6scottishbarrons

Hi all

Just looking for a little advice on our current thinking and position. So we're currently in the EE pool with me as the principal applicant and we have 425 points. Looking at the trends of the pool etc it's not looking particularly like it's going to drop anytime soon and in August my points will drop again with my 40th birthday. Husband isn't in the pool as yet but his points would be a lot lower than mine due to age and one less degree. The chances of me getting a job offer are remote as I am a PA and whilst there may be a lot of admin jobs going, without being out there, the chances of getting an offer seem slim.

Husband is an accountant and was in Canada last week visiting Fernie (where we would ideally like to relocate to) and also had some meetings in Calgary to do a bit of networking work wise. He's due to go back to Calgary again next week for an accounting conference.

Herein lies the dilemma. If he was offered a job on a TWP with LMIA (provided he could get a firm to do this), it would likely only get us to Calgary or Vancouver. After a couple of years he would then have accrued (I believe) enough points to get near the current level for an ITA. So that is an option but one we'd be taking a chance on coming to fruition.

Or I have been in contact with the College of the Rockies in relation to doing a 2 year diploma with them in my field (Business Admin). This would get us over to Canada for September this year and would if I'm right in reading the WIKI and various other info, get him an OWP. He could then accrue relevant work experience (various contacts he has made have suggested that if he had a work permit, they'd be able to get him a job no problem) and add to our points that way. And I in turn would be upping my own points by adding Canadian education and in time (through a PGWP) relevant Canadian work experience. We would then be in a much better position to keep our numbers up irrespective of our old age

We understand the risks of the study permit route in terms of financial cost and no guarantee or being able to remain in the longer term. However, from a practical view, how would it work in terms of remaining in the EE pool? I know that we get removed from the pool after a year and would need to reapply to get back in but is it a problem to be in the pool whilst in Canada on a study permit? Also, if the pool points drop whilst I'm studying enough for one of us to get an ITA, how does that affect things? Can we still apply for PR whilst in the country under other means, i.e studying and OWP?

Thanks so much in advance for your advice.

Snowy560

Programs at the College of the Rockies seem eligible for graduates to apply for a PGWP. So successful completion of a 2 year diploma would allow you to apply for one for up to 3 years.

While you are full time student your husband is eligible to apply for a spouse open work permit but if it goes as far as you having a post graduation work permit, he would not be eligible for a WP as your spouse at that time unless or until you were working in a skilled postition and could prove it.

6scottishbarrons

Hi Snowy, thanks for the response.

I think I've worked out that unless the points rocket way above where they are now my husband would have enough points for a decent shout at PR himself after 2 years. However if not and If I get a pgwp does my skilled work need to be full time to enable him to maintain an owp. If I don't get work immediately and his owp ends how long can he stay in the country? Presumably he could get an lmia work permit off his own back still?
sorry for the extra questions.

christmasoompa

What about after 1 year? Does he need the two years experience to get enough points? If he's on 425 then I would have thought it will? Ideally he'd apply for PR and you'd have it before your study permit/his OWP expires.

Yes.

He can switch to visitor status and stay for as long as that gives him (up to 6 months usually), and yes, he could get a LMIA/normal work permit if his employer is prepared to do so and can advertise the job enough to meet the criteria.

If your husband has the potential of a job offer via his networking, then that would be a better way to go IMO - it would be a heck of a lot less expensive than the study permit route, and both are equally risky/temporary. But if the job offer doesn't come to fruition, then a study permit can be a good way over too.

HTH, best of luck.

6scottishbarrons

Hi christmasoompa

Thanks for your reply, really helpful. Husband would have 447 points after 1 year of work experience so it would depend on the points and how they were looking but it is possible that this might be enough. (its me that currently has 425, he only has 369 at this point without a job offer)

We also have 4 children, what would be in the impact on them if I couldn't immediately get a full time admin job after the 2 years studying - would they be able to continue at school (for the 6 months) if my husband was to revert to visitor status?

I think the plan is to see how his networking goes next week and what comes from that. If he got a potential offer of employment in the next month or so then I think we'd take that route, as you say it is a lot cheaper in the long run, but if not then I think given our ages and the ages of our children we'd go down the study permit to be able to make the move and get some work experience/education banked.