plainsconesonly wrote:I want to go but I dont!! Its frightening!!

My thoughts exactly!

Shootingstar... that is amazing that things are going so quickly for your husband! Is he an electrician also? Don't suppose you have the contact details of the company he got the offer with?

H2b is a carpenter, he will b going into the form work end of it, said its not something he has a whole pile of experience in but he can turn his hand at anything!! The company who interviewed him is monad industrial contractors, and the company is pcl I think, he will b workin in the mines in a town called vascoy.

Hi Ladies,
Myself & DH went to the expo in the RDS on Saturday, a journey which should only take MAX 2hrs, took us 3hrs & another 1/2hr to get parked. We joined the queue but never got into the expo - was so disappointing to say the least! We are looking at Canada as DH has been unemployed this past 2 years.

Numerous with the social... we haven't had a single cent from them since last Sept (on his side). I've since been put on a 3-day week! We're in the unfortunate situation where we have two mortgages (we built our own home and tried to sell DH house... all to no avail!) to pay and would be sending home a substantial amount of money regardless of where we go. But it has just gotten to the stage where we're at our wits end. There are NO jobs out there for DH, he has applied for everything going. He's an electrician by trade, but has been applying for ANY factory work, curtain/blind fitting, mushroom picking... you name it!! And for people to tell him to "think outside the electrical box", well that just makes me so so

Anyhow, ladies, this wasn't supposed to be a venting session... sorry!

I am just wondering if you guys have any advice on where we should go from here? Is the USIT route the best way to look into Canada, or should we look about getting a job offer first? I'm totally clueless.
YummyMummy2b i PM you, so if you could offer any advice - i'd really appreciate it.
Thanks a mill ladies

Denisegal, we are the same as you didn't get in to the expo. Looked up a few of the exhibitors up online and only email address we could find was [email protected] which is the british columbia construction association. Says on their website they want Irish tradesmen to send their CVs to that email address. Think they are some kind of union that will forward your cv to their relevant members. Anyway we did this sunday night and they replied last night to say they received it so we shall see if anything comes of it.

other than that we are at abit of a loss as to how to get the ball rolling on a move. Don't want to leave without a job offer.

Hi,
Sorry to hear your situation, it really is tuff out there for people?? I think we r making the right decision by movin even though it's gonna b really really hard to leave and have a new baby over there??
Anyways when we went up to Dublin on Monday to speak to the company who have offered h2b the job we sat in on talk about visas. They told us to go this route if the employer wasnt sortin our visas, http://www.saskimmigrationcanada.ca/sinp
The employer is doing ours for us so we don't have to use it, but have a look and a read through. I also found this website when I was looking at houses etc but maybe there are job offers on it?? http://saskatoon.kijiji.ca/f-real-estat ... 43QQPageZ2

Hope it helps!!

Well!

I've just sent off the letter for Garda clearance! Little steps!!

I have a list of email addresses to send DHs CV to and numbers to call for advice! Going to start calling tonight when he gets home! We're going to tidy up his CV tonight also before we send it out... I did his CV up and when I asked him what his experience was he said he's been welding so as you can imagine his experience looks crap on paper!!! Even with 20 years experience behind him he never actually got any certs so today off he went and he's now qualified!!!

We hope to have made contact with as many companies as possible by the weekend and then it'll be a matter of waiting for a while to see if he gets any calls!

One question for those if you that are over there already.... How do I go about getting a job if the visa is for the skilled worker only?! I can't see anywhere that confirms that I can work if he gets a visa! Maybe I'm looking in wrong places!

Redundancies were announced in work today so hopefully I get it to help us on our way!

Pollydolly, we're in same position... Don't want to do anything until there is a job offer on the table so we're sending out his CV to as many companies as possible in the hope that gets him an offer! I'm also following the advice shootingstar gave about contacting www.saskimmigrationcanada.ca at the same time as CV sending!

I really think this little thread is very helpful.... Thank you so much to all contributors!

mrsblacky

Thanks littlelily! All these little tips are very helpful!

Hi Girls

So sorry only got to sit down on WOL tonight as didn't have a minute all week! I can't belive the amount of hits this thread got omg!! I'm getting quite excited now-I have decided I am feeling the fear & doing it anyway! I would also really like to know about the interview process. I am thinking would the companies just find it more cost effecitve to rely on immigrants in the country already & not have the expense of recruiting employees from here & have to sort all the admin etc?? Please say I'm wrong as really hoping dh has a job offer in place first..

