Colonial (Aussie :P) couple trying to move to Canada..
Nov 5th 2008, 1:17 am
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2008
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 127
Colonial (Aussie :P) couple trying to move to Canada..
The wife and I are pondering moving to Canada, but were getting off-put by the 28 month wait for a PR visa out of Sydney, Australia. Yes, we're Australian and I'm posting on a BritishExpat's board. All under the one queen though, right? 
Anyway, as we're both under 31, we're looking at taking a 2 year working holiday program visa (permitted for Australians) to Canada (Vancouver probably), then applying for PR (Federal Skilled Migrant) through Buffalo (16 month wait?) once we get over there, assuming we like the place, thus shaving 12 months off the process. We're looking at leaving in May next year, so even if we applied through Sydney Aus now, we'd still save 6 months, and while in Canada, it would hopefully be easier to deal with any issues.
I feel a little guilty about jumping the line like this, but it seems like it should be ok. I did contact the Canadian High Commission in Australia here who advised me that I should apply for PR through my country of residency, but from my reading, there aren't any issues with applying through Buffalo instead, assuming you've received admission to Canada for a year or more, which on a 2 year WHP, you would. Unless it means you actually have to have been in Canada for a year before you can apply through Buffalo. Does anyone know if this is the case?
As for the Federal Skilled Migrant visas.. we're both between 21 and 40, both University educated, clean criminal records, have good job prospects, and I even speak some french and have Canadian relatives (uncle, but he doesn't live in Canada right now), so I'm not anticipating any problems, just a waiting game.
Anyway, feel free to pipe up if you think I'm missing anything or am doing anything horrible wrong. This board seems great!
Anyway, as we're both under 31, we're looking at taking a 2 year working holiday program visa (permitted for Australians) to Canada (Vancouver probably), then applying for PR (Federal Skilled Migrant) through Buffalo (16 month wait?) once we get over there, assuming we like the place, thus shaving 12 months off the process. We're looking at leaving in May next year, so even if we applied through Sydney Aus now, we'd still save 6 months, and while in Canada, it would hopefully be easier to deal with any issues.
I feel a little guilty about jumping the line like this, but it seems like it should be ok. I did contact the Canadian High Commission in Australia here who advised me that I should apply for PR through my country of residency, but from my reading, there aren't any issues with applying through Buffalo instead, assuming you've received admission to Canada for a year or more, which on a 2 year WHP, you would. Unless it means you actually have to have been in Canada for a year before you can apply through Buffalo. Does anyone know if this is the case?
As for the Federal Skilled Migrant visas.. we're both between 21 and 40, both University educated, clean criminal records, have good job prospects, and I even speak some french and have Canadian relatives (uncle, but he doesn't live in Canada right now), so I'm not anticipating any problems, just a waiting game.
Anyway, feel free to pipe up if you think I'm missing anything or am doing anything horrible wrong. This board seems great!
Nov 5th 2008, 1:46 am
#2
Now on Vancouver Island
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 6,935
Re: Colonial (Aussie :P) couple trying to move to Canada..
Hello, Duckman, and welcome to the BE forum.
No probs. I'm not British either.
The piece you're missing is that, unless you belong to one of the occupations that is deemed to be in extreme demand and that appears on a yet-to-be-published list or, alternatively, unless you have pre-arranged employment, it wouldn't matter where you submitted your PR application -- Buffalo, Sydney or Timbuktu. Unless one of the above two conditions is met, your PR application will be rejected.
The good news is that, if you come to Canada on a working holiday visa and impress a Canadian employer with your great work, it should be feasible for you to pursuade him/her to offer you an permanent job, the offer of which would constitute pre-arranged employment.
We used to tell people who had pre-arranged employment that there was no point in submitting their applications to Buffalo, because the Buffalo office did not expedite PR applications that were backed up by pre-arranged employment. In contrast, other Canadian visa offices around the world did expedite PR applications that were backed up by pre-arranged employment.
