Philippines: Just arrived here in Alberta

[dnetplayer]

Luckily I was given a visit visa to come here in Calgary (Mulitple Entry until April 2019).

During my stay here I'm already loving the country and is planning to try and work here. So I'm just wondering if I can get a work/working permit here.

Would be grateful for any advises or help. Thanks in advance.

 

[scylla]

To qualify to apply for a work permit you must first find an employer who is willing to offer you a full time job. That employer must then apply for something called an LMIA to request approval to hire you. As part of this process, the employer will have to advertise the job for a full month to prove that no Canadian can be hired for the role. The employer will also have to pay a $1,000 processing fee. The processing time for the LMIA will be anywhere from 6-20 weeks. If the LMIA is approved (not all are approved), you will then be able to apply for a work permit. To be approved for the work permit, you will have to prove that you have strong ties to your home country and no plans on remaining in Canada long term. This may be difficult to prove if you are already in Canada. If your work permit is approved (not all are approved), you can then start working.

So the first step is to find an employer who is willing to give you a full time job and also go through the LMIA process. Note that many/most employers are not willing to go through this process because it is expensive and takes such a long time.

 

[dnetplayer]

6 to 20 weeks! So it may take months for the processing

Well I'm thinking of shouldering the processing fee and also getting a job as a caregiver, do you think this might give me an advantage..?

 

[scylla]

The 6-20 weeks is just the processing time for the LMIA. You still have to factor in additional processing time for the actual work permit. I don't know if shouldering the fee will give you an advantage or not. You'll have to start looking for a job and find out.

As for the caregiver route - do you meed the qualifications to be hired as one? Do you have at least one year of full time paid work experience or six months of full time studies in the last three years? The processing times for these visas aren't short either.

Once again, one of your biggest issues may be proving that you have no plans on remaining in Canada long term when you apply. The fact you are currently in Canada will likely work against you.

Good luck.

 

[mikeymyke]

Come here as a skilled worker.

 

[ragluf]

6 to 20 weeks! So it may take months for the processing

Well I'm thinking of shouldering the processing fee and also getting a job as a caregiver, do you think this might give me an advantage..?

Hi,

Unfortunately transitioning from a visitor to a worker is not just that simple as entering the country and finding an employer and applying for a work permit. Your visa (TRV - V-1) does not authorize you to work, for that you need a work permit. As scylla mentioned, first thing to do is find an employer who will go through the LMIA process. Then comes applying for a work permit, which is quite a process in itself - aside from fitting the requirements of the intended work (i.e. being a caregiver). And you may not be able to apply in-country as you are not a "resident" here, so recourse is to apply in the PH.

You can try to search for employers who are willing to give you a job offer and go through the LMIA process, and then bring back the job offer and LMIA and apply in the PH. At the end of the whole process, you will be given authorization to work in Canada and a TRV (W-1) that allows you to travel back into the country and get that WP.

.../atb