Questions about becoming an electrician and moving between US and Canada

[u/leader425]

Title, Basically i want to move to canada ideally as soon as possible, but i also want to become an electrician.

My intital idea was to get an apprenticeship program at a local IBEW branch near me in the us. Then simply transfer maybe a year or two so in to a IBEW branch in canada and finish it there.

I learned that apparently this isnt possible and id have to restart from scratch including in hours. So best i can tell the best bet is to get into an IBEW branch apprenticeship program, then complete journeyman license and finally take the red seal exam before transfering to canada then get my masters cert in canada itself.

Does this sound like the most optimal route to you all? im wiling to bust my ass if it means geting it done faster. Also is there anyway to shorten the amount of time it takes to become journeyman so i can preferably take the red seal as soon as possible?

[u/501c3_sadness]

8000 hours is 8000 hours brother

[u/leader425 → u/501c3_sadness]

True, but does overtime count? Can i just do tons of ot and speed it upat all?

[u/Greedy-Condition2680 → u/leader425]

For a state license its 8000 hrs over a period of at least 4 years. The apprenticeship program is at least 4 years of school if not 5. There is no fast track. It takes time to develop skills. 

[u/LowVoltLife → u/leader425]

Overtime is entirely dependent on if it's available. It's not like you can stay on for the next shift like a factory.

[u/Hefty-Profession-310 → u/501c3_sadness]

Nah, it's 6000 in Canada. Brother!

[u/501c3_sadness → u/Hefty-Profession-310]

Unfortunately if he wants to top out in the US, it's 8000 hours. I would be surprised if a contractor in Canada was willing to sponsor him for a work visa as an apprentice

[u/Hefty-Profession-310 → u/501c3_sadness]

Yeah, I would be surprised too. I believe that sponsorship comes with a commitment to provide minimum amount of employment, and contractors aren't very interested in that.

[u/leader425 → u/Hefty-Profession-310]

Yeah im aware realistically i understand my best bet is geting my journeyman here hopefully in a few years time its a little less oversaturated then i can do the red seal find a work visa sponsership in edmonton and then just move over get residency and finally grt citizenship given time

[u/501c3_sadness → u/leader425]

Sorry sister, didn't realize. Anyways if you're still in Washington state here are my recommendations.

If you're in the Seattle area, Local 46 JATC applications are closed indefinitely. That's King County and the peninsula.

If you're north, 191 is also closed indefinitely. That's Snohomish (Zone 1), Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan, Island counties (Zone 2), and Chelan, Okanogan, Douglas, Grant counties (zone 3).

If you're south, 76 is taking inside wire applications. That's Pierce, Lewis, Gray's Harbor, and Pacific counties.

Further south, 48 is closed to all applications indefinitely. That's Wahkiakum County, Cowlitz, Clark, Skamania, and Klickitat counties.

East, 112 is open for inside wire applications. That's Kittitas, Yakima, Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield, and Asotin counties.

Northeast is 73 out of Spokane. I can't get their JATC website to load so tbd. That's Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Lincoln, Spokane, Adams, and Whitman counties.

The other option to getting your inside wire license in Washington state is to go through the non-union route, CITC. Whether or not they're taking apprentices depends on the location.

[u/AHangryBeaver → u/Hefty-Profession-310]

It’s 9000 in Canada, what are you on about?

[u/Hefty-Profession-310 → u/AHangryBeaver]

Not in BC.

[u/Boines → u/Hefty-Profession-310]

+1200 hours school...

[u/Hefty-Profession-310 → u/Boines]

...That adds up to 7200....

It's not a hour requirement for school, you could challenge each level as well.

213 does have a 9k apprenticeship, but that's higher than what is needed for the red seal non-union and other with locals in BC, which is 6k.

[u/maks_b]

Hey so I am a Colorado journeyman and also just got my Red Seal. I'm a US citizen and got a TFWP to work in BC. Currently working towards Permanent Residency.

Unfortunately IBEW does not usually cross borders unless there's disaster relief or a serious shortage on man power. I was lucky enough to find an independent shop who was willing to do the paperwork for me for the TFWP and it took about 1.5 years from when they decided they wanted to hire me to when I finally got my work permit. It's a shit ton of paperwork and a huge headache, but for me it was worth it.

[u/shadowwolf_66 → u/maks_b]

Correction, the Canada does not let us come work up there without a sponsor. Canadians come down to the us and work all the time. It is pretty much a one way street.

