Moving to Canada?

arctic lemur

I was thinking of taking a career break at some stage, i miss teaching and I'd like to give it another go in Canada. I was there last year and i fell in love with it. I have a permanent job to go back to after career break and I have a degree and post grad. What is it like to get started in canada, eg visa's etc?

Nina_Angelica

like your signature, my boyfriend has a t-shirt with that on it!

i'm canadian and used to live in cork (friars walk) w/ my boyfriend, I've since dragged him off to canada with me (loved cork loads, just missed home!)

in any case, a good site to look at for information re: visa's, is, http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.html .in addition and depending on your age check out www.swap.ca or in cork you can check out USIT. I didn't find them too helpful and from our own experience, the visa's for canada (usually released in january/february) get sent mostly to dublin USIT. Best bet to try and get one that way is online.

alternatively, depending on how serious you are, you can hire a lawyer from this end, we are currently using http://www.akcanada.com .

which part of canada are you interested in going to?

motormatic

arctic lemur wrote:

I was thinking of taking a career break at some stage, i miss teaching and I'd like to give it another go in Canada. I was there last year and i fell in love with it. I have a permanent job to go back to after career break and I have a degree and post grad. What is it like to get started in canada, eg visa's etc?

I'm Canadian, live in Toronto and am in the process of relocating to Galway to go to school. Depending on where you want to go in Canada, we actually have a shortage of teachers, so getting a visa and finding work might not be so hard.

neeviec

I'm also moving to Canada in October for a year anyway and see how I get on from there. I applied through USIT in February, they were very helpful. As I am a nurse I have to have a medical so still not clear and dry yet having it done on Thursday but hopefully after that should be good to go. As far as I could make out they only have a certain number of places a yearand that all places are now filled for this year. I had no idea what I was doing when I started applying for the visa but they sorted all the details for me, it was a great help. While I'm here I am applying for registration with the nursing board in Ontario at the minute I'll also have to do exams when I get over there, I was just wondering how hard it will be to get casual work while I am waiting for my nursing registration to come through. Thinking of heading to Toronto and I am willing to do any job.
Thanks a million

motormatic

It shouldn't be too hard. I'm wondering the same things about Ireland, it's a really daunting move, but I can't wait to move there.

There are plenty of casual jobs in Ontario, well, in Toronto anyway, I don't know about the rest of the province. You'll have to make sure you have your work permits sorted out though, most people aren't too willing to pay under the table here. There are tons of bars and restaurants that are always looking for people, you could work in one of those until your stuff came through.

How's the situation like that in Ireland? Are jobs easy enough to find? I have a British passport so I know I can legally work, but I don't know how easy it is to find work there.

neeviec

thanks it's good to know I have options when I get there! I won't be going if I don't get my visa it's a one year working visa. I'm a little baby when it comes to things like that I am so scared of being deported, it's something I would have nightmares about! I am so scared as well but so excited. If I had my visa in the morning I'd be gone! As far as I know Galway would be quite a good place to get casual work while you wait for your teaching post and red tape to be sorted. I know a few people in college in Galway and there are always plenty of shops and restaurants and that kind of thing looking for staff. Galway is a good place a small city with a good vibe, people are nice and very friendly! The county has some of the nicest scenery in Ireland. Make sure you get out to Connemara and Roundstone when you get over, they are just gorgeous.
Sorry, going to bring the conversation back to my situation again but I have no idea what to do about accomodation when I get to Toronto just thinking of staying in a hostel for a little while, is accomodation easily gotten like house/flatshares?

motormatic

rent here is quite high, but there are tons of apartment. plus there are millions of condo buildings gone up in the past few years and going up still so the housing market is opening up. we had the lowest vacancy rate in forever a few years ago but it's getting easier to find places. and rent seems to be going down a little bit too due to the amount of people buying condos. i would look into renting something before you get here as even the hostels here aren't cheap. it'd be better to rent a cheap room while you're looking for your own place.

i'm actually looking to come to galway to return to school. i've gone to college for journalism here but have been looking at the film and television program offered at gmit. since i want to live in europe after this round of school, i figure knowing journalism to canadian press standards isn't going to help me much over there! so i'd like to continue my studies in ireland. plus i miss my family. i was over there about a month ago and it just about broke my heart to come back to canada. i was born in england and have a british passport, plus my father was irish and lived there until he died so i shouldn't have any problems living there.

