JnJ2015

I would love to hear stories of people who successfully achieved a job offer in Canada. How you went about getting it and how it's worked out for you.

I'm asking as this is, as i'm sure is for many, the hardest part of the process for us.

We are aiming for Nova Scotia. A work permit, express entry application and a provincial nomination all require a job offer.
I am struggling to see why an employer would offer anyone outside Canada a job and if they did why wait months for them.....
We are in admin and HGV driving.

scootb

I looked on indeed.ca,sent about 40+ emails with only 3 replies all negative,so I picked up the phone thinking that a couple of quid wasted would be better than no chance.
1st call was very promising,4 months later I arrived in Canada with my LMO.

JnJ2015

Nice! You make it sound so easy

What work are you in, and what area of Canada?
And were your employers hiring at the time or was it a cold call?
Are you on a temp work permit?

Ontheroadoflife

What you have to realise, owing to the rules all changing in January and those that have obtained posts since that benchmark in most cases won't be here yet, none of anyones input matters to the here and now, it's kind of like asking someone "how did you get to work in the 1940's?"..yes the answers will be relevant in a historical sense, but in the here and now...no

Anyone here on a work permit now, got it prior to the rules changing in 98% of cases and it's validity runs into now and must be honoured (lucky them) and how they got it may not even exist as an allowed TWP occupation anymore, or method of recruitment...Indeed in my case i have just discovered my employer applied within a hairs breadth (literally) of the rules changing and i and my colleagues could be the last to get 2 year permits under the "old" rules for our profession. (i was exceptionally happy when i found that out today, as with me getting married in Nov that covers me until my PR is processed)

Many employers now are shying away from hiring outside Canada directly unlike in the recent past, mine for example have stated we are the last, from now on Canadian only (Especially on work permit) as now they must prove no Canadian wants the job before CIC will even consider processing the permit (4 weeks minimum national advertising with the resultant costs, and a fee of $1000 per applicant for TWP (used to be free) Then a resultant wait of about 4 months just to find out if they can employ you, at which point you can re-locate and start training...they needed the person 6 months ago, not now.

Getting a permanent job offer seems a better option, the LMIA required is free to apply for by the employer, and an answer will come within 10 days and if yes, happy days, Unless while it's being processed as the only jobs this applies to most Canadians want to do and that pesky advertising rule comes into play again, wouldn't you know it...one applies..and rather than write a blank cheque to the Labour Board the employers got to give them YOUR job! If your lucky you get the LMIA and everyones happy until the employer discovers the applicant must use the LMIA to apply through Express Entry and you will see them in 7-8 months, at which point you may find that keen as mustard person has no real interest in the job or location and tries their hardest to get sacked, but used you to get in the country and really wants to relocate...(this is the perception Canadian employers have now of foreign applicants..more hassle than they are worth), hence why a lot of Canadian Employers find it less hassle now to pay a bit more for a Canadian employee, unlike in the past.

I'm not trying to rain on your parade in fact if i can help you in anyway on these boards i will!!, I'm pointing out since january it's a whole new ball game...heck it's a whole new planet...There are people in Canada right now, with relevant experience and Canadian qualifications ducking around the immigration system furiously trying to find an employer and a job before they must leave the country, mostly those on expired work permits/IEC etc...and these guys and girls with a network in their industry, recent experience and friends can't find jobs that will apply on their behalf...just saying...if you don't believe me read the threads and posts on here.

Sometimes i can be too honest, but when playing with things that can affect how people direct their lives and efforts for the next 12-18 months, I don't see the point in sugar-coating things, especially when that time can be so much better spent.

If you really want to come here, plan long term...5 years to make yourselves attractive....not 5 months, your husband has only hgv rigid which is no good here really as i said before, he needs a semi licence and EXPERIENCE at least 5 years with 1-2 years of that doing continental work (because funny enough we all drive on the other side out here). Yourself personally i would try and be a bit of a crystal ball gazer, what skills would be handy to have in 5 years time that would/could be in short supply and possibly could be easily transferable?... obviously I would say some degree in some aspect of that (take it through the OU for example, that way you can still be a stay at home mum, but you are making serious steps to a good future for the family), which opens you to high level jobs, and at the end of the day, a degree is a degree!...and start going for it, your child will be 7, just right for going into the Canadian school system and he will be rooting for ice hockey, saying eh, and thinking Canada is cool in no time!

christmasoompa

Any particular reason you're looking at NS? It's just that it's not a province that normally has a lot of jobs for truckers, generally SK and MB are the best places to go for a chance of a trucking job.

