All my ducks in a row...?
 

Hi there,

This is my first post, so I just want to start by congratulating everyone involved with britishexpats.com. This site is so informative and so useful. It's been invaluable to my research into a move to Canada. :thumbsup:

My Wife's family is in Beeton, ON. And we want to be too! We have a 4yr old daughter and so want to make the move before she starts school in earnest.

Which brings me to where in the process I am now. Here's what I think I know...

1. I've learnt that a perm residency application from the UK is a no-go for us due to the length of time involved.

2. So, I've got to get a job! Thanks to this site I know all about NOC lists, the role of the HRSDC, and the crucial positive LMO.

3. Again, thanks to this site I know something about how to present myself to the Canadian labour market with a resume etc.

4. Being employed full-time and with family commitments, the task of job hunting on the other side of the Atlantic is daunting to me. So, I'm seriously considering employing the services of a well-known immigation lawyer that claims to be able to provide a 'Full Service Relocation'. My opinion is that whilst I know that I could do most of it myself, if the assistance expedites and eases the process then it's money well spent.

5. Finding appropriate employment near our family in Ontario may be tricky due to the strength of the labour market there. We may have to settle for wherever the work is. I can't afford to turn down respectable offers on the basis of location. Trying too hard for ON would be foolish.

As I say, that's some of what I think I know. I would be extremely grateful if, before we start liquidating our life and spending money with lawyers, others here more knowledgeable than I would let me know if I seem wide of the mark at all.

In particular, regarding my decision to employ a lawyer. It maybe obvious to some of you whom I'm considering. (Some previous clients 'sing' his praises ;)) Would I be wiser to consider the services of a consultant? Andrew Miller and Jim Humphries appear very popular!

Many thanks! :D

Re: All my ducks in a row...?
 

You mention family in Canada - what family & what's their status?

Re: All my ducks in a row...?
 

Hi Rob_999,

Ah, that's another thing I think I know all about...

It's my Wife's Aunty and cousins. SFAIK, there's no grounds for sponsorship. For our immigration my hope is that our family links will count for us in terms of adaptability.

Re: All my ducks in a row...?
 

Hi philhusbands,

A warm welcome to BE. You've clearly read around the subject very well - good for you - that is going to help.

The only thing that jumps out at me is the rush to use the services of a lawyer. There are so many folk on here who are equally daunted by the prospects of finding themselves employment and yet still manage to do so. We can think of one family in particular who saw the whole job hunting from afar thing as something they were not going to be able to crack...but they are arriving here today for a meet and greet session with a company that has made the husband a job offer. It's entirely possible and there is a wealth of job hunting info on the WIKI. The fact that you are clearly highly articulate is going to help in unlocking a door or two. Have you checked out whether your current role/skills are on any of the provincial lists of Occupations Under Pressure...
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Occupa...ressure-Canada
...if you ARE willing to look beyond ON (if needs be) then this would be a good place to start.

Regardless, we wish you all the best with your plans.

Kind regards,

Eamonn & Janet.

Re: All my ducks in a row...?
 

Hi Eamonn & Janet,

Many thanks for your reply! Yep, i have look at the Occupations Under Pressure info. I'm NOC 0213, but also have experience under 0123. Just going by what I read this stands me in good stead for Alberta and BC.

I've looked into Calgary quite a bit. The proposition of living next to the Rockies sounds fantastic but there's a couple of potential flies in the ointment. It's a long way from family in Ontario and the current property boom means that we wont be able to afford as much as elsewhere.

I havent looked into BC at all yet simply due to it being even further away from Ontario!

I've tried to find some Occupations Under Pressure info for Manitoba but have been unable to. Is there such info?

Another question in my head is; if my NOC is not an 'Occupation Under Pressure', is my job search in that region dead in the water? If I'm successful in attracting an employer in ON, how realistic is it that the HRSDC will give it the green light?

Thanks for your help!

