Marie Grace ABCDEF L. Farola
J. Panis St. Veco Rd Banilad Cebu City
Cebu, Philippines
EMBASSY OF CANADA
Immigration and Visa Section
Manila, Philippines
Dear Visa Officer,
Live and Love Jesus and Mary with Joy!
I am Marie Grace ABCDEF L. Farola, twenty-five, single, and currently living in J. Panis St. Veco
Rd Banilad Cebu City Cebu, Philippines. I have been accepted to study Human Resource
Management at Fanshawe College International Centre in London, Ontario which will
commence on September 5, 2023. Thus, I am writing to express my sincere intention to apply
for a study permit.
EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT BACKGROUND
Last September 18, 2022, I successfully graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in Office
Administration.
I was an irregular student in my alma mater, Mary Our Help Technical Institute for Women Cebu,
Inc., and at the same time a full-time employee. Even before my senior high school graduation,
I already started working for Cebu Home and Builders Centre as an HR staff but that didn’t hinder
me from pursuing higher education.
As a human resource staff my duties include reviewing each employee's daily time sheet to ensure
that their time is accurately tracked, complete, and ready for payroll processing; working with
employees to correct mistakes like missing punches and making corrections to their HRIS filing;
responding to their inquiries about their salaries and payroll adjustments; creating reports on
employees who have attendance problems; handling employee on-boarding and off-boarding;
and performing other duties.
PURPOSE OF STUDY
When the pandemic struck, I realized that time is precious and therefore should not be taken for
granted. Despite working for the company for seven years, my desire for career growth has not
been fulfilled. While my years of experience have been a great exposure for me, given me a ton
of new abilities, and made me the best version of myself, it is not enough to be the best candidate
for the higher position I am aiming for since the focus of my current tasks is more on the
operational and transactional human resource. The human resources field has a lot more to offer,
it is evolving, especially now, in the digital age.
After much thought, I made the difficult decision to start my plan of studying abroad. As an office
administration graduate and a human resource practitioner, I realized that in order to achieve my
desired position and goals, I need to learn and develop myself about Human Resources in a
quality and globally known institution, especially on how to become a transformational HR
practitioner, in which I could be able to create strategic developments to maximize workforce
productivity to attain organizational goals and in return will give me the competitive advantage I
need in this industry, particularly in the reputable and well-known companies
WHY CANADA?
Indeed, the cost of studying abroad is higher than it is in my home country, but the length of the
program offered in Canada is much shorter and more geared to my needs. I believe that the
return on my investment will outweigh the cost that will be incurred during my international
studies. For international students like me, Canada is regarded as one of the best study-abroad
countries in the world. In addition to offering a secure, varied, and multicultural environment,
Canada also offers high-quality education and training. Last year, according to the Global
Education News, Canada is the second ideal nation for education after the United States of
America. A degree from a Canadian institution is respected all over the world and is highly valued.
Canada also offers a more reasonable cost of tuition fees compared to other nations such as the
United States of America, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
Ultimately, I choose London Ontario as my destination. Aside from the fact that my uncle with
his wife and their kids live there, the city has low crime rates, first-rate educational and medical
facilities, a vibrant cultural scene, and lovely parks.
I chose Fanshawe College because it provides flexible learning arrangements and experiential
education opportunities. After reviewing the Fanshawe College curriculum, I have to admit that
every course in the program perfectly fits my professional goals.
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Strategic Training & Development - this will equip me in creating and designing
training programs for our employees that directly align with meeting the organization's
needs and strategic goals
Organizational Performance - which includes learning about the type of performance
management system and creating a performance management program that best aligns
the objectives of the company and its employees.
HRIS & Advanced Software Applications - which covers software and technology
designed to help businesses meet core HR needs and improve the productivity of both
managers and employees
Compensation & Reward Strategy - which will equip me to design the organization’s
compensation plan and its reward management system
Strategic Human Resources Planning - will help me develop, implement, and
evaluate organizational development strategies aimed at promoting organizational
effectiveness
Moreover, the Human Resources Management program is a one-year post-grad program designed
for university and college graduates looking to specialize their skills in human resources. This
program provides me with functional knowledge in core areas of human resources: recruitment
and selection, training and development, human resources planning, occupational health and
safety, organizational behaviour, finance and accounting, principles in human resources
management, compensation and benefits, and labour relations.
PLANS AFTER STUDY
After the completion of my studies, I hope to gain valuable work experience in Canada through
the Post Graduation Work Permit Program to be able to gain Canadian work experience, which
will help me to strengthen my credentials. After that, I will return to the Philippines to reap the
rewards of my labor. I will try my luck and apply to multinational companies here in the
Philippines. Growing up, it has always been my dream to work in big offices located in highly
urbanized places.
