An engineering manager (NOC 0211 / 2133) with a CRS score of 430 and a well-established job in Pakistan had an LOA for a master's in Electrical Engineering at Memorial University, but couldn't afford to bring family along during study. They asked whether to leave the job for a master's, or pursue immigration directly via PNP or Express Entry.
What the thread recommended:- Don't give up a well-settled job to study abroad if immigration is achievable without it. The group's instinct was that if you're already stable professionally, going the PNP route (rather than restarting via a master's) preserves your career while still pursuing PR.
- PNP success depends heavily on whether your specific NOC is in demand — the thread flagged genuine uncertainty about whether Engineering Manager or Electrical/Electronics Engineer NOCs would receive nominations in the near term, so research current in-demand occupation lists for your target province before committing.
- Research province-by-province rather than assuming one PNP fits — members specifically named Alberta, Ontario, and PEI as provinces worth checking individually, since demand lists and streams vary significantly by province.
The overall guidance: with a stable job and a moderate CRS score, prioritize investigating province-specific PNP demand for your exact NOC before committing to the master's-abroad route.