PS. RE: "Clearly highly articulate". You're very kind! But at this time of night it is purely wine fuelled... :)

Re: All my ducks in a row...?
 

Hi Phil
I am in the same position as you and came to the same general conclusions, after much internet research. My wife has friends in Burlington, ON and would like me to concentrate job-hunting efforts there but I honestly believe there will be greater opportunities in Alberta, for example, away from the Ontario-flame that seems to attract most immigrant-moths.

We are based in Mexico (I'm a Brit, she's Mexican) and I am at the stage of honing and refining my resume and cover letters and chasing likely jobs at workopolis and monster. I don't honestly expect anything to come of that so we will probably take a 3 week vacation in the New Year, with aforementioned friends, so I can see what conditions are like at ground level, talk with Canadians, make personal contact with recruitment agencies etc.

I would agree with some of the other responses here that unless you are in a highly specialised field of employment, it makes no sense to pay for services you could adequately do yourself and, probably, with a greater degree of success.

Good luck - let us all know how it turns out...

Adrian R

Re: All my ducks in a row...?
 

It is not obvious to me, and I would be very hesitant to part with any cash to a lawyer that is promising to find you a job. I don't see how they can possibly make that promise.

I don't know either of the contributors to this site that you mention so I can't give you a recommendation. However, they seem to know what they are talking about and I've not seen many (or any?) complaints. Maybe worth a free preliminary discussion?

Getting a job with an employer who is willing to go through the LMO or PNP process is the hardest part. The paperwork is a piece of cake in comparison unless you have unusual circumstances like a criminal record, health issues or a blended family.

You don't say what you do for a living so it is difficult to give any more advice. You do say you are prepared to be flexible and that will stand you in very good stead.

I know it can be daunting looking at a silent 'phone and thinking, "can I pick this up and talk to someone on the other side of the world and try and get a job?" The answer is yes, you can. Plenty of people do. You have to remember that in Canada a great deal of business is done on the 'phone. It is not doing you any favours sitting in the cradle so do the research recommended in the wiki and start talking.

Re: All my ducks in a row...?
 

Hi Adrian,

We should welcome you and your wife to British Expats too!:D

Hope your job hunt is successful. For us, we have never had much joy with the likes of Workopolis/Monster. Contacting targetted potential employers directly seems to produce better results, a view formed from Janet's own experience and reading the exploits of others on this forum.

Kind regards,

Eamonn & Janet.

Re: All my ducks in a row...?
 

It would be good to have a look at the various Occupations Under Pressure Lists for the Provinces to see which one would entertain an employers LMO application.

Without an LMO you will not get a Temp Work Permit (unless it's an Inter-Company Transfer).

For an employer to get an LMO they must prove that they have advertised the job trans Canada for a period of 3 or 6 months. Of course the exceptions to this would be those occupations identified on the OUP List. These jobs only have to be advertised for a 7 day period.

It's not an easy task to get an employer to try for an LMO if it's not for a job on the OUP List so it might be worth considering a longer term view of getting a job in Canada, getting PR and then deciding on where you want to settle permanently. I know for some this easier said than done, but worth considering all your options.

We had planned on moving to Vancouver, but are happy to find ourselves in Toronto. We are very pleased to be here and experiencing life in Canada.

What ever you decide, best of luck.

Rob. ;)

Re: All my ducks in a row...?
 

like the others have said "welcome to the forum"

there is more to alberta than calgary and the smaller areas cry out for people and seem to be over looked, so what im saying dont rule out other areas of BC and alberta ;)

We was planning on ontario, but due to the employment etc and companys not wanting to do the paperwork we opted to spend what we had on a recci to alberta, left with job offers and are now living the dream in lethbridge, which is smaller than calgary :blink:

we did love ontario and have friends there, but thats life and we are now settled and love it here, would i move later, i really cant answer that, but for now i am happy

plus i have just started work as i got an open permit :rofl:;)

Re: All my ducks in a row...?
 

