That explains it then.

In June 2010 they decided to make it mandatory for IELTS for all applicants for FSW.

I think it was because you used to be able to say that anyone who was born in the UK or educated there could speak English well, but in recent years that just hasn't been true.

They also used to accept a statement from a lawyer or somesuch that you could speak English well, but applicants short of points in other countries just paid someone to give false statement on their behalf.
More fraud!!

It's a pain and just another expense for those of us who clearly can communicate in English by virtue of being English, but I suppose they have to do it to make sure that immigrants do not become ghettoised (if that is a real word....) by their inability to communicate in the official languages of the country.

Thanks again for all your replies. We will be applying under AEO not LMO. Researching within an inch of my life and had never heard of the IELTS before yesterday so grateful for all your help.

FSW Cat 2 with AEO is going to take probably 18 months or more to process from when you get your application in, taking in current processing times.

You do need to make sure your employer understands this, as it is a long time to wait for an employee to turn up

Lest this seem an awful imposition specific to Canada, my daughter, who was born in Toronto and emigrated to England, had to take the same test to go that way (in order to work, she had the right of residency due to being British).

You don't need to wait for police certs - they can be sent in to London once you are approved by CIO Sydney.

Wow its not as easy as we first thought and its taken a while to even get my head around emigrating and now I have decided to go for it I want it to happen now, I guess we'll have to just keep visiting in the meantime x

If your hubby is on the list of eligible occupations for FSW, then actually you've got the second easiest route to PR (after marrying a Canadian!). There are many people on this forum who have been trying for years to get in to Canada, with no visa route available to them without a job offer, so at least you've got it easier than them.

I presume you know that you don't need an AEO to apply as a FSW (assuming your hubby has enough points of course?). As Helcat said above, it would mean an employer waiting 18 months for him to start work, and most just aren't prepared to do that, so you'd probably be better off applying under FSW category 1 instead assuming he's eligible.

Good luck.

Thanks for you reply unfortunately without the job offer we don't have enough points, so the AEO is essential.

Not wanting to state the obvious (and I'll be honest I don't know how Canadian citizenship works esp. if your hubby is 45), but you say your father in law and brother in law live in Canada? Is there any chance your hubby has claim to Canadian citizenship through his father? I know you say hubby was born in UK, but is his father Canadian?

I'm sure this probably isn't an option hence why you are wanting to go down the FSW route, but I thought I'd mention it.

Ok, Hubbys father has lived in Canada I think for 40 yrs and has canadian citizenship, his Brother has lived there for 30 years and has permanent residency but not Canadian Citizenship.

As myself and my 2 kids will be going with hubby, I didn't think we were able to apply this way?

Ah, I see. I'd still forget the AEO though if I were you. Do you really think an employer will wait 18 months or so for your husband to be able to start work for them? It would be unusual particularly in this economic climate.

Better to consider going over on a TWP with LMO so you can get over there quicker, and then using that to apply for PR once you he is there working maybe?

And just checking, but where was your husband's father born? Any other family in other provinces by any chance?

Hubbys Dad is British born and moved to Canada when he was 28 he is now 71, his Brother lives in BC and is a PR.

Hubby already has a job offer from when we were there 3 weeks ago and they are aware of how long it is going to take for us to get PR, so I don't think the AEO route is going to be a problem for us.

I'm happier with the AEO route, because we have 2 kids I would rather make sure we have PR before we move.

Sounds sensible to me, and if he has a potential employer already that is prepared to wait for him, then that's fab. Are they going to apply for the AEO soon?

Just a thought - have you looked at the Ontario PNP Foreign Worker Stream? Once approved by Ontario PNP (which I forget how long that is but can check once I get to work) you would be eligible to get an open work permit (if you wanted it) to start working ASAP. Your pack would then go to CHC London for the final stage and you would be done and dusted in a MUCH faster time.

http://www.ontarioimmigration.ca/en/...NPWORKERS.html

Oh my goodness, something else to look at lol!! Thank you for that.

yes we are just waiting on the job application to get signed off and the AEO will be applied for, although I need to research Ontario PNP Foreign Worker Stream now