Hello,

I’m new to this website and have literally spent hours and hours reading everyone’s threads. Very useful. Thank you.

So im in need of some advice and I figured all of you on here can play my devils advocate rather than the bias response from my friends and family.

I’m 25 years old; single no mortgage, no commitments. I’ve been a police officer for 3 years and have always wanted to emigrate to NZ or Canada. Due to money and distance I think Canada is going to take preference. So im looking at applying to Edmonton.............
For those of you who have transferred into Edmonton, would you recommend it?
Has anyone done it alone or does the majority take families?
Do you need a certain amount of funding to transfer into the Canadian police, i.e. to show I can support myself?
Am I taking the jump to early and should I gain more experience as a British bobby first?
I’ve emailed Edmonton and planning to go over for a week to hang out with them and see what I think, as much as its daunting I am VERY excited and think I will be living by the seat of my pants whilst I take the journey into starting my life again, alone in a foreign country.....OH GOD!!!!

Answers on a postcard PLEASE!!

oooh, p.s where can I find mock tests i.e. maths and English?

Big thanks as i wait in anticipation.

xx

ok there is far too much to go into. if you want to pm me fine, i can arrange a ride along with me etc. yes you can come on your own, funding not in issue you come on PNP not visa, your 3 yrs should be enough, equivilentequivalent that over here, though they will not say so.
would i recommend it, not sure. i have the courage of my convictions so not avoiding a decisive comment here. but i think the life i have now, compared to what i did have distorts my viewpoint. In other words, canada yay, eps not so much, one makes the other liveable.
do not underestimate the pull of familiarity, even though you may think the jobs *****ed, to coin a phrase. starting all over again, with very different ideas on policing, systems and paperwork, is very very hard. the training too is difficult and long. bullet and head come to mind if i had to do it again.
on that cheery note all the best.

My view ex UK cop for what it is worth is that people have this impression that emigrating is the answer and leaving behind all the trials and tribulations of the UK is like escaping to freedom.

Canada just like the UK has its positives and negatives. I'm like Rae in that for me it balances out here in Ottawa. It isn't a fairy tale land, people with different accents but the same issues generally, just less densely populated than the UK.

The things you take for granted now in time you will likely miss. When you've been abroad a while and are out of the honeymoon period reality kicks in.

Dobby

policeprep.com was good for me!

I may be able to help you focus your area of interest between NZ or Canada.

I am in the current intake of officers going to New Zealand in October. There has been a regular intake of about 150 officers every 18 months for the past 5 years or so.

When we attended the interview day in London, we were told that this intake would be the last one they do, whether this will hold up in the future I don't know, but you will have to look into options of getting to the country before applying rather than those fortunate to have been able to have been given a job offer whilst in the UK.

The offical NZ police line is that you must have residency to get a job which means applying through the immigration points system. Something which is rather difficult without a job offer (love the catch 22).

The NZ website is ww.newcops.co.nz which has plenty of info for those wanting to join and even has online practice aptitude tests.

As you only have 3 yrs service in the UK, you won't particularly lose anything carreer wise if you migrate (pension etc) and any loss in pay won't be too severe.

All I can recommend is you visit where you fancy going and take up any offers of advice and help which have been given. Then look into what the police over there need from you (visa etc), but perhpas most of all really think about what you would do if the worst case scenario happened and ask yourself can you cope?

Good luck.

Hi there, I am also a newbie and I am in the early stages of applying to Edmonton. Did you find anything out regarding the mock tests because thats on my mind to, let me know, if i hear anything I will pass information onto you also.

Do it...you can always go back, but you can't say you had a go if you didn't!

well you better get a move on cos Edmonton is the only force now that will take UK officers unless they also have Canadian citizenship or residency status.

Vancouver and Calgary were taking UK officers but closed the door, Vancouver because most of the UK candidates got cold feet and pulled out at the last minute and Calgary because they have filled their quota for now.

So if you are serious get a move on.

In life there are 2 types of people thinkers and doers.

If you want to do something, you do it, otherwise just forget it.

Hi,
I have family members who say 'we thought about moving to Canada once, but changed our mind at the last minute!' I can totally sympathize with people getting nervous and putting it off, as it is a massive life changing decision. But we have the same viewpoint as Guy Fawkes and really wanted to make it happen and try it.
We came over to check out Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary in 05 and it was Calgary that seemed to offer all we wanted and we were right. We now live in a great town called Okotoks (www.okotoks.ca) which is just south of Calgary and wild horses wouldn't drag me away from the life me and my family have here.
I did not come over specifically to police, the main reason was for the lifestyle I believed that Canada could offer my family (which has worked out for us). I did not mind the training and enjoyed learning lots of new skills (I was never firearms in the UK) but it was strange being a recruit again (I thought that was long behind me) but you just get on with it and you are out on the street again before you know it!
I appreciate that Calgary have stopped accepting applications from experienced UK cops, but to be honest although Calgary was our first choice, Edmonton was a nice city (Edmonton was our second choice and my good lady loved the mall!!). We stopped with an experienced expat cop, working for Edmonton who very kindly put us up. I had the opportunity to go out on a ride along with Edmonton, which was great.
The best advice I can give those thinking about it is go see for yourselves.......and good luck
Eddie.

What have you got to lose? like you say, single, no commitments etc.
You could even try to get a career break, therefore protecting your service/pension over here.
All the best

Steve

EPS wont take anyone who is on a career break, they will need confirmation of resignation from your old force.

Fair do's. Might be worth looking at Oz then

UK forces now rarely allow career breaks especially not to join other polcie forces. used to, but not now.

so you may as well consider Canada. it is unlikely a UK force would refuse to re-employ you if you did wish to come back.

You are already trained and with the turnover being so high especially like where i am, they will look on your Canadian experience highly.

As to Pompeyboy who I note has made some negative comments about my postings: first off buddy, you know nothing of my background in Canada, what law enforcement positions I have held, what I currently do.

The problem with these sites is anyone can sign in and say they are this or that but there's no controls

Clealry pompeyboy is unhappy with what he does right now which is why he makes bitter comments, but don't discourage others from doing what they may like.

I don't know who you are or who you say you are, and I couldn't really care less.

I am a regular full time police officer for 11 years + now. I have experience both in UK and Canada. I am a Canadian citizen.

I didn't direct any negativity towards pompey boy so do me a courtesy buddy and don't snipe at me, and stop grinding on at others who want to try achieve something.

Period.

I've read the whole thread again .... what did I miss

This is not correct

Many UK forces (not all) do allow career breaks, even if you intend working
for another police agency.

Obviously each force has its own criteria re length of career break and if you
would return on the old or new pension scheme etc..

I think if the option is there, it's always worth taking for peace of mind if
nothing else.

Steve