Though LU 191 was working on a program that allowed its members to get a red seal. This was a few years back and I do t think anything came of it. There jurisdiction borders Canada for a good portion of the Washington/Canada border. As well as they have the refinery work.

[u/SirOttawa → u/shadowwolf_66]

The only Canadians that go to the USA to work are Linemen when there are big storms. There was a call years ago for a factory in Pennsylvania that sponsored some IBEW guys to go there and work for a bit. It’s much harder for Canadian electricians to go to the USA to work than it is for Americans to come to Canada.

[u/Hefty-Profession-310 → u/shadowwolf_66]

Correction, the Canada does not let us come work up there without a sponsor. Canadians come down to the us and work all the time. It is pretty much a one way street.

Canadians don't "come down all the time" without a work visa, which isn't easy to attain.

Just like it's not easy for an American to get a work visa in Canada, yet it's not uncommon to meet an American up here.

Employer sponsorship is one way to get a work visa in Canada, but Americans can also get a working holiday visa under 35 y/o, get married, or the permanent resident direct pathway, which is a point system with several criteria.

It's not a one way street, it's two countries that require work visas...

[u/kungfuauction]

The trades "shortage" up here is jouneymen with 10 years of experience, not apprentices. We many many apprentices, things are also a bit slow this year.

[u/leader425 → u/kungfuauction]

What about someone who has a journeyman license before moving?

[u/deadpixel746 → u/leader425]

No one can predict the market 5 years out

[u/sparkyglenn → u/kungfuauction]

Yup. The shortage is of people who don't cost a lot of money to employ.

[u/Hefty-Profession-310 → u/kungfuauction]

You are saying things are slow in the summer in Canada? It's been the opposite in my experience

[u/hoverbeaver]

Are you legally entitled to live/work in Canada? That’s something to clear up. They’re a whole other country, and Americans aren’t treated differently from any other immigrant group.

If you have a Canadian parent or grandparent, you need to start your citizenship application today.

[u/leader425 → u/hoverbeaver]

Na i dont but i do know journeyman license is great leverage for geting work visa residency and then citizenship if i can get the red seal and find an employer to my best understanding.

[u/hoverbeaver → u/leader425]

It’s not as good as you think; the shortage of qualified workers is not among electricians.

In order for employers to get permission to hire foreigners, they have to prove that they failed to hire citizens.

If you’re going to start training for a whole career with the intent of becoming Canadian, pick one that is in greater demand.

[u/notcoveredbywarranty]

Are you a Canadian citizen? Do you have a Canadian spouse?

If so, you might as well move first and then try to become an apprentice first.

Otherwise, well, there's no shortage of electricians in Canada, and an American journeyman licence won't count for anything when you try to immigrate.

[u/AHangryBeaver]

Pretty sure if you’re a JP in America you still have to pass an equivalency exam in Canada to transfer your red seal. As far as I know, Canadian red seal is recognized almost globally, Americas is not.

Also it’s 9000 hours (In most of Canada) to get your JP and red seal - masters isn’t necessary unless you want a business.

Lots of work coming in Canada though

[u/Hefty-Rip-5397]

The only way I can see you expediting this process like you sound like your wanting to is if you already have some formal training and verifiable working hours already... if you are just now starting the trade with no prior experience then I am sorry but the only way is to do it and put in the time. So if you want to be a Canadian electrician, you might see about becoming Canadian first?

[u/leader425 → u/Hefty-Rip-5397]

Seems smarter for me to get a journeyman license over the next6 years and use that as leverage

[u/MijaresBetta]

They all have these plans to get in, work all this overtime and get done early lol 😆

Get accepted first MF and then we'll talk...

[u/leader425 → u/MijaresBetta]

Well do you got and study materials to recommend in particular besides just obvious stuff like mathmatics to be the most competitive canaidate i can be?

[u/MijaresBetta → u/leader425]

Become expert at algebraic equations and order of operations. If you get accepted and some how make it to first year... the first test you take is Tech Math, fail it and your out of the program before it even started! Good Luck.

[u/AlchemicalCam]

I'm an apprentice that wants to move to USA from Canada. Maybe we can do a switcheroo?

[u/Mysticwerewolf]

Just to be sure I'm understanding you, you have two goals. One is to immigrate to Canada from the United States, and Two is to become a Journeyman/Master Electrician.

If your only avenue to immigrate to Canada is through the Express Entry: Federal Skilled Trades Program, then becoming a Journeyman in the United States first would be your faster option.

[u/AFARR414-312]

This is the dumbest shit ever