TheWorldIsMyOyster

I'm writing on behalf of my husband who is a plumbing and heating engineer with over 10 years of experience in the UK (full time, permanent employment).

We are hoping to move to Canada but really confused as to what to do first.

Should he try to to get a Red Seal certification first even though we don't even know if we'll get a PR? If so, can he do that online?

Should he apply for a Working Holiday Visa (he still meets the age requirement) and try to get plumbing experience that way? Is that possible?

Should he apply for an apprenticeship? If so, does he have to start from Year 1 or will his experience count for something? And where do we start looking for apprenticeship opportunities?

Finally, we've been looking at some plumbing jobs and they require a Class 5 driving licence. So, how would he get a driving licence from here?

Thank you.

christmasoompa

Hi, welcome to BE.

An apprenticeship isn't an option (you can't get a visa for an apprentice role), so that's one less to worry about! IEC is a good route if he qualifies, when does he turn 31? I'm not sure what will happen with the IEC program this year with everything going on, but as long as he doesn't turn 31 before next year's program, that could work.

Check to see if he's eligible for Permanent Residency too (or would be, if he did have his provincial certification - 'Red Seal'). As you say, no point in him going through all of that if you're not sure he'd get PR anyway, so he needs to check that as the first step.

He can't get a driving licence until in Canada.

HTH, good luck.

Siouxie

Just jumping in to say Red Seal - is an endorsement ON the Provincial Certificate of Qualification - it's not a stand alone... so first you have to determine which Province you are most likely to want to move to (i.e. where there are jobs, things you like to do and you can afford to live - or that has the simplest CoQ process).. he can 'challenge' the certification requirements if he has sufficent provable experience - normally around 9,800 hours. For example.. here's the page for British Columbia - https://www.itabc.ca/program/plumber
https://www.collegeoftrades.ca/wp-co...March-2020.pdf (opens in new tab, no download) Ontario

Editing to add "Engineer" is a protected title in Canada.. when you say 'heating' - do you mean HVAC or boilers / oil / gas etc? That will require a separate certification most likely from TSSA - most of the trades have compulsary certification / are regulated in Canada. Could you look and see what his NOC might be (regarding the heating part in particular) perhaps? Might be easiest to get his Provincial Certification for Plumber then work towards getting his HVAC etc., once you have PR
Once you have Provincial Certification you will get additional points and can apply for Express Entry Federal Skilled Worker (Trades)

For the drivers license - again it's Province issued.. for Ontario it's a straight swap if you have at least 2 years driving experience on a full license.. but can only be issued once you are here.

TheWorldIsMyOyster

z

Thank you for your prompt reply and I'm sorry it took me so long. I couldn't remember where I posted my question. 🤦‍♀️

My husband turns 31 next year so I suppose we have plenty of time for IEC. I checked and whilst they're open for applications, they actually suspended invitations. Would you recommend we still go for it anyway?

Also, I don't get how, with his experience, he still doesn't qualify for Express Entry. The immigration website states they need plumbers. 🤷‍♀️🤔

How exactly do I check if he's eligible? I asked a few immigration solicitors and they gave me different answers. One said that my husband had the experience but not the required level of education. As far as I know the SVQIII is the highest qualification you can get in Scotland as a plumber. 🙈

TheWorldIsMyOyster

Thanks for your quick reply and so sorry mine is so late. I couldn't remember where I posted this lol

I know his qualifications just say SVQIII Plumbing and Heating Engineering but I'll check with him what it is exactly. He loves plumbing though so has no problem applying as a plumber. I checked NOC and it would be 7251.


We were eyeing Nova Scotia so should we contact their college of trades?

But we're not particularly adamant that we have to be there. Which province has the simplest COQ process, do you know?

christmasoompa

Ah, ok. So depending on when he is 31 i.e. which month next year, this may be your only chance. Yes, I'd absolutely advise you go for it and apply, you don't have to pay anything unless he's actually selected, so if he doesn't get lucky in the lottery then you don't lose anything. And you never know when they'll reopen the program and start issuing invitations again, got to be in it to win it as they say! I assume you're over 31? If you're by any chance under the age limit, do apply for both of you to double your chances.

How do you know he doesn't qualify? And where are you reading that they need plumbers? That sounds like a third party site and not the official one tbh.

