ghostmark2005

Hi

Firstly I'm sure you see these posts a lot from people looking for advice so for that I apologise but I have seen the helpful and kind way in which people offer advice on this site which is why I have joined.

Secondly apologies for asking for specific advice, I have no idea where else to ask.

Me and my wife would very much like to look into moving to Canada. Unsure of area yet but either around Toronto or Nova Scotia area. This is the very, very, very first and initial enquiries we are making into this.

I am 25 years old married and have 2 children (3, 6).

I am a serving police officer and have been for 6 years and 6 months.

I currently do not own my own home and have absolutely no savings at the moment, I can easily begin to save and raise money, I tend to work/save work/save then spend on a nice family holiday (have never had the luxury of kind money donating relatives, ever and have always had to work for everything which has made me very good at saving). This means I can exchange the expensive holidays for saving. Not a problem at all.

I obviously speak English but not French.

I have 2 full A levels and 3 AS levels but no University degree.

From reading the immigration website and trying to use the calculator I appear to fall under the skilled workers based on job type (band or type B) and other points.

I would look to move over when money allows, maybe 5-10 years of good saving, emigrate and look for a job and as Police can no longer transfer straight in to Canadian forces, I would look to apply and join up whenever positions open.

My question -

1) Is this a completely far fetched goal, am I missing something crucial or being very ignorant?

2) What, if any, points will A levels give? I had been considering them 2 year diplomas as this was the only option below University Degree.

3) Realistically how much money should I be looking to save or invest into this venture

Again I appreciate some of this may be difficult to answer but until I ask at least some questions I won't know where to begin.

Thanks,

Mark

christmasoompa

Hi, and welcome to BE.

In answer to your questions -

1) it's totally achievable as long as you're not relying on your police officer experience to get you a visa. You'd need to find a job offer in another field, or does your wife have skills that might mean she's be able to be sponsored by an employer perhaps? Once you've got PR you can apply to most police forces in Canada, so you just need to get to that point another way.

2) A levels, they're deemed to be secondary education by CIC, not diplomas.

3) figure about £25-30k as a *very* rough guide for a family of 4, obviously this will increase in 5-10 years. This thread has some useful figures in so you can work out how much it will cost to move your family and get set up in Canada - http://britishexpats.com/forum/canad...canada-735341/

HTH, good luck.

ghostmark2005

Hi

Thank you

I looked at the NOD/NOC? Aspect of the visa and Police Officer seemed to come in as a B which looked to qualify for the express skilled workers? Or have I completely misunderstood that?

And I shall drop the point score of A level down to secondary :'(

Thanks again

christmasoompa

It does come under Skill Level B, but without a job offer you wouldn't have enough points to get selected, and there's no way of getting a job offer as a police officer until you've got PR. Although technically you could submit an Express Entry profile, you'd have a very low points score and realistically just wouldn't get an Invitation to Apply without a LMIA or PNP app I'm afraid.

So you'd need to look at another way to get a job offer/nomination, either yourself if you can get experience in another job, or if you don't want to do that and want to keep working as a police officer, then by using your wife's job. What does she do?

ghostmark2005

Excellent, thank you that has explained it so clearly and I finally understand it!

She is a model so unfortunately nothing that will assist us. She would look to continue modelling if we were to move but everything relies on me getting accepted.

One other suggestions from a friend was to become qualified as an electrician or plumber.

I wouldn't be able to stop working for the police, I wouldn't earn anywhere near as much as I do now.

On that note, I have seen your other posts and you know a lot which has helped - should my wife wish to travel to Canada to model say only for 1 week to 6 months, definitely less than a year - what sort of visa would this require? Is it even possible?

She was looking at the US but the US websites make everything so confusing we gave up, I just couldn't understand it >.<

Many thanks again

christmasoompa

If she's a fashion model, then her job is actually an eligible occupation for the Self Employed Program, so it might be worth looking at that. The downside is the very lengthy processing times, but if you don't plan to move for 5-10 years, that wouldn't be an issue for you anyway.

So you might find that her job's the way forward after all!

If your wife was visiting for a specific modelling job (e.g a few days) then no work permit would be required as it wouldn't be taking away from the Canadian workforce, but for something longer term she'd need a LMIA & temp work permit - worth noting that she could only work for her sponsoring employer on a TWP, so wouldn't be able to freelance as she probably does in the UK.

HTH.

allycat231

Canada is always looking for Truck drivers, another option you may have, is to get your LGV license and work for an agency part time on your days off?

christmasoompa

Not since the changes to the Temp Foreign Worker program unfortunately - have a quick look at the truckers forum to see how job offers/LMIA's have become like rocking horse poo (as another forum member eloquently puts it!).

TheThornes

Hi Mark. I know you are aware that it doesn't appear possible at the moment to do a straight transfer into any of the Canadian Police Services. Also, I don't know about other parts of the country but here, in Calgary, you now also have to have held PR for three years before applying to the police. Also, in order to join the RCMP you would unfortunately have to have citizenship.

