Boris-canadabound

Thanks everyone

christmasoompa

Ditto what everybody else has said, absolutely no point in hiring somebody to assist you with a TWP application, think it's only a 2 page form!

mandymoochops

Immigration are very used to allocating spousal open work permits too.

If you are thnking about applying at port of entry for your permits then just take along proof that you are common law, ie joint bank accounts, mortgage statements, insurance docs etc - basically anything that would show you are living as a couple and have been for more than a year. (oh and the application form which you can download from the website )

Boris-canadabound

Thanks all. I appreciate your replies and I really like this forum - everyone is so helpful!

I have the form. I think, because it is so important to us, that I am just feeling a little nervous about it all and worried (from some of the stories I have read) that we will forget some small thing and the whole application will be rejected! I know my fear is unreasonable (and I am normally quite level headed and reasonably intelligent) but it's just one of those times ...

Boris-canadabound

OK, just one last question!

From the LMO application (which I have had sight of) it is obvious that the job is intended to be permanent. The employer used this form because they want my OH to start quite soon (before a PR would be granted).

The TWP seems to require that you intend to leave Canada once it expires, which of course we would do if unsuccessful in obtaining a PR.

We were going to wait until we got to Canada before applying for the PR because our points accummulation seemed to be a bit borderline owing to my OH's gaining his knowledge through experience rather than qualifications. Also our French is only school level, obtained rather too many years ago to be tested now, I would think.

So we have been pondering as to whether the authorities would accept a TWP application on this basis or whether it would be safer to apply for the PR at the same time (which I am aware you can do) but risk the PR being turned down?

I spoke to one agent who seemed to suggest that we just go out on the TWP and apply later - however he did not know (and I wasn't aware at that time) that the LMO would indicate that the job was permanent.

Legoman1

Not to threadjack but figured this was related:

I made a thread the other week but no one replied to our situation so we contacted a lawyer that wants to charge us $500 CAD to give us an initial consultation on how to gain entry to Canada.

Is this a usual price or is this not worth it. Were trying to gain residency through going out on a BUNAC visa and working and trying to obtain LMO and then PR for whatever jobs to get in.

If someone can give us some help it would be greatly appreciated because $500 is such a lot of money to us been in our early 20s.

crazy72

Many lawyers and consultants will give you free evaluation of your chances as they are - it means they will assess your qualifications and experience against qualification and eligibility criteria in force today. And they will tell you - yes, you may qualify and should apply as soon as possible, before cap in your occupation is reached, or no, you don't qualify because of this and that.

But if you want an expert to go through all the possible and potentially possible or possible in the future options (based on actions you must take first) and design the strategy based on your individual circumstances, your abilities and willingness to take certain steps then don't expect to get such complex assessment for free. Almost every expert will include this kind of assessment in the package if you retain him or her for the entire immigration process of course, but don't hope to get detailed instructions what, when and how to do for free, it won't happen.

Some will charge you the hourly fee and for sure won't provide you with the doable solution in less than 3 or so paid hours, while others may offer a fixed fee for the same. There is no going or usual rate for such comprehensive assessment and designing the strategy - shop around.

Please note that any long term strategy to make you eligible and qualified to apply after 12 months or later, a strategy that is based on today's rules will likely be futile as rules, eligibility criteria and occupations list will change before you become eligible and most, if not all, of your effort may be wasted.

Remember that in order to apply with arranged employment the job cannot be just any job - it must be a job in skilled occupation (NOC skills level 0, A and B only) and you must still meet all other selection criteria and pass mark. Arranged employment will only help you with eligibility to apply and will add some points, but may not give you enough if you can't score substantial points in education and experience factors anyway.

mandymoochops

There are people on here that have come through BUNAC and managed to stay. You don't have to hire a lawyer - Crazy makes it sound as though its the worlds most difficult thing and whilst its a pain in the ass it certainly is something you can do on your own.

Are you here in Canada at the moment?

crazy72

It wasn't my intention to make it sound as mission impossible. But given the reality of last month's changes to Ministerial Instructions it is safe to assume that more changes, more restrictions and lower caps will be coming within next 12 months, thus any long term planning under such circumstances may not work as desired.

And yes, there are many here who managed from BUNAC to PR - but many of them relied on category 3 of FSW and this category is already gone.

My remarks about uncertainty of long term planing were intended to make OP aware that no lawyer (even charging $500) can guarantee a successful long term plan. Especially when OP is coming on 1-year permit only initially.

Legoman1

Thanks for the replys,

Yes I understand it might be quite an uphill struggle, hence finding the lawyer

Were not in Canada in at the moment, will probably go out on the tourist visa then hop over the border and come back in with the bunac (if this is still possible) to give us as much time as we can.

OH was on the old list before it got cut down and I usually get an E-LMO to work as Ski Instructor. Going to try and get myself on through the semi-skilled BC PNP or Alberta PNP in the tourism and hospitality section and OH will try to find her job out there and go the skilled worker route, she works as a .

Is there likely to be massive caps on the semi-skilled route? OH is trying to come through 3152 Head Nurses and Supervisors, she works as a Senior Carer in Geriatric/Adults with Learning Disabilities but is qualified over here to move into a management role.

Any time scales on BC PNP, semi-skilled route says I only need 9 months work experience with them and I'll be able to hopefully get 12 with the Bunac.

Oh also the $500 is for an hour initial consultation from the sounds of it its going to take a few hours and we cant waste $1500 on someone to tell us to just go and do it and fill out the stuff, does anyone have any cheaper yet still good lawyers that they can reccomend or should we just go it alone and hope we find an employer willing to help us

crazy72

You look for employers and keep asking here as you go - absolutely no need to spend outrageous $500 per hour.

mandymoochops

An LMO by its very nature is there to give employers the go ahead to hire a foreign worker to fill a temporary gap in the workforce that no Canadian is able to fill.

If it wasn't temporary the LMO wouldn't have an expiry date on it - which it does.

If you need the Canadian experience to bump up your points then it sounds as though it may be borderline - so applying for PR to run concurrently off the bat may be risky. If you are given a 2 year twp at poe (sorry eating alphabetti spaghetti again!) then you could apply for pr a year into this (giving you your Canadian experience).

If the pr is taking longer then apply to extend your twp (although the employer may need to reapply for the lmo if the current one has expired) which it totally possible - the extension will give you time for pr to be sorted.

The border authorities must see hundreds of LMO's each week and are used to their nature, there is nothing wrong with telling them you are applying for pr IF THEY ASK, again lots of people do it, but like you said just mntion that if its unsuccesful you are more than prepared to go back to the UK.