Advise needed to Immigrate to Canada

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   Myself, my husband and 2 kids are wanting to immigrate to Canada and I have a few general questions.  

What would be the better option ? use of an immigration lawyer or an immigration agency (quote obtained -very expensive about R60 000.00 excludes 3rd party payments)

Would it be advisable to have an immigration lawyer/agency be SA-based or Canadian based ?

Do you lastly have any referrals for reputable immigration lawyers/agencies that you have made use of yourselves ?

Hoping to hear from you all.

Regards,Mandy

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Mandy13 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 02 Jul 2008 Location: Cape Town,SA Posts: 6	Quote Reply Topic: Advise needed to Immigrate to Canada Posted: 02 Jul 2008 at 6:19pm
	Myself, my husband and 2 kids are wanting to immigrate to Canada and I have a few general questions. What would be the better option ? use of an immigration lawyer or an immigration agency (quote obtained -very expensive about R60 000.00 excludes 3rd party payments) Would it be advisable to have an immigration lawyer/agency be SA-based or Canadian based ? Do you lastly have any referrals for reputable immigration lawyers/agencies that you have made use of yourselves ? Hoping to hear from you all. Regards,Mandy


microlighter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 12 Sep 2008 Posts: 6	Quote Reply Posted: 13 Sep 2008 at 7:23pm
	Hi Mandy See you posted a while ago - i only joined forum 2 days ago. For goodness sake dont go through a lawyer!!!! - they are very expensive and they dont guarantee anything. They also dont get any preferential treatment when your application is processed. You can do the whole thing yourself just as quick, if not quicker - and you can use a courier service between CT and Pretoria (canadian consul.) The canadian immigration website is very useful once you have decided on which visa class you are comming over. The quickest is if you already have a job offer, but there are other categories. We came over having had a job offer and the entire process took 10 weeks, and about R5000 for applications, medicals, visas etc. We did not go to Pretoria once (used courier from PE) Shipping of personal goods is also pricey-about R80 000 for a container. We decided to sell, give everything away and only came with personals. Let me know if you need any other info.

Mandy13 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 02 Jul 2008 Location: Cape Town,SA Posts: 6	Quote Reply Posted: 14 Sep 2008 at 8:43pm
	Hi (Microlighter) Thank you so much for replying to me mail. We have been in contact with an Immigration co., based in CT but who also has offices in the UK and Toronto, Canada. their package includes all paperwork, assistance with job search, and applying for all visas etc. As I have mentioned previously, they have quoted us an amount of about R62 000.00. If you dont mind me asking, how did you land a job offer- through internet/Canadian job sites etc because yes the Immigration Unit says that it is virtually impossible for Canadian employers to even consider immigrants due to the paperwork. Is the whole process that you went through straight-forward to follow, or can it become quite a complicated issue. We wouldn't even know where to start. We are still awaiting answers regarding my husband's job and if he would be accredited. I work for one of the biggest Insurers in SA and work in a Call Centre as a quality assessor. Maybe I should try looking for a job for myself then. Can you recommend any other websites that you found quite useful ? All your info is really so much appreciated. Speak to you soon. Regards,Mandy

