# possible emigration to Ontario - advice on social work & teaching opportunities



## Katti (Sep 29, 2010)

Hi there I wonder if you can help me. My husband & I have just got married and have reached the point in our lives where we no longer want to stay in the UK and have no wish to raise children here. We both have very Nordic personalities- me as I am half Norwegian and have Norwegian family and Allan as he has a long-standing relationship with Canada & Canadians - specifically Quebec. We realise that wherever we have gone in life we have strived to create opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and the natural world. We have always loved being near forests & water - both Nordic elements in our lives. Indeed having returned from honeymoon in Norway we are in fact considering Norway as an alternative to Canada. We are now in the process of doing a Pre-immigration survey for immigration to Canada, specifically Ontario. 

Allan is a qualified social worker & currently works as Head of a Therapeutic & Preventative Service for the local authority here in North Wales. He is also a qualified and registered Counsellor/Psychotherapist. He has reached consultant status in his career and specialises in developing new services for children & families. 

*We would like to know who we should contact with regard to finding a suitable position for him in Ontario. 
Does anyone know of any social work employment agencies operating in Ontario?* 
It would seem that equivalence assessment of his qualifications is necessary and initially seems doable.

Allan is also an exceptionally talented artist and we would like to pursue his painting career in Canada.

I hold a Joint Honours degree in French & Spanish but intend to train to be a primary school/kindergarten teacher in Ontario & from the looks of things it would be easier to train in Canada once we get there rather than train here and risk having to repeat train to acquire certification over there. It would also seem like a good idea from the point of view of doing teaching practice at a local Canadian school which may then lead to further employment locally rather than having got that far here in Wales & to then leave the country. 

*I've read that teachers of French are in demand whereas jobs for English speaking teachers are harder to find. Does anyone have first hand experience of this?* 
*Is it possible to apply for university before obtaining the necessary immigration docs? Or does it have to be done post-immigration?*
Obviously I would need to apply this fall for university entry next fall 2011. 

I've been looking specifically at doing the 1 year course at University of Ottawa.

Thank you for any help or advice you have for us,(all questions highlighted in bold)

Regards, 

Katti & Allan


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