Hello, having just registered "Hello", myself and my other half for a few years have been talking of emigrating to Canada or Usa.

Now we both know Canada is probley the best option as i am "Gas Fitter/Plumber" with BG, my other half works for a Investment Company in the City of London as a reconciliations clerk.

Now reading various threads on this "excellent" site, i am getting an idea that BC is the best bet for my Trade.

Only having been to Canada once last july,we will be paying a lot more trips in future, as i know the whole immigration process doe's not happen overnight.

So can you give me advice on BC, and all other info that would be very benifical.

I thank you all in advance for the help and support.

Laa1973

Unfortunatly im in Ontario which is nearly as far away from BC as England, LOL but I did a google search for you and found these sites.

Seeing as skilled worker is taking 4 years + these days you may want to think about provincial nomination, here is a link to there website. If you dont know what that is, its where the province will nominate you as a skilled worker they are in need of, I think gas fitter is on the list.

http://www.ei.gov.bc.ca/ProgramsAndS...ledworkers.htm

also try

www.google.ca

and search for getting your qualifications recognised, I knew a pharmacist that redid his qualifications while waiting for CIC to get to his case. He managed to do most of the work online and came here to take the exams.

A good idea as well is when here on your research trips is to get acquanted with other gas fitters, an informal meeting with a local gas fitting union who might be able to point you in the right direction. I searched and found this union in Victoria

http://ualocal324.com/

reseach research research and making good contacts for when you arrive is the best piece of advice i can pass onto you.

as for housing in BC you could check out

www.mls.ca for house prices in the areas you are interested in.


Good Luck and welcome to the board.

Anything specific in mind ?

BC...well, it's a complete mentalists paradise, fun fun and more fun.
Come here and live the life, no choice to be a couch potato/chav slob, get out and do stuff, ramp up your leisure activity factor.
Everything in BC is maxed out to the big bad bling, people come here from all over Canada for the weather, lifestyle, attitude to life, and outdoor pursuits.
It's a long way from home (UK)...relatives/friends may be deterred by the distance, good or bad thing ?
You are, literally, slap bang on the edge of the known world, beyond here are funny looking people who speak differently.
BC coastal is in the circle of fire, AKA the volcano belt, and coastal BC has a proximity to the tsunami zone, Kids get earthquake preparedness training.
The weather ranges from wet humid to hot as hell, hotter than you can ever believe, or high mountain weather, mild summers, snowy winters. Depends where in BC you want to move to. Be sure to research the weather thing first.
Most locations in south western BC offer access to big city life, Seattle, Vancouver, for weekends.
Vancouver is officially a nuclear free zone, it says so on the street signs. Peace, man.
Vancouver is Green, with a capital G, they build skyscrapers plated with green tinted glass to reflect the light so it's not all dark and grim, yeah man.
Otherwise you have remoteness, peace and quiet, offset against locked-in mind numbingly morose parochial community life. Hillbillies, religious cults and all that rural weirdness.
Rural life is slow, lazy, intimate, relaxed, cheap, but offers next to nil in the way of employment prospects.
Vancouver Island, even more laid back, hippy retreats, retirement communities, etc.
It's more expensive to live than any other part of Canada, I assume the centre of TO excluded ?
Vancouver has the highest priced real estate in Canada. Lots of Asian people there, very diverse, funky, cosmopolitan, if you like that (many Brits don't, yet despite that, there are many Brits living there happily).
BC culture, little of it is British anymore so don't expect Little Britain with snowmobiles and tea shoppes* (*that's Victoria).
We got ethnic crime gangs and ghettos, the urban misery of the Lower East Side, injection sites for the junkies, rural poverty, illiteracy, the Hells Angels, an army of homeless and working poor.
And of course inept corrupt politicians, BC is famed for that, the ferries scandal etc.

A strong economy closing the debt gap, an economy that is generally tied to import/export (busiest port servicing the Pacific Rim on whole of NA continent), natural resources (mining, minerals, lumber, water/hydro electricity) and of course a $6bn black market in the finest BC bud run over the border to the biggest drug consuming nation on earth - and they call us hippies

Home to Greenpeace, EA games, Marc Emery, possibly Microsofts next big venture if the rumours are true, religious cults, ghost mining towns, ports, holiday resorts, high plateau prairies complete with tumbleweed and cowboys, the BC Rockies, the Kootenay region, Cariboo region, Northern BC, northern lights, wineries, orchards and vineyards, yachting/boating, worlds best mountain biking (North Shore Van and BC Interior), world class ski-ing, cross country ski-ing, snowmobiling, pristine lakes, more provincial parks than you can shake a stick at, emerald green rivers, amazing fishing, hunting, highways built over the top of mountains, the 2010 Winter Olympics, yes, this is truly known as the LAND OF THE LOTUS EATERS for good reason.