You can easily check it yourself on the CIC website, I'd ignore what that lawyer told you as there is no minimum education requirement for a FST application, so they clearly don't know what they're talking about! Start with their eligibility test - https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...nada-tool.html. Let us know what that says and we can help you figure out the next step. Again, do do it for both of you.

And here is the criteria for the Federal Skilled Trade program - https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...ed-trades.html

HTH.

TheWorldIsMyOyster

Unfortunately, I'm turning 35 this year and we have a three-year-old son. How can we join him?

As for the need for plumbers - I saw it on the CIC website as listed under trades that qualify for Express Entry so I thought that meant they need plumbers. 🙈

And thanks for the link, I tried the eligibility assessment and now it says that we are eligible when I checked yes we have a provincial certificate of qualification and I increased the money we have for moving.

So, theoretically, we could contact the college of trades and ask if he could sit the test and then go and do it.

Does he need to get an IEC for that or can he can go on ETA?

Thank you very much once more for your speedy response.

christmasoompa

You've not by any chance got Irish citizenship? Just that the age limit for that is 35. You would both be able to join him on an IEC, that's no problem. Once he's got a job offer for skilled work, you'd also get an open work permit for the same duration.

Ah, I see, no that's just all skilled jobs which are eligible - literally thousands of jobs! It doesn't mean his job is needed.

That's a good starting point, it means he's eligible to enter the EE pool of applicants (or at least would be once he's got his provincial certification). But once in the pool only those scoring the highest on the CRS are selected and invited to apply for PR, so you need to check his score on that as the next step - https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigr...d/crs-tool.asp. The points requirement for the FST program is much lower than for other programs, so hopefully he'll score enough. Bear in mind his SVQ won't count for anything points wise (only academic qualifications do, not vocational ones), but do take the test as if he's got his provincial cert, and as if he's taken the English exam (assume max points for now as a native speaker). Again, you can do it for both of you to see who would be in with the most chance of PR.

TheWorldIsMyOyster

Okay, he only got a 474 score and that's assuming he has his Red Seal.

I'm not going to put mine in because I'm currently working from home and that means I'd have to go on the self-employed route and I'd need a business plan etc to show how my business can benefit Canada and as I'm a writer, I don't actually know how I can benefit Canada.

I'm also not Irish, unfortunately.

Do you know what scores they're looking for in tradesmen so we know what to aim for? It looks like if he gets a Province Nomination, we can get an extra 600 points and if he has a job then that's another 50 so it looks like our goal should be:

1. Get the Red Seal.
2. Get a Province Nomination. - How do you do that?
3. Get a job.

We were initially looking at Nova Scotia but it said on Job Bank that job prospects for plumbers are better on PEI and YT but I checked job search and neither of them have any openings on Job Bank.

And what do we do anyway? Do we just choose a province and then get the Red Seal and then look for a job or look for a job and then get the Red Seal? Or just choose a province based on job availability, get the Red Seal from that province and then look for a job there?

I'm feeling overwhelmed.

And again, thank you so much for your response.

christmasoompa

That's a very good score, and well above the minimum required for a FST application. At that level, he'd get an invite in the next FST draw once he applies.

No need for that for the Self Employed route, and as a writer you'd qualify for that, so that can be your Plan B! https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...igibility.html

Here are all the recent draws, you can see that the last FST draw was at 357. https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...-previous.html

Scrap no. 2 (no need for those extra points, and it'll add a layer of hassle and cost you don't need). Then scrap either 1 or 3, you only need one of those for him to qualify, not both.

You get provincial certification so that your OH is eligible for the FST program. But he doesn't then have to move to that province, you can still go wherever you wish and he can get a job in any province.

Don't be! Moving abroad is a LOT of work (and money!), but sounds like it's definitely achievable for you, and there is usually somebody on BE that can help with any questions. You'll be just fine.

TheWorldIsMyOyster

You are a star!

Okay so how's this for a game plan:

1. Take IELTS (both of us) once testing suspension has been lifted.

2. In the meantime, get documents ready and then submit to relevant trade orgs for husband to be considered for the Red Seal certification exam.

OR

Apply for a job in the Yukon Territory, where licensing is voluntary rather than required. Would you recommend that route?

3. Apply for Express Entry.

4. Wait for results. 🙈

So, no need to go for an IEC after all? Or still apply?

For the self-employed programme, do I not need income reports and business plans etc? I don't really have either as I've been travelling internationally a lot so don't even have bank statements to show consistent income. My longest and most stable stint as a writer is being on retainer for a company in the Philippines and they just send my income via Moneygram or Western Union, whichever is more convenient.

