New grad Work Permit, Job Offer & potential PR

Hey guys,

So I graduated in Mech Eng from U of T in June 2010 and have been unemployed ever since but I've been doing part time here and there. Now there's an opportunity (unofficial job offer) as the test engineer position at this office furniture company in Toronto where I used to do an internship for a year while I was still in the University. I got my post-grad work permit that's expiring in July 2013 (as well as my passport).

The problem I'm having a problem with the company: they never hired a dude who's not Canadian as a full time worker before and they're concerned about what I will do when my work permit and my passport expire. They're willing to pursue with another candidate at this point but my old boss and I are still trying to get something going for me at this point. (I told them that I only need one year of full time job before I can apply for PR status until I found out a problem with CIC requirement below...)
The problem I'm having with my status: CIC requires that I work full time for a year within 2 years of getting this post-grad work permit (got it in Aug 2010, says the paper), which is now clear that I will not meet the requirement to apply for PR status after working for one year as I had assumed.

Here are my questions...

1. Is it possible to get PR status after 1 year of working at this company full time even though it will not meet the within 2 years after getting the post-grad work permit? One good factor for this is that I have a sister who's now Canadian..

2. Since my passport will expire before I can apply for PR in any situations anyway, I figured that I would get a new passport that will expire in 5 years (say If I apply at the beginning of 2012 then it should expire at the end of 2016 or beginning of 2017), then should I apply for PR or extend my work permit? Would the company sign as my sponsorship or where would I find the best sponsor for my case?

3. I don't know why this company frowns upon my work permit status. Say if I keep extending my work permit before I get my PR status, would the company normally still be ok? (would really help if you're an HR person or used to be).

Thanks a lot guys!!! I really need to know this ASAP!!! or I'll just leave Canada just because it's so hard to find a company that would be ok to sponsor me....


Edited by hop - 11 Nov 2011 at 1:24pm

Yea so doesn't that mean that I need to have 1 full year of work within 2 years of the time I applied? Like I got my work permit in Aug 2010 so I need to have worked since at the latest Aug 2011 - Aug 2012 but since I didn't start working then means that I will not qualify... so if I start working now (Nov 2011) then Nov 2012 is beyond the 2 years of the time that I applied, hence I may have to work for 2 years for another PR that's not from post grad work permit.

But if you say that I can start working at any point as long as it's within the 2 years of the time that I applied and that from then on for 1 full year I can start the PR application process then that's great news.

Ahh... so in my case the company should have no problem accepting me and I should have no problem getting the PR application after 1 year of working here. Cool man, thanks a lot! I totally misunderstood the "Your work experience must be gained within two years of the time you applied" as the time you applied for your work permit.... Damn I'm too anxious.