Rodge9

Hello all! I'm Roger, just signed up here and it looks like a very informative site, I will be keeping a close eye on these boards and reading the Wiki very carefully in the next few months. Here's why...

I've lived in Canada before on a WHP visa through BUNAC between November '06 and September '07, and I loved it. I needed to return though on account of having to finish my degree (Master's in Aerospace Engineering), which I did last June. Since then I've worked in Thailand for three months on a research internship, and now have a job working as research engineer in the energy field (mainly gas turbines and renewable energy), which I've been in for 3 months. Mentally I made the decision that I wanted to go back and make the move permanently around a year ago, and now I will doing everything I can to make that happen.

With the WHP visa requirements recently changing, I can get another student Visa, which I've already 'reserved', and follow it directly afterwards with a non-student one if I want to. Hence I'll have two years to look for work - which I hope will lead to residence through one of the available routes - and it also gives more time for the economic situation to improve, which is worrying me a bit at the moment (although surely it can't be worse than it is in the UK?). I'm also thinking of applying for residence before I leave - which I'm planning on doing in October/November - to take up my first year visa. I'll need to double check I can get the 67 points, which I think I will as soon as I have 1 year's experience (which will either be in August or November). I'm kind of wondering how that would work though - if I get a job in Canada and the employer is willing to help me out through LMO, PNP or whatever, but I've already applied for residence from over here, would it be a case of fast-tracking the same application? Also what are the costs and timescales involved in making the application from the UK? There may be no point making the residency application before I go, but I presume having a two year Visa (effectively) and an already-submitted residency application wouldn't be a bad position to go to employers with. I'm also toying, at the very preliminary stages, with the idea of applying to do a PhD in Canada.

OK...sorry for waffling. Anyone know anything about my Visa/residency situation, any knowledge of engineering work in Canada, and what the economic/recruitment situation is like at the moment? I lived in Vancouver before and would love to go back there, and probably will, though if I was far more likely to get a job elsewhere then of course I'd do it.

Thanks for reading!

Rodge9

OK I apologise as I am blatantly bumping this back to the top of the list, can nobody offer me any advice? Thanks.

terese677

I'm bumping you up as well, good luck

ESarge

A friend of mine from NZ is a geotech engineer who came out here on a work permit and his employer is getting started on BC PNP. The market for structural engineering is going down along with the housing market.

I can't speak directly to the market for aerospace engineers. As you probably know, Vancouver has a lot of aerospace engineering (most probably because of Boeing in Seattle).

FWIW, if you think that Vancouver's the place for you then take a punt and come over. It sounds like you're not attached to any particular place so you may as well give it a go. Mind you, your lack of work experience may be a hindrance.

I came over on a working holiday visa as a software developer and found a job after two months. The new employer has agreed to help me with BC PNP - so it does work.

Rodge9

Thanks for the replies, concerning my area of work I think it's energy I would like to work in, as I am now, but I'll be keeping an open mind in the short to medium term after I get back to Canada. To that end I'm thinking of applying to BC Hydro and to scan around what other jobs are available in the field, and apply like mad. It's true I don't have much work experience but I am trying to be crafty and will make sure I get that minimum of 1 year before I head over.

The more I read about the PR applications the more it confuses me I think, but having read this on the CIC:

I believe that the 'occupations listed here' bit refers to 'The List' of 38 occupations, which mine doesn't come under, however by some time next year I will have been living in Canada legally for a year and I'm considering the PhD option as I said, although presumably getting a job and going via PNP (or another route) would be the way to go. I'm pretty certain after I get that 1 year's experience that I'll fulfil the 67 points criteria, with regards to age, adaptability, education, language, etc. This is all horribly confusing and a bit daunting even but I have two years to play with on the temporary Visas and I know it'll be worth it!

ESarge, when did you move incidentally? Before all this recession business? What stage are you at with your PNP application?

