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As some of you might know I'm interested in finding work in Canada so I can eventually move. I'm looking into Toronto and while I have visited the CIC site, I can't get past a certain point to do research (it asks me if I took the IELTS test, which I haven't, and can't get past that point). I decided to Google some things and it took me to a site of an immigration lawyer named David Cohen. I filled out the survey and in a day he replied back that it would be best to find a job first, then go through the process.
I'm new to this whole thing and before I do anything, I like to make sure the sources are legitimate. Are those survey sites connected to immigration lawyers legitimate? Should I be wary? I will be making calls and maybe this weekend when I'm not working my two jobs, I'll probe a bit further. Since I work two jobs during the week, I'm tired by the time I get home at night.
ALL lawyers in Canada MUST belong to a Provincial regulating organisation, that certifies that the individual is qualified to practice law in that Province or Territory. Each Provincial law society has a online website, that you can use to check the qualifications of a particular person.
So, which Province does MR Cohen operate in ? That is the first fact to establish. There is also a national associate of Immigration Advisors , who are certified by the Government of Canada, as being qualified to advise and act for potential Immigrants to Canada.
Looking at the email Mr. Cohen sent me, he has a law firm in Montreal and the link was from CanadaVisa.com. I'll check out the CAPIC-ACCPI as well.
I just want to put all of my ducks in a row before I start looking for jobs. I read an American can stay in Canada for 6 months with their passport, but I'm not sure if I can just go and apply for a visa when I arrive in Canada. I know it sounds stupid, but I just want to make sure I do things correctly.
That six months in Canada...is not carved in stone. And one of the first questions that a potential employer in Canada will ask is..........Are you legally allowed to work in Canada ? If so show us your work permit, and your Social Insurance Number.
My point is that you can't put the cart before the horse.
As KLM said...........the Immigration application system is designed to be a " do it yourself " process.
Unless you have a very complicated situation, a "immigration advisor " cannot do anything that you cannot do for yourself. They may promise all kinds of things, but in reality all they can do is check the paperwork, and send it forward. They cannot make things go faster, nor can they "move your application to the front of the line "
I am not saying that MR Cohen would do that.........But many of the advisors, (who are located outside of Canada ), do just that, when dealing with naïve applicants from countries where bribery and corruption of government officials is the norm. Because they are outside of Canada, our laws cannot reach them. That is what they count on.
Looking at the email Mr. Cohen sent me, he has a law firm in Montreal and the link was from CanadaVisa.com. I'll check out the CAPIC-ACCPI as well.
I just want to put all of my ducks in a row before I start looking for jobs. I read an American can stay in Canada for 6 months with their passport, but I'm not sure if I can just go and apply for a visa when I arrive in Canada. I know it sounds stupid, but I just want to make sure I do things correctly.
I guess I will continue to research, apply when I'm ready, and be patient. Thank you for all of your patience with me.
Jessica
Hey try searching work aboard or student work/travel visas. There was something like that I did in my early 20s. I got a work visa for the UK so I would live and work in the UK for up 2 years. You dont have to be a student, but a certain again. I think it was called a work/travel visa or something like that. I had a blast.
I just want answers of how I should proceed. Should I look for a job first or should I get a visa? Mr. Cohen suggested a job first (I didn't pay him... it was just based off of a test I took). Unless I am looking in the wrong place on the CIC website - I'm looking under "work in Canada", I can't get past the test section. I just want to know what I should do first. Would it be much better to have a job first and then do everything or do everything first and get a job? Like I said, I'm new to this process and I need some help on what I should do first.
KLMRocks, that could work too! My old friend in Toronto still maintains that "you're an American, since you have a passport, you can come here, and go to immigration when you're here!" But, he has lied to me before and I don't think I should trust him. Maybe a student/tourist visa could be a way. Could it be possible to work full time on a student visa and go to school once I have the money? I'm considering going back to school once I get settled and have a full time job.
Your friend is wrong and probably has not actually read the Immigration regulations.
First , a student visa is for some one who is going to be a full time student in Canada and they MUST have applied and been accepted by a Canadian University, and paid their fees....before they can apply for a student visa from the Canadian Government.
In addition, that student visa has specific limits about "working while a student " that come down to being allowed to only work about 20 hours a week, during the school year. My point here is that a student visa is not what you should be shooting for.
The Temp work permit will allow you, once approved, to come to Canada, and apply for any job that you might be qualified to fill. It has less stringent rules than the Permanent Resident class has. The Temp permit also has provisions for a time period extension, beyond the original time period...........and it does allow you to attempt to move up to a PR category, based on your been living and working in Canada on the Temp permit. The only path to Canadian citizenship is through the Permanent Resident program.
Another path that you should research is the NAFTA agreement, between Canada the USA and Mexico. It allows citizens from any of the 3 countries to apply for a position in one of the other countries, based on their professional qualifications and actual working experience. In reality, most of the flow under NAFTA is between Canada and the US . It is a way for a company or University to quickly fill a vacancy, with a person who meets the position's requirements. Usually the hiring firm advertises on a international forum, and any applicants that meet the specific requirements can apply. The University of Toronto, for instance does that frequently, for academic and admin positions that they cannot fill with a Canadian. Not unusual at all.
Thanks, Jim B. I want to do the NAFTA thing - I will look at the site and research it.
Last night I joined the CIC site and looked into the Express Entry. It asked if I had a job lined up. I didn't. Unfortunately, I wasn't selected for Express Entry based on my qualifications. So, I wonder if someone should have a job lined up first and I wonder if that is the same way for the work visa.
I'll definitely look at the site and I will make calls too. I appreciate all of your help - it's making it a lot clearer.
Also, the friend is originally from Saudi Arabia. He lived most of his life in Canada as his dad is a doctor, but his family went back to Saudi Arabia when he was 16. He wanted to go back to Canada, so he just went back and became a citizen. I didn't question it, but it sounded weird and I found out he lied about other things. He's never worked and he still doesn't work. I have no idea how he would get anywhere without a job. Anyway, he is shady and that is why I don't listen to him.
I will suggest that he acquired Canadian citizenship, through his family being admitted to Canada as Permanent Residents. At the time that they were in Canada, he may have been part of a family application for citizenship as a minor child. Because the family was in Canada legally, that application would have been approved, if all the requirements were found to be correct. Canadian citizenship is for life.
The fact that he is living in Canada is not unusual, as he does hold citizenship here. If he doesn't work here, that again is not in any way illegal.............BUT if he is doing something that isn't legal, he will come under scrutiny by Police here, or the Revenue Canada investigators, eventually. Some wealthy families who have received citizenship in Canada, leave and live in another country, for whatever reasons. That's quite legal.
Jim B.
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