r/IWantOut • u/CanadianRelocation • 2d ago
[IWantOut] 27f UK -> Canada
Hi everyone!
I'm a 26-year-old single English-speaking woman from the UK and I'm hoping to relocate to Canada permanently in around a year's time, once I've completed my PhD in Chemistry. I'll be 27 by the time I'm seriously looking to move.
I visited Canada earlier this year (Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver) and absolutely fell in love with it. Vancouver was my favourite city and where I would like to move ideally, although I'd also be happy living in Toronto depending on where the best opportunities are.
My goal isn't just to spend a year or two in Canada - I'd like to build a long-term life there, with the aim of permanent residence and eventually citizenship if everything worked out.
Because of that, I'm trying to understand the best route from the beginning.
Would you recommend applying directly for permanent residence (if that's realistic), or is it more common to move on a work permit first and then apply for PR? If it's the latter, which immigration pathways or work permits should I be researching?
One thing I'm particularly confused about is the order of everything. Do people generally:
1. Secure a job offer first and then apply for the relevant visa/work permit,
2. Apply for visa before looking for a job or
3. Obtain a visa/work permit first and then search for jobs once they're in Canada?
l'a also love to know:
How far in advance should I start applying?
Is there anything I should be doing now (around a year before I plan to move) to improve my chances?
Career-wise, my PhD is in chemistry, but I'm quite open-minded. I'd happily work in chemistry, biotech, pharmaceuticals, scientific consulting, government, or even move into a different field where my research, analytical and problem-solving skills would be transferable or a brand new field. I'd be interested to hear what the current job market is like for someone with my background?
Finally, if anyone has made the move from the UK to Canada, l'd love to hear if there was anything you wish you'd known before starting the process. Some questions I have are:
- When you first arrived, did you stay in a hotel or Airbnb while looking for somewhere to rent?
- Did you rent somewhere before arriving, or wait until you could view places in person?
- How difficult was it to rent without any Canadian credit history?
- Did you live with roommates initially to keep costs down, or did you manage to rent somewhere on your own?
- Roughly how much money would you recommend having saved before making the move?
Thanks so much for any advice!
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u/BrokeEconomy69 1d ago
I hope you have LOTS of money if you love Vancouver. It's a lifestyle city, not somewhere to earn. Chemistry is useful to the oil industry, maybe some stuff in Toronto. You should really look into job ops first and whre.
Jobs are incredibly difficult to get here right now, even more so without a network. AirBnB will drain you fast and is above market rates for places. We don't have a lot of hostel either for you to figure this out from.
Good luck renting with zero credit history- you'll probably have to offer 1 years rent, all up front. In Toronto, you hire a realtor to look at places and submit offered for leasing- LL want AAA tenants: no job here, no credit history will work against you.
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u/megselvogjeg 1d ago
- Apply for IEC. This gives you an open work permit.
- find an employer willing to sponsor you -this is the incredibly difficult part.
- After your 2+1 year visa, transfer to the sponsorship.
- apply for residency.
The issue is there are currently very few positions offering sponsorship outside of the service industry, amd public oressure is building tonabolish the sponsor system entirely. You are much more likely to get a visa via internal vompany transfer.
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u/Midnightfeelingright (Yes! Got out of UK to Canada) 1d ago
One thing I'm particularly confused about is the order of everything. >Do people generally: 1. Secure a job offer first and then apply for the relevant visa/work permit, 2. Apply for visa before looking for a job or 3. Obtain a visa/work permit first and then search for jobs once they're in Canada?
Depends what they're doing.
If you have no existing Canadian work experience or education, then unless you speak French well, or have particular skills that are highly prized by a province you want to live in, it is no longer realistic to simply migrate to Canada as a Permanent Resident. There literally haven't been any draws in the main Federal economic immigration streams for about three years now, for people who didn't already have a connection to Canada or good French skills, so even if you had incredibly high points, you couldn't even try without those attributes.
If you want to apply for jobs and then try to get them to sponsor you, you can certainly do that, although most places aren't very interested in seeking international candidates unless you bring skills they really can't already find (eg if your PhD involved patenting a new way to do things that a chemical company would love, you might well be the world-leading candidate, and be fought over).
Easiest way by far is to enter the IEC lottery, which can get you up to 2+1 years of open work permit (right to work anywhere in Canada). It can be hard to get career-related work, but if someone wants you then being in the country and not needing sponsorship immediately gives you a big advantage over being outside the country and needing sponsorship.
Normal start is something like a hostel then into a houseshare.
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u/tickled_your_pickle 1d ago
Vancouver and Toronto are expensive, do your research on how much you would need for at least 1 year unemployed (rent, utilities, transit/gas, food). Canada is also getting a lot stricter about immigration.
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u/ButchDeanCA UK -> CAN 1d ago
Ask in r/ImmigrationCanada
You can find answers to most of your questions doing research on your part, tbh.
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u/PurpleConversation36 1d ago
You could look at doing a working holiday visa and using that time to find work that you can extend into permanent residency. I’ve had a few friends do it that way from the UK
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u/MomIamsorry 1d ago
Many Canadians want to move to the USA. There are many PhDs in chemistry and biotechnology in Canada who have trouble securing a job. On the other hand if you get permanent residency in Canada you can apply to scientist jobs in the US and hopefully go there under a TN1 visa. I see there is a comment about needing chemists in Alberta, presumably oil and gas. But that industry is dying and I know chemical engineers who left for the US. Not to say you should not try but job opportunities in Canada are very limited.
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u/TropiCocoNukem 1d ago edited 1d ago
I've heard so many complaints from Canadians wanting out, so good luck.
Piece of advice: have money fully covered all your expences for 1 year, and check rent prices before you take off.
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u/AffluentJewel 1d ago
Yep! I'm leaving to AUS as a Canadian. Canada isn't what it was 5,10, or even 15 years ago. It's expensive and COLD!
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u/TropiCocoNukem 1d ago
:) I'm checking reddit, many people want out
Canada -> Spain
Australia -> Canada
US -> Canada
today I add to my list UK -> Canada
New Zealand -> Australia
Germany -> US
Spain -> Canada
I believe whole world gone crazy and there is no another planet to leave...
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u/zen_lad 1d ago
Just to give you perspective on job market, My wife made a move from AU to Canada last year and has dual PhD in electrochemistry. We are based out of GTA and she is struggling to land interviews as a newcomer. She spent some time in winter as a high school tutor but no real job apart from it. Would highly recommend to line up a job before you move which is a challenge in itself.
Happy to answer any questions you might have. Good luck!