ACanadianBrit

I was working for a company for close to 3 years but was recently laid off without warning along with lots of others employees. My company said they needed to save money. They actually sponsored my work permit with a positive LMIA. I still have another year left on that work permit, but it's a closed worked permit tied to the company. As I understand it, it is no longer valid and I cannot transfer it to another company to gain employment elsewhere. My question is, what is the quickest way for me to gain employment? I have rent and other financial obligations that I can't get out of for another year and have to pay. Someone told me I am probably not eligible for EI benefits because a requirement of qualifying for EI is that I am able to work and with a closed work permit, I can't just start another job. EI wouldn't cover all my expenses anyway. I need to be employed right now. If I am unemployed for too long and can't afford to pay my rent I read that I could be sued by my landlord. I didn't realize being laid off would be so complicated as a temporary foreign worker.

It seems that I would need to find an employer that wants to hire me and go through the whole LMIA process again. I read that the process takes around 4 months. So I wouldn't be able to work for 4 months until it was approved? And there's apparently no guarantee that they will approve it.

What are the odds of finding an employer who will sponsor me? I am on the list of skilled workers that are in demand. But when I got the LMIA I had been on the IEC and entered my position that way. I did the IEC twice so I can't apply for that again. I was planning on getting PR eventually. This layoff was out of the blue and I don't know what to do. My partner looked into sponsorship and apparently that takes up to 12 months to process so I couldn't work during that time and they couldn't afford to financially support me/us.

Vulcanoid

I'm not immensely familiar with LMIA issues, but by the sounds of things, if you've either lived with your partner for 12 months+ (and are thus a Common Law couple), or are married/willing to get married, this would likely be your quickest option to get an open work permit. You would need to apply for inland sponsorship, and a open work permit at the same time - tend to take 2-3 months to come through. Of course, your relationship would need to be at a point where this is appropriate.

I'm sure others can comment on the LMIA/EI issues - but yes, if you don't pay your rent then of course your landlord could sue you.

ACanadianBrit

We can do the spousal sponsorship, the issue is her income not being enough to show Immigration that she can support me with it. I had a good salary that could support us both, she doesn't make enough to actually support us both. That is why we haven't gone that route.

Vulcanoid

There's no income requirement for spousal. The sponsor simply has to not be bankrupt or on welfare.

(As a personal example, my sponsor sponsored me while working part time, minimum wage)

ACanadianBrit

Hmm, thanks for the info. I will look into this more.

PMM

Hi

1. You should note that if it is an "in Canada" sponsorship, you could apply for an open work permit with the application. But, (and this is a big one) you will be looking at least 3 months to receive a work permit.