WannaB

Hi Everyone

I'm hoping that you can help me. I am newish to this forum and we are looking into immigrating to Canada although we have not done any applying yet, just investigation.

My husband is a secondary school teacher but was trained via the employment-based route GTP so he doesn't have PGCE or any other formal teaching qualifications. I know that this means he cannot teach in a number of countries outside the UK and I think Canada is one of these but my question is: can we still apply to immigrate using his degrees and work experience even though we know he won't be able to teach in Canada?

We both have degrees so we'd get points for qualifications. But the work experience points is where I get confused. If my husband has the GTP can he still say that he has work experience in teaching in order to satisfy the basic work experience requirement, because he definitely does have the experience but just not the right sort of qualification? Will they ask to see proof of his teaching qualification?

We are clearly not a straight forward case, but it would be nice to get some advice before actually going through the application process as I gather it's pretty long and I don't want to wait a couple of years only to be told that we got it all wrong.

Thank you for your help.

Judy in Calgary

I'm not a guru on this but, from what I understand, your husband's qualifications will not be recognised in Canada. If his qualifications are not recognised, I rather doubt that the work that he has done on the basis of those qualifications will be recognised.

But, as I said, I'm not an expert on this. The only reason I'm attempting to help you out is that no one else has responded to you yet.

In any event, check out this website where you can find out the equivalency of your qualifications.

What you should do is run through the self-assessment test for both your husband and yourself. Whoever scores the most points should be the primary applicant. Within reason, the qualifications and experience of the partner of the primary applicant don't matter.

I say "within reason," because a visa officer has the right to reject an application if he/she believes that the family is unlikely to settle successfully in Canada, even if the primary applicant technically has enough points.

If you apply for permanent residence (PR) visas via the skilled worker (SW) route (that's the process that assesses points), it will not take a couple of years. It will take 5+ years. Some people around here are projecting that an applicant who started the process today would have to wait 5 - 7 years. But there are other approaches whereby you might be able to get in within a year or so.

Please read the BE Wiki section on Canadian immigration (and all the articles that flow from that introductory article, as well as the pages of Citizenship and Immigration Canada's website to which links are provided in those articles).

Also read the articles that flow from the introductory article on job hunting in Canada.

It is essential to understand both of those issues very thoroughly -- that is, how to gain authorisation to live and work in Canada and how to secure employment.

zippadydoda

Hello and welcome to BE!

I am a school teacher too and have been doing lots of reading threads on this site for the last six weeks or so. It is an excellent place to find answers to any questions you may have but very time consuming!
I have read that it depends on which province you are going to. We are hoping to go to Alberta. Here they are very picky over which qualification you have. They prefer you to have a four year degree rather than a three year ( I am alright there as I did a BA with QTS which was four years full time). They will not consider any application unless you are residing there. Then I believe I would still have to do a college course. It all sounds pretty impossible so I am not holding my breath!

Also Skilled worker applications are taking more like 5 to 7 years to process unless you have managed to secure work. Hope this has not dampened your spirits. You know what they say, where there's a will there's a way!

TheGrizzlyHattons

Hiya. I hope the good responses so far have helped. Where in Canada are you hoping to move to? I know in Ontario you register with the Ontario College of Teachers who assess the qualifications. But it seems you have to have done one year full time study in teacher education and a degree. I guess doing GTP does not count in this case for your husband as you say which is a shame but then maybe he can make that up in Canada some how who knows!! Be good to get in touch with people such as Ontario College of Teachers or the equivalent in the province you are looking at. (I only know about Ont as Im a teacher and my husband and I are hopefully moving there). Hope you get some questions answered from all the helpful peaps on the forum.

Good luck with it all.

snoopster

Hi
My family and I are also going through the immigration process and are in a similar position to you, although we applied two years ago this November. I have a 4 year B. Ed, but my husband has a BSc. He also trained as a teacher through GTP and is now in his third year of teaching.

He has had his qualifications to teach assessed by Alberta Learning (who register you for teaching over there) knowing he would fail anyway at this stage as he doesn't live there yet, but they advised him to have them assessed so that they could tell him whether he would eventually be able to teach or not.

