I have been stalking about these pages for a while now, reading all of your pieces of advice and anxieties, as i awaited CIC's decision regarding my application for Permanent Residence.

Last week, they issued myself and my better half with our visas. I am no longer guarded by the fear of tempting fate or of counting pre-hatched chickens.... we are moving to Canada!

I feel though, that we have one shot at doing this and so of course, we want to get it right the first time. To this end, i hope that you all might share some wisdom, by telling me of the single most valuable piece of advice you received when at this stage of your migration.

We are looking towards the Vancouver area (although not the uber expensive center); we need a home and jobs of course, but basically we are overwhelmed by the sense of having too much to choose from, whilst having not a clue as to how best proceed.

Thoughts of acquiring a job before we leave the UK seem fantastical; but ideas of job hunting once out there suggest our savings (hoped to be put down on a home to call our own) will soon be reduced to nothing.

In a nutshell: what the hell do we do now!!!?

Many thanks for any and all....

Hi there
We are in exactly the same boat as you and pretty scared as we too want to get it right, naturally!

Just got our visas, want to live in central Vancouver, can't afford much as not sold the UK house so we'll be renting and need to get jobs quickly or funds will run out. We've also realised that getting a job whilst living in the UK isn't working despite best efforts. They all say we need to be there.

We've opted to send my OH to Vancouver for a month on a job hunt in March 09. If he gets a job, we'll go. If not, he's taken a sabbatical from work so he still has a job here and we'll continue planning. Lots of people are doing this whether it's Van, or Toronto etc.

When are you planning on going?

Linda

Somebody posted a link yesterday showing Vancouver house prices dropping, so you could look at it that right now, you might be living off of savings but are saving long-term on the cost of owning a house, presuming that's what you ultimately intend to do.

Getting a career-path job off the bat in Canada is not the easiest thing either. I know this topic has been done to death on this forum, but don't expect to walk into an equivalent job with benefits like you had in the UK. Best to be realistic about the job situation.

I assume you've done some research into what employment in your field(s) is available in the Vancouver area and what kind of incomes are applicable. The answers to your questions are varied and depend on whether or not you have children. The first thing I would do upon arrival, is find somewhere to live and get settled in there as quickly as possible. It is very difficult to look for jobs/schools etc., when you don't have some "permanent" residence. Until you find work you should probably try for a monthly lease in the event you have to move closer to employment sites. It is a lengthy learning process with, for the most part, no support system. Keep uppermost in your mind at all times that people do this day in and day out and, for the most part, weather the storm and end up happy they did.

My employment experience is pretty far reaching and adaptable, in that it could apply to most general administrative / bureaucratic processes; (although my career thus far has been entirely within construction and architectural trades.)

My family consists of myself and my better half (ie. no children) and so i can see how our situation is much easier than many other's.

It would seem that the best strategy is to jump straight in and to optimise your employment opportunities from day one. I read that recruitment is most easily realised by presenting oneself in person (whcih makes sense) and so the expenditure of savings on rent or hotel bills etc will be a necessary risk?

It does seem to be a little 'all or nothing' type strategy. I had expected this to be honest and i am happy to (try) rise to the occasion.... my boss at home though may need some convincing..... the hard work only just begins once issued with the visa huh?

Many thanks for your replies.

I'm in (Canada 11 months now) on a work visa but waiting on my passport to returned so i can cross the border and get my full PR (fingers crossed every time I open the mail box)

The best bit of advice I think i received about the whole process of moving overseas was from a Canadian who had relocated to the UK and it was basically just to put yourself out there and speak to people. Free yourself to open up to people and chat about anything, just try and be sociable whenever you get the chance. I don’t think I’m a shy person but it is (still) easier said than done!

Hope all goes well for the move

Thomas

Hi there!

Good Luck with the move. I did a recce trip where I approached several recruiters regarding positions etc. They were all very helpful, however none would commit to hiring me until I was physically there. I think alot have had their fingers burnt by issuing job offers, only for those foreigners never to show up.

I live in Van, just me, and I live downtown. Absolutely love it, and work about 3 blocks away. I'm in recruitment but not in your field. Currently there is nothing happening with hiring - just the season really. Expecting it to improve in the new year.

I'm unable to help or answer questions on visa status etc, as I was lucky enough to have been born here!

All the best
Bx

My single best piece of advice would be to contact as many employers as humanly possible just prior to you landing / staying!

Arrange for lots of interviews about a week after you get there - as someone else said - get your fingers in as many pies as possible - at least one you would hope will come up trumps.

Preperation is they key word here! (good luck btw!)

I sincerely don't want to put you off this strategy, in fact it's probably the way to go, but bear in mind everyone else has this strategy and i can guarantee you no matter how hard you think you are looking for a job, in this market, there are 100 others looking even harder.

The company where I work people walk in quite often looking for a job, they hand in their resume, and get told 'we'll contact you if anything comes up'... more often than not, resume is scanned and stored. Our company is nice enough to reply to the applicant; a lot of companies don't even acknowledge it.

cheers

My single piece of advice is bring as much money as you can muster.

it's not just a buyers market at the moment, it's also a renters market too....there are some amazing 'deals' to be had (we've just secured a 4 bed, brand new house, all mod-cons, in the 'expensive bit of vancouver' for $2500 per month + utilities....reduced from $3400)........so my advice would be to rent, especially until after the olympics 2010, then with your 'cash' buy something.....this gives you loads of time to 'canadianise yourselves, find work, meet people and chill-out' about it all........good luck.....