Canadian Working Visa anyone? (Halp plz)

[Kiro]

So, I'm attempting (failing hard) to move to Montreal. Passport and all that shiz are already done with, but I want to get a working visa before I go up there. Is that even possible?

I've been reading websites and forms for hours and all I've seen so far is that I need a job offer from a business in Canada before I can get one, or I can try this Skilled Worker test thing?

Anyone here ever gone through this process and can shed a little light on the subject and save me some time and stress?

Getting an "under the table" job up there wouldn't be a problem if I really wanted to leave the U.S. in a hurry, but I'd feel a little more comfortable knowing I can work wherever the hell I want once I get up there. I just want to figure this shiz out so I can get out of this country as fast as I can. :<

[Zalius]

TRAITOROUS SWINE

[Quicklet]

Getting an early start before the election, eh?

[Azalee]

Leaving the one good place in our country? =P

I really have no idea, but good luck in Canada. I had an ex from VT who used to love to visit Montreal.

[Kiro]

I'm not leaving 'cause of any political bullshit, although if I end up there and a draft happens I'll lul, I just need a goddamn change of scenery. Seattle is awesome and everything but I've had my fill.

Everything is nicer up in Montreal, period. For what I'm shelling out for a shitty 1-bedroom apartment in Seattle I could be living in a $225,000 house. Even the apartments are, for lack of a better word, BALLIN' up there. Fucking loft apartments for $700 a month, TWO FLOOR condos for $1200 a month with 4 fucking rooms and 2 fucking bathrooms. I mean honestly, I don't know why I didn't leave sooner.

Plus all of my girlfriend's family lives up there and I don't have much going on down here as far as family goes (don't really "like" them too much, lolz), so it'd be a big upgrade in quality of life. :\

[Azalee]

Yeah, living in Seattle is absolutely ridiculous. I guess if you are into the whole Seattle scene then it is worth the shitty living situation or having a fuckton of roommates.

My mom has been looking at houses in Tacoma and it is amazing how much the price drops from King County to Pierce County.

[Kiro]

Fuck living in Tacoma, rofl. Murder capital of the U.S. a few years ago wasn't it? I'll pass. I'd rather live in Kitsap County in Silverdale or Poulsbo or something.

Even my brother is leaving Seattle to live in Texas. He saw how cheap houses are down there and he immediately decided he was gonna split and get himself a house. The U.S. is no longer a land of opportunity unless your family is wealthy or you're one hell of a businessman and are able to create and maintain your own business. It's pretty much impossible to live anywhere nice unless you have roommates, or you live a ways away from any major cities. Of course I'm basing this off of what I've seen in Washington, I dunno how it is in other states.

I'm ready to bounce over the border and make a nice cushy life for myself and my little demon spawn.

[weeee]

lol kiro!
225,000$ Houses are pretty meh houses now btw, even Saint Lazarre w(where land value used to Decline).

If your moving core downtown for a 3 1/2 no inc except water APT your looking @800$, I paid a bit less than that when I was in MTL.

Either way go google ministre des emplois and Canada goverment site to check what you can apply for, Quebec might need additional requirement, its notrious for that. Or goto Canadian embassy near you. If your really serious thats the best step imo. Montreal also easy to work under the table for crappy jobs, but resto been getting a lot of flame by inspectors latetly in past couple of years.

[Skjie]

Getting into Quebec is much harder than other provinces.

[Kiro]

Haha, thanks Weeee. I was gonna go post on the DB forums about this, but apparently the LS isn't around anymore. Tons of people in that shell were from Montreal. :<

I'm banking on getting this "Skilled Worker Visa" thing. Gotta take a test and see if I get enough "points" to qualify for one, then I have to wait up to a year to get it, lol..

This is some rough shit, geez.

[Aerin]

TRAITOROUS SWINE

qft

[Azalee]

Kiro I have a friend that moved to Texas, and she absolutely hated it. Sure, houses are cheap as shit, but the minimum wage is WAAAAY lower than it is here, so you make way less money.

