Hi its been a while since I have posted a thread but check the site regularly to see if anyone has posted anything that would help us in our situation. I am a 46 year old carpenter with over 25 years experience looking to immigrate with my partner and 2 children to Red Deer, Alberta.

We have been looking to immigrate through the Federal Skilled Worker Programme/Federal Skilled Trades Programme but come to a stumbling block because I don't have either an arranged job offer or the Red Seal stamp.

With the changes to the applications now in force can anyone advise me on the route I should follow?

Certification for Carpenters is not mandatory in Alberta, it is optional, however if you get it, it is a Red Seal trade so inter-provincially recognized (no such thing as a 'Red Seal Stamp'.

Look up Trade Secrets Alberta

Get yourself here on a job hunting recce and get yourself a job offer...

Personal communication seems to work. The recce will also give you a chance to check out the City.

Good luck

Hi
You considered FSW1 (when it restarts) no job offer required or was when I came via this route but you'll require enough points etc. You could go FSW2 ( needs arranged employment ) or even TWP route also required job offer TWP could be the quickest route but is less secure than gaining PR from the off but its still a good option. It is possible to secure employment from UK without a visa but not easy. Your best route if your looking for a visa backed by a job offer would be as others have mentioned is a recce to check out Alberta.
Have you visited Canada/Alberta in the past ?
Things have changed a little since I got my PR so no sure how much help i can provide but if I can help drop me a line.

If you look at the 'working in Canada' website, it has information under the tab 'education and job requirements' on what is needed and how to obtain it (you can look at each Province).

There are also links to jobs.

http://www.workingincanada.gc.ca/rep...abs_container2

This company are recruiting but I have no idea if they would be able to get an LMO for you or be prepared to wait for PR. http://www.clarkbuilders.com/job-listings

How dead set are you on Alberta? I ask because BC PNP may be a little easier to obtain PR if you could find someone prepared to offer you a job, as only a job offer is required rather than having to have been working in the Province for x months prior to applying. You would be able to get a TWP whilst waiting for PR, once Provincial Nomination had been approved.
http://www.welcomebc.ca/wbc/immigrat...lled/who.page?

Hi many thanks to all for the replays.
We will take the info given and hope things can progress.

Joinerboy if I can pm you that would be great

Yes no problem PM me

Met someone today who has just arrived, her husband is working on a construction/refit type job, they are here on a twp for two years, dont know all the detail, but a job offer, lmo and move was acheived. I sppose if they want to stay the releventforms will be submitted.

Thanks for that,just goes to show it can be done

Hi,
Just a thought but there are major work abroad exhibitions taking place inDublin and Cork Ireland this month and March. Might be worth a short relatively inexpensive trip to Ireland.
There will be reps from Alberta and Sask(God how do you spell it!)
I know they are looking for trades people as my neighbours(sparkle and chippee) got jobs through the exhibitions.
They are now settled in Alberta.
All the best

Although before the OP spends money on flights and hotels for it, it might be worth doing a quick search of the forum to see what's been said about the Expo's before.

I was idly flicking through the classifieds this morning, and saw this:
http://www.wegotads.ca/class_ad.cmp?...0&pstr=&sfid=1

Shunda are based out of Red Deer...

Andy

Of course the Op should research feedback on the exhibitions. I was merely offering another potential option for the OP to consider. Anecdotal evidence suggests that hundreds of building tradesmen have gained employment in Alberta as a result of contacts made at these expos. Review Irish Times and Irish Independant.
OP

Wise words christmasoompa,we did one of those emigrate shows in Glasgow and our gut feeling was that the company's there made it look oh so easy if you we're to use their services but it would cost £££££££
On a positive note it was informative and there was a really nice Canadian realtor who told us to do it ourselves and save a fortune