Fedupscotsman

Hi all,

sorry as I know there will be a million topics like this already but hoping somebody can give some insight.

I’m 29 and my other half is 30. I’m working as a delivery driver for a supermarket as I finish my honours degree in journalism this year. My other half has worked in project work for telecoms and has just secured her first project management job.

appreciate Canada is really looking for engineers etc but if I was successful in getting a visa my plan would be to get a job driving a van (UPS or Walmart etc) and after I’d got used to the roads over there take my truck (hgv) test.

Just wondering if anybody knows if it’d be worth our time applying or if my lack of “skilled” work experience makes it a non starter.

both able to communicate to near expert levels in English and are very hard workers. Just hoping for a better quality of life and to come to a country where people who work hard are rewarded.

thanks in advance!

christmasoompa

Hi, welcome to BE.

Canada isn't necessarily looking for engineers, but they are essentially looking for young, highly education people who've worked in skilled jobs under their points system. So a plumber or restaurant manager would qualify for a visa just as easily as an engineer, as they're also classed as skilled jobs (Skill Level O, A or B on the NOC Matrix). Unfortunately though, delivery drivers aren't a skilled occupation as they are Skill Level C. Have you every done any other job, or have you always been a delivery driver?

If you've not got any skilled work experience, then you're either going to have to get a job offer from a sponsoring employer first, and make sure you go to a province that has a semi-skilled stream under their PNP (so for instance, you couldn't go to Ontario). Or you'll need to apply using your partner's job, as she would qualify if she scores enough.

So firstly I'd get your OH to check her visa eligibility. Start with this test and see if she scores over 67 - https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...d-workers.html If she does, then she's eligible to apply under Express Entry and enter the pool of applicants. It's a two step process though, so once in the pool she'd need to be scoring above approx 470 on the CRS points system to be in with a chance of being selected from the pool and invited to apply for PR. So get her to take this test as well and see what she scores - https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigr...d/crs-tool.asp For both tests, answer as if you've both taken English exams (assume max points for now as native speakers, it's only to give you an idea of your scores). And if you've done other jobs that would count as skilled in the past 10 years, then you should take both tests too to see who is scoring highest.

Another option would be to look at the IEC visa, which you'd both currently qualify for. It's a 2 year open work permit for UK citizens aged 31 and under, no job offer or points score required, but obviously it's not a permanent visa, so if you want to move permanently, I'd check the above first.

And lastly, I'd just say to read the forums about life in Canada. Not sure what you mean by 'better quality of life', what specifically you're referring to, but generally you'll find the same problems tend to be across most first world countries unfortunately. So no point in spending £20k+ on an international move if you won't change the things you want to. Have you visited Canada before?

Good luck with it, hope the above helps get you started at least.

Fedupscotsman

really appreciate the input.

in the past I’ve worked in call centres doing customer service, labouring and ultimately driving so not anything that would count as skilled unfortunately. Does that make the whole express entry thing a non starter? I’m graduating this year with an honours degree in journalism but I’m not sure that makes any difference.

my OH is just my girlfriend we aren’t married or anything so not sure if that would work?

I intend to become a truck driver if I’m successful in coming over to Canada. Not sure if that counts as skilled but I was planning to sit my hgv test here, although I don’t want to sit the test and pay all that money if it wouldn’t make a difference as I’m sure I’d need to do the Canadian equivalent once I got over there?

By quality of life I just mean a country that is focused on its improvement, rewards hard workers and isn’t consumed by hatred.

unfortunatley Scotland is at a state of hating itself to death. The current Scottish government are obsessed with gaining independence from the UK and despite it not being legally possible they devote all of their resoursces and attention to it. Having an overwhelming detrimental effect on our healthcare, education, emergency services and nearly every other public service/facility

christmasoompa

OK. Do double check the NOC code for every job you've done - customer service may well count as skilled. So you need to work through each job and find the closest NOC code to match, then check the skill level for it.

If you don't have any skilled work experience, then yes. EE is only for skilled workers. But that's why I asked about your previous roles, so do check them carefully as above in case any of them would qualify as skilled.

To be eligible for EE, you need at least one year's full-time skilled work experience. So the degree will help hugely with your points score, but unfortunately that's only relevant if you qualify in the first place.

Ah. When you say 'or anything', does that mean you live separately? To go on one visa application, you don't have to be married, but you do have to have lived together for a year or more as man and wife if you're not married. Otherwise, you'll either need to get married, or to both qualify for a visa individually, which is going to make things even trickier. But check to see if your gf is eligible with the tests I gave above, and then you can worry about how to go together if she is.

