TheShepherds

Hello,

My wife and I are hoping to move to Alberta and live in Calgary. There's so much information on the internet we don't really know where to start!

I'm a coded welder with 16 years experience and I know there's plenty of work in Alberta for me, either in Edmonton or Calgary. My wife is an Artist with a degree in Photography so she would like to work in a gallery as well as for herself.

Where do we start? Do we secure jobs in Canada whilst we're still in England? Is this possible to do? I'm guessing that I should apply using the skilled workers program. We're both in our early 30's and would like to move and settle before starting a family of our own.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks! The Shepherds.

christmasoompa

Hi, and welcome to BE.

Welders aren't on the list of eligible occupations for Skilled Workers, so that options out unless you are over there working on a Temp Work Permit already.

But there are various other visa routes, have a look at the Skilled Trade Program as Welders come under that.

Grab a cuppa, read the Wiki and the CIC website and shout with any questions.

Good luck.

TheShepherds

Hi,

Thank you sooo much! We've had a look on the skilled trade program as you suggested and that looks great. We keep getting in a bit of a muddle with all of the information provided on different sites. We were wondering if it would be a good idea to apply for a temporary work visa and then apply for residency once we're there?

Thanks! The Shepherds.

christmasoompa

You can certainly do it that way, you'll need a job offer and LMO to get a TWP. Once you're there working you can then apply for PR under various visa routes.

Really it's up to you and which visa route would suit you better.

Aviator

[QUOTE=TheShepherds;10739115My wife is an Artist with a degree in Photography so she would like to work in a gallery as well as for herself. [/QUOTE]

Culture and Calgary don't quite go together, do they have galleries in Calgary?

joinerboy

Hi Welcome
I'd certainly advise you check out accommodation rental costs/options in Calgary or purchase costs if your looking to buy.Good rental properties can be fairly expensive within Calgary. All the best with your plans.

cjones

They have an Ikea. They do pictures.

CanadaJimmy

I read an article a while ago by this guy from Vancouver who went to Calgary expecting the worst, but was surprised to see a lot of investment in the arts, mainly from oil money philanthropy. Can't seem to find the damn article now though

Aviator

Was not like that when I lived there. A real red-neck cow town back then.

cjones

The Art Gallery of Alberta went up in Edmonton while we lived there. It's a fairly obvious rip-off of Frank Gehry's Guggenheim in Bilbao and appears to have been completed with no thought as to what would actually be shown there, as very few touring exhibitions of any note pass through Northern Alberta. Predictably, it's already in financial trouble.

Most other galleries (art shops) in town were more the "I'm looking for something that goes with my curtains" type of place. Plenty of Van Gogh sunflower prints and Jack Vettriano calendars.

Public art, as in the rest of Alberta, tends to be of the "World's Biggest" Variety. Baseball bat, Cowboy Boot, Beer Can etc...

I never got around to checking out Calgary, we left Alberta before I had a chance.

ann m

Oh good grief. And it's not like there's much to photograph round here either...

Almost Canadian

Explain this description please. Other than voting Conservative, how do the residents of Calgary differ from the residents of the nearest city to where you reside. Or is it simply that all Conservative voters are red necks?

Almost Canadian

With those occupations, both of you will do just fine in Calgary.

Lots of people here with lots of money. Your wife will have little difficulty finding work as an artist or a photographer, particularly if she is any good at either.