fuelpump

hello one and all,
for some time now my wife and i have been thinking of moving to Alberta/Calgary area, i am a class 1 truck driver, my wife a beautician, i have three children of school age, and to be honest we don't know where to start, whether to do it ourself or let an agency deal with all the paper work. I also need to find work, how does one go about that? i would be gratefull for any advise any one can give, many thanks.

TrishP

As a trucker, the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan will snap you up and get you there quickly on a work permit. Try contacting Koogar or one of the other truckers on here for more info.
Work permit application will be straightforward once the employer has done their bit and gotten the approvals from HRSDC at the Canadian end.
Try the Immigration forum for more info.

Good luck!

fuelpump

thanks TrishB, sounds positive, let you know how it goes

Judy in Calgary

TrishB is right that Saskatchewan and Manitoba companies will snap you up and help you to get out to Canada on a work permit.

I think the same is true of Alberta, but be warned about Alberta, especially Calgary. This is a nice city, and it's between 1.5 hours and 2 hours from Banff in the Rocky Mountains (depending on your starting point in Calgary).

The challenge is that, with the recent oil boom, property prices in Calgary have shot up astronomically. If you land with a substantial nest egg to invest in a house, you might be okay. But, to give you an idea of what things here are like for people who have been earning wages in Canadian dollars all along, at least half of the people in Calgary's homeless shelters are employed. Their wages simply are not high enough for them to get on the property ladder, not even high enough for them to save the two months' rent that would be required to rent an apartment (the equivalent of one month's rent as a damage deposit and the first month's rent up front).

Also be aware that driving in Canada involves driving long distances. You would be away from home a lot. Your wife should be aware of that, and both of you should consider how your wife might react to being a single parent for a good chunk of the time. Been there, done that, have the T-shirt. I don't mean I've actually been a single parent. But I mean that, because of the extensive work-related travel that my husband did for substantial periods, there were many times when I effectively was a single parent. It was not easy.

I think a smaller city in Saskatchewan or Manitoba might meet your family's needs better than Calgary. The real estate there would be cheaper than it is in Calgary. Although I have not lived in those smaller cities and towns, I've heard they have a good community feel to them. You can find a community atmosphere in Calgary too, but you have to go looking for it -- by volunteering for an organisation that offers activities for your children (Scouts, sports, etc.) or by joining a church or doing something else of that nature.

If you come over on a temporary work permit, your wife will have to apply for a work permit before she can work. As the spouse of a work permit holder, your wife will get one break. Unlike other work permit applicants who have to apply from outside of Canada, she'll be able to apply from inside Canada. Still, she'll have to obtain a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC). That means that an employer who wants to offer her a job will have to demonstrate that it is very difficult to find a willing and able Canadian resident to fill the position. There is a shortage of truck drivers but not a shortage of beauticians, so I cannot see your wife getting a work permit (WP).

As a truck driver, you do not belong to the skill category that would allow your wife to get an open work permit, that is a work permit that would allow her to seek any kind of (legal) employment in Canada, even in a field in which there is not a shortage of qualified Canadian residents.

I do know hair stylists and beauticians who work under the table, either for cash or on a barter basis, from their homes. The people whom I know who do that are born and bred Canadians. Speaking for myself, I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that, but I would feel especially uncomfortable doing it if my husband was in Canada on a temporary work permit and our position in Canada was more tenuous.

Anyway, I think you should take your wife's loss of income into account when you calculate whether or not it is worth your while to move to Canada on a temporary work permit.

The advantage of your wife's not working would be that she would have time to volunteer in the community, and that would help her to integrate. One really does not have much time for volunteer work if one is a single parent and working at a paid job as well.

I think there are truck driver's getting into Canada permanently via the Provincial Nomination Programs (PNP) that Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta operate. A PNP program is similar to a temporary work permit, in the sense that it is designed to bring people to Canada to work in fields in which appropriately qualified and experienced folk are in short supply. However, PNP leads to permanent residence (PR). As I understand it, a PR application that is backed up by PNP (and the firm job offer that is implicit in PNP) goes a lot quicker than the normal 4 - 5 year PR application process.

Another point to be aware of is that you also can come to Canada on a WP and immediately apply for PR. I mean your PR application can be in the pipeline while you're living and working in Canada on a WP. I mention PR because, once you have that, your wife is entitled to work in any field in Canada. She does not have to find work in a field in which suitably qualified people are in short supply.

You can find out more about the WP and PR application processes if you go to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).

You can get an idea of houses prices in different cities and towns if you look at the Multiple Listing Service website.

But I agree with TrishB that it would be useful for you to visit the British Expats' Canadian Immigration forum.

Hope that helps.

fuelpump

many thanks Judy for the input, certainly given us an idea which points to look closely at, i'm very grateful, thanks once again. I think a smaller city or town may well be what we're looking at, with a good community, could well be the answer.

handyandy

Hi Fuelpump
You might want to try this company http://esirecruitment.com/
I have used them to get a Job in Prince Albert SK as a Truck Mechanic.
Henry Buss is the point of contact,
He is in the process of setting up special truck driver programme
As per the earlier post SK is a lovely province, property and living costs so much more cheaper than BC or Albert.
http://sk.athomecanada.com/regina-real-estate, is a good site to get a idea of prices of homes in Regina, The capital of SK.

Good luck
Andy

fuelpump

Hi Andy, two usefull websites, i will certainly be using them, many thanks.

Big Truck

Look up the following:
www.bigfreight.com
www.westcanbulktransport.com
www.siemenstransport.com
Go to the trucking company direct and DO NOT waste your money givng it to an "imigration agent" when they are NOT needed!!!!!

Alberta_Rose

Agreed, and the money you save can be put towards one or more research trips (highly recommended!!!)

Butch Cassidy

Or the money could always be donated to The 'Morwenna & Butch Sunshine Card Fund'

Alberta_Rose

Now there's an idea!

Butch Cassidy

Do you think that as we could claim to be 'foreigners' with disabilities (visually and folically challenged) we could also claim funding from the UK National Lottery?
Alternatively we could claim that we wish to train for the GB 2010 winter olympic team? we cant be THAT much worse than the current candidiates (can we).

PS Mrs C says hows the new Job????

Alberta_Rose

I can.

The jury's still out ..... the first couple of weeks are orientation mostly.
There's definitely an atmosphere at my new place of work .... but I'm not sure if a major factor isn't a clash between the person whose place I am taking and another person there. Hopefully once the current staff member moves on the dust will settle and we will see the wood for the trees. (manically mixing metaphores! )

Big Truck

Also look up:
www.onlinetruckers.co.uk and go to the "Canadian drivers" forum.
There is a weath of info on here about applying for truck driving jobs in Canada via the PNP programme from guy's who have done just that!!!!

Yoong

I would not rule out at your wife not being able to get a work permit as a beautician.Being UK trained ,bringing in different styles can be an asset.
Especially if there is a shortage of skilled hair dressers/ beauticians
in a community and paper work would be no hassle if she is wanted by
by an employer.
MooseJaw and Watrous in Sasketchewan have world class natural spas,
they were featured in the Leisure magazine for the doctors.Saw the articles at work. Hope that helps.
Yoong