i would be scared of the visa thing too. when i was 18 i went and lived in texas for a few years without a visa and worked under the table. i was always scared i was going to get deported. i wouldn't even dream of doing that again. i'm a big baby too:)

neeviec

Thanksfor the advice will have a look for something before I head over. Have my medical on Thursday so hopefully my visa will be sorted and then I just have to buy my tickets. I really don't care where I stay when I get over just want to go I just love the look of Canada. Literally just got it into my head that I wanted to go!

Sorry read the wrong thread there when I was replying the last time, GMIT is a good spot. Friends of mine went there and really enjoyed their time there. You'll have no bother getting a job over here. something to tide you over when you are in college. I know a lot of people living here give out about Ireland but it really is a great place to live at the minute.

Nina_Angelica

motormatic wrote:

It shouldn't be too hard. I'm wondering the same things about Ireland, it's a really daunting move, but I can't wait to move there.

How's the situation like that in Ireland? Are jobs easy enough to find? I have a British passport so I know I can legally work, but I don't know how easy it is to find work there.

i'm canadian and moved to Ireland in '04, i have a european passport and that made things alot easier.
you will need to apply for a pps number (they say it takes about 3 wks to get to you, mine arrived in 1 wk) and i recommend doing that straight away. you will need to have proof of address, a bill (phone/utility would do) of some sort to prove your address. if you are like me and didn't have one, perhaps someone you are staying w/ would come with you? my boyfriend's mum came w/ me and used one of her bills plus a written letter stating i was residing w/ them.
another thing i did was sign up with a couple of recruitment agencies. i have an administration background and it was easy enough to find temp work that kept me going. i ended up actually work for one of the agencies i signed up w/ in their office and it was great.
irish ppl are very hospitable, willing to help out and you should have no trouble finding work, really, it's a matter of preference!
good luck to you!!

arctic lemur

Nina_Angelica wrote:

like your signature, my boyfriend has a t-shirt with that on it!

i'm canadian and used to live in cork (friars walk) w/ my boyfriend, I've since dragged him off to canada with me (loved cork loads, just missed home!)

in any case, a good site to look at for information re: visa's, is, http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.html .in addition and depending on your age check out www.swap.ca or in cork you can check out USIT. I didn't find them too helpful and from our own experience, the visa's for canada (usually released in january/february) get sent mostly to dublin USIT. Best bet to try and get one that way is online.

alternatively, depending on how serious you are, you can hire a lawyer from this end, we are currently using http://www.akcanada.com .

which part of canada are you interested in going to?

Queebec as i've relatives in that province

arctic lemur

Thanks for the advice! I'll apply for the Visa next year and organise to be registered as a secondary teacher there next year. I'm sooo looking forward to it as it would be my wildest dream come true!

BrianCalgary

arctic lemur wrote:

Thanks for the advice! I'll apply for the Visa next year and organise to be registered as a secondary teacher there next year. I'm sooo looking forward to it as it would be my wildest dream come true!

N'oubliez pas de visitez la province d'Alberta quand vous etes au Canada.


(don't forget to visit Alberta when you are in Canada) There are loads of jobs available here. Especially in Calgary. I don't know what teaching jobs are available but i will check for you. Could you teach in a Catholic School?

MrJones

thinking of going to qebec/montreal on holidays.anyone here been ? if so, did you like it? is it worth going to?
any places there worthy of special mentions

lorraine1456

Dunno if this is too late for Mr. Jones to plan his holiday, but I like visiting Montreal, and I was in Quebec City maybe 10 years ago for a summer course. The older parts of both cities are nice - cobblestones etc. In Montreal, there are cathedrals and a huge park, in Quebec City there are medieval walls around the old part of the city. What's really remarkable about Montreal is how bilingual it is. I overheard a couple chatting, with a small child. The whole time, one parent spoke only French, and the other spoke only English, to each other. People in Quebec City generally speak more French.

Recently, in Toronto, they have been deporting illegals left and right, really cracking down. Some people have overstayed their visas for years, gotten established working under the table, and it's heartbreaking for them to have to leave after having several kids, buying a house, etc.

