35 y/o US citizen seeks Canadian residency (purchasing, school)

[Duluth07]

Apologizing in advance if this is already on this thread - but I would like to hear from folks who know the Canadian Immigration system (not the hacks you see advertising in newspapers and whatnot) and the possibility of an American (I'm from Duluth, Minnesota; not far from Thunder Bay and Fort Frances, Ontario). I know English, French and Ojibway. I am not married and have no kids. I have a degree in Psychology, Fitness & Health and considering another program to get my RN (if you already have a science-based degree it's only another 15 months to get your RN now)...

I'm familiar with the CIC (Citizenship & Immigration Canada) website. Over the last few years I've seen a couple of programs that 'appear' to be leading towards granting residency to those who are interested in being caregivers (Personal Care Attendants) - I guess my question is seeking advice on, should I get my RN here in Minnesota, should I go for this caregiver program and see what happens; my fear is these kinds of programs will become flooded with applications or disappear so I should apply for it now rather than wait it out only to discover I can't qualify for anything...

Ideally I would like to own and operate my own fitness center. In Minnesota we have two chains of 24/7 fitness centers (Anytime Fitness and Snap Fitness). While I was in Windsor I noticed they do not have either club there, and I was interested in purchasing a license to open a club there. I am not sure how this would work as I have not seen anyone try this in Canada yet (however I have noticed some of these clubs are opening in Europe). Of course this would cost a substantial amount of money, which I don't really have.

Why do I love Canada? I don't know. I grew up so close to the border that most of my experiences and travels have been through Canada, I understand the culture and people, and while I am proud to be an American, I just find the Canadian much more in line and similar to my experience as a lifelong resident of northern Minnesota.

So I'm just throwing out some ideas, if you have been through this process yourself, feel free to drop me a note on how your experience was. If you know the Canadian Immigration system, feel free to let me know how it works - I have been paying attention to it for about 15 years but haven't had time to really keep up with new programs or changes in recent years. Thanks!

(whoops..I noticed I posted this same topic about three years ago - see what happens when you're doing a program at school and a full time job and personal training on the side! lol. Hopefully some of the info I was given will be helpful) - by the way - check out http://www.roadtocanada.com for current info!)

Jon.
jonathanlund@me.com
http://www.facebook.com/DuluthMinn

[Cornerguy1]

Well, if you're familiar with the CIC web site, then you're up to speed on the various avenues available for immigration to Canada.

If you're serious about immigrating, then plug your personal information into the various options and see which is the best fit.

The CIC system functions rather simply; you fill out the forms, pay your application fees and then wait for a decision.

There's a huge difference between being a personal trainer and becoming an RN. In terms of value from an immigration point of view, I would imagine an RN is far more valuable.

Experts warn of nursing shortage | Canada | News | Toronto Sun

[nuala]

I was looking at the options of becoming a RN here in Canada (or rather in the area where I live) and I have to say, if only there was a 15-mo program, I would seriously think of it. As it is, even with a science degree you would have to spend extremely intensive 2 years, or accelerated 3 years. So getting a 15-mo degree south of the border sounds more appealing. I am sure with the lack of health workers, if there are some qualification examinations, they shouldn't be tough, - with all the current attempts to hire RNs from farthest countries.

As for immigration experience, I did it 15 years ago, with poor English at the time, and of course had no idea of the immigration website, and there may not have been one then. All I did got points above the required amount, very straightforward process. If I could immigrate, then why you couldn't. I do see they revamp slightly the process once in a while, but as long as you are at a good productive age, and with education /entrepreneurial ideas, it shouldn't be too hard to do.