General Inquiry

[Ritch]

Hello,

I am just wanting some general advice with regard to moving to Canada, initially on a temporary basis with the hope of securing permanent residency. I haven't yet delved into the potential avenues that may or may not be available to me I just thought I would come here and ask for some opinions on what my best options would be. Please don't mistake this for me being lazy, I wanted to get some advice from people who are either familiar with visa applications and who may have been through/in the process of applying to move to Canada.

I am a 23 year old male who has a college education in a subject titled " Access to Nursing and other health related professions"...... This qualification would allow me to study nursing in the UK. I feel that I would benefit from a fresh start in another country (preferably canada), heck I would be more content with a menial job in Canada than I would a career here in England. The concerning thing for me is I have a college education but don't have a marketable skill set (at least on paper) per say.

Any and all advice is welcome.

Ritch

 

[Rob_TO]

To begin, I would recommend 2 options:
1. Look into a working holiday/IEC visa to Canada for UK citizens: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/iec/index.asp?country=gb&cat=wh
2. You could get a study visa and enroll in a university/college course in Canada, after which you could get a work permit to gain experience and possibly apply for PR after (if the work qualifies). Just note tuition fees for foreign students can be very expensive.

 

[Ritch]

Hi Rob thank you for the reply, I have a friend in Canada who is willing to "sponsor me" and help find employment over there. From what he has said If he was to sponsor me he would be responsible for me until I am in employment and that I could work towards permanent residency. There may also be the option of having a job offer before I travel to Canada, that would also help me work towards a permanent residency.

Is the information he has provided accurate or has he misunderstood? I do apologise but for someone who has never looked into Canadian immigration this is somewhat overwhelming.

 

[scylla]

Hi Rob thank you for the reply, I have a friend in Canada who is willing to "sponsor me" and help find employment over there. From what he has said If he was to sponsor me he would be responsible for me until I am in employment and that I could work towards permanent residency. There may also be the option of having a job offer before I travel to Canada, that would also help me work towards a permanent residency.

Is the information he has provided accurate or has he misunderstood? I do apologise but for someone who has never looked into Canadian immigration this is somewhat overwhelming.

There is no "friend" sponsorship process.

 

[Ritch]

So I would have to have an offer employment before moving out there correct? The information that I posted above your reply was given to him through his lawyer.

Back to the drawing board.

 

[Rob_TO]

So I would have to have an offer employment before moving out there correct?

Yes in addition to the 2 options I posted above, there is a 3rd option:
3. Get a company in Canada to want to hire you, go through LMIA process for you (basically proving they must hire a foreign worker as no Canadian is suited for the job) and get it approved by the government, and then bring you to Canada under a closed work permit to work only for that company. This is often very difficult due to the time, hassle and cost (I think at least around $1000) the LMIA process is for the company to go through with no guarantee it will be approved.

 

[Ritch]

I don't think I have come across a country which has such strict visa applications.

 

[scylla]

So I would have to have an offer employment before moving out there correct? The information that I posted above your reply was given to him through his lawyer.

If this information was given to him by his lawyer, ask the lawyer to tell him exactly which program he was proposing you apply under. If the lawyer knows what he's talking about, he should be able to name a specific program and also provide a link to the web site that outlines the application process and qualification criteria.

 

[scylla]

So I would have to have an offer employment before moving out there correct?

Incorrect. See options #1 and #2 in Rob_TO's first response.

 

[Ritch]

Sorry scylla I didn't just disregard Rob's post. I did check and the first one he mentioned is currently closed and from the information it provided it seemed to be a temporary visa, It didn't explain if you can work towards permanent residency which is my ultimate goal.

The second option is unfortunately not financially viable for me at the moment, I would love to study in another country but the fee's I have seen are outside my budget for the time being.

 

[Mbgirlfriend]

Sorry scylla I didn't just disregard Rob's post. I did check and the first one he mentioned is currently closed and from the information it provided it seemed to be a temporary visa, It didn't explain if you can work towards permanent residency which is my ultimate goal.

The second option is unfortunately not financially viable for me at the moment, I would love to study in another country but the fee's I have seen are outside my budget for the time being.

It is possible to work towards PR with the first option. The program only opens once a year so either you just missed it or it will be opening in the next few weeks.

Basically the IEC gives you an open work permit (I believe this year they will be 2 year work permits). Once you get a year work experience you may be eligible to apply for PR either under Canadian Experience Class or you may be able to get a Provincial Nomination (this will depend on what province you work in and what their requirements are for nomination.

So start looking into IEC and Provincial Nomination. This won't be a one step process and it will be a very long one so decide how much you want to move here. At least if you start with just the IEC visa then you will have time to really decide if you want to stay and start the long process of applying for Permanent Residence.

And actually getting PR in Canada can be a bit of a process but it is more possible to then in most other countries.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Sorry scylla I didn't just disregard Rob's post. I did check and the first one he mentioned is currently closed and from the information it provided it seemed to be a temporary visa, It didn't explain if you can work towards permanent residency which is my ultimate goal.

The second option is unfortunately not financially viable for me at the moment, I would love to study in another country but the fee's I have seen are outside my budget for the time being.

Yes, IEC is a temporary permit, as is every single work permit issued by CIC. This does not mean that you cannot work towards PR while here on such a permit. IEC should open up quite soon; be aware that it is EXTREMELY competitive. There are usually 3 rounds spaced out over about a month and each round closes within about 15 minutes.

 

[Lammawitch]

I don't think I have come across a country which has such strict visa applications.

Try the U.S. ?

IEC would be ideal for you, I think, but go read all the instructions now & get as prepared as possible for when it opens. The places REALLY do go in minutes.

There'sa large thread devoted to it every year on the British Expats board.

 

[Ritch]

Are you implying the US Is harder or I would be better off trying the US lol

 

[Lammawitch]

Are you implying the US Is harder or I would be better off trying the US lol

Sorry, I was commenting on your post about "strict visa applications". To clarify, yes, the U.S. is much harder than Canada.

Actually I can think of several other countries (for example, the UK) which are very strict...

Back On Topic: I'll encourage you again to try for an IEC visa. But get your behind in gear. The programme will be opening very soon.