Working in Canada

[Bumrush99]

So, I decided that I want to spend around 6 months in Canada this summer and was wondering if anyone has had any experience attempting to get a work permit there. The company I work for has no offices in Montreal so getting transferred is not an option. It seems like I'm stuck in a catch 22 scenario, every company I apply for says they are interested but they refuse to interview until I have a work permit. However, the government requires that you have a confirmed job offer before issuing a work permit. I don't blame the companies, the interview process is a costly one and they probably don't want to take the chance that the work permit will be rejected..

Anyone have any tips??

 

[flamingelephant]

How old are you? What do you do? How long have you been doing it? (if you answer these questions right there could be another answer besides the work permit)

 

[Bumrush99]

29, IT Sales/Marketing, roughly around 5 years

 

[jalaram]

Just curious, why do you want to work in Canada? Do you have any relatives or friends there? Will this be temporary or are you considering living there for a while?

 

[Bumrush99]

Well, I have an itch to move out of Miami, I met a really cool girl a few months ago that lives there, and I really, really liked the European feel of Montreal. It seems like a really vibrant, multicultural city and I wouldn't mind living there for a short period of time, definitely not permanently though. With that being said, I do not want to go there without a job, I need to be busy during the week.. Making a ton of money isn't the most important thing, but having a stable job that can allow me to break even is important.

 

[flamingelephant]

Alright, this is my advice for you. Give up on the normal work permit idea. You are stuck in the catch 22, company wants you to have a work permit, but to get the work permit you need a job. You might get it through the companies head eventually, but not likely. Since you have experience in your field your best bet might be a NAFTA work permit. Read up on them. I'm not sure if IT sales/marketing will qualify you, but it might. These kind of work permits are for people with experience in a bunch of different catergories. You dont even apply before you go, you just show up at the border or customs and apply. IT would be best to get all the documentation that they could possibly ask for together to make it easier. NAFTA work permit might work for you, read up about it. Let me know if it could work for you.
Good luck

 

You will need to have a company sponsor you to get a work visa. Having a company sponsor you is not very easy.
One of the many stipulations is that the job you are going to be doing cannot be immediatly filled by a canadian citizen.

Your best bet is to make friends and work under the table.

 

[TallBill]

stay in the us?