At last, my first post!
 

Hey all,

My name is Karl,27 yrs old living in bedfordshire and this is hopefully my first post of many,to carry out a lifetime ambition of moving out to canada and starting a great life.

For the last few months i have spent hours and hours looking at posts and going over the ins and outs.And always looking in on this site but never posting anything.

I am really taken in by calgary at the moment and the town Okotoks keeps coming up alot.Who knows! :D

I am a carpenter by trade and i see this hopefully as my way in:confused:.

I am single,no house to sell,maybe a business to sell:unsure:

If anyone is in the same boat it would be great to hear from you.

Regards

Karl

Re: At last, my first post!
 

Hi Karl,

Welcome to BE

Good luck with your plans:thumbsup:

Re: At last, my first post!
 

Thanks nikki,

Thanks very much.The thing i like about this place is that everyone seems to want to help people complete there goal in moving away.

And when they do get to where they wanted to go they still come on here and share there storys.I think thats great!.

Karl

Re: At last, my first post!
 

Hi Karl,

Welcome to BE.

Interested in Calgary/Okotoks eh! If you haven't happened across it on other posts already then please feel free to have a mooch around on our blog (there's a link to it below). It's not just about Okotoks but about Calgary and surrounding areas, including the Rockies. Will give you a little taste of life out this way.

Drop us a Private Message or an email (address on the blog) if you want to chat offline about any questions you have.

Kind regards,

Eamonn & Janet.

Re: At last, my first post!
 

Hi Karl

Nice to meet you... this is my first post.... yay!!

I, like you, am looking to immigrate to Canada and so have joined here to help me feel a bit more confident with the application process (as it looks a little scary).

I am a qualified teacher but am disillusioned with the Education system over here (in the UK)... and so am hoping to make a new life and teaching career in BC, Canada.

I live in the midlands at the mo' with my hubby and kids.

I am looking forward to meeting folks on here like you. Good luck with your plans...

Max :-)

Re: At last, my first post!
 

Hi Max,

Welcome to the site.everyone here just seems to want to help everyone achive there goals,its great.

I hope you you find posts on here that will help you out.To get you started here are a few very helpful links someone has sent me.Really useful!

Take a look at this post that Judy In Calgary did (scroll down to post #6). It's a good overview of the process for getting here on a Temporary Work Permit...
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=557615
Then, take a look at this WIKI article...
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Catego...PR_Application
From what I can see, under Guidelines, where it refers out to National Occupational Classification, carpenters fall into Skill Level B, which is good news.

From your research, have you ever taken the points test on the CIC website?
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigra.../Education.asp
If you get 67 points or more on that now, or with the help of the 10 extra points you would get for having arranged employment, then, as I understand it, you would have a reasonable chance of having an application to upgrade your temporary status to permanent accepted in due course.


I hope this helps you as it has me.

get some sleep!!! :D oh no school at the moment!:thumbsup:

Karl

Re: At last, my first post!
 

Hi Max,

Welcome to BE.

I've dug out a WIKI article and a couple of fairly recent threads re teaching in Canada (some with references to teaching in BC). I'm no expert but in all honesty, it doesn't look like the best profession to be in if you want to get into Canada in any reasonable timeframe (sorry, I know that's not a nice thing to read in response to your very first post:( ). What's your husband's line of work? Do you have experience in other fields of work outside teaching that you might be able to exploit?...just trying to think of alternatives for you.

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Teaching_in_Canada

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ht=Teach%2A+BC
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ht=Teach%2A+BC

However unwelcome this response is, I hope it helped short-circuit some of the trawling you might otherwise have done on this site before finding the same information.

Kind regards,

Eamonn

Re: At last, my first post!
 

Hi Eamonn

Yes, a friend of mine did tell me that teaching wasn't a great proffesion for immigration to BC :( I have other skills and hoprfully mt degree will still give me points. My o/h is a roofer and is also french speaking.

I haven't really found much info yet (other than how to get my university degree/teaching qualification verified) so I will deffo look at the links you have posted - thanks. I have started my own thread here on meet and greet so as not to hijack Karls.... :thumbup:

Re: At last, my first post!
 

Yes, I found that one now and have responded twice on that! Sorry, must seem like I'm chasing you all over the discussion board!

Eamonn

Re: At last, my first post!
 

Sorry for typo's folks... I've got a sleeping baby on my lap so am typing with one hand... my left one at that!! lol

Re: At last, my first post!
 

Hello and welcome to the site :)

Re: At last, my first post!
 

Hi
I'm just down the road in Bucks.

Welcome!
Sas x

Re: At last, my first post!
 

Cheers Karl... really useful stuff. :thumbsup:

I can see today is going to one of those days where I am hooked onto the computer reading up on loads of stuff. :lightbulb:

Sorry for hijacking your thread last night.

Yeah sleep... I made sure I got my 8 hours being as there is no school to get up for... yay!! I am actually totally off school at the mo' anyway as I had a baby in Dec... so I am being 'mom' at the moment, rather than teaching... and am trying my best to plan/sort out the immigration application while I am off work.

How are you getting on with yours?

Re: At last, my first post!
 

Hi max,

Congrats on your new arrival to your family!

I am getting on ok i guess.I am bang on 67 points if they dont ask me to speak french in any interviews:rofl:

I am on the understanding that i might need a job lined up before i go out there so i have fired of a email to a company called milesdisplay.ca for a carpenters assisant.

Something different.I always new my carpentry papers would come on handy one day.I have been a picture framer after i finished collage and now own my own business making display cases for sports shirts .....so really need to get back into it if i want to make this move happen.

There is loads of paper work but with the guides on here it just seems like a big check list.

The company i emailed have just got back to me and said they would be interested in hiring me if i do move to canada and if they have a job opening then.But thats not what i need.....so i am planning a trip to calgary in the new year and to introduce myself ....see what happens.nothing ventured nothing gained i guess.

Have you been to BC before i have heard it is amazing.

Karl
taylormadeframing.com :thumbsup:

Re: At last, my first post!
 

Hi Karl, Welcome to BE :)

Re: At last, my first post!
 

Wow Karl - you will be just fine on BE for the simple fact you have done your homework, read the WIKI and seem to have a good head on your shoulders about the processes involved and how to get here.

Hope it all goes well and thanks for the nice things you've said about everyone on here :thumbsup: Good luck with the job front.

Re: At last, my first post!
 

No never been to BC... I have some friends (well sort of a friend of a friend) who I have had some contact with. They live in Victoria on vancouver Island. My o/h has been to Banff and Calgary before.

Yes... getting a job lined up first is looking like the best option. My o/h is going to try and get some roofing work lined up so we will probably spend the next year reading up on stuff and applying for jobs... and see what comes up. It looks like going in on the 'teacher' route is a no go... we could be waiting 8+ years going through the 'skilled worker' visa route.

Hope you enjoy your trip over to Calgary in the future and that is leads to something productive towards your immigration.

It's really scary yet really exciting. I'm hoping I have the bottle to see it through... how about you??

Re: At last, my first post!
 

Yep, sure is!

E

Re: At last, my first post!
 

Hi & welcome to BE :)