microlighter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 12 Sep 2008 Posts: 6	Quote Reply Posted: 14 Sep 2008 at 11:46pm
	Hi again Regarding your first paragraph - R62k to immigration lawyers. These guys are mostly cons, and they work in pairs. Yes they will probably get the job done - but all that entails is forwarding your application (which you have to fill in and sign), forwarding your police clearance (for which you have to have your fingerprints taken at your police station) as well as your bank statements (which you have to personally get from your banks), your CV if necessary etc. Furthermore they dont guarantee you a job, but do put you in touch with a few of the larger recruitment agencies here. Its important to point out here that a lot depends on the class of visa that you are applying for. If you are considering comming to Canada as an Investor (Investor class visa) then DEFINATELY you need to work through a lawyer and you need about R5Million to be considered. However if you intend comming as a skilled worker (skilled worker category) or an applicant in the skilled shortage category then I suggest go it alone. If you or your hubbies skills fall within the shortage category, but you dont have a job offer then they will allow you to come over and look for a job once you are here (temp employment visa) as long as you can show sufficient funds to tide you over while looking for employment. I think the first visa is for a year which obviously you extend from here once you are employed. Also the Canadian Immigration website actually tells you that working thro an agent will not hasten the procedure or guarantee the outcome. My wife found a job advertised in Canada on the internet. She immediately faxed her CV thro and a day later they advised her that they would like to interveiw her for the possition. While she was prepared to fly over (on a holiday visa) for the interveiw, they suggested that she do it over Skype (videoconference) which she did. They were happy with the first one and wanted a second one 2 days later where the CEO would also speak to her. A day after that they advised that the job was hers and gave her three months to get over. She asked them to get a LMO (labour market opinion) from the HSRC. This is necessary for the visa and it verifies that the post could not be satisfactorily filled from inside Canada for whatever reason. It took two weeks to get the LMO and this was submitted with the job offer, police clearance, photos and the application. Two weeks later the consul phoned and told us to go for our medicals and five weeks later we had the visas. My wife was the principle applicant, I got a spousal visa with an open work permit (meaning i can work anywhere that i can find a job and our daughter got a study visa so she could attend high school. I dont know your circumstances (qualifications, work experience, financial limitations etc) so its difficult to advise you which route to take. The Canadian Immigration site can be a bit confusing at first and they dont have a call centre. All corresp by email only and they take up to 28 days to answer questions. Please email me at horwoodphilip@yahoo.co.uk and i will send you some links to useful sites etc. In the meantime start the paper chase - get unabridged birth certificates for the kids, a certified copy of your marriage certificate, police clearances, certified copies of secondary or tertiary qualifications etc so that you have them ready. This will ensure that the process is not delayed once it starts. Sorry i cant be of more help at this stage, but like i said, i dont know your circumstances. You mentioned your hubby waiting for "accreditation" - this implies that he is a proffessional of sorts - which will definately be in your favour. Regards Philip

JoAnn Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 15 Sep 2008 Location: RSA Posts: 0	Quote Reply Posted: 15 Sep 2008 at 10:27am
	Hi Mandy and Microlighter, I'd like to piggy-back on your thread if you don't mind as I am in a very similiar situation to Mandy but one step further. My husband has been through the tele-conferencing interviews and now he has been short-listed for a position in Toronto. His prospective employers are flying him out for an interview and I will be going with to look, see and decide. I will be there for a week and I want to make the best use of my time and get a feel for the city but I don't even know where to start. My husband (if he gets the job) would be working in down town Toronto. Which are good suburbs? We are a young family with two girls aged 2 and 5 so a family friendly suburb with good scools would be great. And how do you know which are the good schools? The public or the catholic school system. Sorry for all the questions but any advice you have would be great. Regards JoAnn

