Hi everyone,

Been looking into immigrating and spoke to an immigration lawyer who quoted me 5k to help me move to Canada and I fell of my chair. Now I've been reading that most people haven't used and agency and got on fine but I'm really scared and not sure how I do it all on my own. Will I get so far then it will all fail because I didnt do something right. I dont know I'm a bit mixed up now because of what the lawyer said (probably did it to deliberately scare me into paying the money, which I didn't)

He seems to think that I only a small percent of people who try to immigrate by themselves dont make it. Is this true? Can anyone give me a list of things that I need to do to start the process by myself and start me off on the right track. It would be greatly appreciated. If I have a list then I feel I can tick each thing off as I go along. Does that make sense? lol Oh and I want to apply for a PR now to get the ball rolling then apply for a work permit next year to try to get a job and move over that way, is that a good way to start and how long can you get a working visa for?

Thanks for all who reply

Emma

Why pay out all that money to someone to do a job you could do yourself! All the forms are on line and the questions really are pretty straightforward, although one or two tend to be a bit ambiguous. For all the points we were not too sure about OH wrote a letter numbering all the points and giving lots of explanation. I am sure you could fill out the forms yourself, it is worth giving it a go, and save the money for your removal costs. Good luck hope it all goes well.

Do it yourself and use the money to buy something nice when you get there!
We did my family class app ourselves by standing back and breaking it down one page at a time - we got through it fine...and successfully. I have visa etc now and not one hitch. I seem to have heard more stories about lawyers etc getting stuff wrong than individuals who do it themselves anyway. It's very daunting initially, but everything you need to do it is online and freely available. You can start with the cic website and look at the forms and guides to how to fill them in. It really does guide you through it...and after a few reads it gets a bit easier to understand. It was more fulfilling doing ourselves too and makes what we're doing even more personal to us.
Just remember....deep breaths and perseverance.

Have a look throught the Immigration Forum on this site - and you can see the common issues that arise.

This is the official checklist that you need for the London office.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/E37023.pdf

If you look at CIC's website until your eyes hurt, then repeat, eventually it starts to make more sense then it's just a case of collecting all the info together and sending it off. You can also look at the different types of visa.

You can do it yourself - just be patient and careful.

Y.

Further to the above ..... on the CIC site you will find a self-assessment test .... read it carefully and answer it honestly and it should give you some idea as to whether you meet the points requirement for PR (If you are considering the skilled worker route). If you fall short or near the passmark you may wish to reconsider taking advice from an expert.

If you can get yourself an approved job offer, or accepted on a Provincial Nominee Programme, then points (for education etc) are not so much an issue.

What is your line of work, and where were you considering going?

You should find plenty of help here, but also ask on the "Canada immigration" board as that is where the "experts" lurk. This board is more about lifestyle and culture.

Hi Emma,

We are not a "straightforward" case having lived in three other countries other than the UK. Notwithstanding the apparent complexity we did it ourselves because the guides from CHC were very clear. We also both did cover letters including our perspectives on any areas that we thought needed clarifying. We all got through without any additional info being asked of us.

The one thing you will need lots of is patience. It took us four months (elapsed time) from downloading the forms to handing them in personally at CHC London.

Good luck!
H

Emma,

Hi, producing a list of things you need to do is difficult as it will depend on your presonal circumstances and on what basis you are applying.

You certainly don't need to pay someone to prepare the application for you as it is all straight forward. I would print out the application forms and guides from the Canadian Immigration website, and read through them to determine what you need.

I would check that you do get sufficient points first as that will be a big factor in your application. Then just evidence everything they ask for as much as you can.

For example, you have to provde a reference from every employer you have had. One of mine was over 12 years ago and they had no records. So I got them to do me a letter saying that the did not keep information from that far back and therefore couldn't confirm my employment. I didn't want to get a reference from my wifes employer as they would not have been impressed with the fact she was planning to leave so we provided her letter of appointment and up to date P60s and payslips instead.

There is nothing complicated in applying, as I said you just need to be thorough. If you come accross any specific problems or questions during applying you will probably find an answer on here.

Good luck

Mark

Thats great advice everyone, to answer some questions. I'm a Nursery Nurse/Childcare Worker/Early Years Worker and wanted to go to Halifax. I would like to apply for PR then next year try and get there through work but I'm unsure if thats a safe way to do it, incase after my work permit would expire if I didnt have a PR by then would I get chucked out the country? Does that make sense.

x

Emma, if even you did decide to use an agent or lawyer, you should not be paying anywhere near 5k! I would expect that to include all landing fees, a case of champagne and a first class ticket on Air Canada for that!!

