Shir

Hi everyone,

Firstly I hope you’re all doing well and are safe.

I really wanted to know if anyone new what the best option would be for me to move back to Vancouver? I’ve spent the last couple of weeks looking but I’m still not 100% on the best route for me.

I moved over with the working holiday from the UK 2016 - 2018. In those two years I only worked in hospitality, I have been traveling a fair bit of my life so have no solid skilled work under my belt. I do have a bachelors degree (in IT) which I would eventually like to settle my career in.

I would absolutely love nothing more than to move back to Vancouver. Would it be best for me to gain two years skilled work in the UK and then move or are there any quicker options for a semi skilled?

I’m still in touch with my old boss but I know hospitality can be extremely difficult to sponsor for.

I appreciate any help, however big or small.

Ps I am 32 and a British citizen

Thank you

christmasoompa

Hi, and welcome to BE.

It's hard for us to say which of the 50 or more visa routes you may qualify for, so start with the eligibility test on the CIC website which should help - https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...nada-tool.html

If it asks if you have taken an English exam say yes and assume max points as a native speaker, it's only to give you an idea for now.

Does it have to be Vancouver or would you consider other provinces? When you say hospitality, exactly what job was it (a NOC code is ideal if you can find that out)? Did you try to get Permanent Residency whilst there (or have you tried to get any other visa since)? If so, what happened with that application?

Shir

Thank you so very for your reply, I tried this and it lead me to express entry but when that was completed it said I wasn’t eligible and could try PNP.

Vancouver would be ideal as I could go straight into that hostess role until I settle into something relating to my degree, also knowing few people there helps. However if there are other provinces to get my foot back into Canada I wouldn’t mind trying.

My NOC is 6511, I was planning on applying for PR through PNP whilst in Vancouver but circumstances changed and I had to fly back for family. I never got round to filing in the application only thing I did was apply for an extension and that was approved for 6 months I think?

I hope my babbling makes sense and once again thank you for your help

christmasoompa

OK, it's probably something simple. What amount did you put for proof of funds? Have you ever done any other job since graduating? Your NOC unfortunately isn't skilled, so wouldn't qualify you for EE at the moment, you'd need experience in another job for at least one year full-time to qualify. If you don't have any other work experience then EE won't be possible.

No extension is possible for an IEC visa, so I assume you switched to a visitor visa for 6 months? (and hopefully didn't keep working during that time!).

The good news is that your NOC code is on the list of eligible occupations for BC PNP, the semi-skilled stream. https://www.welcomebc.ca/Immigrate-t...d-Semi-Skilled. Unfortunately you will need to be working there, and will need your employer to sponsor you, so it'll be time to have a chat with your previous employer and see if they'd be prepared to do that. Getting a LMIA will be tricky with so many Canadians out of work due to Covid-19, but at the moment it's the only option I can see for you (unless you've done other jobs as above).

Shir

Unfortunately no, I have really only done customer service roles and now it’s come back to bite me.

I was wondering, would one year in a skilled role be enough? If so I will buckle down and focus on gaining actual work experience in my IT security degree then try the EE.


No I apologise it definitely wasn’t a visitor visa! I assume it was as an implied status. It was check with HR. I had to think and got scared for a second! Haha!

christmasoompa

Potentially, yes. That was going to be my next suggestion - take the test above as if you had done one year's skilled work, and then see what it comes back with.

There is no implied status from an IEC. Best to check that!

Shir

I will look into it for sure, it was a big company they checked inside out (I hope!)

If I could bother you with one last question, I just went back on the website to check which routes are suitable and noticed I could apply for another working holiday visa but because I am over the age of 30 it would have to go through an organisation, one being - Go International.

it’s the first I’ve ever heard of this, is this a popular route to take?

christmasoompa

Go International is for Canadian citizens, so those going the other way i.e. to the UK. It's essentially a Canadian equivalent to Bunac.

Do you have Irish citizenship as well? The only way to get another IEC visa is if you have another nationality with a higher upper age limit, for instance Irish as the age limit is 35 for Irish citizens rather than 30. It's one IEC per citizenship, so if you are only a UK citizen you don't get another go I'm afraid.

Shir

I don’t unfortunately, only the UK, it’s strange I saw on another registered organisation website that this was possible. They are called Stepwest, I tried attaching a screenshot but I don’t have enough posts. So this is taken from their FAQ:

I am currently back in my home country but I have used up all the possible participations under IEC, could I come back to Canada with an RO work permit?

Yes! Even though you already used up all the possible participations under the regular IEC agreement with Canada and your country, Stepwest as Recognized Organization can help you secure a new IEC work permit.

I.e: You are an UK citizen that came to Canada already for 2 years under Working Holiday and returned back to UK since your working holiday permit was about to expire. In this case, as Recognized Organization we will be able to help you apply for a second working holiday permit for Canada as a UK citizen.



I assume if they are able to I will need to sell a few of my organs off but will look into it a little bit more, by the way, I really am grateful for your patience!

christmasoompa

You are very welcome. An organisation like Stepwest or any of the other RO's that doesn't get you a repeat IEC as such, it's essentially a visa for a specific placed work program/internship. So you don't get an open work permit as with an IEC, you get a work permit to work somewhere specific (and you don't have a choice in where you work/live) i.e. helping at a holiday camp, or in a ski resort.

So it would get you back over there (as you correctly say, at a cost!), but if you can find another route that would give you more freedom, I'd focus on that. It's really not ideal and may not get you towards PR either (work experience in a placed internship doesn't count for most PR programs).

Siouxie

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...igibility.html

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...ign-youth.html

Full details of RO's

scilly

One word of warning ................ the hospitality industry is in dire straits at the moment in BC.

All restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, bars and pubs, were closed in early March unless they could prove social distancing for all clients and staff. They were allowed to open for pick-up or delivery. Many of them have now closed for good as they could not pay their bills.

Many hotels later closed of their own accord because of lack of clients ............ for example, the Fairmont chain closed all their hotels in Canada and in many other countries. Some of the hotels, including at least one Fairmont in Toronto, have re-opened to serve essential workers (nurses, doctors, paramedics, etc).

There is no real sign of anywhere being allowed to open fully soon, say before end of May or later.

We are being told to expect another wave of Covid-19 in the fall, coinciding with the flu season, and told that will mean another round of closing down.

It could be 18 months or longer before anything is back to normal, and jobs become freely available ....... staff laid off because of Covid-19 have to be re-hired by the employer if they want to go back to the position they were in when laid-off.

Shir

You’re right. It’s not the right time to apply. I have a few friends in the hospitality industry in Vancouver and they are saying how some small restaurants may not even open up again. The same with the UK and I guess for many countries.
However what a wonderful gesture from the Fairmont.

I’ve come to terms with the fact that I may just be desperate to run away from here! I will take on everyone’s advice, get two years worth of skilled work and hope that will be sufficient.

I truly hope you all keep safe.

Once again many thanks to you guys for your help.

christmasoompa

You don't need two years worth of skilled work - one year would be enough, if you score the points required. So as above, take the test again as if you had done one year's full-time skilled work experience, and then see what it says. If you're eligible to enter the EE pool, then check your score on the CRS. If you're scoring enough on that (460ish as a minimum), then you know what you have to aim for.

HTH, best of luck.