nldfc

Do you have any experience at all in the Oil & Gas sector in Aberdeen ?

scottish_laddie

hey that takes me back to my initial question then if it takes 3months for the LOI to come through. finish my training on 27th May 2012 come back to scotland and wait for another 5months or more. at least i can apply if am lucky with an LMO after training. or do i need a visa for my enform training?

ergyngfeld

Maybe look into Newfoundland's offshore oil and gas industry too - not just Alberta. The Newfoundland industry is probably similar to the Scottish one. And it's closer to home!

mandymoochops

READ MY LIPS lol YOU DON'T NEED AN LMO.

You only need an LMO if you need a job offer to enable you to get a work permit.

You are lucky - you are young, (below 30?) which means you can apply for a working holiday visa (IEC). The working holiday visa is an OPEN WORK PERMIT to enable you to work for anyone, anywhere in Canada.

You only need to worry about LMO's when coming close to the end of your possible 2 years here - as an alternate way to be able to stay on longer.

I don't know if you are strictly speaking allowed to sit the tests on a visitor visa - but who would know anyway! If you have the funds then go for it - fly out, sit the exams check out some areas and make some contacts.

Then go home, wait for your LOI (if succesful) and then come back and start work!!!!!

mandymoochops

Just humour me here - how do you think you would get an LMO. What are your specialist skills aside from being young and adventurous?

An LMO is awarded for a specific position with the specific company that has applied for it because you have wowed them with your skills and knowledge and because there are no Canadians to do the job.

nldfc

Getting into the drilling sector is almost impossible in Newfoundland unless you are very closely related to someone well up the ladder - For every drilling job there are 5 waiting on it becoming available .

From what I can tell here , there is no way in hell that the original poster getting an LMO in this case and the working holiday visa may be one of the only options (Trust me I know this , I have just made a couple of enquiries for LMO and was told I would be wasting time and company money unless the the positions I was trying to recruit were at the very least senior supervision level )
If you can stick some details on what experience you have I may be able to help figure out where you may "fit"

Another couple of courses you will probably need will be the Alberta CSTS (PST is equivalent ) The OSSA regional orientation and Transport Of Dangerous Goods

Jingsamichty

The CSTS is a safety ticket that can be done in 8 hours on a computer.

nldfc

You can do the course online but still have to go in to the training office and do the exam (At least you do in Newf )
Do you know what the ossa regional orientation consists of ? - I havent managed to source that course here so am having to look at getting that done as soon as the lads get there

Jingsamichty

I didn't go into a training office, I just did the on-line modules and then the test, and got my certificate sent in the post later. Maybe they don't trust Newfies not to cheat?!

The OSSA regional orientation is a very simple video/test course, half an hour and $75. I believe Keyano College does it (Alberta's equivalent of RGIT) but most of the major operators/contractors can do it in-house.

nldfc

Cheers

shunter1977

Hi not sure on much of this but could the op not enter on a study Visa or is that what he is doing. I am guessing he must have some kind of visa in place to be doing the training or am I confused and the training is taking place in Scotland.

mandymoochops

No, it seems the op is entering as a normal visitor, is going to do the courses and then presumes because he has the qualifications that he can then go straight into a job, with the hiring company getting an LMO.

What he doesn't seem to realise is that the level he will be going in at is entry level - you need no skills at all (well aside from the ability to not get yourself and your crew killed) and therefore most people applying for these jobs are young Canadians 18 years old or so and there is a plentiful supply.

There will be no LMO's issued for this or even the positions above that.

If someone worked for around 4 or 5 years they could if they were good - get to a driller position, which requires you to be a journeyman - which would get you an LMO as there is a shortage up "higher up the ladder" guys.

Problem here is anyone can book themselves into these courses - they are not qualifications that you need to enable you to emmigrate - more like courses that the oil and gas industry require you have under your belt to enable you to work safely.

I think a study permit is only valid if you are doing a proper college or uni course / degree etc

Really his only option is the IEC visa but would be very tough to even be able to stay on after that (unless he meets a Canadian girl and wows her with his charm).

Although all that being said the op hasn't specified if he actually does have any former skills or experience in the industry.

Edited to add I am also presuming his choice of career path, but going on the land rigs is the common thing for people heading west in search of the big bucks.

shunter1977

Ok perhaps he will post some more detailed plans/goals which will help the more clued up forum members to give him more advice.

From what I can see your advice seems pretty sound and I would think he is going to seriously struggle getting any kind of full time job or visa if he has no actual hands on practical experience or previous qualification in the field he has chosen.

All that said I wish him luck with whatever he chooses to do.

scottish_laddie

many thanks for all your advices i dont have any experience working in the oil and gas sector but have done some doing manual labour. am 29 and within the age bracket for the open work permit but if i decide to apply now i might miss my training so i will finish my training and hopefully do the ossa as well then back to scotland and apply for open work permit patiently.

christmasoompa

If you don't apply now, you'll miss out anyway - there are a limited number of Working Holiday Visas available each year and they're going fast, last time I looked I think there were something like only 2000 left out of 5500.

Why not just apply now and then at least you've got the application in and underway? As MMC has rightly said, v little chance of getting an employer to go through the paperwork/hassle/wait of hiring you and your LMO application, so at least it would give you an option.

Good luck.