Well I just tried the evaluation and I only made 59 points but would pass if I had a job so it looks like the only way to do it is to wait till next year and apply for a working visa. Then apply again but seems stressfull. Can I apply now for PR anyway and state that next year I will hopefully be applying for jobs and even if it fails can I apply again or is it best to wait?

I don't know the answers to all your questions, but one wrinkle I do know is that jobs that form the basis of temporary work permits are different from jobs that people can get once they have permanent residence (PR) status and have landed in Canada.

If you apply for a temporary work permit, you have to have an "approved" job offer. That is, the employer who offers you the job has to demonstrate to the Canadian government's satisfaction that he/she has been unsuccessful in attracting a willing and able Canadian resident to the job. Usually that means he/she has to have advertised the job and found no takers, etc.

A person with permanent residence status, on the other hand, can accept any (legal) job in Canada. The job does not even have to be in the field for which the person earned points on his/her application for PR.

You have not stated the field in which your partner works. It would be a good idea for him to complete CIC's self-assessment form in case he earns more points than you do.

I've just gone back and re-read your message. You mention waiting till next year to apply for a working visa. I don't know why you want to wait till next year. Perhaps you're referring to a visa through BUNAC. With that visa you can come to Canada for a year without a pre-arranged or "approved" job, provided you're between 18 and 35 years of age and you're a citizen of one of the participating countries. One of the drawbacks, which is what you may be referring to, is the fact that there is a quota on BUNAC visas, and Canada's quota has been filled for 2006.

I don't know how helpful a BUNAC visa would be. Certainly it would allow you to live and work in Canada for a year. But, as far as I know, you cannot get a second BUNAC visa and stay on it Canada for a second or third or fourth year with BUNAC.

In the case of a standard temporary work permit, however, you can apply for another one when the first one is due to expire.

But standard temporary work permits are not without risks. Often they're granted with conditions attached to them. For example, it's quite common for a work permit to be valid only for as long as you're working for a specified employer. If your relationship with that employer should be severed for whatever reason, your permission to remain in Canada would terminate, and you would need to leave the country. I've seen that happen to a couple of people on this forum.

Something that may be worth researching, in case your partner has a qualification that is relevant, is one of the Provincial Nomination Programs.

Hope that helps.

Emma, my two cents!

I'd tell the lawyer to go **** himself. There are no special routes or back doors, you'll still end up giving the same information, filling in the same paperwork and waiting like the rest of us.

I did it myself and I'm in after a 2 year wait (I fly out in September). I also lived in Canada and needed police clearances as well.

All you need is on http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.html

Save yourself some money. It does take a while to get all the information together but your lawyer wont be able to do that for you!

Good luck

My partner works for a music retailer and he doesn't have any qualifications so he would probably get less points than me anyway. I'm not sure if he could get a transfer because they would have to advertise the job first and I'm sure there's loads of people who'd apply. The reason for applying next year is that we cant sell our flat till next year and I thought that applying for a job/visa this early wouldn't be possible. Do you think I should, it does say that you need job offer first before applying for a visa?

We also want to have savings behind us when the move gets closer. I don't really know much about the different sort of visa's because initially was thinking I would be able to apply for a PR as I was told it would be possible and that they need need people over there to work in daycare as they are crying out for qualified staff (I was informed dont know how true that is) I didn't want to initially just apply for a visa incase I didnt qualify for a PR and then have to leave the country, applying for a PR would give me more stability since we would be selling our flat which is quite scarey. If I had the money I would pay the lawyers fees but they quoted 5+k and that seems scandalous it didnt even include any flights which I know sometimes it does.

I hope this makes sense?

Anyway I really appreciate the advice it is giving me more confidence to maybe give it a shot.

Thanks Emma

One thing you may want to make an early priority is to get your credentials assessed for equivalency or that they will be recognised. You may find you need to obtain Canadian qualifications in child-care as I believe they do not recognise "nursery nurse" as such here.

I'm sure somebody here can advise you on that though.

Morwenna

Do you where I could get them assessed my qualification is SVQ level 3 in Early Years Childcare and Education. Looking at the Early Years job description it is exactly what I do here.

Thanks