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Newbie help required! UK to Toronto move

Newbie help required! UK to Toronto move

Old Dec 6th 2017, 8:17 pm
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Post Newbie help required! UK to Toronto move

Hello everyone,

Firstly I would like to say hello and introduce myself. I am James, and I have been a long time follower of the forum (Lurker in the background) and have finally made the leap to join!

I was hoping the kind people here would be able to assist me in a slightly unique situation that I am in and could maybe point me in the right direction. I know there is plenty of experience on here! :-)

Background......
I have been looking to move to Toronto ever since visiting over 10 years ago. A few months back I applied for a job role in Richmond Hill for a subsidiary of the company that I currently work for. I have now been offered the job, which is fantastic news!

I am carrying out a recce trip next week before accepting the job offer, because I will be moving myself, my partner and my young daughter (2 years old) and need to get a good idea of places to live, and to gain some kind of bearing etc. My partner will be joining me later on in the trip.

My main concern here is actually the realms of the work permit. The job is a local contract, so I will be leaving my current job (No internal transfer) for a role that requires rather specialist technical skills which is part of the reason that I am being hired (I am not qualified to degree level, but to a level below)

I have spent some time on the Canada immigration website which isn’t particularly clear, looking at various channels of permit (TWP, skilled worker, intra-company transfer)
The company who have offered me a job are willing to wait for the TWP permit time of 8/9 weeks (as per the website) and would be expecting me mid-late February

My question is; has anyone had experience of this, and in my situation of being in a specialist technical area, which route am I best off going down to get over to Canada in a reasonable amount of time?

Temporary work permit route is 8/9 weeks but I am not sure how long it would take for the company to get a Labour Market Opinion.

As a skilled worker, I cannot find and exact category to fit into so am not sure if I would fit this criteria.

And an intra-company transfer looks more fitting but on the CIC website it shows that permits are initially only for a year!!

I have had a little search around the forum but haven’t been able to find the specifics of what I am after.

Feel free to fire me any questions, in case there is something I have missed and sorry for the long first post!!

Thanks for your help 
James
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Old Dec 6th 2017, 8:44 pm
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Default Re: Newbie help required! UK to Toronto move

HI

Originally Posted by Newguy1989
Hello everyone,

Firstly I would like to say hello and introduce myself. I am James, and I have been a long time follower of the forum (Lurker in the background) and have finally made the leap to join!

I was hoping the kind people here would be able to assist me in a slightly unique situation that I am in and could maybe point me in the right direction. I know there is plenty of experience on here! :-)

Background......
I have been looking to move to Toronto ever since visiting over 10 years ago. A few months back I applied for a job role in Richmond Hill for a subsidiary of the company that I currently work for. I have now been offered the job, which is fantastic news!

I am carrying out a recce trip next week before accepting the job offer, because I will be moving myself, my partner and my young daughter (2 years old) and need to get a good idea of places to live, and to gain some kind of bearing etc. My partner will be joining me later on in the trip.

My main concern here is actually the realms of the work permit. The job is a local contract, so I will be leaving my current job (No internal transfer) for a role that requires rather specialist technical skills which is part of the reason that I am being hired (I am not qualified to degree level, but to a level below)

I have spent some time on the Canada immigration website which isn’t particularly clear, looking at various channels of permit (TWP, skilled worker, intra-company transfer)
The company who have offered me a job are willing to wait for the TWP permit time of 8/9 weeks (as per the website) and would be expecting me mid-late February

My question is; has anyone had experience of this, and in my situation of being in a specialist technical area, which route am I best off going down to get over to Canada in a reasonable amount of time?

Temporary work permit route is 8/9 weeks but I am not sure how long it would take for the company to get a Labour Market Opinion.

As a skilled worker, I cannot find and exact category to fit into so am not sure if I would fit this criteria.

And an intra-company transfer looks more fitting but on the CIC website it shows that permits are initially only for a year!!

I have had a little search around the forum but haven’t been able to find the specifics of what I am after.

Feel free to fire me any questions, in case there is something I have missed and sorry for the long first post!!

