big tom

im going round in circles here and need urgent help !!!!!

i want to travel to canada and sit my red seal electricians exam

i know i need to study the canadian code etc, get my 9000 hours confirmed and then apply to sit the exam

can someone please confirm the best way of doing this

can i sit red seal without having an offer from a canadian employer ? apparently you cant in alberta

can i sit the exam and come back to the uk then and apply for jobs in canada as a 'red seal electrician' ?

if you get red seal in ontario do you have to pay an annual subscription ??

do you have to do an interview first or can i go over for a few days , sit the test and come home ?

it would be great if someone who is sure , can talk me through this...im told you need canadian ID etc before you can sit it

then can i come back to the uk if i pass and apply under the federal skilled trades program for a visa without a job offer because i qualify as i am now red seal ???

please please please help

lindamchugh

hi be glad to give advice. my hubby passed exam for elec in feb. you have to book the interview to ensure you meet criteria, belts and braces is my advice, he took references, proof of previous jobs, city and guilds paperwork, the lot. He sat test failed it first time said it was very hard then passed it second time. He came home and we submitted trade app, been " in process" since april 2nd and ecas system says havent even started processing it yet. We are now in Canada 3 weeks on 6 month visitor visa trying to get job offer and lmo whilst PR in process. hope this helps

not2old

its now called the 'Ontario college of trades'

http://www.collegeoftrades.ca/faq/general-faqs

Info here may also assist you & it deals with newcomers specific to the trade certification

http://www.ontarioimmigration.ca/en/...N_ELEC_CM.html


Suggest that you have the following -
*proof of your UK quailfications
*Apprenticeship details
*Letters of reference or employer proof that you are/have been in the trade
* of course that you have immigration status to live in Canada

other info

http://www.ontarioimmigration.ca/en/...NS_COMMON.html

not2old

in the link you'll find a sample exam

http://trades.exambank.com/electrical.html

and other related Electrician information

http://www.ecao.org/Faq.asp?categoryId=8

good luck

lindamchugh

hi u dont need immigration status to live in canada to take the test my hubby did it on visitor status

big tom

hi , thanks for that

a few questions, did ur man do the interview and the two tests all during the same trip over ? i assume toronto ....

how much did it cost for the exams, interviews etc ?

i was told that only in ontario , if you sit your red seal their you have to pay an annual subscription,, do you know if this is correct ?

so when i get the study material, how do kick off the process and are they happy it being done as a visitor ?

not2old

Unless things have chabged recently, I don't know whether a visitor without immigration status (PR) (landed immigrant or about to be one) can sit the exam (to be confirmed) since they usually want proof of residency, usually other ID such as your SIN number, drivers license, health card etc on top of the proof that you are eligible. If you are allowed to sit the exam then I'm guessing you'd need an Ontario address for them to send the certificate

this info below was buried in the links that I provided earlier

There is a $150 fee every time you write the exam.

Step 7. Certificate of Qualification
If you pass the exam, your Certificate of Qualification will be mailed to you. You can get an official duplicate (copy) of the certificate from the Ontario College of Trades for a fee of $25. You must pay an annual membership fee of $120 to the Ontario College of Trades to renew your certificate.

Fees and Costs
(in Canadian dollars)

Application for the Certificate of Qualification no fee
Registration of an apprenticeship,
if required $60 + TVH
Certificate of Qualification examination $150 + TVH
Rewriting failed exams (re-examination) $150 + TVH
Official duplicate of Certificate of Qualification $25 + TVH
Annual Membership fee to the Ontario College of Trades $120 + TVH

not2old

to add to this - I would suggest that you contact the certification people directly & ask the question 'if I come over as a visitor - can I sit the Electricians C of Q exam & how quickly is the process from you accepting me to the date of sitting the exam?

For information on trades certification and licensing, contact:

Ontario College of Trades
655 Bay Street, Suite 600
Toronto, ON M5G 2K4
CANADA
Telephone: 647-847-3000
Toll free: 1-855-299-0028
Fax: 1-866-398-0368
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.collegeoftrades.ca

lindamchugh

Hi we booked interview date over the phone then he flew out, interview was Monday and he took test on the Friday 100 dollars but I see it has went up. We had cousin address in Toronto and they sent results there but actual cerificate ( which you need for immigration app) was sent to home address in uk. Hubby said interviewer was very helpful. There was no question about being PR as you need to do red seal to get PR in trade app so that would not make sense. dont get too bogged down with gving them your life story and situation, just say you are electrician can prove it blah blah and wish to take the test. mail me if you need any further help. ps study like your life depends on it ( it does) hubby been elec 30 years and he said it hard . a lot of it is being familiar with the code book and where to find the answers as opposed to actually knowing it !!

not2old

Lindaamchugh, that was good info

When did this happen - what year & was it in Toronto Ontario?

