Immigration to Canada Help :D

[crizleris]

Hello,
I am an American looking to work and eventually claim residency in Canada so my girlfriend and I can live happily ever after- we are engaged and from two different countries so we decided we would like to live in Canada.

I have been applying to Canadian jobs, but are there any tips? I have read that Canadian employers encourage Americans to apply. I have a college education, and I am not banking on getting a job in my field, I simply ask for Canadian work experience so I can support my new family and contribute to the Canadian economy.

Any tips/advice would be greatly appreciated. We are taking a Vancouver vacation for a month starting Oct 14 and will be scoping out the area to talk to people and see how things work and figure out what we need to do for this.

Again thanks in advance for any help/advice. I would make a very proud Canadian and can't wait to get there! (Just need to bust out the warm clothes again )

 

[scylla]

It's typically fairly challenging to find a job in Canada as a foreign worker. Unless you fall into a special category, it's difficult for an employer to hire you and for this reason many aren't willing to seriously consider foreign candidates. Typically, an employer will need an approved Labour Market Opinion (LMO) in order to hire you. To obtain an approved LMO, the employer must submit an application to Human Resources Canada proving they have advertised the role on Canadian job boards and were unable to find a Canadian citizen or PR to fill the role. Assuming Human Resources Canada approves the LMO, you can then apply for a work permit - and once this is approved you can begin working. This entire process often takes months and not all LMOs are approved (in fact, given where the economy is, fewer LMOs have been approved this year than last).

The best advice is keep trying and hopefully you'll get lucky.

Good luck!

 

[crizleris]

It's typically fairly challenging to find a job in Canada as a foreign worker. Unless you fall into a special category, it's difficult for an employer to hire you and for this reason many aren't willing to seriously consider foreign candidates. Typically, an employer will need an approved Labour Market Opinion (LMO) in order to hire you. To obtain an approved LMO, the employer must submit an application to Human Resources Canada proving they have advertised the role on Canadian job boards and were unable to find a Canadian citizen or PR to fill the role. Assuming Human Resources Canada approves the LMO, you can then apply for a work permit - and once this is approved you can begin working. This entire process often takes months and not all LMOs are approved (in fact, given where the economy is, fewer LMOs have been approved this year than last).

The best advice is keep trying and hopefully you'll get lucky.

Good luck!

Thanks for the advice. Where are you from? Do you have an immigration story? I love hearing from others.

 

[scylla]

I'm Canadian born. My husband is American (although he's lived overseas for most of the last 20 years). We were married in 2009 and submitted his spousal sponsorship package in 2010 - and he was fortunately approved in just four months.

How soon are you getting married? Any chance you're common law (i.e. have lived together for a minimum of one full year)? If you are already common law or are planning to get married soon, your best bet might be to submit a spousal sponsorship application as soon as you qualify.

 

[scylla]

Oh - and if you haven't done so already, read the first post in this thread by Leon. Lots of great info.

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/spousal-sponsorship-t46995.0.html

 

[crizleris]

You are wonderful thanks! We are planning on getting married as soon as possible in Canada. I sure do appreciate all your great advice and for sending me to that link.

 

[scylla]

Make sure you apply outland (outside of Canada process) - not inland. Outland is almost always better (faster) for Americans. And yes - you can apply outland while visiting / living temporarily in Canada.

 

[crizleris]

perfect I was researching to apply outland. Thank you kindly.