Mumof3newbie

Hi Everyone

I am new to this site and it was recommended my another site where I talk to parents in Edmonton (which is where we are trying to move to)

I am a married mum of 3 boys and my DH and I are trying to move to Canada. He is an HGV Driver and we have been told as there is a huge shortage of them that we qualify for a Visa.

Can anyone tell me if they have used a Citizenship & Immigration Consultant to carry out the process for them and if so do you think it is worth the money? If you have not used them can you tell me why?

Thanks

Judy in Calgary

No, we didn't use one. And, in my opinion, they are not worth the money if you are operating on the average person's budget and have a straightforward case that does not require complicated intervention.

It's hard to remember that far back, but I don't think we realized they existed. We immigrated to Canada in 1977, before the creation of the Internet. We lived on a remote mine in South Africa at the time that we were doing all this. So, over and above the fact that the Internet didn't yet exist, we were fairly cut off even from the sources of information that were available at the time. We bought a book, and followed the steps outlined in the book.

But, even if we'd known about immigration consultants, we still wouldn't have used one, because we couldn't have afforded one.

A January 2008 poll on this forum revealed that 75% of respondents had taken the Do It Yourself approach, and 25% had hired professional help.

My personal opinion is that, if you have a straightforward case (that is, you are not divorced and don't have child custody issues with a former spouse, don''t have a criminal record, are not going to attempt to enter Canada via the business / investor category, etc.), you can handle your application yourself.

Be warned, though, that if you do it yourself you will need to pay close attention when you are completing the forms.

If you want to find out more information, you can read the Wiki article called Immigration Consultants-Canada. But I think I've already told you the most relevant points from that article.

This website has a Wiki article about Truck Driving in Canada, and it also has a Trucking forum.

Members of this forum, who post under the User Name of vickysteve, also have a very useful website
called Truck Driving in Canada. They are based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, but I still think it would be a useful website for you to read.

Also read the Canada section of the Wiki on this website.

Hope that helps.
x

Harrison Family

Hi, we are in a similar situation to you - we have one 2 year old daughter and my hubby is a HGV driver here and are just starting the process to move to Canada, Edmonton is also at the top of our list at the moment. We have decided against using an agency to help as all the infomation we have needed so far we have found on this website. Also the charges they advertise are so expensive that unless, as Judy said, you have a really complicated case it just doesn't seem justifiable.

gibsonslanding

ditto everything previously said.....why bother with an agent! it's not 'that' complicated to do yourself and save yourself some money.....lots of money actually.....only advice really, is to check, re-check and re-check again, everything that you are asked for, for the application/forms etc. before you submit.....time consuming but not beyound the wit of man.......if we can do it, so can you! good luck x

Monkey Puzzle

Hi there and welcome! You will find this forum to be a MINE of information and fantastic help.

Most people don't use an immigration consultant. I couldn't bear to pay them huge bucks just to put all the paperwork into order for me! (As we have a simple case.) Seriously, you'd still need to do 99% of the legwork yourself anyway, gathering references, birth certificates, blah, blah blah. My other half's company spent a fortune on a phone call to their immigration lawyers on our behalf and we learned nothing new.

Why not start off with the WIKI on here and the CIC website? Then, when you get stuck (as we ALL do) ask the members of the forum and you are bound to find someone in the same boat. (Not forgetting the very helpful Mr Andrew Miller, immigration consultant, who also offers advice on the forum!) The advice is fabulous, we couldn't have done it otherwise.

If it turns out you have a more complicated case than you thought, then you could always engage a consultant later if you had to.

Good luck!

vickysteve

Saskatoon is really despert for HGV drivers there are trucks sat around in comanies yards because they cannot get the drivers. Use the nomation program its quick and easy you can do it all your self and its cheap.

Mumof3newbie

Can you tell me more about the nomination program? I know WestCan do something but they dont seem to pay as well as what we have been told by the consultant.

vickysteve

There a few companies here is Saskatoon on the program, Westcan is one of them, a lot of people go with the Yankee or siemans they are bigger and you get more miles with them. Westcan only run Canada the others run Canada and USA so you get more miles and earn more, dont forget drivers are paid by the mile so the longer the trip the more money you get. The nomination program is so easy all you do is apply to the companies and wait a response to see if they invite you for interview and then come out for interview and look around etc. A lot of english drivers use the nomination program here in Saskatoon, There are a lot driver coming out at the moment for interview the companies are so short of drivers they want them to start straight a way.

R I C H

I think there might be a bit of a misconception about the cost and value of an immigration lawyer/consultant. I used one because my case (a business application) wasn't very straightforward. For GBP3k he organised a 3yr work permit, and also submitted a successful application for PR. I felt it was pretty good value for securing residency here, and as a proportion of the overall cost of moving it was fairly small.

Mumof3newbie

I found a Trucker thread yesterday which has been really helpful so I have been Email the companies. One sent back a reply that said they could get Darren a Visa for 2 years and then he would have to come back here for 4 months???? After 2 years what would he have to come back here for? Its not as if he would have a job to come back too.................???

The other reason we looked at the consultant was because Darren was a bit silly when he was younger and now has a record it was 8 yrs ago but I have been told that now we have to file a criminal rehab form so makes it more complicated.....

Tasha