Applying for temporary work permit with no job offer

[Clover]

What is the likelihood of getting a temporary work permit for BC with no job offer?  I have had contradictory advice from various sources.
Or is it possible to enter Canada on a visitor visa and apply for jobs and then get a work permit?   

My background: UK citizen, sales/marketing professional in finance industry, wish to join my Canadian boyfriend in BC in spring 09 (plan to marry in 2010), applying now for skilled PR now so at least I'm in the slow-moving London queue!

Any tips most appreciated.

[janak_bhandari2002@yahoo.]

hi,  i am planning to work as a caregiver in ontario. my questions are.

1. how long is my work permit be? can i work with another company?
2. can i bring my family right away or can they follow?
3. do i am entitle to apply for PR?
4. is it true that there are rumors that canada will re-issue you a work permit(after expiration) and not PR.

thank you....

[Leon]

1. Your work permit is probably issued for 2 years at a time.  You do not work for a company when you are a live-in caregiver, you work for a family or a person and you live in their home.  Caregiver means you take care of children, disabled or elderly.  Live-in means that you live where you work.  If you want to change employers, you have to apply to change your work permit to a new employer.

2. As far as I know, you can not bring your family when you are a live-in caregiver.  You can apply for them when you apply for your PR.

3. You can apply for PR when you have worked as a live-in caregiver for 2 years but you have to do it before 3 years have passed since you first came to Canada to start this job.

4. While your PR application is being processed, you will need to have your work permit extended so you can continue to work and keep your legal status in Canada.  You can apply for open work permit at the same time you apply for PR but I don't know how fast you get it.  When you get it, you can take any job.  When you get your PR, if you applied for your family, they will get theirs too and can come and join you in Canada.

You can find everything you need to know about the live in caregiver program at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/caregiver/index.asp

[kayebee8]

REPLY TO CLOVER:

You can come to Canada as a visitor, find an employer and apply for LMO then go to the border to apply for Work permit.

That's it.

Hope this helps :)

[scotia_girl]

REPLY TO CLOVER:

You can come to Canada as a visitor, find an employer and apply for LMO then go to the border to apply for Work permit.

That's it.

Hope this helps :)

Is that simple? I thought it is not allowed to seek employments whilst on visitor visa? CMIIW.

If that is simple, I would have done the same thing.. :)

[Leon]

Maybe it is not allowed but a lot of people do it all the same.  It can take a long time to wait for LMO and work permit though so it might not be the best idea to plan to stay in Canada and wait for it.

[tauruscol]

Sometimes it's difficult to get a visitor's visa, if you need one. The LMO can take anywhere from a week to a month or more in some cases. Then some people go to the border but it's not 100% guaranteed according to what an immigration officer told me. However many people do it. The other option (100% safe) is to mail the application to an office inside Canada but this could take about 60 days.

List of occupations under pressure in Canada:

http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/workplaceskills/foreign_workers/occunderpres.shtml

God bless you!