As my profile clearly states, I'm landing in January. I don't think that this disqualifies me from having an opinion.

No it does not disqualify you from having an opinion.

It just reiterates what I said earlier, but then judging from your reply you already knew that.

Surely initial research would have been useful.
I work in Market Research and the tools used in Canada are quite different to those in the UK. I made sure that I knew (a) what these were and (b) if there were any regularitory restrictions before I set out on the process

I'm not referring specifically to Mr and Mrs Lifty, but I would have thought it would be fairly commonsense to check out for yourself what the state of play is regarding regulations.

You're going to a country that is completely new. Surely you don't expect that life will be exactly the same when you get there.

I've done an awful lot of research into what life in Canada will be like, despite the fact that I have family over there and that I have stayed there numerous times over the last 10 years. Yet even so I don't expect it to be how I have pictured it. There will be surprises - both pleasant and unpleasant

As a professional I can't agree. I'm being sponsored for a work visa by a company that is paying me what I would earn in the UK. The salary I'm earning is at the top end of the range they were offering Canadians for the position. In fact they were quite apologetic about not being able to offer more. Discrimination? I don't think so.

From my experience and from a a nursing point of view I'm going to have to disagree with you.

To obtain RN status here is a hell lot more straightforward from my experience than the US (a load of bureaucratic tripe) and from reading the OZ nurses experiences in this forum doesn't appear any less that theirs.

In fact the process is amazingly straightforward here in Alberta provided you have the qualifications and the necessary hours.

I have a colleague at work who is doing the reverse process (applying to the UK) and is encountering far worse problems than me (e.g 30 quid or something for the application pack) and a much slower and bureaucratic process than I encountered which she could then consider to be protectionism.

IMO Canada is being unfairly represented here (from a nursing viewpoint). They have every right just as other countries do (including the UK) to have standards.

As I said earlier there is nothing to stop you from applying for your licence well before your visa application. Of course it is going to cost money, all administration tasks do, but hell at least (unlike the UK) they don't charge you for an application pack.

If Canada is guilty then so too is the UK.

You know the sad part is that if this issue of misleading immigrants could be sorted out then in my opinion Canada would be the most wonderful place in the world.

I moved there with my family in 1995 and yes, we did quite a lot of research before leaving. Back then it was a little different.
I flew to Ontario for an interview, got the job, was given a reference number by the Kitchener immigration office and then flew back to the UK.
Two weeks later I was granted a work visa from London, UK. Within a week I was back in Kitchener and working in my new job.
The entire thing took less than three weeks from start to finish. Needless to say that I didn't have all that much time to research Canada although I did the best I could given the time constraints.

We have never had any regrets in moving to Canada. Right now I am working in the US and would very much like to be back in Canada where my daughter still lives.

Canada is a beautiful place with much to offer, at least in my opinion anyway.

I agree and I can't wait to get there next week...

The thread has obviously evolved to a broader topic than purely Mr & Mrs Liftman's case (whom it has to be said seem to have been led a right merry dance by Canadian officialdom).

To lighten things up a bit:
There are two types of 'immigrants' emerging here. The hippies and the pragmatists.

The hippies are prepared to take any job (at least in the short term) and also prepared to take a considerable financial hit if it doesn't work out. Head in the clouds, totally unrealistic, and could set them back years on failure.

The pragmatists are scared s**tless of impending and near certain financial doom and will die of low self esteem should they not get right back up the career ladder asap.

Two very different approaches - to very valid approaches to immigration
It would be interesting to hear from Canadians or ex pats already over there as to which group has the best chance of making a go of it! Also which group are also the most realistic in their approach? Which are the best for Canada?!!

PS To avoid gross generalisations can I just say that I think the UK is a damn fine place.

he he... very funny. Should lighten the mood. I think I may be in the hippy group.

I think my head is in the pragmatists group, and my heart is in the hippy group.

But then I am a Gemini

Yep, I would agree with that.

It's good to hear that the situation is better for nurses who wish to move to Alberta.

From a teaching point of view, it does cost for an application pack here in Ontario and you can't apply to be a registered member of the Ontario College of Teachers unless you are a landed immigrant and have a SIN number. I tried to do this before I left the UK but was told I would have to wait until I got here.

I also asked whether there were any courses I could do in order to prepare the way for me working here but the answer again was no.

I have a B.Ed (Hons) and a MA in Primary Education aswell as having international work experience. It has been suggested that the best way for me to get into teaching in this little corner of Southwestern Ontario is to become a temporary educational assistant to get my foot in the door.

Chris

OK, that is bad!

but can you have your assessment done from out of country?

Trouble is, Canada either believes that its professional standards are better than everyone else's in the world, or (more likely) realises full well that they aren't, but represents them as such to protect their own professionals from outsiders and to create a lucrative little sideline extorting money from potential immigrants for licences.

I could probably have my qualifications assessed by a private company for x many dollars but that wouldn't really help as the OCT are the ones I need to register with in order to be qualified to teach in the public school system. They do their own assesments at $305 a go and won't process it without a SIN number.