Work Permit for Montreal - PLEASE HELP US!

[Deiota]

Dear Sirs
My name is Ricardo Oliveira and I'm Portuguese.
Me and my family intend to emigrate and look for better living conditions in another country.
After some research and thorough analysis of the different possibilities, we have chosen Canada, more precisely Montreal, in Quebec, as host country.
I'm 38 years old and I'm a Mechanical Engineer. My wife is 33 years old and works on computers. We have a 5 years old daughter (her birthday is 26thy July) so she'll be on Grade 1 next school year.
We are already searching for a job in Montreal and sent some CVs to several companies.
In the meantime, we've done some research about the emigration process and we have a lot of questions:

First of all, we are considering going to Canada with a Work Permit.
- What are the steps to get the Work Permit?

- Which documents we have to send and where to?

- Also, may these documents be in Portuguese or there are a few or all that must be in English or French?

- Also, may these documents be original or copies? For exemple, do we actually have to send the Passports or copies of them is enough?

- Who starts the Work Permit application? The Company employer or the employee (us)?

- Does my wife can also get a Work Permit if I do (or the reverse order)? If so, is she able to work at any activity she wants as soon as she gets there? Does she may go with a Work Permit at the same time but without a job until we get to Montreal and searches for it?

- Does my daughter eligible to study in your public schools? If so, what documentation do we have to take along? Documentation from her kindergarten? If she'll already be in Grade 1, we must ask for documentation from the elementary school she's attending to?

- What is the processing fee? For me and my husband and daughter.

- What is the processing time?

- With a Work Permit, are we allowed to get out and in of Canada? We are asking because we may want to come to Portugal for a visit perhaps at Christmas time or Summer time.


Since we've decided to move to Montreal, Quebec, do we have to apply for the CSQ – Québec selection certificate?

- When must we aply for this CSQ? After we start the Work Permit and after we get a job? As soon as the Work Permit is started? Or when we get the Work Permit and is approval?

- To Where we send all the paperwork?

- Which documents are needed (copies or originals)?

- Do we need to do medical exams? All of us? After the process start or you'll ask for it in the meantime?

- Will we we get an interview? All of us? Just me and my wife?

- What is the processing fee for the CSQ? For me and my husband and daughter.

- What is the processing time for the CSQ?

- I've read somewhere that we have to show you that we have a certain amount of money to live for a couple of months there. Is that true?

- How much is necessary? How do we show it?

Thanks for all your time.

Best regards,

Ricardo Oliveira

 

[Leon]

Have you looked into applying under the Quebec skilled worker program? See http://www.form.services.micc.gouv.qc.ca/epi/index.jsp?languageCode=en to evaluate your chances.

For temporary workers, look here: http://www.immigration-quebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/immigrate-settle/temporary-workers/index.html

Note that if you settle in Quebec, your daughter will by default be sent to a French school. Maybe you already speak French. Some people have a problem with this and prefer their child to go to an English school but in Quebec, you would have to show very strong reasons why that should be the case.

No documents may be in Portugese unless they are accompanied by a translation from a certified translator. Follow the application guides to determine in which case copies are ok or if you must send originals.

To apply for a work permit, the employer must first apply for an LMO for you. Then you must apply for CSQ. Then you can apply for a work permit. Your wife can at the same time apply for an open work permit based on your permit or if she is the one who gets the work permit, you can apply for an open one. The one of you who gets the original permit is tied to that employer and can only work for that employer in that position. The one with an open permit can work anywhere.

You may leave and come back while you are on a work permit. Since you are Portugese, you are visa exempt.

 

[Deiota]

Thanks for your reply.
I'm going nuts about all this process... We really want to move ASAP and we can't.
We're already looking for a job for a couple of weeks but no replies until now!
Since we can't apply for the WP since we don't have a job yet, we thought we could get a step ahead and apply for the CSQ first. Is it a mistake?
What are the necessary documents to apply CSQ and WP? We want to start asking for it so when the time comes we already have it, like passports.
Do I have to ask for a study permit for my 5yo kid?
To where we send the paperwork (CSQ and WP)?
Damn it I'm so confused since I've been reading a lot and getting a lot of contraditory thoughts.
Is it easy for a Bacharol in Mechanical Engineer to get a job in Montreal? I'm asking because I have no feedback on my CV applications.
BR
Ricardo

 

[scylla]

Can you speak/read/write French fluently?

 

[Leon]

The problem when you are outside Canada and need a work permit is finding an employer who will apply for your LMO. If the employer can not prove that he could not get a Canadian to do the job, he will not get the LMO. Therefore, he will not waste his time doing it unless he really needs you and can't get anyone else.

