mavieenrose22

Hi, my family and I want to move to BC. I am a French and Spanish teacher and French national with 20 years' teaching experience in the UK, my children are bilingual and my husband, a carpentry lecturer, has got a good level of French too. I would really like to teach French Immersion. I have just started my application for a teaching certificate in BC, but am not sure whether I should start there or with sorting a visa, and if so what kind of visa to apply for? There seems to be a shortage of French teachers in BC, and especially in immersion, which sounds promising. Any advice would be very welcome.
Thank you!

scilly

Welcome

I do have to ask if you have a degree in languages AND a teaching degree or diploma?

That is the requirement for teachers in most if not all of Canada.

Plus it is very unusual for teachers in most disciplines to get a full time position immediately ........... they all seem to start with doing temporary placements and on the waiting list. Some are still looking for permanent positions 10 or 15 years after graduating, even if their subjects are "desirable".

BC has been laying off teachers and closing schools recently. In addition, you need to look carefully at the cost of living if it is Vancouver and the Lower Mainland that is attracting you, as house prices and rentals are extremely high.

mavieenrose22

Thanks Scilly for your quick reply. Yes I have a degree in MFL and a teacher certificate.Your answer is extremely useful as I had no idea things were so bad for teachers in BC.I keep reading on the making a future BC site that BC needs French teachers so I assumed it would be fine as I have good quals and plenty of experience. Our other option currently is to apply for a teacher exchange to test the water and gain work experience in Canada.

In terms of areas we really liked Salmon Arm and the Shuswap/ Kamloops area, and the only thing that puts us off the exchange is that you have little control over where you go...Food for thought! Thanks.

christmasoompa

The only visa you can apply for now would be Permanent Residency via Express Entry *if* you qualify. To check, first make sure that you're scoring above 67 on this points test - Six selection factors – Federal skilled workers I'm sure you will from what you've said.

If so, then you're eligible to apply as a Skilled Worker (or at least you would be once you've got your IELTS/TEF results and ECA), which would put you in the Express Entry 'pool' of applicants. Once in the pool, CIC select those that score the highest and invite them to apply for PR, and for that you'll need to be scoring above approx 460 as a minimum on this points score - Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) - tool You'll have to just guess at your language scores for now (no point in spending hundreds of pounds on IELTS and TEF exams if you wouldn't score enough anyway), but it will at least give you an idea of the level you would be scoring at.

If you're not scoring enough on either of those and therefore wouldn't get PR now, there is nothing you can apply for until you have a job offer and PNP/LMIA, as you'll need one of those to get a visa.

As scilly has said, teaching isn't a great profession to try to get in to in Canada, although perhaps it's easier for French teachers (I have no idea). This Wiki articles gives info as to why - Teaching in Canada : British Expat Wiki

HTH, best of luck.

mavieenrose22

Thanks Christmasoompa. We scored 72 but then only 440. I guess I'll continue trying for an exchange which would give us extra points for working in Canada and registrer to get a BC teaching certificate and see if I can get a job? We are not there yet but hopeful! 😜

mavieenrose22

Just one last question- do I need to have PR to apply for teacher certification in BC? If it is the case it's back to teacher exchange as can't apply for a job without a teaching certificate!!!

christmasoompa

At 440 you're close, so it might be worth submitting a profile anyway. The lowest it's ever gone to has been 450, but you'd kick yourself if it did go down to 440 and you hadn't applied!

It would be far preferable to an exchange, it's a big risk to uproot your children and take them to Canada for a short period not knowing you'll be able to stay at the end of it, so if you can manage to get PR before going that would give you far more security. Do double check your husband's score as well in case he scores higher.

Best of luck.

mavieenrose22

Thanks christmasoompa. The reason to go for the exchange is to bump up our points by having at least one year work experience in Canada which would take us to 480 points. See what happens! Thank you for all your help.