How can a 37 year old can get a visa to plant in Canada to do research?

[oxband]

I'm a 37 year old academic. I've done research on reforestation in the US, and I want to spend a summer in Canada planting to do the same. As an anthropologist, the best way to study is by doing, and I found a company willing to hire me if I can visa stuff worked out. I have experience planting in the US, having done it a season here for research as well. The company willing to hire me wont want to sponsor me for a visa since that costs them money. FWIW, I'm also a filmmaker and will be taking footage during my time as I also work on a film project about this.

After doing research, I've looked online, and it seems like there is no easy visa answer here unless they sponsor me.

Any thoughts or suggestions? I'm 37 so I'm too old for the working holiday option.

 

[scylla]

If you are looking to work in Canada temporarily, then the next key question is whether the job this company is going to offer falls under NAFTA.

If the job falls under NAFTA, then the company needs to give you a job offer but no LMIA is required.

If the job does not fall under NAFTA, then an LMIA is required and things get a great deal more complicated, long, and expensive. (An LMIA is something your employer must obtain and that can easily take 4-6 months and cost thousands of dollars).

Of course the wild card in all of this is Trump since he's looking to change NAFTA...

 

[oxband]

Great advice. I hadn't thought of a NAFTA visa. I'm going to see if, given the fact I've been studying planting for years, I can qualify as a silviculturalist.

Is there any number I can call from the US to talk to someone on the phone about this? Today I tried calling the US consulate in NY and the center in NY that processes visas, and each one said they can't give specific advice but just info on processing. I just submitted the online form where they'll contact me with my needs, but I'd love to touch base with someone on the phone to see if I this idea for a NAFTA visa is a possibility. Any idea who I can call?

 

[scylla]

No - there's really no one to call - at least not for free. CIC (Canadian Immigration) does have a call centre. However they are absolutely useless for all but the most basic questions.

Embassies and consulates don't provide immigration advice. They'll just point you to the CIC web site.

You can try doing the research on your own. If you're looking for advice, you'd need to hire an immigration lawyer or consultant.