Keep in mind that, in a climate in which standard PR applications that were not backed up by pre-arranged employment were taking up to five years to be processed (and at some visa offices even eight years), getting your PR application fast tracked on the basis of pre-arranged employment was a very big deal. As you may imagine, the fact that Buffalo did not fast-track also was a very big deal.
Australians were at an advantage compared with Britons (and at an even greater advantage than the citizens of some other countries), because the Canadian visa office in Sydney was one of the fastest on the planet. So Aussies didn't suffer as much from the long waits as Britons did.
But, now that all PR applications have to be submitted by people whose occupations are in extreme demand or to be backed up by pre-arranged employment, I don't know that there is going to be an advantage to pre-arranged employment, from a timing point of view.
I see it developing into something of an all or nothing game. Either you belong to an occupation in extreme demand or have pre-arranged employment on the one hand, or you don't have either of those things going for you on the other hand. If you have one of them going for you, you'll be accepted (police checks, medicals, etc., permitting), and if you have neither of them going for you, you'll be rejected.
If you have not already done so, I suggest you read these Wiki articles:
Hope that helps.
Anyway, feel free to pipe up if you think I'm missing anything or am doing anything horrible wrong.
The good news is that, if you come to Canada on a working holiday visa and impress a Canadian employer with your great work, it should be feasible for you to pursuade him/her to offer you an permanent job, the offer of which would constitute pre-arranged employment.
We used to tell people who had pre-arranged employment that there was no point in submitting their applications to Buffalo, because the Buffalo office did not expedite PR applications that were backed up by pre-arranged employment. In contrast, other Canadian visa offices around the world did expedite PR applications that were backed up by pre-arranged employment.
Keep in mind that, in a climate in which standard PR applications that were not backed up by pre-arranged employment were taking up to five years to be processed (and at some visa offices even eight years), getting your PR application fast tracked on the basis of pre-arranged employment was a very big deal. As you may imagine, the fact that Buffalo did not fast-track also was a very big deal.
Australians were at an advantage compared with Britons (and at an even greater advantage than the citizens of some other countries), because the Canadian visa office in Sydney was one of the fastest on the planet. So Aussies didn't suffer as much from the long waits as Britons did.
But, now that all PR applications have to be submitted by people whose occupations are in extreme demand or to be backed up by pre-arranged employment, I don't know that there is going to be an advantage to pre-arranged employment, from a timing point of view.
I see it developing into something of an all or nothing game. Either you belong to an occupation in extreme demand or have pre-arranged employment on the one hand, or you don't have either of those things going for you on the other hand. If you have one of them going for you, you'll be accepted (police checks, medicals, etc., permitting), and if you have neither of them going for you, you'll be rejected.
If you have not already done so, I suggest you read these Wiki articles:
Hope that helps.
Nov 5th 2008, 2:25 am
#3
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2008
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 127
Re: Colonial (Aussie :P) couple trying to move to Canada..
The piece you're missing is that, unless you belong to one of the occupations that is deemed to be in extreme demand and that appears on a yet-to-be-published list or, alternatively, unless you have pre-arranged employment, it wouldn't matter where you submitted your PR application -- Buffalo, Sydney or Timbuktu. Unless one of the above two conditions is met, your PR application will be rejected.
Last edited by Duckman; Nov 5th 2008 at 2:33 am.
Nov 5th 2008, 2:32 am
#4
Now on Vancouver Island
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 6,935
Re: Colonial (Aussie :P) couple trying to move to Canada..
Yup.
It's a good thing you came here and checked.
If you have not already done so, I suggest you read these Wiki articles:
x
I was unaware of this issue!
I thought we were going pretty well..
x
Nov 5th 2008, 3:27 am
#5
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,375
Re: Colonial (Aussie :P) couple trying to move to Canada..
The wife and I are pondering moving to Canada, but were getting off-put by the 28 month wait for a PR visa out of Sydney, Australia. Yes, we're Australian and I'm posting on a BritishExpat's board. All under the one queen though, right?