microlighter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 12 Sep 2008 Posts: 6	Quote Reply Posted: 15 Sep 2008 at 6:36pm
	Hi JoAnn Youre welcome to piggy back! In our case - my spouse got a job as a regional area manager for the eastern half of Ontario (Toronto to Ottawa) and she keeps her office at home. We were thus able to choose one of the smaller towns (in our case Belleville) which is a lot less hectic than Toronto. The GTA (Greater Toronto Area) is essentially a metropolis (like joberg - boksburg - benoni - roodepoort - krugersdorp) but just a lot bigger and yes they do have rush hour traffic issues even with 6 lanes in one direction. Toronto "main" suffers from the typical big city syndrome - run down in places, a bit of crime, noisy etc. Although there are some snazzy suburbs in the south along the lake and to the north (north of the airport) Most people stay in the smaller towns within the GTA and the better ones are definately to the west and south west of Toronto. Places like Oakville, Hamilton and Mississauga are definately worth looking at. They have everything you need (schools, shopping malls, public transport etc) and are much more laid back. Buying or renting is a lot cheaper and the 30km drive to Toronto city is a small inconvenience. These outlying suburbs / towns are all family friendly. The schools here fall into 3 categories (private, public and "alternate" - i cant think of the name now. Private schools are pricey! and most require kids to wear uniforms. Public schools are free if you are a tax payer and the kids dont wear uniforms. The other category is convents, montessori schools etc and there is an almost negligable cost. While all walks of life go to public schools i think they are fine for younger kids. Its more in high school where you might want to considder a private school. My daughter goes to a public school and so far there have been no problems. The subjects here are also very different. All private schools are good (obviously at $10000)! Regarding public schools - you have to attend the school allocated to your zone (the area in which you reside) and there will be about 4 public schools in a smallish town. THe school busses are free and well organised. Some things that people tend to overlook when moving here: Your cell phone wont work here - will have to get one locally Electrical appliances here are 110 volts - so forget any of these in SA. You may only drive for two months on a foreign driving license. After that you have to do your license from scratch and get a Ontario license. Its easy and well organised. You can only go onto the health system after 3 months (but hubbies company might also provide medical scheme) Summers are hot humid and sticky in the south. Winters are brrrrrr. Right now we are going into fall - days are warmish - nights are coolish Let me know if you need to know anything else.

Mandy13 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 02 Jul 2008 Location: Cape Town,SA Posts: 6	Quote Reply Posted: 15 Sep 2008 at 7:41pm
	Hello Phillip(Microlighter) and Jo-Ann Phillip than you for all the information as I am sure it will come in handy in the near future. Yes, my husband is a Property valuer or as its called in Canada a property appraiser/assessor or valuer. We have heard today from the Immigration company that for an assessor or an appraiser he may need Canadian accredation however, there is an obvious risk involved for them finding a Company,( that might accept my husband's qualifications and that he only thereafter be accredited) to find him a job offer. I am in the Call Center Insurance Industry, so maybe I must check out the jobs for me as well. I am greatful for someone like you to give us as much info as we need. Phillip I will e-mail you sometime for some relevant websites that we can use. There are just so many job websites as well. I think we will be trying to do this on our own. Firstly we get the job offer and take it from there. Jo-anne, I also have 2 girls ages 5 and 7 so the school thing and nice suburbs are a nice to now. Regards to the both of you. I will keep in touch. Regards,Mandy Cape Town

JoAnn Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 15 Sep 2008 Location: RSA Posts: 0	Quote Reply Posted: 17 Sep 2008 at 4:03pm
	Dear Mandy and Microlighter, Thanks so much for the information Phillip, I really appreciate it. It covers just about everything I need to know at this stage. I guess I will know more after I've visted Toronto and I will definitely keep in touch. Regards JoAnn

joburgsista Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 24 Sep 2008 Location: Kitchener, ON Posts: 0	Quote Reply Posted: 24 Sep 2008 at 10:22pm
	Hi everyone I have been reading your interesting correspondence and have a question for myself. My family and I already live in Canada, but my husband is the only one who has filled his immigration papers, he has filled for asylum and is currently pending the decision but he is working now and has a work permit. Me on the other hand, I am here on a visitor's visa and I want to change to a work visa and start my permanent residence application. So I would like to know what is your best advice regarding this. Should I go the work visa route? Or can I file through my husband? Please advice thanks
	"its better to live one day as lion than many days as a lamb"

