niz

Hi

I had an interview 2 weeks ago (which I passed) and am now awaiting medicals to come through the post. All great news except...

Today I got offered a job starting in September which is basically double the salary that I am on now. It is very much skilled work (operations analyst for an Investment Bank)....

The dilemma is do i accept the job, work for a year or two, then move to Toronto (all being well of course), or move to Toronto as soon as I get my visa, build up some Canadian work experience and who knows where i shall be in a couple of years?

Moneywise I can never expect to earn the type of wage that I have been offered here in Toronto for quite a few years. The experience would be most beneficial in job seeking across the pond...

Also, what are the residency rules? Is it one year to land after visa is issued, then two out of the next five years residency in Canada? I assume it's easier to apply for jobs once PR status is attained...does anybody work in the Financial Services industry over there?

Thanks in advance

jempee

Can't really help with the job thing as have no idea about Toronto work force but just wanted to say about the residency.
You do not have one year from when visa is issued to land you have one year from when medical was taken. The date on your visa will expire a year to the day medicals were taken.

niz

Thank you!

So if I were to land within the year, return to the UK for a year and then went back to Canada, I assume i would not have to re-take meds?

iaink

Correct. Once you land, you land. Anything after that is about maintaining status only...have to be here 2 years out of first 5, and for any rolling five year period after that.

jempee

nope as long as you land you would not have to do meds again.

jempee

Unless you take citizenship of course. You in theory can get that and leave Canada for as long as you like and still come back. But i think you have to be here for 3 consecitive years to get citizenship, but not 100% sure as not looked into it yet? Stupid question i know but would that mean you cant even go on holiday for 3 years???

iaink

3 out of 4, so you can go on holiday.

niz

Is that 5 years from the date that you land or the date from meds or date from visa issued?

Sorry, just need to make some major plans for a major re-think...

iaink

When you land.

Im not sure from your 1st post if the "visa" you are waiting for is a work permit for the canadian job offer, or a permanent residence visa.

niz

Iain

The visa is PR...the job is in England

thanks

iaink

Sorry, saw interview, assumed job not immigration.

Even were you to do medicals tomorrow, you would still have 4 years till you absolutely HAD to come to Canada, so Id take the job and see how it goes.

You would have to do a land and return maneuver within a year after your meds, before the PR visa expired, but after that you could still stay 3 years in the UK before it was impossible to maintain the 2 out of 5 year canadian residency requirement. Not that its a good idea to leave it that late, I'm just saying you do have plenty of time to try the new job and see how that leaves you feeling about life, Canada and everything.

Experience at a higher level is no impediment to finding a job in canada at a later time, and really if you dont like the job, it gives you a while to try and leverage it into a waiting position in Canada if you do decide to take up PR.

jempee

thanks for replying. Some thing to mull over in the future.

niz

Thanks for all the advice...it has helped a great deal