Below are some corporations in the Philippines that offer good benefits and salary packages:
COMPANY
POSITION
ANNUAL SALARY
Haidilao Food
HR Manager
Up to PHP 2,280,000 or CAD
70,758.48
Psych Siren Management
Consultancy
HR and Admin Manager
Up to PHP 672,000 or CAD 16,508.96
HiTutor.com Inc
HR Supervisor
Up to PHP 600,000 or CAD 14,743.07
Nabepero Philippines, Inc.
HR Manager
Up to PHP 540,000 or CAD 13,268.04
Nezda Technologies, Inc.
HR Manager - Employee
Services
Up to PHP 960,000 or CAD 23,587.80
(Source: Jobstreet.com)
Clearly, the annual salaries of the aforementioned employment opportunities are significantly
higher than my present salary of Php 215,172 (5,260.54 CAD) as a human resource staff. By
completing my international studies and gaining Canadian work experience, I will have a
competitive advantage in obtaining a supervisory or management position, which will eventually
cover the cost of my international studies.
HOMETIES
Being in a close-knit family, I'm most excited to see my family - my parents, siblings,
grandmother, aunts, and cousins. I want to spend more time with my parents, who have been
working for as long as I can remember for me and my siblings. My sister and I will take over our
small grocery store, to let our parents rest from working. I also want to take care of my elderly
grandmother who has been taking care of us since I and my siblings were toddlers, she’s always
by our side, and now it’s time to reciprocate all the love and sacrifices she bestowed upon us.
Also, if given the chance, I want to take my sisters to South Korea or take them to a K-pop
concert as they are avid fans of K-pop and K-drama actors. My sister and younger brother will
have graduated from college by the time I return, and I sure won't miss it for the world. As a
Filipino family, we spend the entire weekend catching up and singing karaoke together as our
bonding.
Every end of the year, me and my friends from my elementary and high school days meet up to
catch up and just talk about life, though it saddens me that I will miss one catching-up moment
with them, I am more excited about the adventures and stories I will be shared with them during
my international studies.
I also would utilize my government contributions to Social Security System (SSS), Phil Heath
(PHIC), and Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF). I also have Life and Investment insurance
in Pru-Life UK.
Lastly, I had also been dating my long-term partner for seven years now, and we have plans to
wed. I'll be 28 years old and my boyfriend will be 31 by the time I return and I want my future
family to thrive here in the Philippines where my parents and siblings and other relatives are close
by
and
can
see
them
grow
up.
FINANCIAL CAPACITY
My family has always been supportive of my plans in life. From moving to Cebu independently at
the age of 16 and now studying abroad. They have always been a blessing and an inspiration. I
have already paid my initial deposit of 2,300 CAD and my first-semester tuition at Fanshawe
College amounting to 9,021.58 CAD and I am financially set for my whole stay in Canada as I
have already deposited 10,000 CAD in the Bank of Nova Scotia, which will ration my allowance
monthly. That will make this easier for me to concentrate on my studies. I'm going to take
advantage of this chance to learn as much as I can. I'll also be staying at my uncle and aunt's
house while I'm studying in Canada because it's convenient and economical for me, and they can
help me get used to the country's culture and weather. I will also be financially supported by my
uncle (eldest brother of the father), Dennis Farola, and his wife, Lovimin Farola during my stay.
They have been living in Canada as a permanent resident for almost eight and thirteen years
now, respectively, and have saved up and started their business here in the Philippines specifically
in my aunt's province in Naval, Biliran Leyte. As of date, they have available funds of 47,829.25
CAD in my aunt’s bank account. I have acquired from them an affidavit of sponsorship stating
that they have accepted their legal responsibility for financially supporting me.
TRAVEL HISTORY AND VISA OBLIGATIONS
Last June of 2019, together with my aunt, grandmother, and I went to Hongkong-Macau for a
short vacation. However, I am unable to provide my travel stamp because my expired passport
was not returned to me when I processed my passport renewal though I can provide photos we
took during our trip. I have always followed the law and haven't broken any regulations wherever
I've been. You can trust that I won't misuse the opportunity I've been given and won't put a
strain on your people or government because I understand that my stay is only temporary and
that being allowed to study in Canada is already a privilege. I humbly ask that my study permission
be granted so that I can achieve my objectives and improve myself. I sincerely hope you will
assist me in realizing this. I appreciate you taking the time to read through my application.
As He has always done for my family, may God continue to bless you and your family.
Sincerely,
MARIE GRACE ABCDEF L. FAROLA
Applicant