Rosebud1990

Hi everyone,

A lot of the information I searched for seemed to inevitably to lead me back to this website, so I thought it would be the best place to come to gain some solid information/advice. I'm having difficulties finding the specific information I need to work out my next steps.
Despite everything I have heard about the difficulty of a teacher relocating to Canada, my husband and I are determined to make the plunge... We have been to Canada several times, have friends there and even got married there two years ago. I have a PGCE and 3 years of experience, alongside of some SEN training and additionally I hold a literacy position in the school I am currently in.
I know that there is a bit of work involved for me as a teacher to get my equivalents, which will depend on which region I move to. If anything I know that we will need to choose wisely on region in relation to job opportunities, but I want to get my facts right before I make the decision.
All of our friends are in BC, we would LOVE to move to BC - but I have heard this is the worst region for a UK teacher, a lot of leg work involved to get the teaching certificate including a years worth of training on top. Is this the case? Is there anyway you can study BEFORE entry to Canada to save the leg work when I am there? The provincial nominee program sounds helpful in securing a job before I get there and I can see a couple of locations in BC on the list.
Our second option is Alberta, I hear there are quite a few regions in need of Secondary School teachers and I haven't seen anything which would suggest that I have to do any additional training. As far as I'm concerned the additional training isn't the end of the world, if I have to do it - I will do it, I have only heard that it is costly and of course I love teaching and would love to just jump straight into teaching when we move.
If anyone could confirm any of the above it would be great, or point me to the right websites which would help, I'm trying to work things out but I'm going around in circles trying to get the specifics and feeling slightly giddy....

Siouxie

Hello and welcome to BE!

We have a wiki section on teaching in Canada - https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Teaching_in_Canada getting certification as an internationally trained teacher isn't going to be easy no matter which Province you apply to - obtaining a permanent job even harder.. lots of threads on the subject if you do a search
For BC: https://teach.educ.ubc.ca/admissions...new-canadians/
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/e...come-a-teacher > https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/e...ide-bc#country
For Alberta: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/e...ide-bc#country

Do you have a route to Permanent Residency? You will need that to obtain a job as a teacher anywhere in Canada - there's generally a surplus of teachers!
We have some great Wiki sections on that too = I'd suggest following Christmasoompa's wonderful guide and then posting to our immigration forum for Canada if you have any questions
https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Quick...an_Immigration

(as an addendum, a PGCE likely won't be sufficient)

scilly

The problem with teaching is that you are likely to find it very difficult to get a permanent position very quickly. It is very common for even Canadian-trained teachers to end up on the Teacher On Call (TOC) list for years before they get a permanent position. You are very unlikely to get a job immediately.

TOC teachers get paid the same amount per day as a permanent teacher, but there are no deductions for taxes, benefits, union dues etc. All those are up to to the individual to pay.

That seems to apply in most provinces, but certainly does in BC.

BC is also an expensive place to live, especially if you want to be in the Lower Mainland or Vancouver Island ......... and let's face it, that is where most of the jobs are likely to be. Living in a small place, or up north does not always make it easier to get on the permanent list or to get regular calls on the TOC list, because there are often teachers who carry on working, or former teachers who are on the TOC list and known to the school and/or to the Board.

Union requirements also mean that last one hired is first off if it comes to layoffs, and that may mean that someone unqualified in a subject takes precedence over a later hire who is qualified. It means the newcomer may not know whether they have a job until late September.

I have a niece, Canadian-born and trained and also with 2 yeas teaching experience in England, who has experienced all of these events in BC, even now after almost 20 years in the profession, and living for 10 years in the same small town. This summer, she ended the year in June not knowing whether she would have a permanent (or even a1 year) position or be on call in September. She is in the fortunate position that her husband has a well-paying job so they can afford for her to do the TOC year after year if necessary. One advantage of being in the same place for 10- years is that she does get a lot of call-ins as school principals now know her and so ask for her specifically.

Can you afford to come if you do not have a permanent job for what might be several years?


As a second question, you say you have a PGCE. Do you also have an undergraduate or higher degree, as that is also very important.

christmasoompa

One thing you've not mentioned is your visa route? Would you need a sponsoring employer and job offer to get a visa? If so, I'd say the idea is a non-starter, whereas if you qualify for PR without a job offer, or can move via your OH's job, it's more realistic.

Rosebud1990

Thank you so much for all of those web listings, makes it much easier to know where the best place to look is
Last year we did one of the point checkers through a visa company who told us we would be able to get permanent residency despite being a teacher, husband is support worker in mental health which seems to be a wanted skill
Siouxie

Rosebud1990

Thanks for the response, do you mean sponsorship/a job route would be the only viable way of getting in and securing a living? christmasoompa

