On January 1st 2003 at a new years day dinner party with their relatives and no doubt like many other people in the UK David and Julie Whelbourn are discussing the problems they see around them. Britian is a country with too many people, expensive housing, class discrimination still in existence, and worrying about how their children will grow up and afford a life when everyone seems to be just making ends meet.

Later that same evening while driving home Julie and I discussed the idea of leaving the UK.

We had visited the east coast of the USA several times and like the lifestyle we saw. It was decided to look at the east coast of North America as a destination. After several false starts and visiting the "Emigrate" show at Sandown race course in March 2003 we decided on Canada and New Brunswick.  We chose to go the Skilled Worker route because I am a project manager specialising in software development and implementation.

Once that decision was made and we hit the internet sites to decide what approach to take. We talked with an emigration consultant and after some consideration (the 2,300 pound charge put us off) we decided to do it ourselves. The Canadian Immigration website provides all the forms and it’s not that difficult to fill them in. At the time you needed 75 points to qualify and we just made it with all our education and experience.

While we were filling in forms, compiling a list of training and the relevant certificates, writing to all all my old employers for the last ten years and sending out requests for police certificates. The Canadian government obligingly dropped the points required down to 63!

 November 3rd 2003 We submitted our application today! .  

We have organised a research visit for the last week of july and first two weeks of August next year.  We planning took at the three main cities in three weeks. We booked everything over the internet and telephone. Before the visit I contacted several local companies and by making it clear I wasn’t looking for sponsorship or looking for a job. I managed to organise some ‘information interviews’ in each city to establish what skills they wanted and what certifications they value.