luketarplin

Hi everybody,

I've been on BE for a while and it is a great resource full of really great people, so I'm hoping somebody can help me.

I am 32 years old and my wife and I are looking at making a move to Canada with our 2 boys. I am a self employed Website Developer with around 11 years experience.

We don't have any good connections to Canada (My English Great Grandfather lived in Canada for a time but returned to the UK).

We have both undergone our ECA & IELTS and have a CRS score of 405 (which I believe is due to drop to 400 in January as we will both be 33). We are in the EE pool for FSW.

I have been exploring the possibility of a PNP under the various provinces and don't seem to be applicable for any of them, the issue being that either they require a job offer, which I don't have or in the case of Manitoba I don't have any connections (family, friends, job etc..) there. Also Quebec doesn't appear to have the option in their Arrima online portal to say you're a resident of the UK (I have emailed them to ask about this but I can't find England, UK or Britain in the list of countries).

I am pretty sure that I am ineligible for IEC or other similar programmes.

So just wondering whether it is worth continuing on with this, I have been applying for various Web Development jobs fully aware that, that approach is almost completely futile without networking directly.

Is there any hope here with this approach?

Thanks all in advance

christmasoompa

You don't by any chance have Irish citizenship or a claim to it?

At 405 you've got no hope of getting an ITA under EE, so you definitely need to look at other options. If you don't have a particular province in mind, then have you looked at the Atlantic Immigration Program? You're more likely to find a job that way as employers have to have gone to the hassle of registering with the program etc, so you know they definitely need foreign workers. How is your French for Quebec?

Have you been out and job hunted in person? That's what is usually required to get a job offer/LMIA. The job hunting section of the Wiki had tons of useful info if you haven't found it already.

luketarplin

Hi christmasoompa Thanks for taking the time to reply, I don't I'm afraid, I have Irish relatives but don't have citizenship myself. I haven't looked at the Atlantic Immigration Program so will check that out thanks. My French is not really good enough to pass a French as a second language test.

Cheers

Hurlabrick

You say you have Irish relative? Did you know that you can get Irish citizenship if either of your grandparents was either born in Ireland or was an Irish citizen.

luketarplin

Hi Hurlabrick, it's my cousins as my Aunt and Uncle moved to Ireland a couple of decades ago so not a grandparent or anything like that. Thanks for the thought though.

G0ldie

What were you IELTS scores?

Getting a higher band in the IELTS can help you achieve more points unless you've got the top scores already.

luketarplin

Hi G0ldie, I got top scores already Thanks

christmasoompa

OK, then I'd forget Quebec. Have a look at the Atlantic program, but from what you've said your only chance will be a job offer, so you need to get out there and get job hunting! Best of luck.

AdamPiercy

I was in a similar situation to yourself, so did what the wiki said and came out to Canada for a week without the family last summer. I am in web also, so before coming out I sent some emails to businesses whom I felt did the same style of work I did. I offered to buy people a coffee or lunch if they met with me. The response was great, my first meeting in the morning I landed I was offered a job and have never looked back. Landed in January with the family as part of the Atlantic Immigration Programme. Best piece of advice is don't give up and put yourself out there. If it was you want then invest in coming out here in person and do your research and set up for the trip. Also, know your worth and stick to it. Immigrating is expensive so you need every penny (dollar).

Good luck and don't give up.

luketarplin

Hi AdamPiercy

Thanks for sharing your experience about when you were in the same position, it's always useful to get an insight from somebody who has been through the same process. Flying out and networking is something I have considered, so may need to progress that plan a bit more if I get no luck.

Many thanks. Luke

luketarplin

One further question AdamPiercy, if I send you my Canadianised resume would you be able to have a quick look over it and see what you think in terms of education, skills and experience matching your own and whether you feel I would have a good chance of landing a job if / when I decide to fly out to Canada?

Many thanks in advance. Luke

AdamPiercy

Sure thing, DM me.
What I would say is that this whole Canadian Resume thing is a bit of a myth a CV is a CV. LinkedIn and other Online sites have changed the way everyone looks at CV's.

Like anywhere it is about getting to know someone. I never showed anyone a CV before I met them for coffee. It was informal and I pitched it as "I am moving to Canada and want to get a lay of the land and understand what the industry is like. Opportunities etc".

Don't expect to send a resume and someone to jump all over it, they will think the "coffee" you promised them will actually be you pitching for a job and therefore a waste of their time. People want to feel valued, even chief execs. Use this to your advantage by making them the knowledge leader and you want to bask in their knowledge. Then drop in what you can do and how you can help them.

luketarplin

Thanks very much AdamPiercy for your kind and very informative advice, I will certainly give serious consideration to your suggested approach... I am waiting until after Christmas before I take any more concrete steps on this, I will be researching the industry in Canada in the mean time and make a list of companies that I feel would be a good fit.

Thanks again

Siouxie

https://www.cgi.com/en/careers/working-at-cgi are an Atlantic Provinces PNP Global Talent Stream approved employer .. might be worth having a look to see if any of the jobs would be a good fit. Global Talent Stream - we have IT vacancies

luketarplin

Thanks Siouxie, I'll take a look at the links you have provided. Is there a list of Employers who are signed up to the Atlantic Provinces PNP anywhere?