# Carpenter and school teacher looking to move to BC/Whistler



## jamesandkim (Jan 22, 2013)

Hello,

Me and my girlfriend ( soon to be married in March! ) are looking into moving out to Canada, specifically Whistler and the surrounding are of British Columbia.

I'm 31 and an English qualified carpenter with 12 years work experience and Kim is a 28 year old primary school teacher, 6 years teaching exp and a deputy head role.

We are both "outdoors" people and love being active rather than sofa surfing infront of the tv! My main hobby is biking so we'd like to live just outside Whistler ideally, I have a good friend who lives out there and has told me about the towns of Pemberton and Squamish, I think we would prefer to be there rather than the party town of Whistler!

Theres a fair bit of confusion as to weather I can get a visa to work in Canada, Initially we would like to come for a years working visa with the potential to stay there for longer and maybe be granted residency. Most places I read that I have to have a job offer in writing before being granted a visa, which I think will be difficult as I guess the construction industry works similar to the UK and I doubt they would wait for my application to be approved if they could hire someone local.


Kim is obviously a teacher but it looks like she wouldn't be qualified to teach over in Canada without doing more lengthy university courses.

Were not sure really what route to go down..

I'm coming over to Canada in July for 6 weeks to go riding with some friends and am hoping I can maybe talk to some guys re working for companies out there, but wandering if there is anything else we could do in the mean time?


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

jamesandkim said:


> Hello,
> 
> Me and my girlfriend ( soon to be married in March! ) are looking into moving out to Canada, specifically Whistler and the surrounding are of British Columbia.
> 
> ...


The IEC programme for 2013 is supposed to open before February 1st and rumour has it that the maximum age limit will be extended to 35.
Travel and Work in Canada | Temporary Work Visa For Work Holidays in Canada for Students and Youth | International Experience Canada


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## jamesandkim (Jan 22, 2013)

Thanks Auld Yin, Some stuff there to get reading. Says that they will start the program before 1st Feb but hasn't started yet so wont be long !


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## jamesandkim (Jan 22, 2013)

Really great news if its true about the age limit being extended to 35 instead of 30. I'm aware that Irish citizens are allowed to apply for 1 year work visas upto the age of 35 but not UK as of yet.


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## Worsheeps (Jan 22, 2013)

Hey Auld Yin,

Do you mean the rumour is that people from the UK will be allowed upto the age of 35?

As a 33 year old that would be great news


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## Liam(at)Large (Sep 2, 2012)

Worsheeps said:


> Hey Auld Yin,
> 
> Do you mean the rumour is that people from the UK will be allowed upto the age of 35?
> 
> As a 33 year old that would be great news


That's the rumour...


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## jamesandkim (Jan 22, 2013)

Looks like I'll have to just wait for the relevant information to be put online

Travel and Work in Canada | Application Step-by-Step Guide for the United Kingdom Ages 18-30 | International Experience Canada


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## Worsheeps (Jan 22, 2013)

That would be great if its true! 

Do you know where they would advertise the change first? I suppose they'd put it on the IEC Canada website but is there any other websites you could look on?

Thanks


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## jamesandkim (Jan 22, 2013)

I guess they will be published first on the official website


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## jamesandkim (Jan 22, 2013)

No news yet re visa, not long til the 1st Feb!!


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## Worsheeps (Jan 22, 2013)

Yep just 4 days to go! 

Come on immigration 35 makes sense!


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## jamesandkim (Jan 22, 2013)

A Canadian friend told me last night that they have upped the age limit to 35 and its gone live but I still cant find it the website. Wandering if im looking in the wrong place!


Travel and Work in Canada | Temporary Canada Work permit For Work Holidays for the United Kingdom| International Experience Canada


Still says 18 - 30 on there.


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## Worsheeps (Jan 22, 2013)

Hey,

Could you get your canadian friend to tell you where he knows this information from??  The website you're looking at is the one I am too.

The Irish IEC has just opened, you don't think they may'be getting confused with that do you?

Lets hope he's right though


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## jamesandkim (Jan 22, 2013)

He knows about the Irish thing, cos I've already tried that avenue! Like I said I just had a message last night saying its going ahead and to check the site, But as we both aware it hasn't changed!

Still only 2 days left until the 1st Feb so haven't got long to wait.....


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## Worsheeps (Jan 22, 2013)

Ha me too!

I looked into geting an Irish passport so I could go through the irish scheme, but unfortunately I was one generation to many away.


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## jamesandkim (Jan 22, 2013)

The Canada International website is not the easiest to use is it! Seems to just divert you on links all over the place and never really makes any sense!


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## jamesandkim (Jan 22, 2013)

Worsheeps said:


> Ha me too!
> 
> I looked into geting an Irish passport so I could go through the irish scheme, but unfortunately I was one generation to many away.



Ha same here, great Grandmother was Irish, but didnt quite work


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## Worsheeps (Jan 22, 2013)

For some reason it keeps kicking me off the internet whenever I go onto their website, hope thats not a sign 



> Ha same here, great Grandmother was Irish, but didnt quite work


Ha yeah it was my great Grandad. I even tried ringing the Irish embassy to convince them of my love for the Auld Country, but they weren't buying it


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## jamesandkim (Jan 22, 2013)

Worsheeps said:


> For some reason it keeps kicking me off the internet whenever I go onto their website, hope thats not a sign
> 
> 
> :


I had the same thing happening aswell, I thought that maybe they were updating the site with the new rules!!! But it seems not

I spoke to my Canadian mate and he's sent me the link, unfortunately he read it wrong, he was looking at the criteria for Canadians to get visa's to work abroad rather than us to work in Canada.

Gutted


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## Worsheeps (Jan 22, 2013)

Hey,

I just checked the rules for Canadians coming to the UK, from what I can tell it looks like its age 18 - 30. Unless the UK government can get its act together and let canadians upto 35 come here we probably wont be able to go there upto 35.

Lets hope for a minor miracle in the next day though!


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## jamesandkim (Jan 22, 2013)

Travel and Work Abroad | Temporary Work Visa For Work Holidays for Canadians | International Experience Canada


heres the link, says 18 - 35 at the top


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## Worsheeps (Jan 22, 2013)

Nah, thats the general info unfortunately,

The one specific to the UK still says 18 - 30:

Travel And Work Abroad | Travel and Work in United Kingdom For Canadians | International Experience Canada

Hopefully it might change, in the next few hours!!


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## jamesandkim (Jan 22, 2013)

we cant be the only over 30's wanting to go!!

Come on Canada embrace the slightly older than 30's!!!


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## Worsheeps (Jan 22, 2013)

There's at least 1 more, I was speaking to them earlier today.

May'be the 3 of us should form a pressure group and march on Ottawa!!


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## Liam(at)Large (Sep 2, 2012)

Worsheeps said:


> There's at least 1 more, I was speaking to them earlier today.
> 
> May'be the 3 of us should form a pressure group and march on Ottawa!!


Why don't you try marching in the UK first.... It's a reciprocal agreement.


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## Worsheeps (Jan 22, 2013)

They've updated the website to remove the Feb 1st date - may'be (hopefully) there's been a change to the requirements.


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