Thanks for your help 
James

1. You say the position is a local hire so ICT won't apply, so the prospective employer is going to have advertise the position for 30 days in at least 2 areas plus the job bank (If it is a high wage position there are other requirements)http://tinyurl.com/y9gdxy9n
2. After the advertising period is over, the employer has to apply for a LMIA (9-11 weeks) and demonstrate why there are no Canadians or PRs qualified for the position and you are the logical choice. Cost is $`1000 for the employer.
3. If the LMIA is approved then you can apply for a work permit. By the way ICT is not limited to 1 year.
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Old Dec 9th 2017, 10:54 am
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Default Re: Newbie help required! UK to Toronto move

Thanks for your response. I am looking to get a Temporary Work Permit under the specialised skills category - this means hopefully I can get around the LMIA. The job I am going over to do involves very specialist systems.

Has anyone had any experience in this area?

Thanks again!
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Old Dec 9th 2017, 11:01 am
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Default Re: Newbie help required! UK to Toronto move

Originally Posted by Newguy1989
Thanks for your response. I am looking to get a Temporary Work Permit under the specialised skills category - this means hopefully I can get around the LMIA.
Can you provide a link to the 'specialised skills category' that means you don't need a LMIA? Have never heard of this before! Are you a US citizen and referring to NAFTA perhaps?
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Old Dec 9th 2017, 11:04 am
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Default Re: Newbie help required! UK to Toronto move

Many have done it HOWEVER since 2014 IRCC have tightened up on specialized knowledge ICT workers.
Read this link for more info
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...knowledge.html

What you might think is specialized might not be the case.
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Old Dec 9th 2017, 11:09 am
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Default Re: Newbie help required! UK to Toronto move

Originally Posted by Former Lancastrian
Many have done it HOWEVER since 2014 IRCC have tightened up on specialized knowledge ICT workers.
Read this link for more info
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...knowledge.html

What you might think is specialized might not be the case.
The OP says it's not an internal transfer though, so it can't be an intra-company transfer TWP unfortunately.
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Old Dec 9th 2017, 11:42 am
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Default Re: Newbie help required! UK to Toronto move

A moot point perhaps, but the *initial* length of a TWP for ICT can be a year, mine was back in 2003. However, it was able to be renewed / extended, and I did so at least a couple of times, I think there is a max overall length, could be 5 years.

Why isn't the company going through the process of an ICT, rather than having you quit and try and get in by yourself? I too can't think of many jobs that don't require a LMIA.
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Old Dec 9th 2017, 2:13 pm
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Default Re: Newbie help required! UK to Toronto move

Thank you everyone for your input. All points taken on board. For me this is very new and although I am applying for any work permit myself, the company I am going to have offered legal advise from an external company they use.

I will explain a little more about the role I am being hired for;

The role is for providing expert technical assistance including software programming for the automotive industry.

There are only approx 50 people in the world who do my role and the skills I possess are few and far between. This is why the company are looking to employ me from the UK.

I am very familiar with their internal systems & software and have 11 years of experience in the field I work in.

They have asked me to start sometime around mid-late February 2018 so there is also a time limit on the job offer.

I have looked further into the ITC and I would not qualify for this anyway. Having spent some more time looking this afternoon, it may be that I am looking at either the International Mobility Program under the following;

International Mobility Program: Canadian interests – Significant benefit general guidelines [R205(a) – C10]

Or the Global Skills Strategy.

Technically I would be quitting my job in the UK and taking up 'New' employment in Canada but as I will be working under the same global umbrella, I doubt it classes as an official transfer.

Any opinions would be greatly received.
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Old Dec 9th 2017, 2:31 pm
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Default Re: Newbie help required! UK to Toronto move

Originally Posted by Newguy1989
They have asked me to start sometime around mid-late February 2018 so there is also a time limit on the job offer.
That's fine, if it's an intra-company transfer TWP or some other kind of LMIA exempt TWP - but timescale won't work if a LMIA is required with the job being advertised first.

Originally Posted by Newguy1989
International Mobility Program: Canadian interests – Significant benefit general guidelines [R205(a) – C10]
I don't mean to belittle what you do, but you're aware of the criteria for this? You need to be internationally renowned and to have patents/won awards etc.

Originally Posted by Newguy1989
Or the Global Skills Strategy.
Possible, but usually tougher and takes longer than the LMIA, so begs the question why they don't just apply for that? By the time they've done the Labour Market plan and spent the money on investing etc, a LMIA would be a lot quicker and cheaper!

