My Experience of Skilled Worker Class ex U.K

[Canadadreaming]

Hi All !

What a great resource this site is. Keep up the good work!
I have seen a few posts asking about the Immigration Process to Canada. Being 97 % through the process ( just waiting for final medical results, don't beleive I have HIV or Syphalis.........though my willy dropped off last night . Tee Hee) I thought it might be useful to tell you of my experiences to date, planning to immigrate to Canada under the Skilled Worker Class.

Much is my experience, with a liberal dose of opinion to keep it interesting.

First ,for anyone considering emigrating to the UK in this manner you simply MUST BELEIVE Me when I say that the process is going to be very time consuming, boring, you will have REAMS of paperwork to complete and it will seem to take forever. As far as I know there are NO SHORTCUTS other than that on the Website :

1.Going in a different Class
2. Applying with a formal job offer as detailed on the Website.An offer backed by HRDC if memory serves.

The Very first place you should look on the Website is for the Average times to Process. What is on the Website will be what is on your first letter. ( No, they are not telling fibs just because it was a laugh to put a number on the website on a damp London afternoon !) My first letter said I would hear in 36 MONTHS and I understand that last time I looked it was 40 months!
I heard in about 30 months, with a letter for more information and an expectation it would take 3-6 months for completion.
This class works on a POINTS SYSTEM. I think that there is a self appraisal system, answer the questions accurately and it will give you an indication. Certainly if it is not on this website, many of the "Agents" will have this on their website, just Google it. Don't kid yourself by lying at this stage, you are in for a long, tedious journey that will be expensive, why go though all this to get a rejection ?
The starting hurdle, the paperwork is massive. You download the forms , get out a pen and start writing. These take long enough, and then there are the Bank Statements, Payslips, CVs. References ( you need to bribe some-one to talk nicely about you from Professionals); Write about your language experiences; Proof of available funds, everywhere you have ever lived ( can you remember ?), education history and then information about every members of your family and if you have ever lived abroad.
It is very mundane, you need to be organised, tidy, committed and accept that it will take time ( it took me 3 months but I am sure that can be quicker if you get the information quicker) TAKE A COPY OF EVERYTHING !!!
And then you wait....and wait and wait. The first six months are the worse. This website has an "online" system for checking the status of your application but it NEVER worked for us. After six months the letter acknowledging your application has moved from your desk to a top drawer and you get on with the rest of your life wondering whether looking at house prices in Canada on mls.ca - is a complete and utter waste of time.
In time the idea fades to the background ( else you go nutty) and then after 3 years......the "next stage letter" arrives and your Heart jumps out of your mouth.
A few more forms and new pictures of everyone ( thats 5 of us x 4 quid is another £20........) and Medicals.....now you think you have spent enough....
Now, this was in Birmingham ,simple process ( I will post more on this if asked) and for 3 Adults, 2 11 Y.o and a 9 Y.O I kissed goodbye to £900!
A point on Agents and the Application Process.
Taking the risk of them taking out a contract on me, I could see absolutely no reason to use them. The CIC website has everything you need, in great detail and with lots of cross links to other information. My major criticism is that it is not intuitive to use. There does not seem to be a simple "start here and go here next" type approach to information. This confusion in my mind will start to put people off, or confuse them and they seek professional advice to help clarify the process. If you take your time, use other resources <like this one> that are free you will be fine. I had minor hurdles, my first application was returned with a signature missing <duh!> and I earlier sent a letter asking if equity in a property to be sold could be used as proof of funds ( got a hand scrawled Yes on my letter back, with a CIC stamp- good enough for me . )
Oh-nearly forgot- Police Certificates- bit confusing this, I think it changed during the 3 years. You will need one from here acpo.police.uk at the second stage. I think
you will need to send one at the beginning and another one after the 3 years,certainly I had to do it recently. And it is more photos and more references and £35 each if you are in no rush, £70 if you are.
So now I am a week or so from passing the medicals and a cheque for £450 for RPRF cards ( you don't pay for Kids) and more bl**dy photographs.
The clock has started ticking. One year to go from the date of the Medical. If you don't go in a Year from then, you start again ( yeah right, like I am going to put us all through this again). If you don't send the right stuff off and there is any delay , the clock is still ticking.
So, now house prices are dropping faster than Gordon Browns Popularity polls and I am half excited and half full of fear.
WE did BTW make a 3 week vacation/exploration to Toronto/Missuaga ( hmnnn....noise traffic, suburbia ..Birmingham with a Maple Leaf Flag) and the Forests- hiking, canoeing, camp fires etc . AWESOME but no jobs.My Wife got packed off to Vancouver for an exploration visit, and I have been a couple of times many years ago to Montreal/Sarnia area. Loved it.
I very much beleive that you make your own luck, add in a big lump of Optimism and a friendly attitude and you can go anywhere. But I am nervous as hell. Watch out for another post with some "Can you help?" questions.