Mrs Blacky it sounds like you have a terrible commute. Any word on the redundancies? Thats a great sideline you have with the baking-it could come in very handy in Canada too I'm sure there are lots of farmers markets etc. DHs friend handed in a cv on Sun morning & got talking to one of the recruiters for about 20 minutes, he got a call monday evening for a tuesday interview in the Westin in the city centre. He will be based in Saskatoon. We haven't a clue where to start but there is no flies on you getting your garda clearance in ordert-thats on our to do list for the weekend. LOVE the idea of the Canadian WOL meet up-sure we will all be in the same boat. This little puddle up is a definite-I'm getting excited now by the sounds of it there will be a great little Irish community in Saskatoon

Denise gal I just pm'd you. TBH it sounds like the very fortunate few got anything out of the expo. Hubby was very lucky that his cv was even accepted all the recruiters were saying apply online website on the flyer. Re Visa we are praying hubby gets an offer first & if not we go the u35 route but unsure if we will qualify as apparently only 6,000 per annum?

Little Lily- Starzz mentioned the holidays already. I had visions of coming home to visit twice a year At the moment I get 30 holiday days not inc bank/public hols...How will I survive??? Mrs Blacky at you using hols to get hair done x Little lily thanks for the tips re the resume as blacky said all these tips very handy to us Europeans! It will be interesting to see how long it takes for the replies to roll in I can imagine all these companies are inundated with cvs at the moment...

Shootingstar-congrats on the new beginnings, this is fantastic news! We are looking at Saskatoon too.Just wondering how the maternity care will work for you when you arrive over. Will you get covered through the Canadian system through your dh? Do you need to pre book your hospital place?

Pollydolly pm,d you there-did you do any more research?

Plain Scone-by the sounds of things the money is fab-about 3,000 after tax every fortnight. I felt exactly like you did-I want to do it but dont its so scary.. Even though our situation is not nearly as eharsh as others as in no kids, loans or mortage we have taken the stance that we could be here surviving & just getting by or be 7 hours away having a better chance of living the life of our dreams.That is the clincher for us-we want to live & enjoy life not just try to make ends meet.. I am 100% behind the move now but we really want dh to have a job offer first for a bit of security & reassurance... x

Sorry for the War & Peace style post

Morning!

Yummymummy, I hope you're wrong too!! Surely all the immigrants over there are already in jobs so that is why companies are still looking for skilled workers here!

The commute never used to bother me but now that there are 2 babas at home I hate it and would do anything to stop... But can't afford to I'm in AIB and there's now talk that it could be 2013 before the redundancies are finalised depending on which dept we work in... Hubby might be going out before us and we'll follow over oncFe I finish up (that's if I get it!)!

I am really hoping that this move gives us a more comfortable life with more family time.... I think that could be what is putting doubts in my head... What if it doesn't? But then if I had to listen to all the what ifs in my head I wouldn't ever leave the house!!!!

Denisegal, would you even start going down the u35 visa route at the same time as looking for a job then there'd be something to fall back on if either one didn't work out?! That visa is out for us because dh is 42!

I think if I hadn't come across this thread we wouldn't be persuing as many avenues as we are... You girls have given us more contacts and tips than we would've gotten by just looking on the Internet so I think we're at a slight advantage! ( there should be a smug smiley option!)... Yeah sure companies are going to be inundated by CVs but we'll be sending out more than our rivals!!!

Would also be interested to know abou maternity care.... Will hopefully be having no. 3 within a year of arriving!

The idea of this move is scary but as yummymummy says, it's only 7 hours away.... Sure it took me 3 hours to get home from work the other day because of traffic so it's a no brainer really!

I just read back on what I typed and I can feel myself getting more positive as I type!!

Talk soon!

Mrsblacky

yummymummy2b I haven't gotten any of your pms.

mrs blacky what area of Canada are you hoping to move to?

I've been reading up on Saskatchewan and have to say I'm not really sold on it. Winters there seem to be the worst in the whole of Canada. Seems to be quite an isolated area, not sure if it would be what we are after. Also it wouldn't be mine work OH is after. I wouldn't be keen on him saying on site 10 days and only coming back to me and the child for 4 nights in the city or town or wherever we are based. I think that would be a very lonely existence for me especially as I don't plan on working at the start until we are well settled and I'm comfortable with childcare etc.

We've heard nothing back on his CVs yet but don't think we have sent enough of them out. This weekend we will be sending more and I have the police check form printed off so well be sending that of to get that sorted. Think OH will apply for the international canada experience (working hol visa) as its only 100euro or so and I think companies would be keener on him if he's able to say I have a visa sorted and I'm ready to go lol. Me and baby will just go over on visitor visa which is 6months anyway and free.

I was so excited last night kept checking OH emails to see if anyone got back to us. I think if someone actually does I will have a heart attack lol I want to go but at same time I am so scared about it as we will know no one and I will miss family so much and will feel awful about taking the baby out of their lives.

