Scopo

I would be grateful if anyone can give me an opinion on my particular case, and apologies if it has already been covered in another thread.

I am a UK resident, 50 years old, BSc and Masters graduate in Civil Engineering. I worked in construction for 4 years after graduating and then started my own wholesale and retail business. This worked well for over 20 years but recession and decline saw it off.

I have been doing fairly menial work for the past 3 years as a self-employed cleaner. This with my wife's salary got us by, but unfortunately my wife became ill recently (cancer) and although she's fine and treatment is going well, she can't work.

This has left me with a financial gap (2 teenage kids, you know how it is). So I was looking at the possibility of going over to the oil sands in Alberta to do, well ... just about anything.

My sister is naturalized Canadian and lives in Calgary, so I have a landing point. I've been assured that there is plenty of work in Fort Mc etc. I am well aware that this is very hard work, long hours in bad conditions, but I can manage that. I wouldn't be planning to get permanent residence and bring my family initially, just FIFO.

My idea was to go over to Calgary, do the necessary safety certificates (a few days), get a driving licence and then find a job. Wait for the LMO and then go back, get TWP and start work.

My main concerns are :

- My age (is 50 too old for Canadian authorities?)

- My qualifications (no recent experience in engineering although I am happy to do labouring work)

- My lack of any skill or trade (although I'd love to learn something new)

Why don't I try to get a job in Alberta from the UK? Well, I have tried, but it seems that they want to see you face to face. One company I spoke to said they receive about 200 emails a day from people who in his words "Might be drifting into Fort McMurray one day". I've had no luck and to be honest I would want to meet the company I'm working for and for them to meet me. So the best way for me is to take my CV to several companies in Calgary or Fort Mc and find a job that way.

This is the chicken and egg. I can't get the job without coming to Alberta, but I don't really want to come to Alberta if there's no chance of a job. I know I can find a job, but will I get snookered for the LMO afterwards?

Just as an aside, I do speak and write french fluently, having lived and worked in France for 13 years. I don't know if this would be any help?

Anyway, thanks if anyone has got any advice. It would be much appreciated

ExKiwilass

It sounds like you're in a really tough place and looking for a way out. I'm really sorry to hear about your wife and your troubles.


Is there no other option in the UK?

mandymoochops

I too am sorry to hear about your situation, and whilst I don't want to be the bearer of bad tidings, I don't know of any jobs up in the oil sands (the big money jobs) that would give you an LMO.

I think the low skilled LMOs are ust for people working in fast food places / retail etc ie, high turnover not many people want to do them type jobs.

The oil companies can take their pick of young Canadians wanted to earn the big bucks without going outside for their labour. The only chance would be if you had a specific skill.

Scopo

Thank you for your kind words. I'm not quite ready to give up yet.

Firstly, the situation in the UK isn't great at the moment. London and the SE are still doing ok, but where I am jobs are very hard to come by, especially good ones. The best job offer I have had is £15k a year, i.e poverty line.

I know from two friends (Canadian) in the oil sands that there is plenty of work at the moment, even for people lower down the food chain. So maybe I should rephrase my question.

If I go to Alberta and find a job as a labourer (or maybe a bit better) with an employer who is prepared to complete the LMO and wait 16 weeks for me, is there a chance that CIC will approve it? On the one hand this is a job that a Canadian could easily do, but on the other hand my friend tells me that they are screaming out for workers. Will my degrees and french language knowledge have any bearing on it?

Getting the TWP almost seems like a game of Bridge. Life gives you a hand of cards, sometimes mostly bad ones with only a couple of good ones. Play the cards in the wrong order and it's game over in no time. But play them in just the right order and ... who knows?

Scopo

Wow. This is a fast moving forum. I am a mod on another forum and I've never seen traffic like this.

Just a quick comment on my forum name, Scopo. I actually wanted Scoop, which was my nickname from years ago as editor of the school magazine, but it's already taken.

So I suddenly thought that Scopo doesn't sound British - even though I am British - but I'm sure it makes no difference - I don't know why I'm even mentioning it

mandymoochops

OK the issue here is that to be successful in obtaining an LMO, the company has to advertise nationally and prove to HRSDC (Human resources and development Canada) that there are no Canadians willing or able to do the job. A basic labourers job I don't believe would fit that criteria irrespective of what your friend tells you.

I only know the oil patch side of things as thats the field my hubby works in and yes there is a lot of call for people lower down the chain because a lot of them quit cos they can't hack it - there is also no shortage of people wanting to fill these jobs. I've heard from the horses mouth that hr departments get literally hundreds of applications a week (especially up north in the oil sands where everyone thinks the pavements are lined with gold) and most if not all end up in the bin.

I'm really not trying to rain on your parade but I would say that the chances are slim to none for getting an LMO for a labourers job, and if you want to go for something higher up the chain then what specific skills do you have to offer that a Canadian couldn't?

cheeky_monkey

Have to agree..getting an LMO for a labourers job in the oil sands with an employer willing to wait 16 weeks..simply put you have 2 hopes..Bob Hope and no hope!

Scopo

Thanks Mandy and Cheeky. I understand that whilst this may not be what I want to hear, you have my best interest at heart in trying to help me avoid making a wasted journey, as well as Canada's in trying to help it avoid importing unwanted trash.

I haven't quite finished hoping yet. From what I've been told there are plenty of foreign labourers in Fort Mc. I know that there are various agreements in place (special visas for the Irish, NAFTA for USA and Mexico etc) but there seems to be a plethora of nationalities up there. I also know that there are hundreds of applications that go straight in the bin, but the people who tend to be hired are the ones who show up.

Maybe I do have something to offer Canada. I was a section engineer on a viaduct in Kuwait that had the widest prestressed concrete segments in the world (at the time). I signed off over 1,000 technical drawings in the three years I was there. I had a paper published on temporary retaining wall design. It was a long time ago but maybe this experience would count for something?

If Canada really doesn't want me and is prepared to go to any lengths to get rid of me before I've even arrived then then you're right. I'm best to stay in my kennel and save my money.

But if there's a chance, even a slim one, then I'd love to give it a go.

mandymoochops

So you have been told that there are lots of foreigners up there and are presuming that a) its easy and b) you are more experienced educated than them so should have no problem.

Apart from one - they have work permits / residency. You don't know how they have arrived here? They could be spouses of pr's, they could be on IEC visas, their families could have sponsored them etc etc etc.

Your previous experience will not help you getting a labourers job unless you are here and have residency. If you have all these qualifications why not just apply for stright pr? You speak and write French fluently so that has to be worth something?

ExKiwilass

if you want to work a labourer's job why not in the UK?

cheeky_monkey

im going to be brutally honest here..i work in construction and have so all my life..the construction industry has changed enormously in the last 20 years things have moved on..what was relevant 20 years ago in Kuwait or designs etc are now often obsolete and not used any more..so realistically your experience wouldn't count for nought against graduate engineers coming out of college today...whether they are from Canada or the UK.