hi, guys!
myself and my family have just got our PR cards etc but we are stil in the UK for such a time as when i can get suiatble employment in canada. point is, i have tried sending my cv to hundreds of employers via all the good websites like workopolis, canadajobs, etc etc but up till now, not a single response! i cant really fly out there and start looking for a job, while my family remains in the UK--where will i get the funds to pay my bills, mortgage etc for the UK!? many people i have talked to say that in canada , you have to be actually there to land a job--its no good sending cv's via email--most of those just end up in the recycle bin! its not as if i am not flexible--an engineer by trade, but i am willing to take on anything reasonable like clerical/admin work etc. i had ideas like training up in occupational therapy but for this i hear Canada will not recognise my UK diplomas? the other idea was to open a real estate office but here again, i was told real estate is a hard nut to crack and only a few select people go on to make it big in that field!! i want to get out of the UK by Xmas this year or early in the new year, but where and how do i start looking for jobs when i am stuck here? please help!

Hi

Sorry, but I think you will have to come over for any chance of getting a job. Why can't you and your family all come out together? The norm is that when you get your PR's you all come out together and start the new life.........look for work, find house, schools etc etc

With Real Estate you have to take an exam and the study period is between 6-12 months. The course can be done online but you would have to fly over to sit the exam.

Sorry couldn't be more helpful.
JJ

Julius,

You cant make an omelette without breaking some eggs. Your chances of landing a job with your current strategy are extremely low, practically zero. Something like 70 to 95 % of the type of jobs you are trying to land are never advertised, filled entirely by networking and word of mouth, or from resumes sent "cold". That means they you are chasing 10 % of the jobs, and every one else is looking at the same websites, in addition to hunting down the other 90%. Hopefullly your CV is a canadian style Resume, formatted to print on letter size paper not A4. The hiring market is traditionally slow in the Summer as the decision makers are on holiday, season starts again in August / September.

The reason CIC want proof of settlement funds is to get you through the lean times after you first come over. Unless you are in an extremely nichey job field, if I was a recruiter and saw a resume from someone waiting outside canada, I would question how serious the person was about emmigrating. There is a lot of competition, and anything you do to make it harder to hire you will work against you I'm afraid.

I can understand your reluctance to jump into an uncertain future, but the reality is that nothing about emmigrating is certain, and the sooner you jump in with both feet, the sooner you will find your way.

Good luck, now get yourself over here before you arrive in the middle of the winter and have a really miserable time with the weather and hunting for a job.

Iain

Reality bites ..... many men come over without loved ones, I did it.

You need a job first, then you find somewhere for your family to live.

Unless you have a stack of cash, it's a gamble.

I went to Heritage Park in Calgary today (after my 5K charity run!) - my kids played in the Nightingale Colony House and I read the sign outside.

In 1912, CP railway encouraged 200 Brit families to set up in the Nightingale Colony near Strathmore AB, investing a total of $100,000 in the settlement.

Without experience of Canadian life, the majority of the immigrants failed.

It hasn't changed much,

You will never get a job this way. The ONLY way to get employment in Canada is to be here, network and be prepared to take any crappy job that you are offered to get your foot in the door. If you do not have sufficient funds to cover all your living expenses for at least six months to a year, stay put in the UK. Similarly, if you are carrying a debt load and plan on bringing any sterling debt obligations with you, think again. Earning in Can $$ does not pay UK bills and you will be in financial difficulties before you know it.

Four years ago a local relocation agent recommended we bring $250K to guarantee financial survival in Calgary, the figure for Vancouver was around $500K.

Write yourself a spreadsheet and do your sums.

What I did was came on my own and my plan was to give it 3 months to see if I got a job and if I did, the family back home would sell the house and make the move too. If I did not, I was going to go back the blighty.

I was lucky - got a job the first week I was here - it was just a contract position, but was good enough. So the family came and we have not looked back since.

The Doc

Where are you?
Your location is blank .....

thanks a lot, Glaswegian, and all of you other guys for your very constructive and encouraging comments!
one question--why such a huge difference between the funds reqd in Vancouver and Calgary? i heard the housing is slightly expensive in vancouver, but aside of that, everything else is the same as in any other area in canada?
yes, i fully agree with all the comments here, in that it just isnt any good replying to job ads from the Uk, you have to be in canada really. well, as it happens, i am planning to fly out soon, minus my family, who will hold the fort here up until i get a job, rent a place to stay etc and then they can follow me over. one other thing i plan to do is not to sell my place in london; rather, i am going to rent it out and the rent alone will equate to around C$1000 a month after paying the present mortgage. that should come in handy when we are a bit short of cash in canada, hopefully. only other question is--what do you guys think of the 2 cities (Tale of Two cities.......?!!) that i have in mind, ie vancouver and toronto? which cities do you reckon i will have a better chance of success in job-hunting, please?

Quick answer..... Toronto... Its bigger and growing

But remember both are popular big cites and that will be reflected in the housing costs

I have no real idea why the quotes for cash required were different. Just note that it is vastly higher than the amount Immigration require you to have. I suspect it is because you need a 35%deposit & 6month bond to buy a house straight off the plane.....houses in Vancouver are lots more expensive.

Other costs will also vary - check out the thread on car insurance - property taxes will also vary. I seem to remember that utilities also vary as some provinces are deregulated - someone else will know better .... Among others!

If you are planning on not selling your house will you still have the amount of cash you declared as settlement funds in your application? If not you may have trouble landing.....others may be able to shed light on this but we brought a UK bank statement and our solicitors closing statement on the sale of our house showing the balance due to us.

For Engineering definately Toronto, GTA and 401 corridor as far as Windsor are the industrial heart of canada, as far as it has one. Of course it depends to some extent on what sort of engineering... Idea to keep the UK property if you are making money on it is a good one.

Iain