My sister is studying immigration in grad school, she says that Canada will let in all kinds of professionals, but then they have trouble getting accredited with the Canadian professional associations, and they often don't get jobs in their field.

MrJones

thanks for that. dont have french but might visit.

lorraine1456

you won't need french really for Montreal, many people are bilingual. For Quebec City I found many people were eager to try out their English on me, especially in tourist areas. However if you go off the beaten track, many people don't have a working knowledge of English at all.

I found that if I tried to speak French, to someone who could speak English, they will switch to English, seemingly so they don't have to hear my bad French. Last time I went, I was "allowed" to continue in French so things might be changing. I start with "bonjour" just to show that I'm being polite and test the waters; language can be a sensitive issue in Quebec.

vimak

lorraine1456 wrote:

you won't need french really for Montreal, many people are bilingual. For Quebec City I found many people were eager to try out their English on me, especially in tourist areas. However if you go off the beaten track, many people don't have a working knowledge of English at all.

I found that if I tried to speak French, to someone who could speak English, they will switch to English, seemingly so they don't have to hear my bad French. Last time I went, I was "allowed" to continue in French so things might be changing. I start with "bonjour" just to show that I'm being polite and test the waters; language can be a sensitive issue in Quebec.

I heard that English is the 'cool' language in Quebec and many people will try to speak it instead of French if they see you're an English speaker. So maybe it's not because of your bad French after all

motormatic

vimak wrote:

I heard that English is the 'cool' language in Quebec and many people will try to speak it instead of French if they see you're an English speaker. So maybe it's not because of your bad French after all

i don't know about that. it's best to at least make the effort because then they see that you're making an effort. there's quite a bit of animosity between montrealers and torontonians sometimes; we aren't exactly loved in most of quebec. montreal is a wicked city though, beautiful architecture and great parties:)

Nina_Angelica

motormatic wrote:

i don't know about that. it's best to at least make the effort because then they see that you're making an effort. there's quite a bit of animosity between montrealers and torontonians sometimes; we aren't exactly loved in most of quebec. montreal is a wicked city though, beautiful architecture and great parties:)

i have to agree and say out of courtesy, it's nice to try first in french.
this can backfire though, on one of our wknd's away in montréal, we were sat in one of the restaurants and had greeted our server in french, also asking (in french) if she spoke english (as none of us spoke *great* french). She answered all smiles and said she did. we did not at this time realize at all that we may have offended her or even that there was a problem because she was smiling when we asked her! 40 mins later we're still sat there waiting for someone to take our order, so we politely asked her (in english this time) if she would be taking our order soon, she replied in french and only french, took the order based on what we were pointing at on the menu and then proceeded to ignore us the rest of the time until we paid the bill. needless to say she didn't get much of a tip!
i do think this was an isolated incident as nothing like this ever happened again but it can happen.

montréal is FANTASTIC for partying indeed!

motormatic

yeah, i've had a couple of experiences in montreal of asking for something in english, being told that the server didn't speak english, and then hearing them talk about us in english!! you've gotta make the effort! if they see that you are really trying, then it's usually ok. my french is terrible though. in canada, most kids learn french in school, but i grew up in england and ireland and by the time i got here had missed out on all the elementary french lessons and could never quite wrap my head around it.

Nina_Angelica

motormatic wrote:

yeah, i've had a couple of experiences in montreal of asking for something in english, being told that the server didn't speak english, and then hearing them talk about us in english!! you've gotta make the effort! if they see that you are really trying, then it's usually ok. my french is terrible though. in canada, most kids learn french in school, but i grew up in england and ireland and by the time i got here had missed out on all the elementary french lessons and could never quite wrap my head around it.

you've got good reason not to have picked it up!
i went to school in canada and was taught french throughout primary/secondary (well only have to take it first year) and i still can't speak much at all!

lorraine1456

I have never asked anyone if they speak English, I'm too shy I guess.

They have always switched to English with the exception of 2 occasions.

One time I barely spoke at all to a cashier, in a non-touristy area, and she just assumed I spoke french, and spoke it back to me.