Anyway, as we're both under 31, we're looking at taking a 2 year working holiday program visa (permitted for Australians) to Canada (Vancouver probably), then applying for PR (Federal Skilled Migrant) through Buffalo (16 month wait?) once we get over there, assuming we like the place, thus shaving 12 months off the process. We're looking at leaving in May next year, so even if we applied through Sydney Aus now, we'd still save 6 months, and while in Canada, it would hopefully be easier to deal with any issues.
I feel a little guilty about jumping the line like this, but it seems like it should be ok. I did contact the Canadian High Commission in Australia here who advised me that I should apply for PR through my country of residency, but from my reading, there aren't any issues with applying through Buffalo instead, assuming you've received admission to Canada for a year or more, which on a 2 year WHP, you would. Unless it means you actually have to have been in Canada for a year before you can apply through Buffalo. Does anyone know if this is the case?
As for the Federal Skilled Migrant visas.. we're both between 21 and 40, both University educated, clean criminal records, have good job prospects, and I even speak some french and have Canadian relatives (uncle, but he doesn't live in Canada right now), so I'm not anticipating any problems, just a waiting game.
Anyway, feel free to pipe up if you think I'm missing anything or am doing anything horrible wrong. This board seems great!
Anyway, as we're both under 31, we're looking at taking a 2 year working holiday program visa (permitted for Australians) to Canada (Vancouver probably), then applying for PR (Federal Skilled Migrant) through Buffalo (16 month wait?) once we get over there, assuming we like the place, thus shaving 12 months off the process. We're looking at leaving in May next year, so even if we applied through Sydney Aus now, we'd still save 6 months, and while in Canada, it would hopefully be easier to deal with any issues.
I feel a little guilty about jumping the line like this, but it seems like it should be ok. I did contact the Canadian High Commission in Australia here who advised me that I should apply for PR through my country of residency, but from my reading, there aren't any issues with applying through Buffalo instead, assuming you've received admission to Canada for a year or more, which on a 2 year WHP, you would. Unless it means you actually have to have been in Canada for a year before you can apply through Buffalo. Does anyone know if this is the case?
As for the Federal Skilled Migrant visas.. we're both between 21 and 40, both University educated, clean criminal records, have good job prospects, and I even speak some french and have Canadian relatives (uncle, but he doesn't live in Canada right now), so I'm not anticipating any problems, just a waiting game.
Anyway, feel free to pipe up if you think I'm missing anything or am doing anything horrible wrong. This board seems great!
Were also looking at moving out from Australia.
Been over several times, plenty of plus/minus points, biggest plus, closer to the world
, biggest minus the wages 
much much lower than OZ, scarily so compared to cost of living - similar.Received a job offer, but havent moved yet due to totally unanticipated disappearance of my husbands brother in Dubbo.
This forum is brilliant, Judy in particular is wonderful, she lived in OZ once too.
Good luck, I think at your age, go for the 2 yr thing and see if you like it.
Nov 5th 2008, 3:47 am
#6
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2008
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 127
Re: Colonial (Aussie :P) couple trying to move to Canada..
Were also looking at moving out from Australia.
Been over several times, plenty of plus/minus points, biggest plus, closer to the world, biggest minus the wages much much lower than OZ, scarily so compared to cost of living - similar.
Received a job offer, but havent moved yet due to totally unanticipated disappearance of my husbands brother in Dubbo.
This forum is brilliant, Judy in particular is wonderful, she lived in OZ once too.
Good luck, I think at your age, go for the 2 yr thing and see if you like it.
Been over several times, plenty of plus/minus points, biggest plus, closer to the world
, biggest minus the wages much much lower than OZ, scarily so compared to cost of living - similar.Received a job offer, but havent moved yet due to totally unanticipated disappearance of my husbands brother in Dubbo.
This forum is brilliant, Judy in particular is wonderful, she lived in OZ once too.
Good luck, I think at your age, go for the 2 yr thing and see if you like it.
