Hi all,

Firstly can I introduce myself as I am completely new to this site. I have previously posted this message in the Canadian Immigration forum, but have redirected it on the recommendation of Iaink.

My wife and I are in the very early stages of planning our escape from the UK and we're hoping to migrate to BC (Vancouver specifically) once all the PR stuff has been soted out.

I've been nosing round this forum for snippets of information for a while now and I'm getting concerned about the constant references to the state of the job market for non-Canadian citizens.

My question is are there any internet recruitment sites that I can browse to try and gauge the market for our skills?

I am an IT Consultant with 15 years experience (Microsoft 'back office' products mainly)

My wife is currently studying to become a nurse after completing her BSc in Cell & Molecular Biology.

Also, we're budgetting for around $2k per month living expenses when we first arrive. This will include renting a 2 bed apartment in commutable distance from VC and the running costs of a car and 9month old son

Are we being a little too optimistic?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

NookZ

Hi Nookz
Where is VC?
$2k might be a bit tight

Clare
(Also sent you a PM)

Nursing is one of the professions that require re-qualifying to Canadian standards. My wife is a RPN and she had to do this.

Well I get about 3k after tax and that feeds \ house funds the 6 of us here.

Do you have a great reason for living in Vancouver other than work?

have you tried this site for information http://www.cips.ca/job/

Hi Clare,

Thanks for the PM.

We're looking at properties around the Maple Ridge / Burnaby areas, but we'd certainly appreciate any additional comments.

We both want a quiet location but with good transport links into the city.

Regards,

NookZ

Hi,

Do you know how long the re-training takes? Also, are you paid during this re-training?

Cheers,

NookZ

Hi,

We're attracted to BC for the West Coast attitude, the rugged scenery, the wildlife and the Pacific. Vancouver seems to offer the best of everything, although I am drawn to bigger cities as I've worked in London for 15 years.

Alas I doubt you would get a job without the training and registration. My wife contacted the nursing people, RCN equiv, and got information from them, bought the appropriate books and took the exam. If you want more info I shall have to ask her to reply.

I recall the main issues were different drug names here.

Hmm. You will probably be bored....the "West Coast attitude" is an urban myth - it's basically rednecks with an IQ to match their shoe size the further east you go out of Vancouver. Living actually in Vancouver is not nice if you like decent housing and cannot afford the best areas. Scenery - yes, beautiful. Your wife will have to re-train; up to three years and you foot the bill, upwards of $30,000. Your IT market is saturated, there are no real jobs, just odd contracts handed out to friends and contacts, but I would guess you know that. London to Vancouver can be a nasty shock as it's down-gearing big time. Your expectations take a hammering once you realise how backwards this place actually is. You may, however, want that and good luck to you if you do, everyone wants something different. You will need way more than $2,000 a month, however, for a "decent" lifestyle. Rents in Maple Ridge depend on what you want. www.mrtimes.com

Burnaby is grotty, wouldn't board my dog there.

Well that's certainly food for thought!!

Thanks for your comments.

NookZ

And you say you're not ethnocentric

You have to re-qualify not re-train as such. If you contact the provincial college of nursing who handle the registration they will tell you the process involved; you will not be the first to do this. Local colleges will probably do refresher courses (they do in Ottawa) for you to tackle the differences, it's the exam that you only really need to do again. I was here on a work visa and my wife could not enrol on the refresher, she obatined the books from a friend and refreshed herself, took the exam (6 hours) and qualified.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Funny how you live in the UK and not here though isn't it? Somewhat of the pot calling the kettle black don't you think?

Hi NookZ,
I won't pretend that I can be of much help, but I would pay attention to the job market in Canada very carefully. It can be very difficult, and who one knows is a big factor. So if you have lots of contacts that can be of help when you arrive then all the better. I agree with the others on this site that your wife would have to have further training in nursing when she gets here. Canada, on the whole is extremely picky and somewhat suspect of "foreign" credentials, even though one shouldn't consider the UK foreign in my opinion.

A little about myself. I am in Ottawa, don't come here as you have to be bilingual, and the winters are atrocious. I wish I was "stuck in Suffolk" as you put it, I love it there. My grandparents lived in Brandon, near Thetford, do you know it? Whatever you decide to do, I wish you the very best.

Harldy. I don't live in the UK because I think BC's 'backwards' nor do I expect that the UK ought to be like Canada.