Coming to Canada as a visitor and then staying there

[tns1]

Hi,

Probably it has been discussed about a million times already, but still.

I don't have to have a Visa to visit Canada as I am an Estonian citizen, but I am currently in the states with a tourist visa. This is going to end soon so I planned on going to Canada, because I don't feel like going home at all . Now I am wondering, is it possible to change my visitor status to something that allows me to work in Canada legally without having to leave the country, maybe just flagpole at the US border? I am planning on going to Toronto. My GF is also with me, she has some distant relatives also living in Canada (been living there for ages now) but I am unlucky enough to only have a few relatives in Estonia.

Oh, and do I really Estonian citizens just have to go through the border control like for example in EU countries, only with the excemption, that the border control officer will ask you some qustions, similar to ones when visiting the states?

With best regards,
T.

 

[scylla]

If you want to work in Canada and stay in Canada after arriving as a tourist, then you will need to first find an employer who is willing to offer you a job. That employer will then have to obtain an approved labour market opinion. As part of this process the employer will have to advertise the job and prove that no Canadians could be found to hire for the role. If the LMO is approved (not all are), you can then go to a US/Canada land border and obtain a work permit.

The most difficult part is finding an employer who is willing to apply for an LMO. As you can imagine, it can be quite difficult to prove no Canadians were found for an open role. In addition, the entire process can take months to complete. As a result, many employers aren't willing to consider foreign candidates for open positions. If you have extensive work experience and are very specialized - your chances of finding a role definitely increase.

Hope this helps.

 

[tns1]

Thanks. Well i am an experienced mechanic and not your regular oil change guy, as i used to build high end racecars. We'll see how it goes.

 

[Olgats]

Hello

I am also Estonian citizen and needed to go to Canada for one day to reenter USA. I went there as a visitor. It is true at the border they dont ask for any papers only some questions like the purpose of the trip. I told the truth that I needed to reenter USA on a different visa. The officer smiled and said that they had a lot of those

Now we are trying to do Working Holiday visa.. to go to work there and then Professional visa for second year and after 12 m of work experience you are eligible to apply under Canada Experienced Class for residency.


All the best!!

PS: Find some job, get the letter from employer and you can apply for professional visa if you are 18 - 35 years old