Hello every one,
We currently live in Devon and hoping to move to Vancouver in Canada under the skilled worker or one of the business visas. Can any body tell me which one is the quickest and easiest to obtain also do we need to use the services of a relocator or visa company.
We have only just made the decision to go and looking for lots of support and information.
Any advice would be great
Thanks.
Sandra
I wish you luck.
I came to Canada (Ottawa) in 1963 under similar circumstances ( having a job to come to). At that time we got great support from Canada House and the company that hired me. On arrival they also provided us with temporary accommodations. But our greatest support came from fellow workers and neighbours.
Immigration was much simpler then. I hope someone with more recent experience will respond, although most on this forum reside in the US there are a few of us in Canada.
Good Luck.
Hi,
I came to Canada 3 years ago under a skilled work visa. I am a physiotherapist and had to find a company to sponsor me. My employer had to submiy tonnes of paperwork to say what she had done to find a Canadian trained therapist before she could employ one from overseas. Once she got approval, I could apply my side. In the end it took 51 weeks from start to finish, but is well worth it!! Life here (I am in Toronto) is fabulous and I love it! My visa was renewed the first time with no problem, but after 2 years we had to go through the whole rigmarole again! this time it was renewed for 3 years, but I have since married a Canadian (May this year) and we put an application in for Permanent Residency last July (05). I just got notice that it was all approved and go to be inducted (or whatever it is) on Thursday!!!! It makes life much easier as I can look for work elsewhere ( a work visa often ties you to one type of work for one employer) and come and go much more freely.
After that, once I have been a PR for 3 years I qualify to apply for citizenship - another long process, but none the less one I will pursue.
So, my advice...if you can wait 18 months or so I would apply for permanent residency now from outside Canada. I did not use anyone to help me. The paperwork is long winded but very easy. You need to get everything together (degree certs, job qualifications, police checks, financial info etc) which takes time but as I said is not difficult. It costs around $500 to apply, then you have to have independent medicals which cost more money. Using a lawyer or company is the easy way if you have the money - here it would have cost me nearly $4000 to go that route.
Anyway, if I can help more, please ask. Hope this is useful and good luck
Have you considered the Provincial Nominee Programme? As there is a huge skills shortage, the government, since mid Sept 2006 has really been pushing this programme....
Good suggestion ) Here's the BC PNP link.....
http//www.ecdev.gov.bc.ca/ProgramsAndServices/PNP/index.htm