v8anglia

can anyone advise us? we are thinking of emmigrating to canada and need to know of any potential problems there may be, is it easier to get into canada than the US? is work easier to find? i have been in plastics extrusion for over 20 years and was wondering if i would be able to get a similar job over there or will i have to get a driving job or similar? many thanks, paul rosie and megan.

joelsa

Hi I'm not sure what plastics extrusion is but maybe research this field on the internet. Not sure about the "Is Canada easier than the US to get into" question, that would depend on your own circumstances and whether you really want to live in the US or Canada.

hth Jo xx

There's so much information out there, just using the search facillity on this forum will probably give you all the answers you need.

v8anglia

we did originally want to move to the US but decided it wasnt for us as the only way we could get in was to start a business, the reason i mentioned the job was there are a lot of ads in the press in the UK offering work in canada and that is what we would prefer to do. as i mentioned i have been in plastics extrusion for over 20 years ( making pipes and similar ) and feel i would have a lot to offer an employer in canada, i tried contacting employers in the US but they just werent interested if i didnt live in the US already.
paul and rosie.

Antstar

Hi Paul, I'm a civil engineer moving to Calgary at the end of this month to work in the oil and gas pipeline industry. I take it if you are in pipeline extrusion your experience is in producing pipe for transporting low pressure gas or water??

What I can tell you is that the oil and gas industry is booming in Alberta since Canada offers a more 'stable' provider of oil for the demanding US market so I would have thought that experience in any sector of the pipeline industry would be advantageous. Have you checked you are eligible for entry to Canada as far as passing the points system goes? (If not follow this link for the test: [URL="http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/assess/index.asp"])

I certainly wouldn't say it was easy to get into Canada or to find work. There is no doubt they favour Canadians and those with Canadian experience (as it should be) but there is a skills shortage for most pipeline work so it may be a case of making calls and sending out your resume to a number of companies in the area you want to target (I would suggest Alberta) and see what kind of response you get. If you want to be in Canada any time soon you WILL need the support of a company to get you over there. The only other 'quick' option is a working holiday visa but it sounds like you have a family and may be over the upper age limit (I think its 35) so hunting down an employer who's willing to take a risk on you is your best shot - it's going to be hard work but it will be worth it!! Canada is a great place and has a lot to offer.

You may also like to see if there are any professional bodies that cover the work you do, I contacted APEGGA who deal with engineers in Alberta and they were very helpful......they should at least be able to provide you with some good leads/contacts for employers....

Best of luck

Antony

Judy in Calgary

Paul, supervisors in plastic and rubber products manufacturing are listed in the Occupations Under Pressure for Alberta.

To see how that fits into the larger context, please read the BE Wiki article on Canadian immigration.

Please also read the BE Wiki article about job hunting.

Hope that helps.

Daedra

Judy's answer was much more specific and helpful (as always, Judy's a BE star here!) but I just wanted to echo Anstarr's reply in that Alberta is the definate 'boom' province in Canada for natural resources... I know this largely through my research in Western Canadian sales for computer products/services

I had no idea what the heck your job meant when you first posted, but if its to do with natural resources, your best bet is either Alberta or the NWT (North West Territories & Nunavut in the East) which will, pardon my language, put you in the middle of bumfuknowhere if your in the NWT or NUN in Canada. Of course, the USA answer to our northern territories in Canada is Alaska although I dont have any clue as to their resources and job opportunities.... it was a little chunk of Canada the colonial Brits swapped off in favour of different land. Nice Salmon fishing there though *lol*

Judy in Calgary

In doing an unrelated Google search, I stumbled on the fact that Plastics Processing Machine Operators are included in Alberta's Provincial Nominee Program.

Daedra

See? Whadiditellyou... its like Judy has super human powers or something Keep up the great work Judy! By the way, I added a couple of British/Canadian translations to the Wiki dictionary post... Fringe for instance... thats refering to shorter front parts of hair so just putting 'hair' was a bit misleading, better using the slang 'bangs' so added it on

v8anglia

thanks everybody you have all been really helpful, and given rosie and myself some great ideas about our future. does anyone have any downsides to moving to canada? regards paul and rosie.

Daedra

Extreme seasons? Well depending on where in Canada, some get it worse then others. But yeah, winters are long and slushy & coooooold but you get a nice white x-mas most years which is real pretty. Summers are HOT & humid in MTL I had to buy an AC for the bedroom as I just couldnt sleep in a pool of sweat when the temps peaked. BUT... loads more sunny days, proper nasty thunderstorms (not sheet lightning like seems to always be here in the Norf West) and when it rains, it RAINS... never experienced the misty rains like we get here in the UK or the nasty fog like pea soup.

Hmmm... aside from that, dont stick your arm out at buses to stop them, they all stop at each stop with their bus route number on them if there's someone stood there. Roundabouts are few and far between, 4 way stops are what is commonly used instead. Principle of 4 way stop is whomever reaches the stop (and comes to a stop! You can get ticketed if your 'rolling' slowly through a stop) first gets the right of way. If 2 cars reach the stop at the same time, the one on the right has the right of way first.

Can't think of anything else as most of it you'll discover in your own unique experiences there! Oh yeah, if your a smoker, dont ask for a fag (especially not from a bloke) or you may loose a few teeth *lol*

Why dont you have a look through the Wikipedia section of the Canada forum, loads of useful facts & info has been posted there... I believe its one of the 'sticky posts' near the top of the forum thread

Judy in Calgary

what's bad about Canada?