Siouxie

Canada, like most countries, want the cream of the crop - the people who will contribute and succeed here... I know of many Trades-people who have not had any problems with getting PR here.. others might, depending on their level of experience and whether their trade is in demand (i.e. a shortage of skilled workers in that trade). If you have the experience and there's a need for your trade in one of the Provinces and if you are under 40 then the chances are you may (with some work) get a job offer or qualify for Provincial nomination.. or get in under FSW (Trades), which has the lowest point requirement.

At least it's a level playing field now and it's easy to see what points you have and the likelihood of getting an invite from the EE pool is, or if you need to go down a different route - unlike the old days.

DaechiDragon

The idea of that is honestly not appealing. I wouldn't want to stay somewhere in the middle of nowhere there unless it was for a short period of time.

To be honest, I'm an English teacher and I'm hoping to switch to IT (my degree was in that). Since my NOC is accepted I thought I could get in with teaching experience, but I wasn't hoping to work in that field once in Canada. I'm saving up to do a bootcamp once in Canada, which would also help with local connections, but if I can't even get in then I'm screwed.

Another way would be to go to a Canadian university, but master's courses are for 2 years and they're so expensive. I'd use up all of my money just trying to get into Canada. The only other way I can think of is to go back to the UK and try to break into IT, then work for a year and then apply for Canada. That comes with many challenges too and my partner (who's not British) is planning to study and then get a job when we move. She's willing to spend that money, but she's got to do that in Canada because if she does it in the UK it might be useless in Canada. She doesn't want to burn her money by going to another country. She could go to Canada as an international student and then I could apply to go as her partner, but I'm not sure about that route yet. After being in Canada for a while I could have a better chance at getting a job offer and/or points for a visa. The whole thing is so difficult though and I'm kicking myself for not working in IT back when I was in the UK (but then I wouldn't have met my partner).

The whole thing is just so disheartening because I thought I could get into Alberta with just points. I mean once in Canada for a few years I'm sure I could get citizenship and move around freely, but I've gotta be somewhere where I could get IT work and that's gonna be the cities.

CanadaJimmy

Federally perhaps, but the provincial nomination programs are still quite generous. Manitoba's lets you immigrate after you secure pretty much any job with a work permit. Maybe Saskatchewan's PNP just wasn't the right fit?

Stumpylegs

aye, the key thing on most of the PNP schemes seems to be job offer, which seems very hard to get from outside the country when you have no work permit.

Aye, Saskatchewan would be the same, soon as you get a job offer, mediocre english scores, being sub 40 and having a year of uni, or a trade qualifier letter (not even having passed the exam) and you are in.

The key point on all of them seems to be having a job offer, which is awkward to get with no way to actually work. Saskatchewans was good as in theory I could land in the province and follow the requirement for work, i.e wherever was most desperate(paying the most money!) - take a job at the bottom of my industry and work my way back up, rather than get a job offer for a job that may be out of my depth.

It's not a moan from me - more of a general discussion point, I've been lucky enough (hopefully) to secure a place in via the FST draw last October. But just that the bar for tradespeople seems to be getting set very close or possibly above the ceiling for most trades in EE, I posted a thread on here last year about FST draw scores and it was said then that a big jump from the 280s was unlikely, the draw that then happened was a 332 draw, then later in the year the next draw jumped up to 357.

Sitting with a lad at work semi curious in the move and he's very similarly qualified to be as far as trades are concerned, but doesn't have any academic qualifications (and didn't sit any additional academic qualifications whilst sitting his apprenticeship ) and maximum points he could top out at (he doesn't lose any for age) is 346. without a 1 year uni course he's pretty screwed.He could potentially get an ECA and hope they give him high school diploma and a score of 376, but thats iffy on only GCSE's and vocational quals, as well as being very close tot he cut off for the previous draws, and with every previous draw the score jump has always been 25 points+, likewise going to sit an A level or 2, then getting that assessed will take long enough that he will drop points on his age by 2 years! - It's at this point that I'm like he has got no option to get in other than getting a job offer (or going in via IEC), no matter what work he does a job offer is the only route for him.

jproberts

We're feeling pretty hopeless here too! 24 year old couple with 2 kids. I've got a diploma (equivalent to one year.) My skills have been assessed that i'm eligible to sit a trades qualifier exam in Alberta (But now can't actually sit the exam) my NOC code is 7311.

But we just can't find any possible way at the moment to get a PR application going from in the UK. Our only real option is to sell everything here and move the family over on an IEC which is terrifying and highly unlikely to even happen. We're both feeling fully deflated as we thought that we were exactly the sort of people that Canada was looking for and we're not even close to qualifying for any schemes. We've been working towards our dream of Canada for the last few years but I think we're getting close to giving up on the idea now.

jimf

I suppose Canada can be a stepping stone to the USA, there are some I know who took a job in Canada and then got a company transfer to the USA (on a non immigrant visa I think). Otherwise you probably have to come from a 5h1thole country and win the card lottery or be David Beckham.

Is it the case that Canadian employers are required to lay off employees on TWP before citizens/PRs? If so probably more of an issue in present circumstances.

dbd33

You don't have to come from a poor country to enter the diversity lottery, I was entered a few times. Still, being in Canada isn't a factor in US immigration.

I'd be surprised if that was a lay off requirement. I do know of someone on a TWP being laid off due to the Coronavirus but that was from a contract position and it was the contract part that was the determinant.

My general point in the quoted post was that, if Canada is still a viable option for migration, the entry policy isn't too tough, it's competitive with the other options.