microlighter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 12 Sep 2008 Posts: 6	Quote Reply Posted: 25 Sep 2008 at 12:35am
	Hi Wow! This is a bit complicated! If your husband has a valid temporary work permit, then you can apply for a "spousal" visa with an open work permit (meaning you can work anywhere that you can find a job - exept the teaching and health professions). This should normally be done from outside the country as it requires a police clearance and medical. They dont like people applying from inside Canada. Children if you have any should apply for study permits in order to attend school. My concern is that if he was granted a temporary work permit pending the descison on his asylum application, and the application is turned down, then will his work permit be revoked? I suggest that he use his work permit status to apply for a PRP asap. If his employer can give him a letter stating that he has a permanent job then this will help. He needs to apply for the application form online which they will then post to him. The whole procedure takes about 3 months. Since you did not apply with your husband from the start, it would be better to get your husband sorted first, and if he is sucessful then sort yourself out. If you are married then it wont be a problem. If he gets permanent residency then you will be entitled to live with him and work. Each member of the family needs to apply individually for visas / permits - so you cant be part of your husbands application, although he will name you and the children on his application as members who will accompany him. Like i said - you might have to return to SA and apply from there. It would take about 10 weeks. Due to the complexity of your situation I suggest you go onto the immigration website and email them with your query. They can take up to 28 days to answer your email, but they do respond quicker sometimes. Good luck

fisheres Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 14 May 2008 Location: Cape Town Posts: 49	Quote Reply Posted: 25 Sep 2008 at 7:32am
	Hi As far as I know, you can obtain Police Clearance from abroad. As to the Medicals, I am not sure. There is a form which you can download off the internet, go have fingerprints taken at your local police station or South African Representative, pay the fee, which is R59 at present, and courier it to the CRC Client Centre in Pretoria. Their SA Telephone number is 012 3933712. You must pre-pay a courier to get your police clearance certificate returned to you. If you live in South Africa, it takes 6 weeks to receive your certificate, so I can imagine it would take even longer if you are already living abroad. Have a look at the Department of Foreign Affairs website: http://www.dfa.gov.za/consular/policeclear.htm Good Luck Esther

microlighter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 12 Sep 2008 Posts: 6	Quote Reply Posted: 25 Sep 2008 at 2:30pm
	Hi Yes you are right, but the form that my fingerprints were taken on got printed on by a cash register - so that they have proof of payment at CRC. The money also has to eventually be remitted to SA - so I think you would have to do this at a SA representative (Consulate). I was told to phone after 2 weeks and then every week thereafter untill it was ready. Mine took 4 weeks. You have to use the same courier to deliver and collect. I would suggest you have prints taken and paid for at the consulate here. Then courier these to family or friends in SA yourself and have them send them to CRC and phone every so often to track the progress (they use your id number) and when ready have them collect the certificate and courier it up to you. If you let the consulate send them, who knows how long it will take to get to CRC and will they keep phoning to find out when the certificate has been issued? There could be huge delays. Regarding the medicals - we could only go once we were instructed to do so by the consulate in PTA. This was after they had all the other necessary docs (application, letter of employment, LMO, police clearance, bank statements etc). They sent us forms with our photos on and partially completed which we had to give to the doctor. We had to go to a specific doctor contracted to them. (they have one in each major city.) Regards

joburgsista Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 24 Sep 2008 Location: Kitchener, ON Posts: 0	Quote Reply Posted: 25 Sep 2008 at 5:10pm
	Thank you very much for your input. I wish I could have asked this a long time ago because it would have saved me and my family a lot of heartache. My husband is working and he has to renew his work permit every 12 months, so I am thinking his work permit is a temporary work permit. I am not sure what we are going to do, but for now he is working and my visitors visa is valid for a few more months. I think we will have to consult a lawyer so that we can get a better understanding of what we can and cannot do. Thanks again for your help, I will ask more question later if I need to.
	"its better to live one day as lion than many days as a lamb"

Tobie Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 10 Nov 2008 Location: Pretoria Posts: 0	Quote Reply Posted: 10 Nov 2008 at 10:21pm
	Hi Microlighter Seems like you are having a growing fan base! Hope you don't mind me asking a question as well. My wife and I just made the decision a week ago to immigrate to Canada. Bloody confusing once you start the process, surfing the web etc... I think I understand the basics now . My wife is a Diagnostic Radiographer and should get a job quite easily. Also listed under the "skills shortage"section. I am a cinema manager and have 10 years business management experience and hold an Oxford Brookes MBA (Me 34, wife 29, baby 15 months). The challenge obviously is for me to find a job. We do seem to qualify to immigrate as "skilled workers" but we would prefer having job offers. Now the question: Should my wife apply for immigration as a "skilled worker" once she has a job and I simply then apply for a spouse visa with an open work permit? For how long will my open work permit then be valid? OR, should she apply for a temporary work permit, me an open permit -me come to Canada and find employment there. Once I do, can we then both apply for immigration as skilled workers? and if so, can we do it from within Canada or do we need to come back? Really appreicating your help! Tobie