As said above, a lot of people's experience will be very different to yours as the rules changes last year and tightened up a lot with regard to hiring a foreign worker, so they may well have come when it was easier (or in boom time before the recession when Canada couldn't get enough foreigners!). Truck drivers always used to have a relatively easy time getting TWP's, now it's much harder for them.

But most on the forums have gone over and job hunted in person, and that's how they've done it - you can have a quick search to find other threads on the subject, and that's the general advice. There will always be some that have managed to do it without a visit (my husband included), but they are generally headhunted or have very specialist skills that are needed.

Unfortunately as neither of you have jobs in demand, you really will have to invest extra time and money in trips over to job hunt personally, as it will all come down to contacts for you I think. Trying to convince an employer to do all the paperwork, spend $1000 and get you over is going to be tricky but if you can sell yourself to them and network like hell, you might just stand a chance.

Be prepared for it to take quite a while, do follow the advice in the Wiki and network, network, network.

Best of luck.

christmasoompa

Ontheroadoflife, great advice, but just to clarify a couple of things in your post for the sake of the OP.

The rules re: foreign workers changed last June, it's only PR rules that changed in January.

It's always been required that the job is advertised and that the employer proves no Canadian can do the job, that's not changed. And the LMIA hasn't been free for quite some time, although it did used to be $275 before the jump up to $1000 last June.

Most LMIA apps come under one of the categories for a 10 working day processing time (including the free one mentioned above for PR apps).

I totally agree with this, given that a degree is required for pretty much any job in Canada (including admin positions OP, I've lost count of the number of times I've seen a job ad for a secretary or admin assistant state a degree is required!!), it would increase your changes tremendously, both of finding an employer prepared to sponsor you, and of just being able to work in the qualifications obsessed Canada.

I think looking at it as a longer term plan is a good idea, if one of you can work towards more specialist skills, it will only improve your life anyway in terms of income etc, and you can always job hunt in Canada in the meantime - you never know, one of you may just get lucky! Do bear in mind that if your husband is the one that gets a job offer, you wouldn't be able to work until you get PR, and you'd only be able to to apply for PR in a few provinces (not all of them allow unskilled workers to apply under the PNP).

Best of luck.

JnJ2015

It seems that so many people are in our position and are applying without even a job offer. Or at least beginning the process without one. Do you feel that most of these people wont make it through because they are hoping for a job offer which is unlikely to happen... ?

p.s. thank you both for taking the time to reply

orly

Being what would be considered a pain in the arse back in the UK.

Apply...call them a day or two later...email them...send them a twitter message. Basically be more vocal and pushy than you'd dream of being in the UK. Don't over do it and be a twat but if you're thinking "this is a little beyond my comfort level" then you're probably doing it right.

It certainly didn't come naturally to me as I'm really rather introverted and stoic.

christmasoompa

Who is applying without a job offer? They may well have another route to PR where a job offer isn't needed, such as family sponsorship or similar, but if they don't then there's absolutely no point in them applying at all. Most routes to PR are employment based, and without that employment they've got about as much chance as I have of marrying Prince Harry.

Mmmmm, Prince Harry.........

Ontheroadoflife

I stand corrected Christmas, I did not wish to mislead, thanks for that

Ontheroadoflife

I think the OP is referring to those submitting EE profiles without job offers perhaps?

christmasoompa

Are there people doing that? Maybe they've got a PNP nomination instead of a job offer? Not sure what the point would be otherwise.

Ontheroadoflife

Yes there seems to be, and yes they are discovering without the job or PNP it's pointless as points will unlikely ever be enough to attract ITA (as has been discussed before), one lad on IEC permit was posting on just this on a thread on here concerning the First EE draw.

christmasoompa

I've not seen that on the forum at all, I didn't realise people were applying without a LMIA or nomination. What a waste of time and money!

JnJ2015

Helpful thank you