Commercial Plumbing/ pipefitter
 

Hi everyone,
I'm new to this forum and was hoping for some guidance and advice

basically I don’t want to work overseas right now(wel I haven’t cancelled that out due to my lack of knowledge) maybe I do? Haha

currently I am 19 years old, I have completed my NVQ level 2 in plumbing, and currently in progress of my level 3 and my level 2 domestic gas which I will have completed this time next year, I work on commercial based buildings so if this effected working overseas

i don’t really have a particular country I’d like to move to I’m just open to ideas, and to see what people think I should keep doing and maybe things I could begin to do to prepare myself,

any advice would be much appreciated as my knowledge on this whole thing isn’t great

thanks guys!

Re: Commercial Plumbing/ pipefitter
 

Hi

1. You could look into the Canada IEC program (when it re-opens). It gives you a 2 year open work permit, allowing you to work in Canada. Note you should finish your apprenticeship in the UK before heading out to Canada, as non PRs/Citizenship aren't usually allowed in most provinces to work as registered apprentices.

Re: Commercial Plumbing/ pipefitter
 

thanks for the reply, would u recommend Canada as the best location?

Re: Commercial Plumbing/ pipefitter
 

English speaking and relying on a trade to support a visa, you don't have many options, realistically only Canada, Australia, and NZ. In the Middle East you'll be competing for work against Asian migrant workers who will work for a fraction of what you'd need to make it worth your while to go there.

Re: Commercial Plumbing/ pipefitter
 

Make sure you finish the apprenticeship to the best level, at least a level 3 & more if poss.

For New Zealand to be a goer the trade would need to be in shortage of qualified trade workers.

If you can complete your apprenticeship and have some work experience in the next couple of years, you could then look to uplift a working holiday visa for Oz, NZ, Canada perhaps ( COVID19 travel restrictions may allow down the line) .
That would give you the chance to experience a country without totally committing. It is for young people to holiday and work a little abroad.

Re: Commercial Plumbing/ pipefitter
 

thanks mate

Re: Commercial Plumbing/ pipefitter
 

If you want to work as a plumber when you move, then you're a way off being able to move to Canada. To get certified in Canada and be able to work as a plumber you'll need to have worked for a certain amount of hours as a qualified plumber (which you'll have to prove when you apply for certification). Off the top of my head I think it's 7200 hours so around 3-4 years of full-time work but do search the Canada forums for more info on the exact hours needed.

Oz or NZ may be more flexible if you wanted an English speaking country? Or you could certainly move to Canada (I agree with BEVS, a WHV is a great idea), if you weren't bothered about being able to work as a plumber during that time.

HTH, best of luck.