# i am in a pickle...to go to canada or not...that is the question????



## 01JLM01 (Jan 28, 2010)

Firstly i would like to say Hey!! ...im new to this so bear with me!

Anyways lets move on to the matter at hand!...my pickle being im really undecided as what i should do!... Im 23 and recently out of university and feel like im in limbo, ive travelled before and have had the travelling bug ever since, and for a long while now i really have the desire to go to canada, i know a few people have been and fell in love with the place and are planning a return trip.

I am currently applying for jobs here for basically anything with no luck!  ... i just keep thinking i want to go to canada, it seems to have better opportunities, better standard of life and better prospects!....my initial thought was to get a package deal from a company like "real gap" where they sort out a job for you and the visa before you go, but this is only for a year, i was just wondering whether you guys think this is a good idea, and if so where would be the best places to go, i was looking at Banff, or Calgary...would these places be suitable for a 23 year old girl as in for socialising and job wise?...

Also if i wanted to stay longer then the year would it be hard to figure out or can u extend your visa??

i know i have probably waffled on a bit here, i can't help it, as i said im new!! ha!

Any help/ideas would be greatly appreciated and any thoughts from people who may have gone through the route i am thinking of!

thanks again!


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

01JLM01 said:


> Firstly i would like to say Hey!! ...im new to this so bear with me!
> 
> Anyways lets move on to the matter at hand!...my pickle being im really undecided as what i should do!... Im 23 and recently out of university and feel like im in limbo, ive travelled before and have had the travelling bug ever since, and for a long while now i really have the desire to go to canada, i know a few people have been and fell in love with the place and are planning a return trip.
> 
> ...


You didn't say what you're qualified to do, work-wise. At 23 you can apply for a one-year BUNAC work visa and you should read the BUNAC CANADA website for details. Under this programme you will be allowed to live and work in Canada for any employer and anywhere you choose. You can apply for an extension at the end of the year and it may be granted.
Banff is a tourist town and almost all employment there would involve retail or the hospitality industry. Calgary is a large city with all the employment opportunities that entails.


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## 01JLM01 (Jan 28, 2010)

i have a Business related degree....i checked "THE LIST" and i don't come under any of the job titles listed, would this make it harder for me to succeed in finding a job even if i was to choose the BUNAC visa, which i shall go and read up on now.

I have done some research into banff and because its a tourist town i though it would be easier to get work, would i be right in thinking this or way of the mark here???....i may look more into the Calgary idea!

thanks for getting back to me so quick!


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

01JLM01 said:


> i have a Business related degree....i checked "THE LIST" and i don't come under any of the job titles listed, would this make it harder for me to succeed in finding a job even if i was to choose the BUNAC visa, which i shall go and read up on now.
> 
> I have done some research into banff and because its a tourist town i though it would be easier to get work, would i be right in thinking this or way of the mark here???....i may look more into the Calgary idea!
> 
> thanks for getting back to me so quick!


With BUNAC you can work at anything and anywhere. Many young people come over and work in restaurants, bars, shops etc.


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## jen45 (Jan 17, 2010)

01JLM01 said:


> Firstly i would like to say Hey!! ...im new to this so bear with me!
> 
> Anyways lets move on to the matter at hand!...my pickle being im really undecided as what i should do!... Im 23 and recently out of university and feel like im in limbo, ive travelled before and have had the travelling bug ever since, and for a long while now i really have the desire to go to canada, i know a few people have been and fell in love with the place and are planning a return trip.
> 
> ...


hello, if you read my thread. hubby and I were in same pickle!! but have decded just to go for it. we both lived in canada 3 years ago so we are slightly more aware to living in canada, although didnt make it any easier!!. job wise is the main reason we are going as we both have no luck in securing employment in the UK. we know that canada (ontario) gives us more scope and a better chance so heres hoping. if you need any other info, just ask.


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## MandyB (Jan 14, 2010)

My family & I moved to Canada 3 years ago mainly for work for my husband who had been out of for 2 years in UK and for the opportunities for our kids. We are never moving back to UK! We live east of Edmonton, Alberta which is a wonderful city full of young people and is geared to social life for everyone. The summer's are hot the winter's cold but the systems to deal with both are extremely good. I would suggest you investigate cities that do not depend on the tourist trade eg Banff as you can then find year round work.
Hope this helps a bit.