ESarge

Hmm... couple of comments:
If you go via PNP then you don't need to worry about points. Points only apply to Federal Skilled Worker (FSW). It certainly used to be that the timeline for FSW was in the order of 5 years while PNP could be 8-12 months. These timelines may have changed with the introduction of 'The List'.

For this reason, I think going with PNP is easier (although more expensive). If you can convince the province that you're a good thing to have then that's most of the convincing done as long as you're healthy and have no criminal record or anything else of concern.

The CIC note about FSW that you quote means: either get a job offer OR be on the list of 38 OR have lived here for a year on a work permit or student visa.

If it helps any on the job market side. A Kiwi friend who's just moved to Australia might be headed over here for 3-4 months for a project with a 'large power generator'. The fact that the company is considering this indicates that demand is high here for energy engineers.

You could always ring HR at BC Hydro and ask them straight out.

I came over in late November - just when the economic news was getting really bad. I go my job in early Feb and my new employer has agreed to move forward with PNP. In fact, we're having a meeting today to discuss what needs to be done. With luck, I might have the application in sometime in March. We'll see. I've got 9 months to run on the work permit so there's no huge urgency.

Rodge9

Hi again, thanks for the reply. Finding a job and going via PNP was probably always going to be the route I was most likely to explore, certainly the economic situation is worrying but there's nothing I can do about it and it won't be changing my plans or my attitude unduly. Incidentally do you know if the year living in Canada has to be consecutive or can I include the 10 months I spent there before to count towards that (should I need to go down that route)?

Regarding my line of work, clearly nothing is immune from a donwtown but I think energy is one of the safer sectors, certainly my boss has been unaffected by things thus far, which is quite reassuring. Your own story is quite encouraging too - if I'm understanding you correctly does that mean you went from getting the job to discussing PNP in a matter of weeks? Or was this an arranged job offer?
Thanks again,

R

ESarge

"Incidentally do you know if the year living in Canada has to be consecutive or can I include the 10 months I spent there before to count towards that (should I need to go down that route)?"

Sorry - I don't know. My guess is that it doesn't have to be consecutive unless they ask for it. It says, in your quote, one year of experience. That would be how I would interpret it.

"if I'm understanding you correctly does that mean you went from getting the job to discussing PNP in a matter of weeks? Or was this an arranged job offer?"
It was discussed as part of the job interviews. I told them that I was here on a working holiday work permit as a device to get in front of employees and I would very much like their help with the paperwork to move forward with PR. Therefore it was quite clear to them that they would need to help with the paperwork in order to keep me around.

It's working so far...

Rodge9

Interesting what you say there ESarge - so, far from not mentioning the fact you're on a temporary visa, you've used it as a way to actually help you with getting a job (I may be interpreting what you said wrongly, apologies if I have)? I wasn't sure how to go about that, for example I was planning on having a Canadian address to put on my Resume before applying for jobs I really want, rather than my one in England or 'c/o SWAP'. So in your experience they didn't hold the fact that your Visa is only for a year against you (I know legally they shouldn't, though I'm interested to know how this actually works in practice)?

ESarge

"so, far from not mentioning the fact you're on a temporary visa, you've used it as a way to actually help you with getting a job"

Well yes. My immigration status was always going to come up in an interview - my work history ended in November last year. I simply told the truth - that was why I came over on a work permit instead of trying to find a job from NZ.

In the end it's a market thing. If you're good and there's not enough supply for the demand then you'll get picked up.

"I was planning on having a Canadian address to put on my Resume"
Why does your resume need an address? Are you expecting them to send you a letter? Who does that? The only time they need your address is to send you an offer.

However, your general point is valid. Are you going to be available for interviews in Canada? If you're really valuable then they might be quite happy to just do a phone interview. But, from their perspective, it's a whole lot less risky to do the interview in person.

You cover email is going to have to say how you're going to make yourself available - so make your choice, pick your timing, and go with it.