Georgia Tech Graduate ~ Looking for IT jobs !

[ahmadka]

Hi guys ... My first post here so please be gentle

Well I'm thinking of finding some Software Development or Consulting related IT job in Canada ..

I'm currently in Pakistan, but I did my Masters from Georgia Tech in Atlanta, GA, USA from 2009 ~ 2011 .. My entire Masters was fully funded by the US government via Fulbright Scholarship .. I came back to Pakistan in May 2011, and have been working for a software development company here which is representation in some major countries worldwide, but mainly being the US .. I also did my bachelors from the top rate engineering university in Pakistan .. And my cumulative GPAs in Bachelors and Masters were 3.58 and 3.77 respectively ..

I also gave GRE and TOEFL in June 2009, and got good scores, based on which I was selected for Fulbright Scholarship ..

I now want to apply for software development or consulting related IT jobs in Canada, and was wondering what my chances are for finding a job there, given my academic background ..

Also, if someone can guide me as to what's the best method for finding jobs there, I would really appreciate it

 

[scylla]

It will likely be challenging to find a job in Canada since you're in IT - but you can certainly try.

The first step is to find an employer who is willing to offer you a position and go through the process of hiring a foreign worker. To find that employer, use real job sites such as monster.ca and the Canadian Job Bank (avoid paid consultants - most are scams). Note that many Canadian employers are unwilling to consider foreign candidates for open positions. So be prepared to receive refusals or hear nothing back from many/most of the employers you contact.

Once you have found an employer willing to hire you, that employer must then obtain an approved LMO (labour market opinion) from the government. As part of this process, the employer must prove they advertised the job and were unable to find a Canadian to hire or train for the role. IF the LMO is approved (not all are), you must then apply for a work permit. Assuming your work permit is approved, you can then come to Canada and start working. Note that the LMO + work permit process takes several months to complete. Due to the amount of time and paperwork required - and because there's no guarantee of approval, many employers won't look at foreign candidates for open positions.

So the first (and most difficult step) is finding an employer.

More information on LMOs is here:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/employers/lmo-basics.asp

Good luck.