Hi all and happy xmas!

I hope someone can give me some advice on this...im a 37yrd english guy wanting to move to Edmonton. i went there about 20yrs ago to visit my auntie whom still lives there in banff. ive heard from reading around that the job situation is pretty good there..Ive been in my job now for 20yrs or so but,never bothered getting any qualifications for it,so in january im going to get my NVQ&CITY & GUILDS so i have all the necessary qualifications as a skilled worker..initially i will try and find company that will employ me and if that works ok i would like to go self employed at some point..any answers would be appreciated...

Laminate flooring is popular in Canada,my son was doing it for awhile,thats a good business to get into.The way I did it,I got a temporary work permit which allows you to work here and apply for provincial nominee program or PNP which you use in your application for permanent residency or PR,its quicker to get your PR while working here in Canada on a work visa than applying in UK,maybe your aunt can help with that.Banff is much closer to Calgary as Edmonton is over 4hrs drive,have you thought about Calgary?Hope this helps.

hi yah it did help thanks.ive been reading a little about PNP but all i really wanna do at the moment is get over there first before i start thinking about living there for good..do you know if i really need a nvq or a city and guilds? or could i just get a redseal over there? as for why do i want to live in edmonton well,it just seems a bit more alive than calgary and the pay is better there from what ive read

When you ge closer to moving, PM me and i can give you contact information for companies and ones to avoid.

Most guys work sub contract for flooring companies, The few companies that will take you on the books will only pay $20-25 hr max, you provide tools and transport 99% of the time.

NVQ and C&G makes no difference, and Red Seal is a nice to have, but will not get you extra money. Only one tender in the last three years has asked for Red Seal installers in the specs.

hi nikki.
thanks for the reply...ive been reading around and it seems like it could be hard work trying to get anyone to vouch for me with the LMO route as its pretty expensive with some hassle their end..do you know of any other way of doing it? i cant go the IEC route as im to old now lol! but im still very interested to see what contacts and advice you have..pleas pm me thanks matey

There are no other visa routes (unless you happen to have a spouse in a high demand occupation, a couple of million dollars, or something else you haven't mentioned that would open up other visa routes to you!).

There's the PNP, but that also will require employer 'sponsorship', so basically you need a job offer from an employer prepared to go through the hassle/ paperwork/cost of hiring you over a Canadian and is happy to wait 3-4 months for you to be able to start work.

So have a read of the Job Hunting section of the Wiki, get out to Canada to job hunt and good luck!

ok thanks for that,maybe if i do find a tile contractor to apply for LMO how much do you recon it would cost him? he might not even know how or what that is or how to apply for one,same as living in the u.k,i know nothing about work permits for people from different countries..maybe i should offer to pay him for his troubles??

I dont think it costs the company much money for the LMO its just the hassle of the paperwork , they have to show they are unable to employ a canadian,it will be you who pays for LMO,I paid $150 for the temp.work permit,it lasts a year.I think this your best option if you just want to "try out" living in Canada ,you just renew your twp every year and pay another $150,then if you decide to you want to stay apply for PNP and PR.Its best to come to Canada for a week or 2 and meet with potential employers .

You seem to be getting the LMO and the TWP mixed up. The employer has to pay for the LMO, the employer isn't allowed to, and that costs $275. It's the TWP that is $150.

They can be a year, or two years, or three - not all are only a year.

Although worth noting that PNP is only one option, the OP could also look at FSW and CEC to see if he would be eligible. And if he wants to move permanently, then a PNP application would mean no LMO is needed and he'd get a TWP at nomination stage.

HTH.

I was just trying make it simple for deanio ,you cant get a temp work permit without a LMO ,both are connected but you ar right its the twp thats $150.It sounds to me he is looking for the simplest way to gain work without all the paperwork of PNP and PR.

There are several categories of applicants that can get a TWP without a LMO, although I don't believe any of them would apply to the OP. Sorry, I know it probably seems like I'm picking holes, but when it comes to visas it's best to be precise for the sake of anybody reading.

I agree that if the OP wants the least paperwork and to just give it a try, then a TWP is the way to go.

Only two major contractor i know of have got LMO's for staff, and in both of those cases they would not consider the OP for reasons i can not say on a public forum.

While a good tile setter is like gold dust, they are not worth the hassle of LMO"s ect when you can get a less skilled sub contractor that they can drop when he makes a mistake.

If The OP has a visa i could fix him up with a few good companies almost over night, and like most of the guys in the trade his skills in the first week will determintine if he is working the second week.

whats the OP abbreviation btw??

Original Poster = OP lol