# Canada moves to make it easier for overseas IT professionals to work in the country



## Editor (Aug 20, 2009)

The Canadian government has introduced new measures to make it easier for foreign IT professionals to work in the country. It wants to attract more people to address skill shortages in certain sectors of the industry so it making it easier for internationally trained workers to find jobs. A new programme for making it easier for employers [...]

Click to read the full news article: Canada moves to make it easier for overseas IT professionals to work in the country...
Please come back to discuss the story here in this thread.


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## coyne20 (Aug 3, 2010)

Ive been looking for the past 4-5 months for an IT position in Canada and it hasnt been a straight forward search and I doubt the title of this article. 

From my experience:

1. It seems most employers are not interested in sponsoring IT professional/skilled candidates from overseas unless you are already in Canada. 

- This is a very much a catch 22 situation here since no one (unless they are on vacation) will go to Canada just for an interview and then later find out that they were unsuccessful in their application. The disadvantages / drawbacks far outweigh the benefits which includes time and money.

2. Just to make life even more difficult they talk about the lack of Canadian experience from these IT professional/skilled candidates. 

- This is a common problem which I completely ridicule. Experience is experience at the end of the day and it should not be subjected to the country that you have gained/acquired it from.


3. Another excuse Canadian employers state is that they do not have a clue as to how to go about bringing foreign skilled workers.

-This one is a joke. Are you trying to tell me that there are no immigration consultants in Canada that can help you to hire / sponsor foreign workers? (I've come across at least 20) They are either naive or ignorant about this one.

Some advice to fellow job seekers in any field including IT:

First and foremost, have you applied for PR via the FSW programme? If so then
do the following to get noticed:

1. Create a profile on linked in and network with professionals and hiring managers in your field.
2. Before you distribute your CV/Resume, contact the job recruitment agencies (by phone) and let them know of your situation and move to canada as well as the type of roles you are currently seeking.
3. Get your CV checked and then mass distribute your CV/Resume to job site portals on craigslist, gumtree, jobserve, hays, monster.ca, workopolis.ca, (for IT field: it-careers.ca, bctechnologies.net or branham300.org)

When you apply for the jobs, ensure that you inform them of your visa application status usually in the covering letter. 
Also chase up correspondences for every job that you apply to.
Linkedin is good professional networking site as you make contact/network with hiring managers and personnel for inside recruitment information.

If not a job, you will guaranteed at least some interviews which is promising. 

I hope this helps.


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## JimJams (Jan 11, 2010)

Thats good info coyne. I also work in the IT and looking to move to Canada at some point. The time it takes to get the visas is a little stupid (18 months on FSW i've heard)... but thats just impatience on my part 

I'll need to read more details about this to get a better understanding of what will change. Up until last month no LMO was needed for IT work, which made things easier. Now I need to have a job offer before being able to apply for PR. But I am hoping to get round this by applying for a Working Holiday Visa which will let me work anywhere and for anyone for up to 12 months... hopefully that will be enough to secure a sponsorship. You may want to look into the same if you are under 30 years old.


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## coyne20 (Aug 3, 2010)

JimJams said:


> Thats good info coyne. I also work in the IT and looking to move to Canada at some point. The time it takes to get the visas is a little stupid (18 months on FSW i've heard)... but thats just impatience on my part
> 
> I'll need to read more details about this to get a better understanding of what will change. Up until last month no LMO was needed for IT work, which made things easier. Now I need to have a job offer before being able to apply for PR. But I am hoping to get round this by applying for a Working Holiday Visa which will let me work anywhere and for anyone for up to 12 months... hopefully that will be enough to secure a sponsorship. You may want to look into the same if you are under 30 years old.


You must have applied sometime after 2008. I applied back in June 2007 hence 42-48 months. Hows your hunt going so far?


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## JimJams (Jan 11, 2010)

I'm still in grey UK at the moment, and haven't applied for a visa yet. The working holiday visa scheme opens up in December so I will apply then, hoping to save some money and be in Canada around this time next year.

I'm not sure exactly how long it takes to get the visa, I assumed if you had pre-arranged employment it would be quicker, no employer is going to wait around for 42-48 months! I have enough points but unfortunately I need pre-arranged employment. I need to read up more on this all (I've been looking at Australia also as the next/first stop, again on a 1 year working holiday visa... gotta get it all in since I am now 30!)

How is your job hunt going, did you manage to find a job?.Which area of IT do you work in?


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## coyne20 (Aug 3, 2010)

JimJams said:


> I'm still in grey UK at the moment, and haven't applied for a visa yet. The working holiday visa scheme opens up in December so I will apply then, hoping to save some money and be in Canada around this time next year.
> 
> I'm not sure exactly how long it takes to get the visa, I assumed if you had pre-arranged employment it would be quicker, no employer is going to wait around for 42-48 months! I have enough points but unfortunately I need pre-arranged employment. I need to read up more on this all (I've been looking at Australia also as the next/first stop, again on a 1 year working holiday visa... gotta get it all in since I am now 30!)
> 
> How is your job hunt going, did you manage to find a job?.Which area of IT do you work in?


An alternative approach is to apply for IT jobs in Canada and suggest to prospective employers that if an offer of employment is made you can take it up with the Canadian consulate / embassy here in London to kindly hurry it up with the visa processing. That way you wont have to make your employer wait for you. I have caught the eye and interest of a US based firm whom are willing to sponsor me on a H1B visa for the US.

My situation is different in that I have done my medical but I have not heard from them since July 2010. I work in IT as a Java developer but my main skills are: Java, Unix and SQL (Oracle/MS Sql).


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## JimJams (Jan 11, 2010)

I figured it was just as easy to get over there on a Working Holiday Visa since I have the option available, travel and snowboard for a bit and then look for a job where I like it. Hopefully it'll lead to sponsorship from an employer. I'm also hoping to spend 6-9 months in Australia, again on a WHV, so no idea where I will end up!

So they made you go through the medical in July and then nothing? Is the medical one of the last phases before being granted a visa? I assume you applied when an LMO was not required for IT jobs.

I'm also working as a developer, but using C#/ASP.NET 3.5. Interesting that you managed to secure some sponsorship on H1B. Do you mind if I ask how you managed to find the job? Just pure persistence in applying for lots of jobs or a specialist recruiter?

thanks


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## coyne20 (Aug 3, 2010)

JimJams said:


> I figured it was just as easy to get over there on a Working Holiday Visa since I have the option available, travel and snowboard for a bit and then look for a job where I like it. Hopefully it'll lead to sponsorship from an employer. I'm also hoping to spend 6-9 months in Australia, again on a WHV, so no idea where I will end up!
> 
> So they made you go through the medical in July and then nothing? Is the medical one of the last phases before being granted a visa? I assume you applied when an LMO was not required for IT jobs.
> 
> ...


The medical is the last phase before being granted a visa. That is correct I did apply before the LMO system came into existence. Pure persistence, selling yourself in the right way and not giving up is the key to finding a company that is interested in your skillset. Its also a numbers game. Though my heart is not really set in for the US, I thought I would take it up for the north american work experience until my Canadian visa becomes granted. I have had a similar interests from a few companies in Canada but they would want me to physically be in Canada if they were to go forward in my application. Something for you to take away, in the US especially, they are still very much in a recession and hence they would rather prefer to hire an individual within the US/North America before granting it to a foreigner. The company, itself is, Citco based in North Carolina. They have a presence in both australia and canada but they are currently not hiring for those regions.


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