HTH a tad. Anyone not believing this stuff should go read up on the history and current affairs of BC. Yes, it's full on mental..... I absolutely love it, it's changed my life and I'd rather die tomorrow than go back to where I came from.

BC = the best place on earth

Go here and tell me I don't live in heaven on earth ?
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=397145


Rich

That wouldn't be JPod, would it?

K.

Hello thanks britishvixen21 & Rich_007 for your information,looking around on this forum, i did a search for gas fitter and it looks like i should be looking at Alberta? This seems to be the "Gas" workers area!!!!

As i said its a very long and endless task, getting all sorts of views and info, but at the end of the day you need to go where the work is right!!!!!

Also noticed that i will have to sit exams etc to prove my experience, i would like also to perhaps learn another trade "a/c" if i could do that

Its very early days at the moment,its getting the right info/resources before making the right deicion as to which area to live/work.

But thanks to people like yoursleves pointing "newbies" like me in the right direction it makes the task slighty easier

Hello ,
I immigrated from UK 26 yrs. ago as an RN ,the same scenario in Alberta,oil boom and shortage of workers. It save $$ and time,I would suggest
( 1 ) Do the self assessment on the CDN Imm. website to see whether you and your wife qualify for the skilled worker immigration.
(2 ) Contact the professional associations that are going to assess your
qualifications. You could make up any deficits in the requirements in Uk
if cheaper to take the courses there provided are recognised by them
Ask them to provide the names of employers in Alberta and start emailing
your resumes . These professional associations are going to ding you all with fees , do make use of their services and ask questions for your best
interest.
(3) Do let the employers aware where you are at with the Imm.application and professional assessments.
I had positive experience in Alberta . Best of luck.
Yoong
BC

Thanks yoong, do you know of any sites i could visit or linkd that can point me in the right direction? i would appriciate it a lot..

Thanks
Lee

Hello Lee,
I found the Government of Alberta website.
www.tradesecrets.gov.ab.ca I think it is best
to hear from the horse's mouth than the information from
an RN. Actually I am impressed at the amount of info. given.
Also there are career listings on their website.Just navigate
around.Iam sure they would be open to answering your questions
if you emailed them.Feel free to ask me any questions,I'll try my best.
The IMM. website is www.cig.gc.ca
CDN.gov,has a job bank site too for nation wide jobs.
www.jobbank.gc.ca
All the best. Yoong
BC

Hi lee,
Just to let you know, my husband is a Gas fitter, contractor with BG . As long as you have your city & Guilds or NVQ,ACS and your own CORGI reg not a company one, you will only have to do a 120 day course with no exam at the end. This is B.C and Alberta. It has taken me 3 months to find this out so I hope is helps you.

Any more info needed just ask.


Thanks Sandra

Thanks yoong

Hello Sandra,

Thanks a lot for the info, your hubby is lucky "he's" a contractor..HA HA
I do have the ACS, but company corgi..Will look into getting my own reg.

Crazy to think they are classed as different, Corgi is Corgi!!!!!
I suppose its all to do with the number??

Thanks
Lee

Hi Lee

If you are thinking about BC, you might want to look at the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) as it may help fast track your application. BC (like many provinces) is crying out for skilled trades employees.

Best of luck

Oggy

Its because you can go under a company CORGI with out having individual qualifications its like an umbrella membership(they have actually stopped this now with the exception of BG.
We have just been in negotiation for a job. Canadian companies know just what to look for. We have had to send colour photo copies of everything. They know all about city&Guilds and NVQ. ACS is only a refresher they know this, so are not interested. They won't except faxed copies either.
I hope this helps.

Thanks oggy,

Will check that option out aswell

Lee

Thanks woodywoodside

I will look into getting my own corgi,plus copies of my certs for future.

Thanks again, and good luck with your move

Lee