You are very welcome

You might want to look into the ship building industry too - there were a fair few jobs going a while back.

Your g/f could come with you as a visitor (if she didn't apply for her own IEC) and then get a work permit once you had a permanent job offer (provided it was classed as skilled), by the way.

I woukd advise the OP to apply for IEC first otherwise it's a lot more money for PR and you may end up not liking Canada. It has happened before.

If I came on an IEC would I still have to do the English test and the skills test? Or are those solely for residency

The English test you would only need for residency; the skills test you would probably want to get to be able to get a job in your field, though it's not required for an IEC which is an open work permit.

Check out the requirement for the InterProvincial certification (or if you know which Province you are most likely going to work in, check that Province's certification program).

Oh and one more thing, we have 2 dogs are we allowed to bring them on a work visa? Just thought that might seem like we're planning to come and stay for good and end up being declined

Yes, no problem at all.

I just noticed you said 'we'. One thing to note would be that if you do go down the IEC route your partner would either need to apply for an IEC or would not be able to work until you had obtained a skilled job and could apply for an open work permit for them. If using IEC your partner would initially need to enter as a visitor if they didn't have their own IEC work permit.

They would have to get their own though, look for K9.8.D form.

See post 16

doh!

so to sum up, the best choice is for me to apply for an IEC and do a trade exam so I can apply for jobs in canada which covers me for 2 years. i get myself a job as a welder which would class me as skilled (i assume?) we do the big move and she applies for an open work permit allowing her to work in any job she manages to get in canada and if we decide to stay I go for PR. Can she apply for PR too if I get it or could she only apply for PR down the spousal route meaning we would need to get married. Not that that's a problem at all

You would apply for PR as the principal applicant and then include her. As you say you are not married you would need to prove you are common law i.e. have been living together in marriage like relationship. Altertivily as you state you could get married before the PR application and list her as your spouse.

Almost, except you say 'I get myself a job as a welder and we do the big move', but you'll be unlikely to get a job from outside Canada, so be prepared to move first and then job hunt whilst there (i.e. take enough cash to live off until you can find work and she can get her work permit and also find a job).

As Engineer has said, assuming you're in a common-law relationship (i.e having been living as husband and wife for a year or more and can prove it), then you would both get PR from the same application, she'd just be a dependent on your application.

I know you said above that you score enough on the CRS to get PR, so perhaps you could apply for PR as well as trying to get an IEC, and have both running alongside each other? That would be fine, and then that way if you miss out on the IEC visas for this year (as so few are left), at least you'd get PR and be able to move anyway.

Best of luck.

On the age thing, I have wanted to try Canada for years but didn't make the move as I wanted to gain more experience in engineering then I had something to offer. However in retrospect I now wish I'd just gone for it. If you can and want to then I think you should. But I've read enough on the boards to know that you should think temporary move which may end up permanent and not cut all UK ties. Plenty seem to feel Canada isn't for them and return home, I know when I try it I'll be keeping my UK house just in case.

Irvine Ship building in Nova Scotia was advertising in the UK for welders awhile back.

I think with the increase in oil price recently they're approaching the break even point for production in Alberta but it has been an extremely volatile rise and so I would be surprised if investment begins again for awhile. I'm watching Alberta's economy and unfortunately it doesn't look good.

I'd imagine if you're based in a manufacturing environment then the level of skill you'll have will be sufficient to get a job site welding on either an oil project or mining or other capital investment project.

Where do the Jobs come up? Worth going to international job fairs or do they tend to just advertise online?

I weld and fabricate parts for planes and space rockets so skills wise I don't see myself struggling to find atleast interviews