And fuck, if you want to live in that nasty heat forever then go for it. =P

[Elesirdur]

Parlez vous Quebecois Kiro?

If you don't know any French, get ready to learn fast. Montreal is far better than Quebec City if you're an anglophone, but not knowing any French will be a huge drawback when trying to get a job. For service-type jobs in Montreal, and Quebec as a whole, it's basically acceptable to speak only French and no English, but the opposite is not true, some French will be required.

I'm not sure what kind of work experience you have, but there will be minimum requirements for both a temporary work permit and getting landed immigrant status. Also, be aware that the process for coming to Quebec may be longer and may require you to submit forms and work with the Province of Quebec prior to getting a permit to stay and/or work there.

As for links, I found the page for 'Working temporarily in Canada' on the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada's English website: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/index.asp

Remember that getting a temporary work permit is different than immigration, but immigration can be very difficult. I took a business class with a Brazilian woman earlier this year who had just immigrated to Canada with her husband. They both had Master's degrees and she was a former manager in the Federal bureaucracy of Brazil. She and her husband had to amass something like 65k CDN prior to getting to Canada, and even with their extensive academic backgrounds they still just barely squeaked by with enough "points" to get in. I suppose it's a bit of a cautionary tale to show that legal immigration is not an easy process.

As an American citizen I'm not sure how long you can stay in Canada without getting a temporary resident visa, but I'm betting it's a pretty long time relative to many other nations. But do remember that as a temporary resident you are afforded no access to any of the social services, including health care, offered to full Canadian citizens so make sure you still have health insurance you can draw on.

[Thoronas]

As an American you can stay in Canada as a visitor for up to 6 months. However as a visitor you can't work.

If you are trying to go up to Canada to work then yeah its difficult. In most cases you have to have applied for a job in Canada. Then get selected over every Canadian that also applied for said job and then hope the company wants you bad enough to go through the paperwork to let your ass in the country.

There is a way around this however IF you work in IT. If you work in IT any company in Canada can hire you and not have to prove why you are better than Canadian candidates. Part of the NAFTA agreement allows for the free movement of IT workers across the border. Once you've got the job offer you drive to the border with documents to prove the job is legit and the Canadian border office will provide you with a work visa on the spot.

I know all this because my wife is American and we went through all the options including the one I just mentioned before we decided "fuck it, it's easier to just get married". It's eight months later and she's still not able to work in Canada but will hopefully get approved by November according to our lawyer. I wish you good luck in getting to Montreal and when you're there go drink at Brewtopia, I love that place.

[dritero]

I wish you good luck in getting to Montreal and when you're there go drink at Club Supersex, I love that place.

Fixed.

[Xno Kappa]

lol GSP

[Elesirdur]

Ahaha Club Supersex, such a cliche but damn fun.

Rue St. Catherines is just fun in general. Wicked shopping and eating in the day/evening, and strip clubs and discotheques at night.

Edit: Here's the website for Quebec's own Immigration Ministry which includes info on Quebec-specific regulations and needs, as well as important things like learning French in Quebec. http://www.immigration-quebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/index.asp

[MisterBob]

The U.S. is no longer a land of opportunity unless your family is wealthy or you're one hell of a businessman and are able to create and maintain your own business. It's pretty much impossible to live anywhere nice unless you have roommates, or you live a ways away from any major cities. Of course I'm basing this off of what I've seen in Washington, I dunno how it is in other states.

This really isn't true. I was able to get a really cushy job in the Boston area and started working immediately after graduation. The main issue here is that inflation in the education area is increasing, and people still aren't going to college. The difference between someone who went to a high-end college and someone who didn't go/went to community college is just massive at this point.

America is still a "land of opportunity", but you NEED to put education as a top priority, or nobody worth a damn is going to hire you, unless you're incredibly lucky.

[Kiro]

Gawd, I should just get married to my girlfriend or something. Been dating for 7 years now anyway, bwaha.

Lawl, fuck that. THIS IS GONNA BE A PAIN IN THE ASS.~

[Pikarya]

Just get married with a prenup. Problem solved.