Rosebud1990

scilly This is similar to a lot of information I have read and have to be honest is the main thing putting me off and making me worried that we won't be able to go at all.
Husband always has work here as a mental health support worker, but isn't exactly the best paid unless he puts in overtime, I'm the main earner.
I wouldn't be reluctant to take up other work whilst being on TOC to fulfil dream of living in Canada. Despite both being in work in England, life is incredibly difficult for us here. We live in a very small studio in the South of England, we were in a one bedroom before and we could barely afford to live - we used to literally count pounds at the end of the month and live off baked bins and soup for a week sometimes if we had to fork out money for a car tyre or something else unexpectedly. Where we are now, is the only way we can afford to save money at the moment for a future life, whether that is immigrating or having to move up to Scotland to even think of being able to afford a house/mortgage in England.
We wouldn't be looking at Vancouver, we have seen provincial schemes going in Vernon, which would be great but would be prepared to go up further North (we have a friend based in FSJ - Fort Saint John) if it meant a suitable standard of living, but sounds as if I would need to be prepared not to necessarily put 'all my eggs in one basket' and hope just to get a teaching position easily...
You said you have a niece who is a teacher in Canada, do you know what extra qualifications I would need to obtain on top of my Undergraduate/Post graduate/Experience which would make me qualify to teacher, I know there is the BC teaching certificate, but is there anything else for BC?
As mentioned, I would be happy to try out other regions if it would be slightly easier, we just want a better life than what we do in England, things have been tough for us the last few years, we would like an adventure and we don't want to have and raise our children in this country for lots of different reasons...

christmasoompa

No, it depends on if you qualify for a visa without one. Some people do, some need a job offer to get the visa. When you did a points checker last year, do you remember what your points score was and for what program?

Siouxie

The links provided to the Official BC and Alberta Teaching sites in my first post upthread will give you the information you need about certification as an internationally trained teacher. Teaching is a regulated profession and you won't be able to teach without being certified in your Province of choice.

To work in Mental Health your spouse will be expected to be certified too - you will find that many jobs in Canada require certification / diploma or are regulated.

Why do you believe that you will have a better life in Canada? What draws you to the country? Is it the outdoors - the climate - the people - the opportunities for winter sports - the wildlife? In what way are you hoping that Canada will be better than the UK? Unfortunately many come with high expectations and are disappointed - they are usually the ones who leave or yoyo. Not trying to put you off - just suggesting that you weigh things up, emigrating is expensive and stressful.

The pay for Mental Health workers ranges from $16 an hour in BC - and there is zero job security in Canada in most professions (including teaching). Unless you teach in an in demand subject at high school or above level, you may be working in 'on call' positions for years. The gentleman that used to come to mow the lawn for me was a Canada trained teacher - with a family to support - and ended up having to travel to London Ontario (a round trip of 3 hours a day) just to work on call as and when required.. hence why he was mowing lawns.

The cost of housing in Canada generally has gone through the roof (there's many threads on the subject of cost of living), and the comments that are showing recently say Canada is considered to be more expensive than the UK... so you may not be any better off moving here.. plus you will need many thousands of $$$ to pay for immigrating and relocating and meeting the required funds that might be better saved and spent on moving somewhere else in the UK.

If you decide to keep going for it then please don't use an immigration consultant unless you have complex backgrounds (multiple marriages/ criminal past / major health issues) as you will have to do all the work - get your education assessed, take English tests, have medicals, fill out forms, etc., etc, - the online application isn't difficult and most people are able to complete it without the use of one; if you have questions you can get answers from the very helpful and experienced members here, for free
for you.

Moses2013

No idea about England when it comes to teaching and I would imagine that there are plenty of teachers who can afford more than a small studio. I'm sure there are also teachers in Canada who live in small apartments, either due to location or because they don't need a big house. So I would really question if it's the location, or maybe you just need more experience? 3 years experience is early days and most people I know had to work many years until they could afford a home. All I know is that my friend's wife is a teacher here in the West of Ireland and they manage fine on her salary and can afford a 4 bed house outside of town with 2 kids. If it was Dublin maybe different story, or you'd have a longer commute but these challenges exist in every country.

Atlantic Xpat

Don't want to (further) rain on your parade, but immigrating to Canada as a teacher for you and your husband doesn't sound feasible. Aside from the difficulty as to what visa/PR route you might be successful in using - getting a PNP as a teacher is not at all likely, you will practically need significant funds to carry you through the lean years where you are not getting sufficient on call/substitute time to live on. That's the reality for Canadian born and trained teachers. Foreign trained teachers will have it much harder. (We have a friend who obtained a second teaching degree in Special Ed here in Newfoundland & couldn't get enough work & eventually moved back to Scotland. And that was even with having Mrs AX pulling for her as a permanent teacher and directing all her substitute requirements to her. As has been said there are thousands of Canadian trained teachers vying for jobs. They will all be ahead of you in queue so to speak.

If I were in the South of England and I wanted more space, bigger house, etc then I'd be looking North - to Scotland. Less cost to move, better chance to find jobs. Not as sunny as BC, granted. :-)

Tangram

^^^^^^ This

helcat12

I have been a teacher here in BC for 9 years, now.
I have worked in three different school districts in that time, so i have been around a bit. :-)
Drop me a message if you want to chat or ask anything.

Mrs.Mac

Sorry to jump on a post, but would it be ok for me to message you?

I am also a London based teacher looking to move to Canada, I have been teaching for 14 years and have an MSc in Economics. My husband was a maths teacher, but he moved into Finance a few years ago.

Siouxie

Hello, and welcome to BE!
If you have questions regarding immigration please ensure that you post them on the forum and not in a private message.
We suggest that you post any general questions on the forum, regardless, as what applies to one person won't necessarily apply to another - much will depend on what Province you hope to move to and what route you have to Permanent Residency. Teaching is a regulated profession and I encourage you to read our wiki on the subject ..
https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Teaching_in_Canada