I do, however, have other work experience alongside my writing. For example, I used to work on cruise ships in the Guest Services department as well as for call centres as a customer service rep so I should be able to apply for a NOC category C job (front desk or customer service rep) and get through under something like the Yukon Critical Impact Workers Program. (I think)

Is that something you would recommend as a plan B?

Siouxie

Reminder - he will need a Provincial Certificate of Qualification -- with or without a Red Seal ENDORSEMENT - - or a qualifying (valid) job offer

Without a Certificate of Qualification OR a valid job offer he won't be able to enter the FSW (Trades) Pool.

I would suggest you don't apply for any jobs in a place that you aren't happy to live in for the next year or two.. better to apply for jobs in a Province you believe you would be happy to live in. It's better to apply with Provincial C of Q via Express Entry (FSW = Trades) than via a valid job offer, in the main, because if anything goes wrong with the job prior to you obtaining Permanent Residence Status then you are back to square 1... the same applies with job offers resulting in Provincial Nomination

This is for BC - challenge (Experienced Workers) - look to bottom of the page https://www.itabc.ca/program/plumber
pdf instructions on how to apply - opens in new tab, no download https://www.itabc.ca/sites/default/f...ber-2019_8.pdf


(There were no plumber jobs in the Yukon... but 3 in Nova Scotia

TheWorldIsMyOyster

OMG, so I was really making a mountain out of a molehill here, wasn't I? Why did none of the solicitors I spoke with just tell us to get a COQ? 🤦‍♀️

Okay, so we get the COQ (it's this one right?), get the IELTS whenever that resumes, go for the Express Entry and wait until we get invited. Erm, then what happens after that? If we get invited to apply, what exactly do we do? Lol

Is that when we need a lawyer?

As for being happy in either province, we're quite flexible so I think we can settle practically anywhere but we're gravitating towards remote areas because we actually come from a Scottish island where there are only 1,200 full-time residents, one shop, no trees and the winters start in late October and technically last only until March (but it sometimes snows until May 🙈😅).

We moved to the city a few years back and looked for the quietest pocket we could find. 😂 So, if we do move to Canada (fingers crossed), we're going somewhere rural is the plan. 🙈

and I thank you for your answer ❤

christmasoompa

Good plan - although as Siouxie points out, it's not the Red Seal but provincial certification you need.

Not unless you have some strange burning desire to live in the Yukon! That will be a much tougher route, licensing may be voluntary (I have no idea if that's correct or not), but finding a sponsoring employer is tough at the best of time, without limiting yourself to somewhere like the Yukon and chucking in the fact that lots more Canadians will be looking for work too given the current situation. Bear in mind that just a job offer isn't enough, you also need the LMIA, for which the employer has to pay $1000 and prove that they can't find a Canadian to do the job. That's going to be tricky to say the least at the moment.

It's really your call, it doesn't costs much to apply and could potentially get you out there quite a bit sooner, but you may decide it's not worth it if you're happy to wait in the UK.

Nope. I gave you the link above to the program details/requirements, you'd need proof of being self-employed (if that's what you mean by 'income reports') but no business plan etc.

No - see above about how tough finding a sponsoring job offer will be at the moment, and when would you manage to get out there to job hunt in person? That's a route for people that have no other option, as you have at least two fairly straightforward routes to PR, plus the option of IEC, I really can't see any reason why you'd want to go through the extra hassle and cost of trying to find a sponsoring employer tbh.

HTH!
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TheWorldIsMyOyster

Haha "strange burning desire to live in the Yukon" cracked me up. To be fair, I also had a strange burning desire to move to an island in the Outer Hebrides even when I didn't know anyone there and ended up marrying one of the locals so I do have a history of doing just that. 😅

Okay, so best plan so far is:

1. Send IEC application.

2. Start gathering the documents to get the Provincial Certificate of Qualification and then send them over.

3. Take IELTS test once testing is back on.

4. Send Express Entry application.

I looked at the link you sent me and in the application form, it just said the onus is on me to prove I've been self-employed but didn't say exactly what documents they need 🤷‍♀️ so I immediately assumed income reports etc. I asked a solicitor - who I'm beginning to see clearly knows nothing - who said I need a business plan on top of that and proof that I will benefit Canada. 🤷‍♀️

We might just go with the simplest of all routes.

​​​​​​​Thank you so much!