I hope you find this useful, I would be pleased to answer any questions more I can on my experiences so far.

Best of Luck to all of you.
Mark
ps
Guess what you need in the longs list of stff when you go for your Medicals......Two for everyone.....
Lets play Hangman : P__t__r__hs

[springotter]

Mark

Many, many thanks for your thoughts, takes, opinions, experiences and outlook on the immigration process!!! Myself and my partner are at the very beginning and to hear a honest appraisal is so, so, so useful! You have answered may questions and have given us a much better insight into the process than can be gained from any migration consultants websites or the cic website. Can I just ask, regarding the proof of funds experience you mentioned - do the canadian governement then accept equity in a house as proof of funds? We currently have our house on the market in anticipation of the day finally arriving when we get the all clear to migrate, but were not 100% that we could use the potential funds as proof of funds on the immigration application. I have emailed and rang the canadian embassy to ask this, but have never had any kind of response!!

Once again, many thanks
Cat

[Canadadreaming]

Thanks for your comments. I hope they are helpful.
Firslty for "important " things like Proof of funds you do not want to take it from my answer, else you risk spending money on application fees and getting rejected if I turn out to be wrong This forum should be used for opinions, experiences etc but I would NEVER rely on it where important issues are concerned such as this.
I suggest you write a letter to the Canadian Embassy and ask the question and then you will know for certain.

All I can say is that I wrote a letter to the Canadian Embassy asking this exact question and they returned it to me with a hand written "Yes" and a a Canadian Empbassy stamp.
In my application I showed them the Mortgage Details and prices from loacal newspapers and another letter. They accepted this twice, at the beginning and end of the process.

So, it worked for me, but I really do suggest you drop them a quick line, I would hate it if you spent the money and got rejected.

[springotter]

Many thanks Mark for the advice. Will write to Embassy for confirmation.

Good luck with final medical and move over there

Cat

[gazanjuls]

cheers that is very informative .we applied last may received a letter back stamped 19 june it said 38 to 40 months .then recieved a letter yesterday asking if we still want to come to canada last chance to get out and get our fee back. can i ask about proof of funds can you give them equity in property?just returned from a rec of ontario put 2000 miles on a hire car the waiting is a pain but look at the bright side hopfully by the time they get round to us my house here my have gone back up so i can get the house with a pool.

[Canadadreaming]

You got a letter asking if you still wanted to come out. Lucky you, we never got the option. Good idea though, stops them processing anyone that might have changed their minds I suppose.
Good luck on the plan to think house prices might go up. I hope so. I am nearly approved and my house value is dropping like a stone :-(
I hope my above answer tells you about equity.

Best of luck to all of you !!!

[pittysplace]

Heyyyyy..... so we.ve just had the green papers with photees attached to say we have to go for the medicals within 3 months, so i'm ringing later to book for the end nov,arghh!!!!!!!! big shock though we've always been led to beleive that you have 12 months from whenm they actually say"YES", but no...... its 12 months from date you have medical so we're hoping to be gone in the summer 2009 !!!!! where are you upto now because i've only joined the forum today & think you posted yours aug time, have you had the nod then????? who are you immigrating with i see you have 3 children are they excited myself 7 my hubbt have a 7 yrold & 4 yrold who are just soooo xited!!!! it has been a long process but hopefully will be worth it in the end ... 30 months to date!! We are planning on moving to edmonton alberta where my brother and his family live, we'v been twice & loved it!!!!!!! good luck anyway with your appication julie















1.Going in a different Class
2. Applying with a formal job offer as detailed on the Website.An offer backed by HRDC if memory serves.