Ontheroadoflife

Hi, I'm only mentioning this as I happened to see it when having a mouch around, firstly hi mark, secondly, I'm just mentioning this, and i'm sure other more qualified than me can tell me if i'm talking out of that brown hole...but Calgary Transit are Looking for Peace Officers (basically Community Support officers with a bit more teeth), one of the strongest things for application is previous Police Experience it states. Calgary Transit had a history of Temporary Workers in the past, so their HR may be not adverse to supporting a LMIA....anyway here is the advert...Again i MAY be talking out my brown hole, if they offered this to you, they could apply for a 10 day processing LMIA, which would get you Express Entry...(approx 6 months)

Job Description
Job Title:
Public Safety and Enforcement Officer - AMENDMENT
Job ID: 205334
Location:
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Closing Date
2015/02/26
Posting Type
Internal / External



Return to Previous Page We value a diverse workforce
Basic Job Information
Amendment: Hours of Work, Notes
Posting Title: Public Safety and Enforcement Officer
Business Unit/Section: Calgary Transit/Public Safety and Enforcement
Location: 316 7 Avenue S.E.
Union/Position: CUPE Local 38/Permanent #103521, 105104, 117002 and Temporary (up to one year)
Compensation: Pay Grade 9
$32.92 - 36.22 - 38.04 - 39.93 - 41.96 - 44.04 per hour
Hours of Work: This position works a standard 35 hour work week and will require rotating shifts including weekends and holidays.

Business Unit Information
Calgary Transit (CT) carries over 105 million customers each year. The organization plans, designs, operates, maintains and improves The City's entire public transportation system, including a growing fleet of buses, a Light Rail Transit (LRT) network, and accessible public transportation for people with disabilities.

Responsibilities
Reporting directly to Sergeants, Public Safety and Enforcement Officers are responsible for preserving public peace and enforcing mandated laws applicable to Calgary Transit properties. Primary duties include:
Enforce Municipal By-laws and Provincial statutes.
Investigate complaints on the buses and the Light Rail Transit (LRT) system.
Respond to emergency situations and provide help to the public.
Protect transit customers and transit property; conduct preventative patrols on the LRT system.
Investigate municipal offences in relation to incidents occurring on Calgary Transit property.
Prepare and give evidence in court; exchange criminal and confidential information with the Calgary Police Service and other law enforcement agencies.
Promote positive customer and community relations; act as ambassadors for Calgary Transit Collaborate.
Working Conditions: The physical demands of this position include, but are not limited to: lifting, bending, crouching, pulling, frequent walking and standing in varying conditions and in all types of weather (rain, snow, heat or extreme cold).

Qualifications
The successful applicant must possess one of the following combinations of education and experience:
A High School diploma or equivalency (e.g. GED) and a minimum of three years of related work experience; OR
A related completed two year certificate or diploma and a minimum of one year of work experience; OR
A related degree.
A valid Class 5 Driver's Licence (or provincial equivalent) with no more than six demerits, no current suspensions or charges pending, and the ability to obtain a City of Calgary operator’s permit is required. Applicants must have no criminal convictions and must be eligible for a Community Peace Officer Appointment.

Knowledge of the Criminal Code of Canada, Provincial statutes, and Municipal By-laws are considered assets. The ability to communicate effectively; strong interpersonal skills; tact in dealing with the public and staff at all levels; and the ability to deal with confrontational situations and stress is required. Demonstrated ability to mediate conflict situations with the public is preferred. Preference will be given to applicants with training and/or certifications in Conflict Resolution, Mediation or Negotiation. Success in this position requires communication skills and the ability to follow clearly defined policies and procedures.

Notes
Successful applicants must provide proof of qualifications.
Only education obtained from an accredited institution will be recognized as meeting the minimum qualifications.
More than one position may be filled from this competition.
A security clearance will be conducted.
Applicants will be tested for appropriate skills.
Applicants must meet the Provincial standard on the Physical Abilities Requirement Evaluation (PARE), Correctional Officer Physical Aptitude test (COPAT), Police Officer Physical Aptitude Test (POPAT) or Alberta Physical Readiness Evaluation for Police (APREP) physical fitness test prior to consideration for an offer of employment.
Pre-employment Drug Test: An offer of employment for this position will be conditional on an applicant passing a pre-employment drug test. Failure to pass a pre-employment drug test may prevent an applicant from being hired into any safety sensitive position for a period of up to twelve months.

Ontheroadoflife

If you are worrying about the license...In laymans terms, what it means is, when you swap your UK Driving license for a Canadian one you will meet that part (and it will be clean...loved losing my 3 points when i swapped mine ). The operators license is i THINK, simply being trained by Calgary Transit to move a bus or LRT in an emergency (which as a bonus means you get trained by them upto Class 2 - Air brakes).