVs, so we will target on this. Then the speaker told us that they will connect us to their Focal Point Partner (FPP) in the eastcoast which is located at Hallifax. FPP then will contact us for more information we wanted to know or ask. Lastly, the speaker explained to us our respective My Action Plan (MAP) to guide us in our immigration journey.

Done with our CIIP seminar but you know what is the best thing in the seminar? At Day 1, we were asked the reason why we are migrating to Canada. I told them because we wanted to have a child. It is just so amazing how our Father God sends angels on earth. The lady speaker told us that she wishes to see us after our session with regards to having a child. Thus, on Day 2, after our session to the guy speaker, we asked him if we can have a minute with her. She went inside the conference room and told us her story. That she and her husband went to infertility treatment also. Thus, she advised us that once we visit a Family Doctor, we should tell the doctor that we wanted to be referred to an OBgyne doctor specializing in reproductive endocrinology or infertility. She told us that we must do this because getting a specialist aside from our Family Doctor will take 4-5 months. She shared more on inferlity drugs, procedures and so on. We are one lucky couple. Can't help but whisper thank you again Father God.

Anyway, at the end of the 2-day CIIP seminar. We were also given a Certificate(s) of Completion as shown below. All we need to do now is wait for so many emails (you will know what all these soon) then we read and read and read.