The answer was a resounding NO which was a bit of a bummer. However, he's now pursuing other options such as setting up a tutoring company once we get there (if we EVER will!!!!).

I think regarding points, you will probably be okay, as long as you don't count his GTP year as a year of extra education. We still made it through on points just counting Neil's BSc degree. Try calculating it with and without, and if you still make it, then go for it.

As regards eventual teaching opportunities, for those of us with 4 year degrees in teaching there are some possibilities, such as 'subbing' (supply teaching) and you can take extra courses to bring you up to their exacting standards. I know other teachers who are managing to find work in Alberta although it takes a few months to sort it out.

Hope this helps. Good to hear from other teachers out there. Good luck

TheGrizzlyHattons

Hi Snoopster. So have you and your husband submitted a skilled worker application? Are you going to try and get arranged employment? Yes I agree I have relatives in Ontario and they say the best route is to go in via supply work.

Good luck with your application and hope your husband gets tutoring etc.

Emma (Mrs Grizzly Hatton!!).

JAJ

There is no linkage between whether qualifications are recognised in Canada and acceptability of work experience for skilled migration purposes.

Crazy but true. One of the main reasons why so many "skilled" migrants have to drive taxis.

snoopster

Yes we applied as skilled workers. We can't get arranged employment before we go as you have to be PR's before you can apply for certification to teach. I wish they'd open up PNP for teachers but as there is currently no shortage, and they're dead fussy about our qualifications, that's about as likely as a monk in a brothel.

The key to employment in teaching (so I've been told) is to get supply work and start networking so that you get known in a few schools. You can then build up extra semesters of study over the first year or so, then start applying for permanent jobs. It's not easy but not impossible.

On the other hand, I might go and work in Wendy's. All the hamburgers you can eat and the uniform is smashing Wonder if they do a PNP program?

IRM

Hi Snoopster

If you are who I think you are my girls would love to see their former teacher in a Wendy's uniform

If you're not who I think you are I apologise for hijacking this thread

Cheers

Ian

snoopster

I've no idea who you are Mr Merritt! Never heard of you. Nooooooo!
Would you like fries with that sir?

TheGrizzlyHattons

Hello again!! I'm glad somebody is on the ball thank you enlightening me! Haven't delved far enough in to finding out you have to be a PR to register to teach, obvious when you think about it! We will be going over on my hubbys arranged employment so haven't done too much research for my own job yet! Thanks for that. Happy teaching

WannaB

Hi Everyone

Wow, you guys have been so helpful, thank you.

Can I just check that I've got this right?

My husband can claim points for his BSC honours degree in Geography and Geology but can claim nothing for his teaching qualification (because it wasn't proper academic study). But he can claim a full 5 years for his qualified (in the UK anyway) teaching experience even though his UK QTS will not be counted in Canada because he doesn't have a proper qualification? Thank you and sorry if I'm repeating myself but I'm finding this complicated.

And we don't need to get any skills assessed or anything? And his work experience doesn't have to be related to his degree?

That will mean we will be ok.

Thanks for the help! I am happy to wait 5-7 years. We want to go to Canada but we are ok to wait because there might be another little family member on the way soon so that will take up a few years of nappies and nappy brain so when we emerge from this, maybe it will be time to immigrate.

Look forward to talking to you all again

snoopster

You've got it! Well that's how we've understood it anyway. If anything changes, such as us getting refused for any reason I'll let the board know.
Glad to be of help

lhcasssidy

Hi, it is true that trying to get your teaching qualification is a nightmare, ( I have 2 PGCEs one in FE & another in secondary) however I have managed to receive a BTC card and certificate from the Nova Scotia teaching board whilst still living in the Uk. Granted I have conditions where I have to do additional qualifications that I have been told could take between 5 months to a year depending which university in Canada you speak too. I will have four years to complete the courses or I will have to re apply. It was a nightmare, due to the different ways qualifications are recognized, it took almost two years to get to this stage, however the education board, local universities and the teaching unions have been really helpful. My advice is wherever you are planning to settle get in touch with the education board, and be prepared to train further. Hope this helps