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## jen45 (Jan 17, 2010)

MandyB said:


> My family & I moved to Canada 3 years ago mainly for work for my husband who had been out of for 2 years in UK and for the opportunities for our kids. We are never moving back to UK! We live east of Edmonton, Alberta which is a wonderful city full of young people and is geared to social life for everyone. The summer's are hot the winter's cold but the systems to deal with both are extremely good. I would suggest you investigate cities that do not depend on the tourist trade eg Banff as you can then find year round work.
> Hope this helps a bit.


thanx MandyB. we are locating to London, Ontario as this is where hubbys dad lives and my sister lives there. we also lived there before coming to Scotland. we know this city very well and had no problems getting jobs there. heres hoping it doesnt take too long. we are off to canada march early april so not too long.


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## A&A (Jan 31, 2010)

Hi guys

Can anyone tell me the steps you have to go through to be able to live in Canada? We have dual nationality (Australia and UK) We did spend some time there 2007/08 but couldn't stay as we only had a tourist visa.

Thanks in advance for any help


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## jen45 (Jan 17, 2010)

I believe you would hve to put in for a work visa, permanent resident visa or immigation process....... not sure but if yu ask Auld Yin he would know..... cheers.


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## A&A (Jan 31, 2010)

jen45 said:


> I believe you would hve to put in for a work visa, permanent resident visa or immigation process....... not sure but if yu ask Auld Yin he would know..... cheers.


Thanks jen45..........I posted this on the other thread too, so just ignore it.......didn't quite know where to ask the question


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## 01JLM01 (Jan 28, 2010)

hey everyone!
Thank you so much for your replies, it has given me A LOT to think about, and because of this and the fact that i want to be completley sure of my choice i have decided to give it another 6 months or so before i definitley decide for sure!
I wish you all luck with the future, and il be sure to come back with any more questions i have! thanks again!
xxx


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## Thaddeus (Dec 4, 2008)

Auld Yin said:


> You didn't say what you're qualified to do, work-wise. At 23 you can apply for a one-year BUNAC work visa and you should read the BUNAC CANADA website for details. Under this programme you will be allowed to live and work in Canada for any employer and anywhere you choose. You can apply for an extension at the end of the year and it may be granted.
> Banff is a tourist town and almost all employment there would involve retail or the hospitality industry. Calgary is a large city with all the employment opportunities that entails.


Hi There! from another American (in Canada for 3 years now). 

Be prepared to do a lot of homework, continued learning, fees, paperwork, questions, delays, follow-ups, waiting (repeat, repeat).... (and you thought this ended with graduation....). Once you've inquired enough to decide that you are wanting to come to Canada, particularily if you are desiring to be in Canada indefinitely, I would encourage you to use the services of an Immigration Attorney to best secure your application to the program of your choosing. 

There are a lot of things not covered on the CIC Canada Government website, forums, etc, that an attorney can save you from a lot of grief down the road. Little things like file presentation and organization can cause a file to be denied and returned to you (often after many, many months of waiting). What to say at the border, the unexpected, and just adding additional credibility at each step of the process an attorney is well worth the few thousand dollars. While it's tempting to skip it (and certainly not mandatory), remember that immigration is serious stuff (even for an American), one of the biggest and often difficult decisions of one's life, one of the potentially best decisions of one's life, and shouldn't be taken lightly. A creditable attorney will guarantee your file's acceptability or money back in most conditions.

Even when everything goes smooth, in most circumstances 6-18months is about the minimum you should plan on before your are in Canada with any kind of long-term status. If you can get a TWP (a temporary work permit) with an employer who wants to hire you, it can be just a few months, then file for Permanent Residency from in Canada. As you have seen, employers understandably must hire Canadians and Permanent Residents first....

Stay strong! Ask tonnes of questions! Prepare for the ride of your life! Good luck!


