rachlegend89

Hi everyone

Myself and my fiancé are hoping to emigrate from the UK to Calgary in approximately 12 months time. I am a registered psychiatric nurse and he works in the banking sector, both professions that appear to be sought after in Alberta.

We have researched visa applications etc that we will need to do, but I am just wondering when we should start doing it?

We need to sell our house in the UK before going aswell but we don't want to start the process of that before we know whether our visas will be accepted and before I can secure a job.

A big question we have is how far in advance can a visa be approved before you actually have to go? For example, if we were approved in September, would it matter if we didn't go till January?

I hope these aren't daft questions but I haven't been able to find this information online!

Thanks

Jerseygirl

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rachlegend89

Thanks I already have done...I didn't realise until it was too late!

Tirytory

Hi and Welcome....

You and your partner have two separate areas to research... Firstly how you get your credentials recognised in Alberta and then secondly or firstly (they are both equally important) how you get to work here.

This link will start you off for the first part...

Internationally_Educated_Psychiatric_Nurse

Note that NNAS - the first part of the registration process can take up to a year on it's own so you might need to adjust your idea of moving in a year, unless of course you have already started all of the above.

The second part is researching Express Entry for Permant Residency and whether you are eligible to apply, and then whether you have the minimum amounts of points to be selected from the pool to apply for PR. Have a look at the wiki for EE. Does your hubby/partner have a specialised job within banking?

christmasoompa

Do you need a job offer to get a visa and have you got the nursing registration process underway? If yes to the former and no to the latter, then as TiryTory has said, you'll probably need to adjust your timing expectations.

Once you are granted PR, you then have a year from the date of your medical to go to Canada to 'land' and activate it, but you don't have to stay there - you need to remain in Canada for 2 years out of every 5 once you've landed, so in essence you have another 3 years before you have to return (although we wouldn't recommend leaving it that late!).

HTH, best of luck.

rachlegend89

Thanks for your replies.
I have just spoken to an immigration and migration company who advised to apply via express entry. They said they would validate my nursing degree etc but stated that I could start as a graduate nurse with an employer (working under supervision) when I first start and they would then start the nursing registration process after I have started working, which would require me to sit some exams within the first 3-6 months. I will probably need to call them back though as I don't know if I still need to start the NNAS if we are doing the express entry where they will also validate my credentials...

My partner currently works as a branch manager, which technically doesn't have any official banking regulation qualifications associated with it (he does have 10 years experience though).

Good that we don't have to go straight away, wouldn't like to be selling our house when we have already moved!

mikelincs

Just be very wary of using a migration company, unless you have problematical issues, which from your posts it would seem you do not, then all they are is a means for them to make a shed load of money from you for doing things you could, and should be doing yourself. Most of the people on here have done it themselves with no problems. The migration company cannot validate your degree. only NNAS can do that, and you will not be getting a nursing job without validation.

Tirytory

Nursing is super difficult in Canada, please read some threads.. I don't know whether psych nursing is easier in Alberta, it might be but that's for you to research. You need to get your qualifications recognized and apply for the right to work. As I said there are two separate processes which to a certain extent rely on each other ie you might need your nursing license in Alberta to get a job which allows you to apply for PR and you need a legal right to work to be able to get a license. It is confusing- you have to do a lot of reading.

You can only work if you get through NNAS and they have assessed you and you have then applied to the licensing board in Alberta- for Ontario all this needs to have happened with a year of recent practice for you to be able to get a temporary license waiting to sit the exam. I presume the same applies but you will need to speak to the licensing board to qualify that.

christmasoompa

OK, so you don't need a job offer to score high enough on the CRS to be selected i.e. you score over 450 without one?

They won't themselves, as they can't - it'll be sent off to one of the official ECA agencies. You can do that yourself if you decide to apply without an agencies (most people don't need to use one).

That doesn't sound right to me at all (I didn't think you could work at all until licensed), but there are lots of knowledgeable nurses on the boards that will be able to point you in the right direction, including TiryTory who has been going through the process herself for the past year or so.

Best of luck.

haggis88

Nothing is sought after in AB right now, infact many people are actively trying to get out of here