lisalu21269

Hi I am new to the ex pats site and am looking for any help or advice. My family want to emigrate to Canada. My husband is a qualified Gas fitter & Plumber with over 30 years experience. We are trying to find out names of Utility companies in Ontario, Alberta & Vancouver so he can start to look for work, however we have been on the CIC website and they say they are not accepting any Skilled Immigrant applications, can anyone help with any suggestions or advice. Thanks Lisa

SchnookoLoly

Welcome!

I suggest starting with the wiki (blue bar at the top) as it week give you quite a bit of info, and if you search the forms there are tons of posts similar to your husband's line of work.

Grab a cup of tea and have a read!

oopsbuddy

....and (helpfully) maybe spread out a large map of North America too - see how vast Canada is?

There are lots of nice places to live, but what might suit you may not suit others. To narrow it down by a few thousand miles, have you any links at all (eg, friends, relatives, been there before and loved it) to any particular place? What time-zone do you prefer? Do you want to be within reasonable travelling distance of the sea perhaps?

Spend a lot of time researching, for example reading this forum, and you may then have some better idea of what things to ask. Especially read the "Moving Back to the UK" link on the Wiki mainpage above, which allows you to read the views of some who came, saw, and didn't like it enough to stay.

Very good luck with your reading.

lisalu21269

Hi Thanks for you advice, I have family in Toronto, Friends in Vancouver and Friends in Calgary...I have visited Toronto and Calgary...one of my friends has just moved from Calgary to Vancouver...Im thinking the transition will be easier for my daughter if we go some where were we already know at least some people.

Yes cup of tea sounds a good idea...its a mind field and quite scary

Aviator

Look up the training authority in BC, ITA BC for plumber certification and Safety BC for gas fitter licensing.

lisalu21269

Thank you will take a look....cant understand why CIC aren't allowing any one to apply and no one seems to know why either? Thanks for your advice

Siouxie

There are more than 50 routes to gaining PR.

CIC are accepting skilled worker applications, there are various ways of quaifying for them - here are a few:

1) Have an occupation on 'the list'
2) Have any skilled occupation with a job offer
3) Have an occupation that is on the skilled trades list
4) Be nominated by a Province or Territory
5) Have an occupation that is semi-skilled with job offer

As a gas fitter, your husband could apply under numbers 2 (with a job offer), 3 and 4.

7253 Gas fitters - unlimited applications under the FSW (Trades) stream would be one way. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigra...plications.asp

lisalu21269

Thank you so much that is very help full....its all very confusing when you don't know what your doing!! Thanks again

christmasoompa

Not sure where you've read this, but that's not correct? Siouxie has given you the relevant info you need for possible visa routes.

Good luck.

lisalu21269

It was on the CIC site it wouldn't let us go through the application process.

I have gone with advice and its correct. Thank you ladies.

christmasoompa

Do you mean it wouldn't let you download the application forms? That's very odd.

Shout if you're still having problems, I'm sure somebody can email them to you instead if that won't work.

Good luck.