College grad but issued TWP under Low skilled Category

[hannah]

Hi, hope that someone from here can help me.  Is there a possibility that I can apply for permanent resident in Canada?  I am currently holding TWP under low skilled worker (office clerk) but have a degree back home & have 8 yrs. relevant work experience in Accounting. 

[BCguy]

What s your Province?Is your employer willing to sponsor you?

[Leon]

In most cases you can not get PR while you are on a low skill permit.  You could still apply for FSW if you have enough points but the rules are changing and nobody knows what.  New rules will be posted soon.  Or if you have enough points, speak french and want to live in Quebec, look into QSW.

Otherwise, you need your employer to upgrade your position to a skilled permit or get another job which is skilled and change your work permit to that and then you can apply through PNP or wait 2 years and apply through CEC.

[BCguy]

The reason I asked is under our pilot program,Certain low skilled workers such as Fast food workers,Janitors,Cleaners etc are eligible under our PNP to get PR status as long as their employer is willing to sponsor them.Same for AB

[Leon]

She said she is an office clerk, to my knowledge they are not covered under the AB low skill.  Maybe in BC?

[BCguy]

She is not covered in ours either,But I just got a Chinese with a BC college degree get a job in the Fast food court in Noth Vancouver so that she could qualify for our Pilot Semi skilled program.She starts monday,Such a waste,But at least She can apply for PNP after 9 months.Maybe she can switch to Tim Hortons

[hannah]

Thanks BCGuy & Leon. I am in Calgary, Alberta.  At least I know the options on how to be qualified.  Either employer upgrade me or find another job.  Just in case that my employer do not upgrade my status, is changing employer legal? I mean present employer will not banned me or ask me to pay all expenses incurred in bringing me here or charge me any penalty?  Do I have to leave Canada while waiting for a new permit to be issued?

[Leon]

Changing employers is legal.  You can look for another job, then have the new employer apply for an LMO and new work permit.  You do not even have to tell the current employer.  When you get the new work permit, you can drive to the border and activate.

If you think they will upgrade you and you like it there, you can explain to them that you would really like to be able to have the chance to get PR and you can't get that on your low skill permit.  Maybe the are willing to work with you.

You have some contact info at http://employment.alberta.ca/cps/rde/xchg/hre/hs.xsl/4548.html or call the foreign workers helpline at 1-877-944-9955 if you want to know what the employer can do if you quit.  My employer tried to make some employees pay back fees after they quit but they found out it was illegal and so they didn't have to pay.

[tauruscol]

It's legal to change employers. I suggest you don't tell the current employer. However, you may wanna consider working for both, even if your hours at the first place are reduced. This is because it's somewhat unfair for the guy who paid for you to be here to lose you. You come first and your future is more important. The first work permit is still valid after  you get the second one. Don't tell the second employer where you work either. 

God bless you!

[Leon]

My coworkers who have changed jobs have been told that after getting a new work permit, the old one is not valid anymore and they are not allowed to work for the first employer anymore.

[tauruscol]

I know a couple people who are working two jobs this way. One of them, only works for one of them (the first employer) for only 8 hours a week. The other one manages between both jobs. I received a second work permit because my first employer was abusive and I was never told to stop working for the first employer. CIC also says that it's legal to have two jobs. Call CIC for confirmation. You can never be too sure.

God bless you!