needachange

As above really...

I have been thinking about hopping across the pond on and off for years now, & now that I'm SERIOUSLY working towards it, I get the impression that's its now a younger mans game & ive left it too late.

I turned 44 yesterday & I am the manager of a construction firm. I had an interview on Friday past & they would have taken me on immediately, but for reasons I will keep to myself - I turned them down.

Ideally Alberta is where I would like to make a new life with my wife & boys & there appears to be quite a few openings for someone in my line up there. Anyone with any experience of contractors in say Edmonton or Calgary? Who has a good name & who I should maybe avoid like the plague?

All opinions kindly welcomed.

MovALot

Needachange, you are not too old, I am 44, left for Oz just about 4yrs ago and all being well I will be in Calgary in 8 weeks. Expats, immigration has all ages, adds to the mix. Sorry can't help with a construction company but sure someone will come along with that advice, good luck!

SchnookoLoly

Can't help on the work side of things, but I agree with MovALot - you're definitely not too old. A friend of mine's mum is in her 60s and decided to pick up her whole life and move to the UK. Good luck with the move!

needachange

Cheers for that folks, that's re-assuring.

I'm in the middle of filling in the Visa application form under the Skilled Workers Programme & I'm wondering, do many people land out without work lined up? Most of the job adverts seem to be for immediate start which obviously is no good without yer visa.

Its a bit of a catch 22 obviously being able to get the visa if there is a job lined up.

iaink

I hate to discourage anyone, but at 44 you should take a close look at how pensions and that are going to work out for you because you will be limited in what you can build up and take out of the Canadian system starting that late.

UK pension also wont pay out fully, and will not be index linked anyway.

Canada is a fine country, but not one to be old and poor in.

Other than that 44 is not too old.

SchnookoLoly

iaink's point is worth some consideration, definitely.

Read the wiki section on job hunting - you will find it exceptionally difficult to job hunt from the UK.

In my husband's case, he didn't want to give up his very good job in banking without knowing he had something to go to, but he understood that job hunting in Canada is a bit different. Luckily banking is an area that's staffed largely by recruiters. He spent a few weeks getting in touch with recruitment companies and speaking to them on the phone. He explained he did not need job sponsorship, he had PR and was good to work, and that he did not require any relocation package (though if one was on offer he wouldn't turn it down!). He then also said that we had a trip planned for two weeks in about a month's time, and during that time would be available for interviews. The recruiters then had enough time to set up interviews for that week - I think he did 9 interviews in 4 days. (Exhausting!) He got a verbal job offer from one of the banks, waited a few weeks once back in the UK once he had it in writing and an idea about start times, and then gave in his notice. He got lucky, though, his notice in the UK was only 4 weeks so that was workable. In my case, my notice was 12 weeks, and no one in Canada was going to wait 12 weeks for me, so I ended up moving without a job, but since my husband had one it worked out, and I got lucky and found a job quickly.

So you can sort of job hunt before you come, but likely you'll need to be in Canada and ready to work.

(Honestly, even the ones that say to start immediately probably need a week or two - if you're employed elsewhere in Canada you probably have 2 weeks notice period, and they need a bit of time to do background checks etc anyway.)

MarylandNed

You're never too old to make a change. And certainly not at 44.

christmasoompa

I'm not sure what you mean by this last sentence? If you qualify as a Skilled Worker now, and apply for PR, then once you've got it you've got almost 4 years before you actually need to move to Canada, so plenty of time to job hunt.

needachange

Sorry christmasoompa, what I meant to say was "its a catch 22, in that If you HAD a job offer then it would be a lot easier to get the visa whereas you wont get the job offer with out having the visa" - if that makes sense.

That's a goodun, I wasn't aware, that that was how the system worked. I didn't know you had nearly 4 years grace to get work. Many thanks for that. I will get the SWP application away & start the ball rolling.

Thanks again.

christmasoompa

It does make sense for most, but I was querying it specific to you as you're talking about applying now as a FSW? So obviously don't need a job offer for a visa?

needachange

Apologies for sounding dumb, Its just that on the visa application under the FSW it asks if you have an offer of employment in Canada lined up. I assumed, (perhaps wrongly) that if I had then that would have been a big plus point in my application.

Its a whole new process for me

christmasoompa

There are two types of FSW application, one is having a job on 'the list' of eligible occupations, and the other is having a job offer approved by HRSDC. You don't need both, and you're applying under the first option so a job offer will make no difference to your app whatsoever, other than giving you some extra points.

But it's not required for your application - as long as your job is on the list of eligible occupations and you can prove you do the duties listed under that NOC code (and you have enough points, enough funds, no criminal record, pass the medical etc) you should be eligible.

HTH.

needachange

Thanks a mill CO.... Every day is a school day

Ill get the application pack away & cross everything than can comfortably be crossed.

Cheers again.

christmasoompa

Sounds like a plan. It'll take you a month or so to get everything ready to send off anyway (depending on IELTS exam availability etc), so you'll have plenty of time to figure it all out in the meantime!

Best of luck.

Oink

Firstly, given your username it seems that you just need a change in life. Why not take a long adventure holiday rather subjecting your children to the upheaval and stresses of emigrating because you "needachange?"

Secondly, I'd go with your initial sentiment.