Hey All,

I am looking for advice. I currently work in IT,I already have a visa & work permit issued by CIC. I have been looking at moving to Vancouver ,Calgary or Ottawa. I plan on heading out after Christmas but i want to be able to give my self the best possible chance of securing work before i arrive (easier said than done!) Can any one offer any advice. I do like the look Calgary but i'm not to sure about the job market there.


If you need me to clarify please ask.


Cheers

Kev

Toronto

IT salaries are highest in Calgary, but with the recession there's not a lot of new work around. Thousands have been laid off in IT the last 2 years in Alberta, so competition is fierce.

We're a couple of years away from a return to boom times again.

That's where the work is but saying that is like telling someone who asks "Carlisle, Doncaster or Sheffield?" that the work is in London. They likely know, aren't career orientated, and don't want to go there.

Are you coming on an IEC Visa (2 years)? I only ask because I don't understand the distinction between a Visa and a Work Permit. Is the Work Permit specific to a particular job? I just remember we only had Visas. We never got work permits. Perhaps it's changed again?

I'm inclined to agree with the others. If you're looking for IT work, I would also consider Kitchener/Waterloo, there are a ton of tech companies up there (including Google).

Second choice would be, as others have said, Toronto. Have you intentionally ruled that out?

Thanks for the advice guys, and yes my visa is IEC sorry for the confusion. I was looking for something close to Rockies and mountain ranges. I basically dont want to live some where like London again, but its looks you guys are saying Ontario would be my best bet. I hear calgary is not doing to good due to oil, i suppose i just had my heart set on there

You know what? If you're under 30, single and on an IEC Visa, go where your heart tells you. This is an adventure! If you can't get a job in IT straight away, wait tables until you can. What's the worst that can happen? to my mind the IEC Visa is there to expand your life experience, not to be used as a vehicle to further your career. If you want to do that, stay in London. If you want to live in the Rockies, well.....

What area of IT are you in... it's a big field. I work in IT, so can give you some insight to the market here if you provide some more details regarding skill set, sectors, and experience.

I work with infrastructure, IT Security, Cloud platforms ect

it's a Work Permit. A visa is something totally different which allows the holder to get on a plane and travel to Canada. British citizens don't need visas (they are "visa exempt").

Other way around. Brits normally can't get, and don't need visas to travel to Canada. We do need work permits (like IEC, or bridging open permits, or spousal permits, or LMIA-supported closed work permits) to work, we need study permits to study, and people who are overcoming inadmissibility sometimes need temporary residency permits.

At least, now.

Nope, we had Permanent Residency Visas from day one (Federal Skilled Worker's). No work permits for us. Never had a work permit. Never needed one.

Yeah, totally different now then (if you had a visa then). Permits allow people to work temporarily, you get a Confirmation of Permanent Residence when you're moving over permanently, and a separate sheet of paper saying because you're visa exempt, you don't get a visa.

We then waited the allotted period of time, applied for citizenship and became - we, citizens.