EDUCATION FACTOR
The Education factor as presented on CIC’s website is difficult to comprehend. First, note that there does not appear to be any points available for a person with a three year, four year or five year university degree at the Bachelor level. In fact, the point score for such degrees is 20 points; in other words, the same points as a two year Bachelor degree. The Regulation was poorly drafted, and the CIC website does not make it clear that any Bachelor degree of at least two years duration and at least 14 years of education is awarded 20 points. This means that 14 years of education and a two year Bachelor degree results in the same point score as 16 or 17 years of education and a four or five year Bachelor degree (for example, in medicine or engineering). Many observers are understandably puzzled at this result and think the Education factor should be substantially revised.
Even more puzzling to many observers is the fact that a non-university three year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship results in 22 points (if 15 years of education/training are involved)! The reason for this award of 22 points is to benefit the so-called “blue collar” workers, often called “skilled trades workers”, such as tool and die makers, carpenters, plumbers and mechanics. The Citizenship and Immigration Minister (the Minister), whose father was a carpenter, has been quoted as saying: “When your roof is leaking, you don’t need a microbiologist”.
However, the applicants who will benefit most from this 22 point score will not be “blue collar” skilled trades workers, but rather nursing diploma holders, or hotel management diploma holders or possibly accountants with three year Chartered Accountancy training programs, all of whom are “white collar” workers. This is because “blue collar” skilled workers typically (but not always) enter their three or four year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship training programs after 10 years of education, so they would not qualify for the 22 points (because the total years of education/training add up to less than 15 years).
Let’s look at the effect of this factor on two occupations, nursing and accountancy. A nurse with a four year Bachelor of Nursing degree from a university will score only 20 points. A nurse with a three year diploma not from a university level will score 22 points. That would appear to be an absurd result. An accountant with a Commerce degree will score 20 points, but an accountant who also has completed a three or four year training program associated with a Chartered Accountant qualification “may” score 22 points. I say “may” score 22 points, because it is not clear whether the visa officers will regard an accountant’s training program to qualify for a CA designation as an “apprenticeship”. We can all agree that an auto mechanic training program is an “apprenticeship”. But is the CA training program, often called “articles”, the same as “apprenticeship”?
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