Good grief, it's mad reading all these posts. We are in the exact same position. DH is an electrician and is unemployed 3 years next month. Absolutely nothing out there and is applying for X, Y and Z and getting no where. He has had a few bits of work here and there and his confidence had plumetted to an all time low. I don't think we could take another year of cuts, charges and social welfare appointments. He takes home EUR124 (a married man with 2 children may I add whom was never in his life on social welfare prior to this). I work 3 days per week and am earning enough to barely keep us afloat. Having said that we bought a bigish house in the peak 2006 and have a sizeable mortgage which we have been unable to pay for in full. We have a capital payment holiday option which is renewed and reviewed every 6 mths. We are paying our interest and part of the capital basically but it worries me now end going forward and just cannot see any way out. I am terrified at the prospect of emigration but hubby is sooooo keen he is like a new man. I am blowing hot and cold on the poor fellow about it all but it's only cause I am terrified about the whole thing and worry about the girls and uprooting them. I am worried about safety of the area, schooling, afterschool (if i decide to work), getting a car, driving around, where to live, down to buying a new mobile phone, and shipping our personal belongings......my head is just mush. Hubby is telling me not to be jumping the gun and that will all come in time but that's a mammy thing and it's normal right? I am a real home bird and hate being away from family but something is telling me that this is the way to go. I even went to a medium the other day and the first thing she said is I see a map of America and you will cross the water within 18months and the move will last about 3-4 years.
Hubby and I went up to Dublin last Saturday to the working abroad expo, got the kids minded for the day. We travelled from the southeast. We got no where near the place and were very very disappointed to say the least. I felt for hubby cause he went up armed with cv's and his certificates etc etc. We just don't know where to start. We both did up his letter of application and his resume and have scanned all his certs and that. So it's just who do we send them through. What channels or websites would ye recomend? I wouldn't have even considered this a year ago but need must!!!!! We mentioned it to our older DD and she is sooo excited at the idea of going to a high school
Just also reading Saskatoon seems to be the place that most people are talking about but someone posted here that it is a quite isolated place with harsh winters????? I don't think I would like isolation but wouldn't mind a more rural town setting as opposed to a huge city....a sense of community really for the kids I guess!!!! AAAGGGGHHHHHH....it's too much to know where to start!! Also what do we do with our house????? Sorry I'm waffling here and have to say Yummymummy well done for starting the thread...WOL should definately make this a sticky and we can all help each other along the way and share experiences!! it's too scary to go it alone!

shootingstar wrote:Hi girls,
! As you can see from my ticker I'm currently 9 weeks pregnant and have a 3 year old daughter, so we plan that h2 b heads out on his own and me and dd will follow out when I reach 32 weeks

Hi shooting star just on this every provinces health care is different and all bar alberta have a waiting period when you first move over so I would look into this as you cant get maternity care on travel insurance and I don't think you would be covered here at that short notice. It would be very expensive to have the baby without it as they really discourage it due to birth tourism as if baby is born here it gets automatic citizenship.
http://www.health.gov.sk.ca/ I would check here. can see about if you are a perm resident but dont see anything about a work permit at first glance.

for everyone looking at the mining town I dont know about the life in that one in Saskatchewan but the majority have a very hard work life and have a lot of addiction problems. The work is very hard thats why they get immigrants in cause to be honest few of the Canadians want to work in the mines.

For those who were just going to come over on iec or u35 visa, in alberta there is a big shortage of welders, roofers and electricians from what I have heard and read, so there would be no difficulty getting a job.

The holidays while crap are negotiable. I got an extra 5 days, hubby got 5 personal days which he can take as sick or vacation and his friend actually got 2 weeks extra.

Mrs Blacky Im in banking over here having left Bank Of Ireland so if you have any questions pm me.

Any questions about maternity leave/ care you can pm me as it is the same in all provinces I can try and help.

hello girlies, another excited/ scared wol.

H2B has experience on cranes so that's the area he'd be looking at! At the mo he has a full time job, self employed in delivery sector, he has some good weeks some bad.
We 're okay now but we're both worried about the next few years, diesel is rumoured to rise to €2 by next year, this will impact his wage alot, he also works 6 days a week roughly 9/10 hrs a day and by the time he gets home he's wrecked so we barely see each other and there's days he doesn't get t see the kids

I know most of us are only at the beginning of this journey and some only contemplating it but I was wondering does anyone know which would be better...... applying for a skilled labour visa or applying for a working visa and re apply for the second year and then citizenship?? so confusing.

we have 2 kids age 4 and 18mths, im very wary of moving them esp 4 year old as shes due to start school in sept.... so much to think about

And im absolutely petrified to tell my family that we're considering moving

Evening all!

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!

I've no update on our progress but I found this website that you might like to look at!

http://canadianimmigrant.ca/

Some little bits of reading!