We looked around the Ottawa area and thought it was really lovely. Very pretty place. Montreal sounds like a really happeneing place if you like nightlife and nice restaurants. Even though Toronto is our closest city, we have not made it in there yet, hope to next month. I think (not sure) that you have to be bi-lingual if you wanted a civil servant job in Canada? You need to check that out.

It is very cold around the Ottawa area! We went to Perth and it is a pretty little place but boy was it cold. Seemed much colder at only -7 than it did at our place at -20!

I don't really know much about the cities around that area but someone else on here will be able to give you better information on them......I'm a country girl I'm afraid.

Good luck.

Bilingual is an advantage, and in many / most cases "Preference will be given to Canadian citizens". It was one of the things that they were promoting at my citizenship swearing in!

Iain

Iain

Thanks for that.

Do I take it you're a British ex-pat? If so, can you let me know what, if any, difficulties/pleasures you experienced during your immigration process?

Many thanks

Spoon

Yes, I'm a "british canadian", but I cant really help as I was headhunted to come here and the company lawyers took care of the initial work permit application and subsequent PR application, so for me it was hassle free, apart from the wait. That was before 9/11, so I can only imagine how frustrating the wait can be now with the longer security checks etc.

Good Luck

Iain

Headhunted lucky you!

You cannot work for the Fed Government as a Public (Servant) unless you are a Canadian Citizen. There are some jobs you can apply for in principle (admin) but they will not even interview you. Provincial Government is the same. These are sought after jobs, even with the crappy pay and benefits. You cannot even deliver the mail without being a Canadian citizen. Federal and Provincial Governments are quite open about the hiring policy if you call the individual agencies. They will tell you straight that "preference will be given to Canadian Citizens." (This is Canadian speak for if your face and accent do not fit, you are hooped.) I was a middle management civil servant in the UK for ten years before I emigrated in 1996 and my experience counted for absolutely nothing. They do not rate the UK Civil Service very highly, so I would think again if you are banking on getting similar employment in Ottawa. The competition is stiff for any posts there and in the main, for the higher graduate type positions you need 10+ years of experience to even be in for the running. See for yourself:

http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/centres/empl_e.htm

I've often been in Government offices where the people serving me were East Indians with accents so thick that I could barely understand them. Normally, Canadian citizenship is not required:

Basically:

There are a few limitations on permanent residents:
• You cannot vote in certain elections.
• You may be ineligible for certain jobs requiring high-level security clearances.
• As permanent resident, you also have the same legal obligations as Canadians, such as paying taxes and respecting other laws.
• If you or your dependents commit serious crimes, you or your dependents risk being deported from Canada.
http://www.3dcltd.com/visa-category-ca.htm


As far as delivering the mail, I was unable to find any restrictions regarding the need to have Canadian citizenship at Canada Post Corporation's website.

If I am wrong about this, please provide some proof.

Ocean How is Mexico these days?

Interested

So why are these people unlikely to be citizens? All that is required for citizenship is to be a PR for 3 years, and pass a simple multiple choice test based on a booklet the government gives you, and have $200 for the application fee.

Dont know about the postal service though, but I'm not aware of any elections non citizens can vote in.

There is nothing to stop PRs applying for some government jobs, but it is very clearly stated that preference is given to Citizens, so your chances of success are very slim indeed. Seems fair enough to me, after all the canadian government exists to serve and represent the canadian people and no one else!

Iain

seems completely fair to me too! [:

Speaking from experience...government jobs are only offered to Canadian Citizens and even then most jobs are competion,and one of the questions asked is whether you are a Canadian Citizen...My husband was with the Canadian Coast Guard and had to be a Canadian to join it.

Los Cabos is great - especially in the winter. I'll be in BC until Sept. or Oct., then I'll head back to Los Cabos.

Yes, they could have been citizens, but if they were they were very recent citizens. This was a number of years ago when I believe you needed 5 years residency to qualify for citizenship. They could also have only been permanent residents.

It was previously mentioned that race was a factor in gaining employment. From what I have seen, that doesn't appear to be much of a factor. It may be that patronage or nepotism is more of a problem - just as you stated.

Regarding elections, of course you can vote for directors of corporations (of shares you own), and officers on professional boards if you are a member of a profession, union directors, and condo association board of directors, etc. Not only can you vote, you can be on the board of directors.

Do you have a link that supports your statement that all Government jobs are only offered to Canadian citizens?

There is one on this post. Call ANY government agency and they will tell you that they will NOT hire non-Canadian citizens. Read the application form online for the PSC - one of the FIRST questions is about citizenship and it warns you that you cannot continue with the application process if you do not meet the citizenship requirement. This link could not be any clearer:

http://psjobs-emploisfp.psc-cfp.gc.c...pM74AotC1kFw2P!-1470333942!natux33!8010!-1?pages=applicant/info/helpCanadianCitizen