I spent a year in Ontario on student exchange, but I do appreciate this will be a different game. And hopefully warmer. I'm hoping this requirement for arranged employment would be enough:
Originally Posted by Skilled Worker Online Assessment tool
You are working in Canada on a temporary work permit and
your temporary work permit was exempted from the requirement of obtaining a labour market opinion of your job offer from HRSDC on the basis of an international agreement (e.g., NAFTA or GATS), a significant benefit to Canada (e.g., intra-company transfer) or public policy on Canada’s academic or economic competitiveness (e.g., post-graduate work);
you are currently working in that job;
the work permit was valid at the time you made your permanent resident visa application and at the time the visa, if any, is issued; and
your employer made an offer to employ you on an indeterminate basis once the permanent resident visa is issued.
your temporary work permit was exempted from the requirement of obtaining a labour market opinion of your job offer from HRSDC on the basis of an international agreement (e.g., NAFTA or GATS), a significant benefit to Canada (e.g., intra-company transfer) or public policy on Canada’s academic or economic competitiveness (e.g., post-graduate work);
you are currently working in that job;
the work permit was valid at the time you made your permanent resident visa application and at the time the visa, if any, is issued; and
your employer made an offer to employ you on an indeterminate basis once the permanent resident visa is issued.
Nov 5th 2008, 7:00 pm
#7
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: Sydney, Aus
Posts: 101
Re: Colonial (Aussie :P) couple trying to move to Canada..
hi guys
i think it depends what job you have as i have also noticed the more unskilled jobs pay much less than aus, but others like IT, business type of jobs pay around the same or more than here. the price of housing is also much much cheaper in canada
the sydney consulate is taking ages, ive been waiting 30 months and still have received nothing - was sent an update letter 6 mths ago which i sent updates 5 mths ago and still nothing. i hope to hear something this month, if not early in the new yr...a person who applied in teh same mth (april 06) as me has done medicals already.
they are correct in saying that be wary of the new rules as these will determine your eligibility. these rules are expected soon but you never know when it will come out since the election just took place and maybe the govt has some other priorities...but then again the legislation has passed and the processing priorities is the only thing thats needed now.
i think it depends what job you have as i have also noticed the more unskilled jobs pay much less than aus, but others like IT, business type of jobs pay around the same or more than here. the price of housing is also much much cheaper in canada
the sydney consulate is taking ages, ive been waiting 30 months and still have received nothing - was sent an update letter 6 mths ago which i sent updates 5 mths ago and still nothing. i hope to hear something this month, if not early in the new yr...a person who applied in teh same mth (april 06) as me has done medicals already.
they are correct in saying that be wary of the new rules as these will determine your eligibility. these rules are expected soon but you never know when it will come out since the election just took place and maybe the govt has some other priorities...but then again the legislation has passed and the processing priorities is the only thing thats needed now.
Nov 6th 2008, 4:37 am
#8
Just Joined
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Was Wells / London, now Christchurch NZ
Posts: 10
Re: Colonial (Aussie :P) couple trying to move to Canada..
hi guys
i think it depends what job you have as i have also noticed the more unskilled jobs pay much less than aus, but others like IT, business type of jobs pay around the same or more than here. the price of housing is also much much cheaper in canada
the sydney consulate is taking ages, ive been waiting 30 months and still have received nothing - was sent an update letter 6 mths ago which i sent updates 5 mths ago and still nothing. i hope to hear something this month, if not early in the new yr...a person who applied in teh same mth (april 06) as me has done medicals already.
they are correct in saying that be wary of the new rules as these will determine your eligibility. these rules are expected soon but you never know when it will come out since the election just took place and maybe the govt has some other priorities...but then again the legislation has passed and the processing priorities is the only thing thats needed now.
i think it depends what job you have as i have also noticed the more unskilled jobs pay much less than aus, but others like IT, business type of jobs pay around the same or more than here. the price of housing is also much much cheaper in canada
the sydney consulate is taking ages, ive been waiting 30 months and still have received nothing - was sent an update letter 6 mths ago which i sent updates 5 mths ago and still nothing. i hope to hear something this month, if not early in the new yr...a person who applied in teh same mth (april 06) as me has done medicals already.
they are correct in saying that be wary of the new rules as these will determine your eligibility. these rules are expected soon but you never know when it will come out since the election just took place and maybe the govt has some other priorities...but then again the legislation has passed and the processing priorities is the only thing thats needed now.
