lidson

I am 22 and really wanting to move to Vancouver for a year as i have friends there and have heard its a really great city.
I would like to work as a waitress/bartender as this is what I've been doing for 7 years.
After researching tempory work visas i went to apply on bunac.com but the applications for non-students have closed for the 2010.
So the bottom line is im being really immpatient and want to get there asap, especially as ive heard the visas can take a while to process.
Is there any way around this?
A friend of mine from the US said I could try and apply for jobs from england, as once you have an official job offer that counts as a work visa.
Is it likely that this would be possible for an unskilled worker like myself?

Or could i go as a tourist, travel around for a while and wait for the visa applications to open up again? am i allowed to apply for a work visa while still in the country?
Any information would be a great help!

mattieuk

Ok...the BUNAC registrations are shut at the moment for Non Students...they will open around early December for the January 2011 arrival (they go darned quick though, so check every day if I were you!).

Adn yes, you can come to Canada as a visitor, and should be able to apply for a TWP on Work Canada whilst here (you can't apply whilst doing the program, but I don't see any issues with applying whilst just visiting).

Moody1

Hi there

Ive just been on a Bunac for a year in Vancouver, got back in January, i got my visa after they had some extra ones issued in Aug/Sept time 2008.

The extra visa's go really quickly and the best bet is to register with Bunac for these and they will notify you when if they receive any.

Bunac is best bet mate, any help please feel free to contact me

mattieuk

Oh, and to follow up on this, no. Its hard to be able to come here on a skilled working visa, which requires a 'Labour Market Opinion' to see if you're needed.

Long and short, unskilled workers won't get a special Temporary Working Visa from what I've heard.

Lethe

It would be close to impossible to get an unskilled job from the UK and it's not easy to get a visa on one of those types of jobs. Really you just need to wait for the BUNAC visa's to come out in December. I got mine for last year and was waiting at the keyboard the day they came out. People say they go 'really fast' and they do but that could mean up to a month after the first day.
You can come and travel without working for up to six months if you have the funds and can satisfy the officer you're not about to work illegally here. You can also apply for BUNAC whilst out of the country now so you could potentially come over in August/September and apply for BUNAC from here, bear in mind it isn't exactly cheap to travel for 6 months and you also need funds to pay for the BUNAC permit at Christmas!

christmasoompa

Your friend is absolutely right, but as well as the job offer you also need the employer to apply for a Labour Market Opinion for you. For this, they have to prove that they have advertised the job across Canada and been unable to find a Canadian willing, or able, do to the job. The LMO can take up to six months to obtain.

So, by the time you've found a job offer, got the LMO and then applied for your Temporary Work Permit, you're going to be looking at next year at the earliest anyway!

Sorry to rain on your parade, but your best bet is really to just wait for Bunac.

Good luck.

CanadaJimmy

I disagree, I was able to get my LMO in about 2 weeks, then fly out and get the Permit at the POE. It does depend on the job though how quickly you get the LMO so I suppose it's possible it could take over 5 months but I don't think thats very likely if you put your back into it!

christmasoompa

That's you though, each case varies and no offence to the OP, but they've already said they're going to Vancouver and are going to be attempting to find a job that will have fierce competition and be incredibly hard to get a LMO granted for. Can't see that taking less than 6 months.

It does depend on the job, the case the employer puts across i.e. how much they've advertised it, and whereabouts in Canada it is - and unfortunately for the OP, a job offer & LMO would be tricky.

Most people seem to be around 6-8 weeks for a LMO, but that's a generalisation and it can take as little as 2 days or as much as 6 months!

Lethe

The OP mentioned that she wanted to work in hospitality and I just don't see them getting an LMO for that. I imagine if an employer advertised a position for a waitress in Vancouver they would be hard pressed to say they couldn't find suitable Canadians who wanted the position.

christmasoompa

Exactly, can't see it happening quickly, if at all. Bunac definitely the best bet I would think.

Siouxie

If you could find an employer willing to employ you, then you may be able to get a work permit under the Low Skills Pilot Project.

http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplace...lowskill.shtml

additionally, it may be possible to get PR as a provincial nominee in BC if you are in hospitality after working for 9 months.

http://www.welcomebc.ca/wbc/immigrat...evel/who.page?

Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled Pilot Project

This two-year project applies to select occupations and eligible employers in the tourism/hospitality, food processing and long-haul trucking industries, all of which play a key role in B.C.’s export-oriented economy, but are experiencing acute labour shortages.

Tourism/Hospitality: Eligible occupations include Hotel Front Desk Clerks, Tour and Travel Guides, Outdoor Sport and Recreational Guides, Casino Occupations, Maitres d’hotel and Hosts/Hostesses, Bartenders, Food and Beverage Servers, Kitchen Helpers and Related Occupations, Food Counter Attendants, Kitchen Helpers and Related Occupations, Light Duty Hotel Cleaners , Specialized Cleaners, Janitors, Caretakers and Building Superintendents, Doorkeeper, Hotel Guest Services Attendant, Dry Cleaning and Laundry Occupations, Ironing, Pressing and Finishing Occupations, Attendant, Sauna Room (Hotels/Resorts only), Hotel Valet.

(Note: Applications for managers, professionals, service supervisors and other skilled workers, such as chefs and cooks, are considered under the Skilled Worker category of the Provincial Nominee Program.)

Note: The applicant must have been employed in one of these jobs by the sponsoring company on a temporary Work Permit for at least nine (9) months immediately prior to applying to the PNP.

There are a few jobs being advertised... http://travailleraucanada.gc.ca/repo...y=job&lang=eng //

If all else fails you could always apply for an Agriventure placement (working on farms etc) http://www.agriventure.net/country.php?country=canada !!