Moving to Canada - Best place to start?

[glparker4]

I am a US citizen (from Atlanta) wishing to immigrate to Canada. I have considered Winnipeg, MB because I have friends nearby in ND and I am interested in applying to Manitoba PNP under the Community Support stream. However, others have referred me to Vancouver because of the nice climate and better quality of life. When I have visited Winnipeg, the cold weather was tolerable (around 4C) but I know it gets brutally cold. I have also not been able to find many jobs in IT in Winnipeg. I have checked the job sites and it seems that most IT jobs are clustered around GTA, Calgary, Montreal, and Vancouver. Since I don't speak French, Montreal is out of the question. I have read that Toronto is overcrowded, expensive, and has rude drivers (I might as well stay in the US for that). Calgary and Vancouver seem like viable options, but I have not had much luck finding an interested employer. I have an extensive resume that I posted on monster.ca, Workopolis, etc. and have only received responses from US companies. I have been trying to find a NAFTA approved job that doesn't require HRSDC approval. I have checked with the CIC and I do qualify for the minimum 67 points to immigrate. I know that my situation is unique to me but I am hoping someone can provide some useful advice for me as well as other forum members...

Do you have any recommendations on finding a (NAFTA approved) job in Canada?

It seems that getting nominated through a PNP is much quicker than applying directly to CIC. However, all PNPs require job offers except MB. I am tempted to apply to MB but I do not want to be stuck there if I can't find a job. How long would I be required to stay in MB assuming I make a good faith effort in finding a job?

Are there any recommendations on best places/cities to focus my attention? Everyone that immigrates seems to only consider Toronto. I am from the American South but I am very adaptable.

If all else fails, it seems like my only option is to land once I have PR and try to find a job when I get there. That seems somewhat risky and I have read horror stories from immigrants with Masters and Ph. Ds who end up working low wage jobs and barely surviving.

[Canadiancitizen]

Hello:

Why not forget Winterpeg..........

And take a look at the five cities that surround Toronto? Just like Atlanta, Toronto has a number of suburban cities, such as Mississauaga, Oakville, Brampton and Vaughan, that are great places to live, and lots of IT jobs, too.

Mississauga is the fastest growing city in Canada, with a popualtion of 780, 000 people, but it still has great places to live and play, and NO city debts. Yes the city has a "we don't spend what we don't have in the bank " financial policy, so taxes are low and services are bulit before a housing area is even completed. The mayor ( Hazel McCallion ) has been in office for 27 years, and at age 81 she still drives her own car and runs the city with a steady hand. She is so good that no one runs against her come election time.

Here is a information website about the city of Mississauaga, and it's many features.

http://www.mississauga.ca/portal/home

Brampton is also a city that has lots of IT jobs. Look here.

http://www.city.brampton.on.ca/home.taf

The city of Vaughan calls it's self The City Above Toronto, because it is located to the north of the Toronto city boundary line.

Check it out here.

http://www.city.vaughan.on.ca/

The Region of York is also to the north of Toronto, and a city in it;s own right. Look here.

http://www.city.vaughan.on.ca/

The NAFTA agreement is set up for companies to find workers, to fill positions that cannot be filled by workers in that country.

Example, the University of Toronto needs a number of computer science teachers, but only for one academic year. They can't find any in Canada, so they are allowed to try to fill the spaces thru ads in USA newspapers. Applicants if hired wil be granted a NAFTA visa, for the year. Longer terms can be arranged, if needed, by the employer, with HRDC approval.

In your case I suggest that applying for a PR status will take more time, BUT will be more likely to result in permanet employment here in Canada. Finding a Nafta situation, on your own is hard to do. Not impossible to do, but not easy either.

Now to the personal side of the topic.......

Yes Toronto is the largest city in Canada, BUT is also one of the most interesting places to live in. In my 30 years in the CF I was sent to many countries that I enjoyed, and Toronto has a hugely diverse population. It is not New York city, and it really is a city of "neighbourhoods" that are visually different and have their own "feel ". A city that is very liveable and still knows how to be polite. San Francisco has a "china town " , Toronto has five of them. Twenty seven daily newspapers, four in English. Sixty radio stations, with langauges of all kinds. Toronto Police Service has 5,200 uniform officers, 40 percent of whom are female, and amongst that uniform group, they have officers who speak over 100 different languages. So Yes we really are " The world next door ". in this city.

Let me know if this was helpful to you?

Jim Bunting. Toronto.

[CourtneyEM]

There are plenty of IT jobs in Canada. There is a great Canada Job Search Tool on this Canadian immigration website - when I keyed in IT in Winnipeg alone, it gave me 183 current job openings.

In fact the Canadian government has implemented a program to facilitate the process of bringing foreign IT workers to Canada on a temporary basis.

Provincial Nomination Programs in every province require that you first obtain a job offer. Details are available for each in the aforementioned link. At the bottom of each page is a description about the province so that you can be better equipped to chose where you would like to live (ie British Columbia).

For more information about facilitated entry under NAFTA, check out the following article: http://international.monster.ca/12832_en-CA_p1.asp

I hope this helps and good luck!

[glparker4]

Jim, your response was very helpful. From viewing the websites of the surrounding cities, many of them sound like they have very viable potential. Unlike the suburbs of Atlanta, the communities in the GTA seem to have as much character as Toronto.

I am aware of the NAFTA agreement and what job descriptions are exempt from HRSDC approval. Maybe instead of trying to find these jobs on Canadian websites, I should look at US newspapers and sites. Jim, I would like to stay in touch with you as I do plan to visit GTA sometime soon.

-Louis

[Canadiancitizen]

Louis:

I'm glad to be helpful to you, and you can e-mail me at

buntingJ@hotmail.com

How about some more information about Toronto, the surrounding cities, and Ontario, in general ?

http://www.toronto.ca/

http://www.ontariotravel.net/TcisCtrl?s ... anguage=EN

http://www.mississaugatourism.ca/Missis ... m_148.aspx


Ontario is the second largest Province, after Quebec, in physical size. With over 250,000 lakes and rivers, it spans a huge area, from the US border to the edge of the Arctic tundra. It is home to about one third of the total population of Canada, and in the "golden Horseshoe" around the western end of Lake Ontario, we have about 9 million people. Ontario is the financial and indurtrial heart of Canada, with about 70 percent of all Canadian corporations having their headquarters in Toronto, along with all 7 of the national banks in Canada.

To drive from the eastern side of Ontario, at the Quebec boundary, to the western edge of the Province where it meets with Manitoba, is a 27 hour drive. Yes Canada is a huge country, with 6 time zones.

Questions? Ask me here.

JIm B. Toronto.