What do I need to move to Canada?

Question

I live in California, USA and I would like to move to Vancouver. Before I look for a job there, I want to know what do I need to apply for a government job permission; I’ve been told that Canadian can work in the US without major difficulties and vice versa, is it true?

Answer 1

Besides the regular Work Visa and application for residency, you have to get certified in Beaver Handling.  There are lots of Beavers in Canada and if you aren't trained, they could eat the legs off your chair or something even more dangerous.

Answer 2

Yeah, but Canada's getting tougher on US immigrants.

Mainly because people are going up there specifically for the better health care.

Seriously.

Your best bet is to go temp, get a job & show you won't be a burden and then go perm. Alternately, if you are highly skilled, etc it might tip it from the go.

Answer 3

I would recommend a provincial nominee program if you can.  It's much faster than anything else and all you have to do is qualify for one of the professions from a long list of their most needed.  Check out http://www.ecdev.gov.bc.ca/ProgramsAndSe...

What would happen is that you would have to apply for this program with a job offer.  You would have a temporary work permit leading to permanent residency.  You should have it all done within a year.

As far as I know, there are no special work permits in Canada for US citizens or vice versa.  I guess NAFTA free trade agreement only works for trading goods, not people :)

Answer 4

Men are hot there!  

Answer 5

Visit www.cic.gc.ca to get the various options to work in Canada.

The short term plan is to get a work permit.  The long term plan is to get a permanent resident status.

For work permit, there are jobs which does not require work permit, which shown in http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/apply-...

If work permit is require, then employer need to apply for labor market opinion letter from Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC). If employer has submitted HRSDC before looking for employee, then the rest is for you to apply for work permit.  HRSDC takes about 1 - 3 months to receive.

For following jobs, HRSRC confirmation is not require:

1. Senior Animation Effects Editor

2. Embedded Systems Software Designer

3. MIS Software Designer

4. Multimedia Software Developer

5. Software Developer

6. Software Products Developer

7. Telecommunications Software Designer

8. Live-in caregiver

9. on campus employment

NAFTA agreement between Canada and US does facilitate this without a work permit. However, they are towards US base company sending you to Canada as trainer, supervisor, after-sales service, intra-company activity, where your salary is paid by US company. You does not sound like fall into this area.

For those who work for international company, they can make use of NAFTA. Work in Canada first, while US HR pay their salary, while Canada branch apply for labor market opinion letter. After 3 months, you can apply work permit and Canada branch can pay for payroll.  This will require your company to agree.

This CIC foreign worker guidelines provides very detail info

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/m...

After employer get labor market opinion, you need to get a copy of labor market opinion (if your job does not require, then no need) from employer, job offer letter, and apply work permit. After 5 working days, or sooner, High Commission of Canada will request you to go for medical check on your expense. The report need to submit by the clinic to High Commission of Canada directly.

After they received the report, you should get the worker visa within 3 days. It is a very beautiful hologram Canada visa sticker in your passport.

Enter Canada, and obtain work permit from immigration department in the airport. This is the whole procedure

Obtaining work permit is a faster way to move to Canada, while apply for PR (permanent resident) for US citizen will takes about 1.5 - 2 years to approve. After obtained PR, no work permit is require.

There are 10 pages of information in CIC homepage which I may not cover all. You did not specify what kind of job, education background, criminal record, medical condition, so it is impossible to list down everything here. Please visit CIC homepage, and update your question with more precise question

I obtained work permit to work in Canada in 3 weeks, then apply for PR status in 3 years. Information provided is based on my experience.

I will not answer your question even after you post more info. Seldom check this homepage, so I'm just picking your question in random.

Hope this help

Answer 6

You apply for immigration, take the tests, and join the almost 1 000 000 queue to get into Canada.