Was it the construction electrician exam or the industrial electrician exam & are you saying he only studied for 5 days before sitting the exam?

update

you answered it here

emiiuki

Do you know which literature did your husband use? My husband is going to send the application to challenge the exam but he only has CEC 2012 book. Is it enough? Are all the chapters necessary? Did your husband go to Ontario or BC?

lindamchugh

He used 2012 but did say the canadians there were using a small handbook also. when you book interview you should ask most recent literature . It was Toronto in Ontario

not2old

Understanding this was likely a year back when you started down this path.

From my calling around today to the COT (college of trades), then cross checking with the Apprenticeship branch in Toronto (those test centres that conduct the exam) as well as the the Ontario Ministry of Colleges & University - things may have changed from when you did it

The rules as of this morning are that yes someone can challenge the exam from overseas as a visitor, but first must

http://www.collegeoftrades.ca/member...ade-assessment

http://www.collegeoftrades.ca/wp-con...essment_EN.pdf

I trust that you don't mind me asking - would you mind clarifying & maybe fill in a few gaps of the process you took - had your husband (prior to flying over for the interview) already downloaded & filled in the assessment form and sent it back to the college of trades. Or did you call out of the blue without filling in the assessment form - as you said 'you called the COT making the appointment for the interview.

And, as you said after the interview, he took the test 5 days after & passed with a mark above 70% which is the 'Red Seal' endorsement on the C of Q

lindamchugh

Hi I cant open the attachments , says page not valid. Yes they emailed an assessment pack ( self assessment to ensure all criteria met / can do all the electrical work etc)

He actually failed the first time at 66%
then passed second time at 77 %.

Linda

not2old

thanks for that Linda

And for those looking at doing this I'm sure Linda is going through the full process & can share the experience of her & her husband, but I'd like to share with you what I found out today calling around the ever so complicated COT, Apprenticeship branch of the Ontario government & BTW I'm now retired & licensed in Ontario in two different skilled trades - Electrician (309A & 442A) + Industrial mechanic Millwright 433A

The 'Red Seal' is not a qualification. It is an endorsement to those that pass a trades (Certificate of Qualification) C of Q at 70% or better (I know because I have one). The standard pass mark for the (College of Trades) C of Q in a trade is 60% - but the (Red Seal) sticker on the certificate is called an inter-provincial qualification which allows the tradesperson to work in any province in a qualified trade without having to re-sit the exam in another province

This morning I made several calls to the college of trades in Toronto as well as visited two different Ontario apprenticeship branches where they conduct the C of Q exams. Long chats & believe me I don't take a NO very easily.

The rules as of this morning are that yes someone can challenge the exam from overseas as a visitor, but first must

http://www.collegeoftrades.ca/member...ade-assessment

A) Fill in the assessment form available on line at the college of trades (COT) website & return OR MAIL it back to them. Its not just a walk in & let me have an assessment then 5 days later write the exam

http://www.collegeoftrades.ca/wp-con...essment_EN.pdf

B) Once the college of trades receive the trade equivalency assessment form, FIRST step is the application for assessment is sent to the Ministry Of colleges & university (MCU). They & they alone do the assessment. That done the file is sent back to the COT - they will then contact the approved applicant to come in for the interview. If they pass the interview - then & only then will they be allowed to take the exam.

The exam is not a cake walk - good knowledge of the electrical code is what can make or break the mark for an experienced out of country electrician (or any trade) challenging the exam, but if you have good trade experience from where you are at as a tradesperson & are good at remembering parrot fashion after reading a book like war & peace (my interpretation of the electrical code) - then you should be OK. Try to find & pay for if necessary on-line sample test papers

C) Yes you could be here on a visitor visa for 6 months, walk in & get the assessment form - fill it out - but its a least two weeks before you get the answer back as to whether you are accepted or not to write the exam

D) Under the Federal Skills program (once you have the C of Q) it looks (my interpretation) as though an applicant must get an employer to offer them work to the proposed immigrant (offer of employment) before CIC will give them the visa to enter Canada as a PR ... then again some folks do & don't depending on other factors in the points based system