You would, yes, but you'd also need 3 years experience to get a visa as a trucker IIRC - there's a Wiki article about trucking that you can double check that info in.

OK. Have a read around the forum to see what gripes people have about the Canadian government! I shouldn't take this thread off track as we try to keep immigration threads about that side of things, but you could start a new thread in the main forum for info on Canadian politics, housing, cost of living, healthcare etc. And just to play devil's advocate, before you spend a small fortune on moving abroad, have you looked at moving elsewhere in the UK? Might be another option to consider anyway, no visa required and a heck of a lot cheaper!

Best of luck.

Fedupscotsman

thanks again for your help. Gutted to hear that the lack of skilled work would make it a no go. I’ll investigate the call centre thing but I’d be astonished if that’s considered skilled work.

No we live together and have done for a few months by the time we were looking to move it would have been a year so that’s a small bonus.

thank you for the info on trucking and I understand what you’re saying about Canadian politics, of course it won’t be all rosy and I’m not naive enough to think it would be but short of obvious exclusions just about anywhere in the world would be better.

with regards to the rest of the uk, if it’s not the Scottish government making life difficult it’s the British government. English people aren’t overly friendly to Scottish people either so I’d really be looking to make a clean break abroad.

christmasoompa

Ah, didn't realise it was a call centre, that probably is Skill Level C then at a guess. But do check it, often very unlikely jobs are classed as skilled.

Just bear in mind you'll need to have lived together for a year when you apply, not when you move. So you'll need to wait until you have the full year to go on one visa app, make sure you gather paperwork during that time to prove you're common-law spouses i.e bills in both names, joint bank account, etc, etc.

Fedupscotsman

I double checked and it’s a “teer 4” unfortunately.

my next step is getting skilled experience either as a HGV truck driver or using my degree and getting a journalism gig. If I have even one year of skilled experience will that be enough do you think? Assuming I ace everything else, education and English skills etc etc.

Fedupscotsman

also applying for a joint account and getting some bills in our names as you suggest. Thanks for your help

christmasoompa

HGV driving isn’t a skilled job either I’m afraid.

Did you check the points scores as I suggested above? As your gf’s job is skilled.

Fedupscotsman

does it not come under transport truck drivers? Says that’s a tier 3?

she’s a project manager in telecoms so think she’d be fine to get in but surely I need my own skilled work? Can’t ride on her coat tails can I?

christmasoompa

You're quite right, they've been moved up a skill level, as of a week or so ago. So that's good, and would mean you could apply under EE once you've done a year of full-time experience as a trucker, but tbh I think you may struggle to meet the eligibility/points required without much skilled experience. So personally I'd focus on your gf (see above, yes, you can go on her visa app as a dependent if she qualifies) and also look at the IEC.

Fedupscotsman

ok I’ll maybe go down that route then. What would it mean if I went on her application as a dependant? If successful would I still have full eligibility to work unrestricted in Canada?

sorry for the 101 questions and I greatly appreciate your help

christmasoompa

Yes, you'd both get PR, there would be no difference in your status.

And no problem at all.

Fedupscotsman

Ok so just to summarise, even if I had a year of truck driving or journalism or whatever skilled job I liked even with top marks in the English language test and a good level of education I wouldn’t be eligible for express entry?

as an alternative if my good lady applied as a telecoms project manager she could list me “as a dependant” but I’d still be free to go over, find a job and work without restriction? In that event would we both be permanent residents or is there a probationary sort of period?

as a plan B. Could my mrs make her own express entry application and I could come in on a 2 year IEC. Is there any possibility at all though of gaining PR from an IEC if you work non stop through those 2 years with no reliance on government handouts/welfare?

christmasoompa

You'd need to check that yourself I'm afraid. My guess is that you won't score enough, but do take the tests in post no. 2 and see what you get (do it for both of you, to see who scores the highest - just put that you have a year of skilled work experience for now, as again it's only to give you an idea of your score).

Yes, you would both get PR. There's no probationary period at all, EE is a PR app, so you'd both get Permanent Residency of Canada, essentially the same as citizenship but without the right to vote! Once you'd had PR and lived in Canada for 3 years, you could apply for citizenship and would be dual nationals.

Potentially yes, but too many variables to say for sure. It would depend on your points score, what job you did, what province you're in etc. But I'm not sure why you wouldn't just wait and apply together if eligible? Getting a separate IEC seems a lot of hassle and risk (in case you haven't looked it up yet, it's a lottery system, so you may not get one at all).

But you may be getting ahead of yourself here, neither of you may be eligible for PR via EE. So really you do need to take the tests above first, and then work out your next step from there.