Shock and panic
 

Hi
Been on this forum for a while but finally decided to post.
My husband, myself and children are planning on moving to Canada, my husband received a job offer today and now I am panicking and super excited. The company are planning on sorting out work permits etc and would like him there ASAP.
I suppose the questions I ask are what do I do first? Do I put the house on the market then start looking at shipping container companies? Do I wait for papers to be finalised? I think my husband will have to fly out first and I will follow with the children once things are sold and tied up in UK.
Any experiences and advice would be so helpful and reassuring.
Tahnks

Re: Shock and panic
 

Is it your intention to become Permanent Residents of Canada if he gets the job and is accepted?
Personally I would wait until he gets that work permit before I sold my house.

Re: Shock and panic
 

Yes, we received the contract to look over then sign then the permits will be sorted. We are hoping to not come back to uk.
How long does the paperwork take? We have been told its quite quick with a job offer

Re: Shock and panic
 

Just noticed your name, I live in Lancashire

Re: Shock and panic
 

It depends on the company. If it's a large company, they will be part of the Accelerated LMO (Labour Market Opinion) scheme, and will get the LMO in around 2 weeks. The ALMO process is extremely quick.

If it's a small company, they will have to apply for the LMO in the normal manner, which can take many weeks (varies by province, 8-12 weeks is typical).

Once you have the offer letter and LMO, you're good to go - you just land with those documents, and get your work permit at the airport. It will be valid for the duration of the contract.

If you are intent on making the move (rather than say coming over for a year, seeing how it goes etc), then this is what I'd do:

Before you get the LMO:
Put the house on the market
Arrange shipping company
Start looking for somewhere to live in Canada

Once you have the LMO:
Sell the house
Ship your stuff

The key is not to commit until you have the LMO, as you have no guarantees until then.

Re: Shock and panic
 

Im assuming the company is applying for a Labour Market opinion for him and could take up to 12 weeks. Which PR stream is it your intention to apply under as there will be several open to you my guess is the Provincial Nominee Programme of the Province you are destined for.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigra...cial/index.asp

Re: Shock and panic
 

I agree with FL. Although you probably don't want to think about it I'd consider what you'll do if it all goes wrong or you simply don't like it in Canada. We came over about a year ago and rented our house in the UK and rented a property over here (Calgary specifically), just so we weren't completely committed if it didn't work out. We are now buying in Calgary and selling in the UK, but we don't regret having taken a cautious approach.

I'm sure some people will disagree with this, as they think it make it too easy to go back at the first problem. We didn't find this happened, but I guess it suits some people.

The other thing you may want to think about is that selling a house over here (certainly in Calgary) is very expensive compared with the UK. You therefore want to make sure you've found the right house for you when you buy. We know a few people who sold in the UK and therefore felt under pressure to buy in Canada, and consequently made a costly mistake when they realised they wanted or needed to move again (one couple move three time withing about 24 months and it cost a fortune). Again this may not apply to you, but it's something to think about.

Re: Shock and panic
 

Province nomination programme and the company is large so I presume it will be a quick turn around.
Just out of interest what is a good hourly rate?

Re: Shock and panic
 

If they are applying for the LMO then the hourly rate has to meet the industry standard of wage for that job and if it doesn't then chances are LMO will be refused.
Depends on you job and Province you work in.

Re: Shock and panic
 

Our lawyer charges $400/hr. I suppose that's considered a good rate. If you're not a lawyer it'll be some other amount.

I wouldn't sell the house without having PR and being here a year. I know renting it out isn't simple, loses money and is risky but I think it the safer option.

Re: Shock and panic
 

Only if they've previously applied for an LMO. They could be one of the biggest companies in Canada, and if hey haven't applied for an LMO before, they have to apply the regular way rather than accelerated.

Re: Shock and panic
 

That's what I mean by "part of the ALMO scheme".

Re: Shock and panic
 

Sorry, you said:

That's not the 'not true' bit that I was referring to. Your statement suggests that a large company is automatically able to use the A-LMO scheme, regardless of whether or not it has had LMOs in the past.

Re: Shock and panic
 

we came to BC on the PNP and it took 16 weeks to get the approval. we had to rent out our house in the uk and just sold it last month, there are tax implications if you make a profit selling the house after you become tax resident of canada. ( we made a loss because of the uk being in a recession despite what they tell you)
we are renting in BC and love it here. we may well buy the house we are renting as we have settled here and its right next to dd's school.
once in canada, get a credit card as soon as possible, this will probably be a pre-paid card from your bank. you will never get a decent mortgage rate with no canadain credit history and it doesnt matter what credit rating you had int he uk you have to start over here.
oh and lastly, bear in mind most of the utility companies will charge you a deposit, gas was upwards of $400, phone $200, electric $200... all adds up!

Re: Shock and panic
 

A large company will have applied for a bunch of LMOs, and will be part of the ALMO scheme - that's a fact! Large companies apply for a lot of LMOs, that's why the ALMO scheme exists.

What exactly is your problem?