I have thought about this for a long time but as I am over 30 I do not qualify for the various work permits available and therefore have to have a job organised before they will let me in.

Any suggestions? I have e-mailed a few employment agencies but had no response whatsoever (I am an architectural technician with 10 years experience, if that helps).

Do you speak French at all?

If so, these people may interest you:

http://www.lemay.qc.ca/home.php?unit_id=1&lang=en

No. That and the the fact I don't have a job to go to are the things that I fall short on.

Thanks for the linky though.

Hmmm, who said you had to have a job?

You can apply for Permanent Residency from the UK without having a specific job but you've got to show yourself as 'employable'. To do this, they award points for various things like your education, your age, your work experience and whether you can speak/read/write English and/or French. Google the Canadian High Commission website and somewhere you'll find how they allocate points.

You can generally work out whether you are above the current points limit (I think it may be 79)

Problem is, it will take about 5yrs for Permanent Residency to be granted (if you qualify)so getting a job offer and the associated work permit is a LOT faster.

so getting a job offer and the associated work permit is a LOT faster.

Wifes friend did took this route. Mental health nurse, had to sit conversion exams and currently working in a hospital somewhere in the middle of Canada called (sp?)Saskatchewn, Prince Albert. Was advised by people he talked to to go that route because it was almost a dead cert, everyone else tries to get into the hot spot, big, popular cities and that route is flooded. Took best part of a year to get all the paper trail matched up tho.

I could maybe send your e-mail to them and they may be able to point you towards their info streams???

my brother got sponsored to work out there in june 06 and is still trying to get residency – he can't leave the country at the mo without a special letter!

i can ask my bro if he knows of job places if that helps?

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like you're on "The List" of high-demand jobs. If you (or your partner) were on the list, the wait time for permanent residency visa applications should be less than a year.

Otherwise, its an approx 5yr wait for PR, or find a needle-in-a-haystack sponsored job with Temporary Work Permit. I'm here thanks to my wife (nurse), as partners get an open work permit.

British Expat Forum is a very good place to research and ask questions.

Hi I did it in March,Alberta was the best bet at the time as it has lots of jobs,unfortunately time is not your friend as the 'global recession' has made them tighten up who can get in at the moment

you need an employer who has a 'lmo'{labour market opinion}
I was told all the employers on here have them and are actively seeking foriegn workers Job Bank you may have to verify this though as I got my job in Leeds so didn't use it

any specific info just ask{remember I'm 7 hours behind so it will be a while before I reply

That list appears different to the one I saw on the Canadian immigration website which does include architectural professionals.

Any links/contacts would be very useful.

You can generally work out whether you are above the current points limit (I think it may be 79)

That is the test I took and the only things I failed on were that I didn't speak French and didn't have a job to go to.

I might see if I can get some addresses of architects firms and just write to them and include my cv.

Thanks folks.

The idea above of trying places like Saskatchewan is an excellent one. Yes it's true that Saskatchewan is generally flat, BUT…

First of all, there are redeeming physical features like some gorgeous valleys, and vast forests further north.

Secondly, it is financially booming. Regina, the capital city, and Saskatoon, the far more interesting of the two cities, are really turning around.

Thirdly, nobody has really thought of going there. The province has for a century been looked on as the poor, boring sibling in the Canadian family. They're only now realising that the discovery of diamonds, and other natural resources there are resulting in a financial boom.

I would definitely look up architectural firms in Regina and Saskatoon. Even Prince Albert is worth a try.

Finally, if you want to know more, say so on this thread, and we can get in contact.

Saxonrider

Exactly what my friends said and was part of the attraction for them and young daughter. They are right into the country life inc horses, already got that sorted btw. Friend had a sponsored job complete with 6mths rental flat

Hmmm Saskatoon's friendly climate

Lol – look down that Wikipedia entry – Saskatoon's sister city is Baghdad!