As for the information you are requesting, just read the website. All your questions will be answered on there as well as http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/index.asp on how to apply for the work permit after you get the CSQ and http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceskills/foreign_workers/poworkperm.shtml for what the employer has to do right at the start. You should actually apply for a study permit for your kid if your intention is for your kid to go to school in Canada but this is at a later stage. First you need to find the employer. The employer needs to apply for the LMO etc.

If you want to move right away, stay in the EU. Then you don't need a permit.

 

[Deiota]

Can you speak/read/write French fluently?

intermediate level

 

[scylla]

Read through Leon's post and spend some time on the links he has provided. This is very good information and will provide you with an idea of what you are going to have to do in order to secure a work permit in Canada.

Finding an employer who is willing to hire you and go through the LMO process is by no means easy. I think this situation will be further complicated if you want to settle in Quebec but aren't completely fluent in French.

Again, read through the information and links Leon has provided.

Good luck.

 

[Deiota]

Portugal situation sucks and sucks more each day, it's kind of hard to live here these days! We almost can't afford to live with the less we can. We both work!

How did you find a job to ask for a WP? In loco? from your country of origin? We're sending CVs to reply to every job offers that fits our expertise and education.

Perhaps we should try another place in Canada, with english as a mother tongue? Perhaps Toronto?

How is the cost living there and other cities in Canada? I've been told that Montreal is the cheapest one... That's why we thought about this destination (and we have a close friend living there that can help us with the move... rent a house etc...)

Thanks for all your help!
Ricardo

 

[Leon]

I applied through FSW before I came to Canada. Those people I know personally who came on work permits were hired through agencies from their own countries but those were all tradesmen and they all came during the Alberta boom where there was a huge shortage of labour. Those times are gone.

You may also need to get licensed in Canada to be allowed to work as an engineer. If that is the case, you might only be able to get a job as an assistant or a draftsman until you are licensed. When you immigrate somewhere, it is a long term project. You can not expect that you will get a good job in Canada right away and everything will already be much better. Also keep in mind that cheap areas usually mean lower wages. As a temporary foreign worker, you will also not get child tax benefit until you are in Canada for 18 months.

 

[scylla]

Montreal is not the cheapest city in Canada from a cost of living standpoint. There are certainly cities and towns that are cheaper. However Montreal is cheaper than Toronto, Vancouver and likely Calgary. I don't live in Montreal and can't give you any information on cost of living. However if you google it - I'm sure you'll find some information. Or perhaps your friends can tell you.

I'm Canadian by birth and don't have any personal experiences with work permits or getting jobs as a foreigner. Hopefully someone else can help with this question.

 

[Deiota]

I'm getting so confused that we really don't know what to do and where to move to... inside Canada or somewhere else (australia is a shot).
Sometimes I think we're just wasting time and work. It seams we're living an impossible dream for us.


what are the best places to live in Canada? Not too expensive but with a very good quality of life?

 

[Leon]

The best place to live is where you can get a good job. First you need a job and a work permit. You can always move later after you get your PR.

Are you also looking in Europe? If you speak French, then what about France or Switzerland?

 

[Deiota]

I do speak a little french but europe is not good financially. Sweden is not a good ideia because of the weather and time.
We want to move out of europe, unless a good job appears in the mean time.

 

[Leon]

I said Switzerland, not Sweden but if you were considering the far north, you might want to look into Norway as well. Much less unemployment. However, you would have a language barrier. As for the weather, what do you think the weather in Canada is like? I think in most places, it is actually not too far from Sweden.

Sometimes people are too busy chasing a dream to see that opportunity lurks around the corner. I will tell you about a German co-worker I had. He moved to Canada on a work permit with a wife and 2 kids. Soon they found out that his wages were not really enough to support the family. His wife however was a nurse. She was not licensed in Canada and so could not work as a nurse. She got a job stocking shelves in a grocery store but they found out that her wages were barely enough to pay for the child care for the 2 children. They then decided that she would work evenings because he was working days. Now they don't have to pay child care but they never see each other. Anyway, I asked this man why he came to Canada. He told me that he could not find a job in Germany. He had a good job in Denmark but he would stay there himself and visit his family in Germany every 2 weeks. I asked him why he did not stay in Denmark and bring his family there. He said Canada was his dream. He was later laid off from where I was working and I lost touch with him so I don't know how it worked out for them. However, it is one thing to show you that sometimes when you go to live your dream, you wake up to reality.

If you want to go to Canada, keep looking for jobs or apply for PR through Quebec skilled worker but don't expect things to go fast and don't expect nice weather and streets paved with gold when you arrive

 

[wsongco]

im from montreal ;D i suggest find any close friend or family that could give you a better picture of what you are looking for. its hard to start in a new country new environment when you dont know anybody...im just lucky when i came to montreal canada..i have my cousin who help me guided me all the way. with regards to cheap cost of living its depend which part of montreal...the suberbs of montreal is not cheap but safe place to live.