The obvious solution to me seems to be the intra-company transfer TWP, it's LMIA exempt and would get you out there in time, so do double check you definitely wouldn't come under that. Here's the Wiki page on it for info - Intra-Company Transfer-Canada : British Expat Wiki

HTH.
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Old Dec 9th 2017, 2:54 pm
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Default Re: Newbie help required! UK to Toronto move

Thank you so much for your opinion! I will look further into this option just to make sure I do not qualify under the intra-company category.

It all seems so complex, but I know it will be worth it should I get it right!
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Old Dec 12th 2017, 8:38 am
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Default Re: Newbie help required! UK to Toronto move

Just to tag onto the back of this, having spent more time looking at the intra-company transfer I am not so sure I will qualify for the company transfer category because I will be leaving my company in the UK and joining the company in Canada (Although all under the same umbrella company)

I am really struggling with finding an avenue to get a work permit... I really want to accept the job and get the ball rolling.

Having looked further, I am now thinking that I need a Temporary work Permit (Either with or without LMIA which my new employer can check to see if they need) and that they would need to submit a job offer via the ESDC.

Would this also mean in my job offer contract that they would need to say my job is temporary? Officially it has no 'end' date and is open

My plan would be to get a TWP for 3 years, and apply for PR when possible.

Last edited by Newguy1989; Dec 12th 2017 at 8:39 am. Reason: Added sentance
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Old Dec 12th 2017, 8:50 am
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Default Re: Newbie help required! UK to Toronto move

Originally Posted by Newguy1989
Just to tag onto the back of this, having spent more time looking at the intra-company transfer I am not so sure I will qualify for the company transfer category because I will be leaving my company in the UK and joining the company in Canada (Although all under the same umbrella company)
So they're two separate companies?

Originally Posted by Newguy1989
Having looked further, I am now thinking that I need a Temporary work Permit (Either with or without LMIA which my new employer can check to see if they need) and that they would need to submit a job offer via the ESDC.
They will need a LMIA, I can't see any way that the job will be exempt from needing one. But yes, that's the right route. Unless by any chance you're aged 30 or under (or 35 or under if you have Irish citizenship)? If so, then you'd also have the option of the IEC visa.

Originally Posted by Newguy1989
Would this also mean in my job offer contract that they would need to say my job is temporary? Officially it has no 'end' date and is open

My plan would be to get a TWP for 3 years, and apply for PR when possible.
Yes, it would need to be a temporary job offer and have an end date - then when you apply for PR, if you want to claim the points for arranged employment, you'd need a letter offering you a permanent job.

Note that you don't get to decide how long the TWP is for, the border agent will do that when you arrive. 3 years would be unusual, it would normally be for a couple of years, but could be as little as a year.

HTH.
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Old Dec 12th 2017, 10:24 am
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Default Re: Newbie help required! UK to Toronto move

I think legally they are two seperate entities, but operate under the same umbrella (Am I allowed to say company names on this forum?)

Yes actually I am aged under 30, I am 28 and my partner is 29 (She is turning 30 at the end of December) How would she stand with an IEC visa? Also taking into consideration that I have a 2 YO daughter too...

Where would I stand if my TWP was 1 year, would I be able to extend? Or apply for PR in that time?
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Old Dec 12th 2017, 3:05 pm
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Default Re: Newbie help required! UK to Toronto move

Originally Posted by Newguy1989
I think legally they are two seperate entities, but operate under the same umbrella (Am I allowed to say company names on this forum?)
Shouldn't matter you just need to prove the connection between the companies. When I got my ICT work permit I too had to resign from my UK company and take up employment with the Canadian company. Obviously the fact that both had the same name helped i.e. COMPANY Ltd. and COMPANY (UK) Ltd.

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...n-foreign.html
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Old Dec 12th 2017, 3:31 pm
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Default Re: Newbie help required! UK to Toronto move

Hi Engineer_abroad, thanks for your response. That is very interesting - That is exactly the case for me (the companies have the same name, COMPANY CANADA Ltd. and COMPANY UK Ltd.)

I didn't think I qualified on the grounds of signing a new contract. I hope you don't mind, but if I could ask you a couple more q's;

- In this case, this would make the job LMIA exempt. Would I then be able to apply at Point of Entry?
- Regarding common-law spouse and young daughter, there would be no problems with them accompanying me off the back of my ICT?
- What was the length of your ICT TFWP?
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