Portuguese carpenter with job offer/contract - Can I take my family with me?

[Layman]

Hello to everyone!

Coming to you from northern Portugal.

I´m opening up this topic so as to obtain some much needed information for a friend of mine who is an experienced carpenter. He has more than enough written proof of experience in his line of work.

He has been offered an opportunity to work as a carpenter in Edmonton, Alberta. The entire application process is being handled by the well-known foreign recruitment agency based in Edmonton called Globalhire. From what he has told me, they have made things far easier for him.

If all goes well, he will be flying to Canada in a few weeks with all documentation that the Globalhire recruitment agent said would be needed upon arrival and start to work with a company on a two-year contract.

He wants to take his wife and two kids - ages 5 and 8 years - along with him on the trip - he is too close to his family to even consider being apart from his family for more than a month.

From what I´vr read on this fabulous Forum, being a worker belonging to a highly qualified occupation (according to NOC) moving to Canada from a country exempt from VISA, he should have no problem sponsoring his wife and two kids, respectively, for an open work permit and temporary reseidency status at the port of entry - i.e. immediately upon arrival.

However, the agent at Globalhire claims that it is not wise for his wife and kids to go along on the same trip because border officials might complicate matters and, possibly, refuse entry to his wife and kids.

That seems like very Un-Canadian to me, that´s for sure!

Can anyone provide some information concerning this issue? Can he take his wife and kids along with him on the same trip, or should he leave them behind for a month or two??

He´s rearing to make the move and wants to start a new life in Canada.

Thanx so much for taking the time to read this. Comments and suggestions greatly appreciated.

 

[computergeek]

I agree with your reading. The CIC website and border manuals both confirm that as long as his WP is approved, his wife and children should be granted temporary status. If his children need student permits, they should be submitted with this work permit application. Otherwise, they should be sent, along with a copy of his work permit, to the VO for processing. His wife qualifies for an OWP if he is in NOC O, A or B.

Perhaps others have different experience here, but that's consistent with everything that I've read.

 

[Layman]

I agree with your reading. The CIC website and border manuals both confirm that as long as his WP is approved, his wife and children should be granted temporary status. If his children need student permits, they should be submitted with this work permit application. Otherwise, they should be sent, along with a copy of his work permit, to the VO for processing. His wife qualifies for an OWP if he is in NOC O, A or B.

Perhaps others have different experience here, but that's consistent with everything that I've read.

Thank-you computergeek for your comment, it was very helpful and reassuring.

Would appreciate it if other people could share their experiences. Moving to a foreign land, thousands of km. away is a giant leap for anyone. The greater the uncertainty, the better.

Can he apply for the student permits his children require at the port of entry, while he also applies for his work permit?? It scares me putting so much faith an a letter confirming a job offer and a work contract.

Is there any site a person can discover if a company really exists?? This may help people falling prey to shameless scammer.

Thanx a lot, hope to hear from other members

 

[computergeek]

Can he apply for the student permits his children require at the port of entry, while he also applies for his work permit?? It scares me putting so much faith an a letter confirming a job offer and a work contract.

Is there any site a person can discover if a company really exists?? This may help people falling prey to shameless scammer.

Here's the best citation for coming with a skilled worker:

Your spouse or common-law partner and children can come with you to Canada or visit you in Canada, but they must meet all the requirements for temporary residents to Canada: they must satisfy an officer that they will only stay in Canada temporarily, and they may have to prove that they have no criminal record. If your spouse or common-law partner and children need temporary resident visas, they must also meet all the conditions for obtaining those visas.

All applicants must complete and sign their own individual form, including persons travelling as a family. Applicants who are under the age of 18 must have their form signed by a parent or guardian.

If your spouse or common-law partner and children all apply separately, they must each fill out an application form.

If your family members want to follow you to Canada later, they must each fill out a separate application form.

Important: You may have to provide a marriage certificate and birth certificates for any accompanying family members. If you are in a common-law relationship and your common-law partner will be accompanying you to Canada, you may have to complete the form, Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union, and provide the evidence listed in it to support your relationship.

So you can all apply at the border.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/faq/work/index.asp

I'd use Google to check out the company. If they have given him an LMO, then they have been vetted by HRSDC - the company does exist at least and hasn't contravened any immigration laws.

Good luck!