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## jen45 (Jan 17, 2010)

01JLM01 said:


> hey everyone!
> Thank you so much for your replies, it has given me A LOT to think about, and because of this and the fact that i want to be completley sure of my choice i have decided to give it another 6 months or so before i definitley decide for sure!
> I wish you all luck with the future, and il be sure to come back with any more questions i have! thanks again!
> xxx


Good luck with your choice and I am sure in time, It will become clearer as to what you should do. Its difficult I know. Having lived in canada 3 years ago and then coming to scotland to live , we had to make a choice. Hubby has found no work here and home sickness has set in with him so I pondered over going back for many months. If you read my first thread, It will prove the point. I decided to just go for it and we are going back april, may this year. We will be starting from scratch from nothing but you only live once and I dont want any regrets years down the road when Im too old to do it. Its another adventure and another chapter in my memoirs so why not!!... Anyways whatever you decide, it has to be the best for you and we wish you all the luck. If you want to know anything about canada, Just ask.
Best wishes to you.


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## Blitzwing85 (Feb 2, 2010)

01JLM01 said:


> hey everyone!
> Thank you so much for your replies, it has given me A LOT to think about, and because of this and the fact that i want to be completley sure of my choice i have decided to give it another 6 months or so before i definitley decide for sure!
> I wish you all luck with the future, and il be sure to come back with any more questions i have! thanks again!
> xxx


Sounds similar to my situation in a way. My work experience doesn't come under 'THE LIST' either, but i believe once i was over there i could find a good job without much problem. The only stumbling block really is that they have to employ canadians first...which is of course understandable. And the fact that the UK does not work like this is 1 of many reasons people choose to leave!!! 

I'm not sure on when to really push for the move. I can't move for another 2 years at least, so do i start now? Or leave it until nearer the time. 
I have some loans to clear up over the next 18 months, then i want to spend a year saving some money...at least £5000 which should be easy enough. 
Then i plan to just move over to Canada and find any job i an to start me off, and instantly start looking for a job in the field i currently work in.
It's going to be a lot of thought, and hard work but if it's your dream like it is mine, then i'd just go for it. 

The least it'll be is a nice change in life from the mundane. And it's best to do it before you settle down. Luckily my girlfriend also wishes to move but we only bought our first house 8 months ago. At least payment wise we already owe less than it's worth, so would be able to sell up and pay the mortgage off no problem. 

if house prices in the Uk rise, then i'm laughing.


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## minime77 (Jul 12, 2010)

Auld Yin said:


> You didn't say what you're qualified to do, work-wise. At 23 you can apply for a one-year BUNAC work visa and you should read the BUNAC CANADA website for details. Under this programme you will be allowed to live and work in Canada for any employer and anywhere you choose. You can apply for an extension at the end of the year and it may be granted.
> Banff is a tourist town and almost all employment there would involve retail or the hospitality industry. Calgary is a large city with all the employment opportunities that entails.


Hi, I am moving to Canada with my partner who was originally born in Canada, we both live in Scotland at the moment but we are trying to find out what is the easiest way to complete the move. Do we need to have an address in Canada for my partner to sponsor me or is he able to do this anyway as he was born there?


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## minime77 (Jul 12, 2010)

jen45 said:


> Good luck with your choice and I am sure in time, It will become clearer as to what you should do. Its difficult I know. Having lived in canada 3 years ago and then coming to scotland to live , we had to make a choice. Hubby has found no work here and home sickness has set in with him so I pondered over going back for many months. If you read my first thread, It will prove the point. I decided to just go for it and we are going back april, may this year. We will be starting from scratch from nothing but you only live once and I dont want any regrets years down the road when Im too old to do it. Its another adventure and another chapter in my memoirs so why not!!... Anyways whatever you decide, it has to be the best for you and we wish you all the luck. If you want to know anything about canada, Just ask.
> Best wishes to you.


Hi, my partner was originally born in canada, but we both live in scotland. myself and my partner plan to relocate to canada this year, he is planning to sponsor me, we think it is possible for him to do so even although we do not have residency in canada as yet. Can you confirm this for me and if there is any other information you can provide or contact details it would be much appreciated. Thanks


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

minime77 said:


> Hi, my partner was originally born in canada, but we both live in scotland. myself and my partner plan to relocate to canada this year, he is planning to sponsor me, we think it is possible for him to do so even although we do not have residency in canada as yet. Can you confirm this for me and if there is any other information you can provide or contact details it would be much appreciated. Thanks


If you have lived common-law, and can so prove, for one year minimum, your partner can sponsor you as a spouse.


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