TrevorT

Looking hard at moving to Canada. I'm a decorator by trade, the wife is a solicitor (Family Law).

We've been reading around rather a lot, but I'm a little puzzled about one or two things so any advice/insights into them would be great:

I notice that the annual holiday entitlement is only around two weeks, and can take many years to become comparable to the UK. Is this a worthy sacrafice that you just don't really notice as an issue?

Part of our reason for contemplating the move is that we understand Canada to be more laid back than the UK, and I'm sort of assuming that the change from the manic angry rush of UK to a more easy going Canada is one of it's greatest pulls - am I right?

There's also a couple of Immigration questions that I find myself going round in circles on:

(a) Can we get a job now and live in Canada on a temperory residence status, whilst still applying for permenant residence?

(b) If I was looking for a job and some interest was shown by an employer, would my British Citizenship exempt the need for a Labor Market Opinion letter from the HRSDC under the GATT agreement?

Thanks...

Oh and does it really take at least 2 years to obtain a permenant residency from the London visa office?

burton bunch

Good Morning Trevor

See some the answers above in Blue

And Welcome to the insane world of BE !!!

Annual Leave in Canada - Has been discussed on here loads of times and always gets a mixed result. But do not think that this should put you off going to live in Canada as not all employers give you 2 weeks - you might be lucky and get more as my Hubby did.


Good Luck

Gaynor
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gryphea

Hi Trevor and welcome,

Agree with burton bunch.

With respect the holidays- 10 days is statutory, not necessarily what you might expect

I would say you need to look into whether you are 'qualified for your occupation' and whether painting and decorating is an occupation under pressure.

Best wishes

Gryphea

TrevorT

Thanks Gaynor, I shall trawl the pages this evening when I have time, for some of the interesting discussion re holidays.

Sorry to seem dim, but I'm confused regarding the LMO and WP at port of entry. Are you saying that If I were to get a job offer, I could simply go to Canada and collect the work permit as I entered the country without having to apply to CIC ?

TrevorT

Thanks Gryphea

I know that my wife has some transitional work to do before practicing as a solicitor, but she may ( I believe) take on a lesser role in Canada whilst doing the transitional work - which takes around 18 months.

We're aiming for Alberta, as there seems to be a definite edge in the job market there, and you're right I need to look into my side of things too. The 'primary applicant' would be my wife though and I believe the job is one that features on the HRSDC list ... is that the same thing as 'under pressure'?

burton bunch

No

If you get a job offer - the employer will have to apply to HRDSC for a positive LMO. Only after a positive LMO can you go to the POE and pick up a WP

Gaynor
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Suzyanne

Hi Trevor,
Your future employer would have to apply for, and be given, a positive LMO by HRSDC, before you could submit both the LMO and an offer of employment to CHC to obtain a work permit. Work permit can be issued at port of entry if you do not want to wait for it to be mailed to you in UK.
Not going on WP myself but am sure info I have given is correct, people will correct me if it's not.

www.hrsdc.gc.ca will provide answers regarding WP/Occupations under pressure/etc.

Far better qualified people than me on this forum to guide you with all matters, good luck with everything.

TrevorT

Right, I understand now.

Thanks for the clarification on that folks.

We were worried that we may have to hold back on getting a job offer before we could obtain permenant residence, and at 2 years plus from London, that was painfully slow.

Thanks also for the useful link Suzyanne.

burton bunch

Hi Trev

I would double the 2 year wait for PR visa

Gayx

TrevorT

Oh that's right....cheer me up

Pebblebeach

Hi Trevor,

If your wife is the primary applicant as a solicitor, I think she will find it difficult to get a job offer based on our research. She may get lucky and find someone who will take her on as a paralegal whilst she retrains (for BC we we told 2 years retraining and 1 years articles!). I think that would definitly be the best bet.

I don't believe you can apply under PNP (again my knowledge is for BC) unless you have already retrained

We have looked into the above and decided to wait in the Skilled worker 4 year queue (sorry not 2 )as at least 3 years of that fits with other stuff going on in family life.

Will be really interested to hear how you get on though. Didn't mean to sound negative , just sharing what we have found. Tons of luck to you both

MCrocker

Canada being laid back is a tricky one. We were out for dinner at the weekend with some Canadian friends and they were wondering how I was coping with the much faster pace of life here than back in the UK. I was shocked that they had such a view and they weren't convinced that my previous 70 hour week was not a figment of my imagination.

I think in my experience it's just better saying that it's different. People here do work hard, many do not take their full holiday entitlement but it depends on the industry. Oil and Gas at the moment is just manic. My son works for a big bank here (just started) and he only gets 30 minutes for lunch and they'll give him a ten minute break in the afternoon if it's not busy.

On the other hand, coffee shops are busy all day every day - presumably with people who are working. People seem to start work earlier - it's not unusual to have people working before 7 am although they leave around 4pm.

I think they are less 'up themselves' and I've not seen presentism being an issue like it is in the UK but there is definately a culture here in Alberta that if you work hard you can be successful and that is attracting immigrants and Canadians from other provinces.

I'm not sure if this helps but I'd just caution against thinking it's like lunchtime in Spain.....

TrevorT

I think the 'less up themselves' is what I meant...I just didn't have such an apt turn of phrase !

Neither of us have an issue with graft, we just have an issue with the idea that the brownest nose get's ahaead.

Keep it coming folks and thanks.

Judy in Calgary

Hi Trevor,

You may find it helpful to go back to square one and read the BE Wiki article entitled Canadian Immigration Overview, if you haven't already stumbled on it.

I also suggest you read the Wiki entitled Careers in Canada.

Nancy A Bridson

Just to let folks know that we up on Mount Newton in North Saanich have snow in Winter!! My husband has moved more snow in our 5 years than in all his years in UK and we are quite old!!
Enjoy your life in Canada wherever you get to live!!