The Very first place you should look on the Website is for the Average times to Process. What is on the Website will be what is on your first letter. ( No, they are not telling fibs just because it was a laugh to put a number on the website on a damp London afternoon !) My first letter said I would hear in 36 MONTHS and I understand that last time I looked it was 40 months!
I heard in about 30 months, with a letter for more information and an expectation it would take 3-6 months for completion.
This class works on a POINTS SYSTEM. I think that there is a self appraisal system, answer the questions accurately and it will give you an indication. Certainly if it is not on this website, many of the "Agents" will have this on their website, just Google it. Don't kid yourself by lying at this stage, you are in for a long, tedious journey that will be expensive, why go though all this to get a rejection ?
The starting hurdle, the paperwork is massive. You download the forms , get out a pen and start writing. These take long enough, and then there are the Bank Statements, Payslips, CVs. References ( you need to bribe some-one to talk nicely about you from Professionals); Write about your language experiences; Proof of available funds, everywhere you have ever lived ( can you remember ?), education history and then information about every members of your family and if you have ever lived abroad.
It is very mundane, you need to be organised, tidy, committed and accept that it will take time ( it took me 3 months but I am sure that can be quicker if you get the information quicker) TAKE A COPY OF got a hand scrawled Yes on my letter back, with a CIC stamp-

[chloe4356]

Originally Posted by pittysplace

Heyyyyy..... so we.ve just had the green papers with photees attached to say we have to go for the medicals within 3 months, so i'm ringing later to book for the end nov,arghh!!!!!!!! big shock though we've always been led to beleive that you have 12 months from whenm they actually say"YES", but no...... its 12 months from date you have medical so we're hoping to be gone in the summer 2009 !!!!! where are you upto now because i've only joined the forum today & think you posted yours aug time, have you had the nod then????? who are you immigrating with i see you have 3 children are they excited myself 7 my hubbt have a 7 yrold & 4 yrold who are just soooo xited!!!! it has been a long process but hopefully will be worth it in the end ... 30 months to date!! We are planning on moving to edmonton alberta where my brother and his family live, we'v been twice & loved it!!!!!!! good luck anyway with your appication julie















1.Going in a different Class
2. Applying with a formal job offer as detailed on the Website.An offer backed by HRDC if memory serves.

The Very first place you should look on the Website is for the Average times to Process. What is on the Website will be what is on your first letter. ( No, they are not telling fibs just because it was a laugh to put a number on the website on a damp London afternoon !) My first letter said I would hear in 36 MONTHS and I understand that last time I looked it was 40 months!
I heard in about 30 months, with a letter for more information and an expectation it would take 3-6 months for completion.
This class works on a POINTS SYSTEM. I think that there is a self appraisal system, answer the questions accurately and it will give you an indication. Certainly if it is not on this website, many of the "Agents" will have this on their website, just Google it. Don't kid yourself by lying at this stage, you are in for a long, tedious journey that will be expensive, why go though all this to get a rejection ?
The starting hurdle, the paperwork is massive. You download the forms , get out a pen and start writing. These take long enough, and then there are the Bank Statements, Payslips, CVs. References ( you need to bribe some-one to talk nicely about you from Professionals); Write about your language experiences; Proof of available funds, everywhere you have ever lived ( can you remember ?), education history and then information about every members of your family and if you have ever lived abroad.
It is very mundane, you need to be organised, tidy, committed and accept that it will take time ( it took me 3 months but I am sure that can be quicker if you get the information quicker) TAKE A COPY OF got a hand scrawled Yes on my letter back, with a CIC stamp-

I assume the process is alot quicker if you have been offered a job already? Would we just get a working permit, any idea how long these take and how long they last for?

[kkmm]

This is really a great post, letting many of us towards the direction to complete the process in detail and without any delay.

My problem is that I am not getting child registration certificiates from the new issuing authority who says " you are not shown married in our records" They are taking much of the time and I know it will increase my own processing time. But still I am hopefull to get all the papers of my kids to be submitted to Canadian High Commision in Pakistan. Thanks God they didnt mention any time frame to submit these papers so I am completing all steps doing things on right direction.

Many wishes and good luck to you.

[dj6246]

I plan to move to Canada soon. Will it be easier if I go as a skilled worker or professional worker?