Hi everybody
I am in the process of obtaining a permanent residence visa as an industrial electrician. I have read a little about requiring a red seal certificate to work in my field, Im pretty sure I have the hours etc. to apply to sit the exam, but obviously this can only be done once on canadian soil.
My question is what I can do in the meantime, I would like to start Job hunting before flying out if possible but is it worth even applying for electrical jobs without the red seal, or would it just be a case of taking a crappier job until i can pass the exam, Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks

That's about it.

Thought so, bugger

My brother, who is a car mechanic, was hoping to move out here next year.
Presumably, he'll have to do the red seal too.

But has anyone been able to get job offers without having the redseal first? He'll probably go the LMO/TWP route....

Hi, Have you spoken to 'Redseal' organisation and can you 'challenge' the application, providing you show evidence that you meet the 'hours' you can sit the exam, providing you study for the exam in you own time.
have look at: http://www.red-seal.ca/[email protected]?tid=123
Which area of Canada are you thinking of settling in?

Was thinking about bc or Alberta, not sure which yet, heart says bc, head says alberta

I got a job offer and moved to Canada to start work as a mechanic without the Red Seal initially.
My employer got a temporary permit for me to work while I was studying for the exam.
Your brother will need proof of the amount of hours that he has worked in the trade before he is allowed to take the exam.
I just bought a big text book for North American Mechanics and studied it mainly for any differences etc.
Another ex pat that I work with did all this on a flying visit so was licensed before he actually moved here.

Just wondering, did you know your employer before you applied for your job?

How can you "prove" the hours? A reference letter or something?

I would presume a contract from your current or previous employers detailing your job description along with the dates of employment and your pay slips.

but what if like a lot of tradesmen over here you are self employed soletrader?no payslips,and you could put down as many hours as you wanted

Well chances are if he's a mechanic he'll probbably be employed by a garage, if he owns the garage you could prove your hours by providing the relative paperwork for past work done, invoices and such.

No, I didn't know them but was put in touch with them by an immigration consultant

I had a letter from my last employer with a description of what I did and the amount of hours worked but I know someone who could not provide proof so he was asked to swear some sort of declaration as to his experience.

OH sat the Alberta equivelency exam - he didn't (to my knowledge) do the red seal one.

We came over on a recce. He got offered a job with the comapny doing the LMO and stuff). He applied to the Alberta exam place to see if he could challenge the exam, it was decided he could.

Then we were incorrectly advised, he flew out to take the exam ( as a mock so he knew what to study) thinking that as he wasn't staying it would count to one of his two chances. Well when he arrived, he was given a 3 month work permit and had to pass the exam within 3 months SO DON'T DO THAT because it causes stress and panic when you have just three months to pack your lives up and move and pass exams when you were thinking of moving at a later date.