The other time, in a fast-food place, I started speaking French, the server went along with it, speaknig French back to me. I got stuck when I couldn't say "scrambled eggs", broke into English to ask her, she told me "brouille" and then I continued in French.

Brian M

You can speak English in Quebec City because it's a tourist hotspot. Plus, if you speak it with any sort of accent, you'll be fine. They don't take to kindly to English Canadians, but if you're in the old city and spending money, everything is fine. It is a beautiful place.

Montreal is completely bilingual (although language issues are always there) and you can survive on english for awhile (although plan on picking up french).

Great thing about Canada, the absolutely huge range of choice you've got in citites. From the close, friendly cities of Halifax and the other Atlantic provinces to the centres of french-Canada like Montreal and Quebec city. In Ontario you have your obsenely large city in Toronto, but plenty of more human sized places in Kingston, or Ottawa or whatever.

Travel "a little" more and you end up in Calgary or Vancouver and a whole new basket.

Toolach

What are the best places to go if you don't have a word of French?

What is the economy like over in Canada?

motormatic

Toolach wrote:

What are the best places to go if you don't have a word of French?

What is the economy like over in Canada?

If you don't speak French, like the majority of Canadians, then you'll be fine anywhere but Quebec, and parts of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Most people here do not speak French, there are only a few parts where you need to. The entie province of Quebec is probably out though.

The economy's pretty good. It's cheaper here than it is in Ireland, well, now most places are cheaper than Ireland. There are a decent amount of jobs although like anywhere, it'll take some looking to get a decent one. Canada's a great place to live, although with our new government it might not be in a few years.

greenteaicedtea

Calgary's undergoing kind of a boom. http://www.workopolis.com/canada-jobs/calgary-jobs/index.html

My brother worked in fibreoptics & semiconductors, first in Ottawa (around the time of the Nortel crash) then in Taiwan, he debated staying in Taiwan becuase the job market's apparently better in Asia for things like that. But he's into solar power now and just got a job so he's staying in Canada for the time being.

Lots of people emigrate to Canada and then their credentials arent' recognized, so try to get a job here before you arrive.

motormatic

greenteaicedtea wrote:

Lots of people emigrate to Canada and then their credentials arent' recognized, so try to get a job here before you arrive.

that's true for sure. in toronto we have a ridiculous number of doctors and teachers driving taxis. the worst part is that we also have a shortage of said trades. canada recognizes credentials from few countries. it's a real shame; there are a lot of highly educated immigrants here who can't get work so they end up on welfare or working crap jobs that they are WAY overqualified for.

greenteaicedtea

My mom's family is from Newfoundland, FYI it's an economically depressed part of the country (cod fishery gone, etc. etc. etc.) and many of her nieces & nephews are in Alberta. My cousin's husband said that of the 80,000 people in Fort McMurray, 40,000 were from Newfoundland.

So I dunno what jobs exactly are in Alberta, but seems to be a lot anyhow. I'm sure they have to do with the oil industry.

motormatic

greenteaicedtea wrote:

My mom's family is from Newfoundland, FYI it's an economically depressed part of the country (cod fishery gone, etc. etc. etc.) and many of her nieces & nephews are in Alberta. My cousin's husband said that of the 80,000 people in Fort McMurray, 40,000 were from Newfoundland.

So I dunno what jobs exactly are in Alberta, but seems to be a lot anyhow. I'm sure they have to do with the oil industry.

yeah, i'm not sure. i think there are a lot of construction jobs out there too. i just watched a thing on the cbc about how people from newfoundland and new brunswick were flocking to alberta. construction is also on the rise, because all these people are moving there to work but there isn't anywhere to house them all. there were lots of people with full time jobs living in a sort of tent city because there aren't enough houses. so i suppose there are even more jobs building residences for all the new people.

Brian M

If you're planning a working holiday, don't go to Alberta. The jobs are all roughneck type stuff. Lots of cash, but Calgary and Edmonton are not exactly top of the list when it comes to beautiful. Vancouver yep, but housing is bloody expensive. Toronto is big with all the advantages and disadvantages that go along with that. Montreal's a party town, probably as good a place as any. Halifax is a nice city, but jobs in that area might be tough.

MrJones

am i right in saying that galway and montreal would be similar?
i have never been to montreal but get this impression.