duncnd

Hi
My family and I really want to move to Canada - Toronto is where we have set our heart on. I have re-trained as a QS to give us the best chance of qualifying.
I am 38 years old and I have just passed my QS degree and got a first, but do not have any relevant experience apart from some labouring.
I am mad keen to work and am flying to Toronto tomorrow (26.5.12) to try and secure some work.
My problem is the visa, I have been on the maze that is the official website (CIC) and not enjoyed my experience with that! They could do with updating it.
I need to know what the process is if I go the normal route (and how long), and I need to know the process if I manage to secure a job - what will my future employer would need to do and how long it will take.
Any help will be much obliged.
Thanks
Duncan (and my wife D - dunc'n'd)

christmasoompa

Hi, and welcome to BE.

The length of time it will take will depend on the visa - there are over 50 routes to a visa for Canada, and they all vary wildly. I'm not sure what you mean by 'the normal route', but if you can be more specific then hopefully we can help.

There is loads of info in the Canada forums, so pop on over and hopefully I'll see you there.

duncnd

Hi
Thanks for replying.

By the 'normal' route I meant to go to the embassy and go through the application that way. I didn't realise that there are so many different ways to do it (50?!).

I have arrived in Toronto and the immigration chap at the airport was brilliant. He explained that I would need a LMO (I think that's what he said) and a contract offer. He thought it would take no more than 2 months to sort out. If there is a better way of doing it I would love to hear about it.

If you've got the time, and you live near Toronto, I would love to meet up for a chat.

Thanks again

Duncan

bakedbean

Hi Duncan and to the forum. This little section is just for introductions and, as you can see, I'm on the t'other side of the world.

Do take a look at the Canada forums and put a few postings in there. Lots of helpful folks on there. All the best with your plans.

christmasoompa

Ah, ok. You can't actually go to the embassy and apply, you'll need to apply via post - for whichever of the 50 or so visa route you are looking at, you an download the application forms from the CIC website, together with a guide which will tell you where to send them and what supporting documents you need. The only visa you can apply for in person is a Temp Work Permit, but that's at the airport (if you are eligible i.e. don't need a medical), not at the Embassy.

With the greatest of respect to the immigration officer, he's likely to have limited knowledge on visas - he'll know all about customs, and how to issue a visa, but he won't actually know what the requirements for visas are, and all the different programs, as they have no training in it. The visa route he is talking about is for a Temporary Work Permit, and yes, you'd need a Labour Market Opinion for this (the LMO he mentioned). A LMO is a document that your potential employer has to apply for, to prove that they have advertised the job across Canada and been unable to find a Canadian willing, or able, to do the job. Once you have the job offer letter and the LMO, you can then get the TWP.

If that's the visa route you are thinking of, then the LMO takes around 12-16 weeks, although there is also an Accelerated LMO program, which if your employer qualifies, would mean you'd get the LMO much quicker.

But as mentioned previously, that's only one visa route out of 50, so do check out the other routes to see if you would qualify for another visa without needing a job offer first - the Wiki (blue bar at top of page) is the best place to start.

Nope, I did live near Toronto, but I'm quite a way from there now - Berkshire, to be exact!

Good luck with the job hunt. You may struggle to find an employer prepared to go through the paperwork/hassle/wait of hiring you without years of experience, but have a look at the Job Hunting section of the Wiki for hints and tips on how to find that all important job offer.

And do come over to the Canada forum if you've got any other questions.

Rosemary

Hello and a big welcome to BE.

Excellent information can be found in the BE Wiki, not forgetting the Living and Moving Abroad forum that will help you, another set of great help is the permanent threads at the TOP of each forum, they are very pertinent to that particular forum and makes sensible reading.

Moderators deal with any problems that arise such as inappropriate posts, spammers etc, you will find their names at the bottom right hand side of each forum's index in bold font.

Please contact me if I can give you any further help.

Rosemary