Hi

Welcome to BE

I would echo what others have advised here, we found it really helpful going over to Canada on a recce trip following lots of emails and phone calls to potential employers. We approached them on the basis of what our plans are and that we would like to meet up informally for a chat about the industry in Canada etc.

Our experience of the recce showed that a lot of the job search is based on networking and the Canadian employers were really receptive to face to face contact. We found that on speaking to one person they were also aware of other companies looking to hire staff and were able to pass on names and contact numbers and it went from there.

Good luck with your plans:thumbup:

Re: All my ducks in a row...?
 

Hi philhusbands,

Here's the OUP list for Manitoba. Not sure why that isn't in the WIKI article. If we can figure out how to update the WIKI, we will add it in.

http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/workplaces...bouplist.shtml

It's certainly nice here by the mountains but as you say, you want to juggle other factors like proximity to family (which wasn't an issue for us). As for property prices, the boom of 2006 and 2007 is over and it has been a buyer's market out this way for the past year or so. Sure, it's still more costly than many other areas of Calgary but prices have certainly moderated.

Our understanding of the OUP thing is that having your role on that list significantly reduces the length of time (3 months down to 7 days) that an employer has to advertise a position before they can seek a Labour Market Opinion with a view to seeking permission to recruit a foreigner. So, not seeing your role on the list is not the end of the road but it certainly makes it much more difficult to find an employer willing and able to go the distance with you. Moreover, for occupations NOT under pressure, chances are that the employer will find a suitably qualified Canadian anyway.

As for the wine, it's clearly good stuff...you'll have to let us know what it is!:D

Eamonn & Janet.

Re: All my ducks in a row...?
 

Hi Everyone,

Many thanks indeed for your replies, advice and support! :thumbsup:

Eamonn & Janet, thanks for the link to the Manitoba OUP list. As you've seen, my NOC isn't on there. The only OUP list that includes my NOC is Alberta's.

After heeding the good advice here and doing more reading, I've decided that my first task is to pull together a list of all of the businesses in the New Tecumseth area of Ontario (where our family is) that appear relevant to my skills, experience, and might be worthy of me. :p

This should be fairly straightforward. I'm an IT Project Manager currently working for a Microsoft Gold Partner. This is me. So my first search will be for other Microsoft Partners...

Regarding the use of a lawyer; The guy I'm looking at is Colin Singer. I've researched his firm and found that the vast majority of feedback is positive. At this stage I'm still drawn to the principle of having someone on board who can apply some inside knowledge and 'tricks of the trade'. I've read accounts of job and visa applications being expedited with appropriate use legal 'mumbo-jumbo'.

However... Colin Singer's jurisdiction stretches the length and breadth of Canada. Whilst I'm realistic about the need to be flexible, I want to go for gold first and see how much I can do to secure employment close to family. Paying £1000's for a country-wide employment service seems daft at this early stage. Even more so after reading the advice here.

I am wondering though if there might be any employment agencies specific to the Barrie area of Ontario who would be worthwhile talking to?

Meanwhile, the hunt for an employer lucky enough to have me starts now! :p Here I am again. If anyone thinks they might have an employment lead for me I'd be very grateful to receive it. Perhaps I'd reward with a case of that wine? Which was a 2007 Australian Merlot by the way... :D

Phil. :cool:

Re: All my ducks in a row...?
 

Hi. Have you thought of living around the Orangeville, Guelph, Bolton or Newmarket areas. It's not that far to drive to New Tecumseth from any of them, and downtown Toronto is at most usually an hour and a half drive from Guelph which is the furthest away.

Try these;

CMS Consulting. Based downtown Toronto.

Konverge. Also based downtown.

Google search for Microsoft Gold Partners in Mississauga

Re: All my ducks in a row...?
 

Hi CaptainHook,

Great reply, many thanks! I visited Newmarket last year and loved it. I haven't been to Orangeville, Guelph or Bolton yet, but I know they're in my target region.

Many, many thanks indeed for the links. I'll let you know how I get on!

Regards,

Phil.