UK Residents wanting to move to Toronto

[Archer74]

Hi guys

My girlfriend and I would like to move to Canada next year, and we have spent a lot of time reading up about how to go about this but it has still left us very confused on how to proceed, so have come to this forum in the hope that other peoples knowledge and experience will help guide us in the right direction.

To give a brief overview

Myself (38) and my girlfriend (29) of 2 years have been living together (not married) for 3 months in London (UK). As the flat was in my name previously, she only has a bank account and mobile phone registered to my address. She is not on the council tax register and we will soon apply for a joint bank account.

I have an IT degree and almost 7 years experience as a systems/storage administrator, she is an ACCA qualified accountant with a similar amount of experience. We wish to move to Toronto, we have a couple of friends who have recently moved there via internal company transfers, we do not have this option unfortunately.

I am aware my girlfriend can apply for a working holiday visa, there is also the possibility that she maybe able to find a job within our friends company. Could anyone tell me when the best time to apply for the working holiday visa for 2014? I understand the applications open in February and Kompass account registration beginning in August, but when is the prime time to apply?

As for myself, what are my best options in this case? I am aware that it really rests on if I have a job offer, but to get an offer I would need to attend interviews, and am i likely to get any interviews without a visa? How do companies view a person with experience but no visa, would they help with that and is it costly to them or myself? Would an option be for me to come on a visitors visa and look for a job when I am there, but again, would I get interviews or would the employment agencies not even register me because I do not have a working visa?

It is really peoples experiences that interest me, some must have had similar experiences and the choices as I have

Thanks to any who can shed some light and help with our direction

Archer

 

[scylla]

Your girlfriend should apply for the working visa as soon as they start accepting applications for 2014. The quota filled up very quickly this year for the UK.

Your situation is more complicated and difficult. To qualify to apply for a work permit, you need a job offer in Canada AND also need an approved Labour Market Opinion (LMO). The LMO is something your employer must obtain. To be approved for an LMO, the employer must first advertise the job for a specified period of time and prove they were unable to find a Canadian to hire for the role. They can then submit the application and request the LMO approval. If the LMO is approved (not all are) - you can then qualify for a work permit. Detailed information about LMOs is here:

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

You're going to find many employers aren't willing to go through the LMO process because it takes too long and/or because they know there is little chance the LMO is going to be approved. It's not easy getting an LMO approved for an IT role since there are many Canadians with the required qualifications and it should be possible to fill a role without hiring a foreigner. Having said that - some people are able to do it. So you can certainly give it a shot - but expect it to be challenging.

Hope this helps.

 

[Archer74]

Hi Scylla

Thanks you for your response

I have done a lot of reading up on the different types of Visa and really it does just come down to getting a job offer. I understand the LMO process, and unless your really specialized in your field, there is little chance of a company being prepared to wait for months for you for you in addition to the cost. It would seem that Canada actively discourages anyone from mid thirties upwards from moving there unless you are looking to open your own business. Its a shame because on paper, myself and my girlfriend have decent careers, savings, a property each (income from the UK), clean records and have not made any claims for any benefits, we have always worked. You would have thought that this would make you a reasonable attractive prospect but it seems not. It also seems that you would not be able to feel safe and secure in your new life for a number of years and that each time the visa needs to be changed/renewed it could be declined and one of us may have to leave the country

My question now is that the only option open to me is for my girlfriend to get a working holiday visa, and for me to go with her under the intention of helping her move and settle in there (6 months visitor visa). I would then have to look for work and try and find a job this way, and then leave the country and re-enter to get the visa. Its a risk, a big risk considering I have to give up my place and job here to do so. Is there any other advice anyone can give on this? Has anyone done it and have any tips or companies that they used/applied for?

Does a company need an LMO for just non-Canadian residents? In the case of my girlfriend she will get a job on her working holiday visa, but after the year then what happens, does she go onto a straight forward work permit if they want to keep her? Do they need an LMO when she is on a working holiday visa? If so will the situation not be the same

I have read that the government is actively encouraging employers to move away from the LMO and train Canadians further into these roles, in addition to making the approval process more stringent.

I really have been left with the impression that Canada just doesn't want you to move there, I hope this is not the case but certainly feels like it as its left me very little to work towards. Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated

Many thanks