Just thought I would share our Sydney experience. We are in NZ and applied through the Sydney office in Feb 07. After 19 months we got our 60 day letter which we sent back a few weeks ago.
We are hopeful to hear something next year.
Good luck to you.
Nov 11th 2008, 8:50 pm
#9
Just Joined
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1
Re: Colonial (Aussie :P) couple trying to move to Canada..
The wife and I are pondering moving to Canada, but were getting off-put by the 28 month wait for a PR visa out of Sydney, Australia. Yes, we're Australian and I'm posting on a BritishExpat's board. All under the one queen though, right?
Anyway, as we're both under 31, we're looking at taking a 2 year working holiday program visa (permitted for Australians) to Canada (Vancouver probably), then applying for PR (Federal Skilled Migrant) through Buffalo (16 month wait?) once we get over there, assuming we like the place, thus shaving 12 months off the process. We're looking at leaving in May next year, so even if we applied through Sydney Aus now, we'd still save 6 months, and while in Canada, it would hopefully be easier to deal with any issues.
I feel a little guilty about jumping the line like this, but it seems like it should be ok. I did contact the Canadian High Commission in Australia here who advised me that I should apply for PR through my country of residency, but from my reading, there aren't any issues with applying through Buffalo instead, assuming you've received admission to Canada for a year or more, which on a 2 year WHP, you would. Unless it means you actually have to have been in Canada for a year before you can apply through Buffalo. Does anyone know if this is the case?
As for the Federal Skilled Migrant visas.. we're both between 21 and 40, both University educated, clean criminal records, have good job prospects, and I even speak some french and have Canadian relatives (uncle, but he doesn't live in Canada right now), so I'm not anticipating any problems, just a waiting game.
Anyway, feel free to pipe up if you think I'm missing anything or am doing anything horrible wrong. This board seems great!
Anyway, as we're both under 31, we're looking at taking a 2 year working holiday program visa (permitted for Australians) to Canada (Vancouver probably), then applying for PR (Federal Skilled Migrant) through Buffalo (16 month wait?) once we get over there, assuming we like the place, thus shaving 12 months off the process. We're looking at leaving in May next year, so even if we applied through Sydney Aus now, we'd still save 6 months, and while in Canada, it would hopefully be easier to deal with any issues.
I feel a little guilty about jumping the line like this, but it seems like it should be ok. I did contact the Canadian High Commission in Australia here who advised me that I should apply for PR through my country of residency, but from my reading, there aren't any issues with applying through Buffalo instead, assuming you've received admission to Canada for a year or more, which on a 2 year WHP, you would. Unless it means you actually have to have been in Canada for a year before you can apply through Buffalo. Does anyone know if this is the case?
As for the Federal Skilled Migrant visas.. we're both between 21 and 40, both University educated, clean criminal records, have good job prospects, and I even speak some french and have Canadian relatives (uncle, but he doesn't live in Canada right now), so I'm not anticipating any problems, just a waiting game.
Anyway, feel free to pipe up if you think I'm missing anything or am doing anything horrible wrong. This board seems great!
Good to read about you thinking about coming to Canada - do it, it's so worth it! We made the move in April '08, and are convinced that more people should do it. Now that you can get unlimited renewals on your permit, you can stay for a while longer now, at least until you hit that 31 barrier, and then you just have to make sure you have an application approved just before then.
I don't mean to log in just to promote myself, but I've just finished creating a new site to help Aussies coming to Canada on the working holiday program, and have put up a bunch of information on there you (and others!) might find useful... it's completely free and voluntary on my behalf - I just didn't want to keep writing out the same instructional email to friends back in Australia!
Anyway, enough of an essay, the site is <<snip>>and I hope to see you over there!
Thanks, and good luck!
Jared
Last edited by Sue; Nov 11th 2008 at 11:22 pm. Reason: Link removed. Please read rule 9 of the site rules and only put link to your site in your forum signature. Thanks
