Metalmatt

Hello everybody, I'm new.
My wife and I have recently started discussing moving to Ontario in a few years (waiting due to debt) I am currently working in Leeds as a class 1 hgv night driver. I don't currently do tramping as I have recently left the British army and I am really enjoying the family time with my young son, whose first year I missed a lot of.
So to the point of my post, I have seen a lot of posts and information about operators taking on long haul/Otr drivers who are away driving in the US and with these jobs being able to acquire twp and pr. I was just wondering if the same opportunities are available to short haul/local drivers? With all the information pointing to long haul drivers I fear I already have the answer I don't won't.

Thanks in advance

Matt

christmasoompa

Sorry, but even getting a LMIA as a long-haul trucker is hard enough these days, if you try and get short-haul only you would be very unlikely to find an employer prepared to shell out money and sponsor you.

And another reason why you will really only see threads about long haul truckers is that short haul truckers don't qualify for Permanent Residency, so if you want to be able to stay longer term or move with a view to staying permanently, it would have to be long haul anyway.

And on that note, as a trucker (even long haul) you wouldn't be able to get PR in Ontario, so you might want to look at different provinces that will allow you to apply for PR. Unless your wife has a route to PR? If she does, then that would be preferable anyway, as LMIA's for truckers are so scarce these days.

Really, the only way I can see you could do it would be to get a job as a long haul trucker and then once you've got PR and have some Canadian experience, you can be more picky and try and find something short haul.

HTH a bit, best of luck.

Metalmatt

Hi thanks for the quick reply,
I guess that is Canada off the list and back to the drawing board However I'm glad I confirmed this before we set our heart on it.
Once again thanks

Matt

christmasoompa

It's definitely worth checking to see if your wife would qualify for a visa/PR though - if you can get PR via her job, then you could live in any province you choose and wouldn't need to worry about only doing short haul?

Metalmatt

Yes I will, she did an apprenticeship in admin and ended up working as a recruitment consultant, however she has been out of work since I whisked her away to Cyprus with the army almost 3 years ago, however I guess that is the same sort of career break she would of had anyway to have children. Although she is looking at retraining via uni before any sort of move happens. On the off chance if she did qualify for PR for our family would I be able to work while it processed, not necessarily as a driver but obviously every little helps.
This forum is great by the way, so much knowledge and experience all in one place

Siouxie

Welcome to BE!

If she's thinking of retraining - and you could afford it - have you considered her doing it in Canada? Presuming she was able to obtain a Student visa, she would be able to work part time as a student and you would be able to obtain an open work permit valid for the length of her course (preferably a course in excess of a year - that way you would gain Canadian experience points). If it were a graduate course, she could also apply for a Post Grad work permit valid for the same amount of time as the course was - and you would be able to again get an open work permit.

It is expensive though, so this may not be an option for you.

With one year + of work experience, you may be able to find an employer willing to sponsor you or you may even have sufficient points to apply for PR on your own back - or with your wife having obtained a degree and some work experience, she may be able to be the lead applicant.

Just a thought!

flat to the mat

Unless you're very lucky or have a local contact I'd give it a miss , the good local jobs are dead mans shoes , the rest are taken by .................... meh .

jamesmc

there is always the "highway camp" jobs,tarring chipping/spraying.etc .but unfortunately always seasonal ...ie easter till about the now...usually good money /all in food etc long hrs.