Hi everyone,
It's my first time on this forum, so a brief background...
My wife and I want to relocate to Canada, and our preference is Toronto.
About my professional background:
Bachelors degree in Computer Science, 2:1 honours
Overall 15 years commercial experience in I.T - all customer-facing roles, regular site visits etc across EMEA
6 years developer and implementation consultant
5 years project management consultant experience
Over a decade of technical project management experience, 8 of that exclusively as a PM
Prince 2 certified in 2006, expired but can be re-certified
ITIL foundation certified
Certified Scrum Master
Well versed in Waterfall, Agile, RUP
Currently going through Chartered IT Professional certification process.
Currently employed as a contractor for a UK government agency
Rock solid identity on Linked In - total of 11 recommendations going back 7 years.
CV bang up to date
Portfolio presentation produced as a supplement to my CV and Linked In profiles
My wife:
Bachelors degree in English, 1st class honours
Masters in English
CELTA certification (Teaching English as foreign language)
3+ years exp teaching English as foreign language
3+ years exp teaching children with learning disabilities, development issues etc.
Initial research has indicated that:
- Using the CIC eligibility calculator we are apparently eligible for Express Entry if we take our English IELTS tests
- The I.T economy in Toronto and indeed other major cities is vibrant and there is demand for my skills
- Provinces have their own immigration programmes, but I'm not sure how this works.
- Apparently you can register to be put in some kind of 'skilled workers pool' which Canadian employers can browse through.
- Alternatively you can search for a job directly
- The job search engine on this site (canadavisa) links out to standard job sites like Indeed, which do not specify a need for foreign workers - i.e. are open to Canadians too.
Our current plan:
- Take our IELTS tests in London
- Register on CIC
- ... not sure what next??
What we're confused about is:
- Do Canadian employers REALLY consider foreigners for positions? Would I get a job offer for a permanent position - and would they wait for my visa to be granted?
- How long would a visa take to be granted anyway?
- What is the minimum time it would take following an offer to have a visa granted and start work?
A lot of this is going to become clearer, but if anyone has any experience of I.T professionals who have made the move, I would personally LOVE to hear from them.
Cheers! :
It's my first time on this forum, so a brief background...
My wife and I want to relocate to Canada, and our preference is Toronto.
About my professional background:
Bachelors degree in Computer Science, 2:1 honours
Overall 15 years commercial experience in I.T - all customer-facing roles, regular site visits etc across EMEA
6 years developer and implementation consultant
5 years project management consultant experience
Over a decade of technical project management experience, 8 of that exclusively as a PM
Prince 2 certified in 2006, expired but can be re-certified
ITIL foundation certified
Certified Scrum Master
Well versed in Waterfall, Agile, RUP
Currently going through Chartered IT Professional certification process.
Currently employed as a contractor for a UK government agency
Rock solid identity on Linked In - total of 11 recommendations going back 7 years.
CV bang up to date
Portfolio presentation produced as a supplement to my CV and Linked In profiles
My wife:
Bachelors degree in English, 1st class honours
Masters in English
CELTA certification (Teaching English as foreign language)
3+ years exp teaching English as foreign language
3+ years exp teaching children with learning disabilities, development issues etc.
Initial research has indicated that:
- Using the CIC eligibility calculator we are apparently eligible for Express Entry if we take our English IELTS tests
- The I.T economy in Toronto and indeed other major cities is vibrant and there is demand for my skills
- Provinces have their own immigration programmes, but I'm not sure how this works.
- Apparently you can register to be put in some kind of 'skilled workers pool' which Canadian employers can browse through.
- Alternatively you can search for a job directly
- The job search engine on this site (canadavisa) links out to standard job sites like Indeed, which do not specify a need for foreign workers - i.e. are open to Canadians too.
Our current plan:
- Take our IELTS tests in London
- Register on CIC
- ... not sure what next??
What we're confused about is:
- Do Canadian employers REALLY consider foreigners for positions? Would I get a job offer for a permanent position - and would they wait for my visa to be granted?
- How long would a visa take to be granted anyway?
- What is the minimum time it would take following an offer to have a visa granted and start work?
A lot of this is going to become clearer, but if anyone has any experience of I.T professionals who have made the move, I would personally LOVE to hear from them.
Cheers! :