JoAnn Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 15 Sep 2008 Location: RSA Posts: 0	Quote Reply Posted: 11 Nov 2008 at 7:53pm
	Hello, It has been a long time since I have been in touch. Since our last contact I have been to Canada, my husband has been offered a job and we are now well into the immigration process. The company we have gone to is paying an imigration attorney. In the meanwhile I have also googled the immigraton process and Microlighter, I agree it looks simple enough to do it yourself, but if someone else is paying I am happy to let them do the work. If you want to do it your self i suggest you google Canadian Immigration Services or follow the links from the Canadian consulate in SA. icrolighter, you were absolutely right about the suburbs. Missisaugua, Oakville and Richmond are great. I would add to that Etobicoke and, in Toronto itself, Swansea/Roncasvilles (although these are on the pricey side). Our two main criteria are schools and a commute. There are educational consultants available and I intend to ask one of those for a list of the better public schools. We will then base our decision on where to stay based on this list. This is helpful as I find all the suburbs have something to offer and we need a way to narrow it down. It is also necessary as public schools are zoned by the area you live in. A friend of mine tells me it is $55 per year fees for a very good public school. At the moment I am in Department of Home Affairs mode, which is no fun. If you are immigrating then you will need the unabridged birth cerificates of your children. If you decide to apply for a residence permit then you will need your own unabridged birth certificates. DHA says these take about three months to issue so start as soon as possible. I have also been advised to tell no one offcially (i.e SARS, Banks etc) of our intended immigration. Microlighter do you know why this is? If anyone could tell me what other documents I should start getting together in the meanwhile, I would really appreciate it. All the best JoAnn

LeeCAN Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 25 Nov 2008 Posts: 20	Quote Reply Posted: 25 Nov 2008 at 10:10pm
	Hello JoAnn & Mandy, I have read the trail of mails and it brought back some memories of what we went through. The inherent message in this statement is that (1) things have a way of working out, (2) never underestimate your willpower and (3)you forget - forget the heartache and administrative issues that are neccessary when you take the decision to immigrate. Of course it is not easy to immigrate! For this reason it is important to never forget the reasons why you decided to jump ship - trust me, you will often wonder about it. So... my family and I have been in Toronto, Canada for 6 months (to the day!)- it has been an incredible experience - highs and lows! Too early to tell, but enjoying the ride thus far. We have 2 kids: 6 and 4. I work at a financial services company who advises clients on wealth management and / or financial/tax structural issues (i.e. establishment of comapnies and trusts - both onshore and offshore). Indeed, it has been tough with the markets going south, but it is up to you to find the silver lining (what goes down will go back up!). I have actively engaged with Immigration Lawyers since landing in canada - it is one of my business development focuses. hence, I laughed at Philip's (Microlighter?) comments about how lawyers are rip offs (:-)... My comment is that you get good and bad. I have come across some immigration lawyers who care and will give you the best advise without breaking the bank. On the other hand, I have had mates who have moved from "top" law firms to the "smaller & specialized" immigration law firms in order to see results. Never forget that it is up to you to drive the process - communicate this upfront - let your expectation be known and seek assurances that the lawyer can assist. NOTE: Do not discount the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) when looking at immigration - this may be the quickest route to Canadian immigration. There has also been a recent change to Canada Immigration - introduction of the Canadian Experience Class; if you have prior canadian work experience or have studied in canada, you could be in for a pleasant surprise.... So to all our beloved South Africans, we have be there and done that, the decision making process, medicals, police clearance, university transcripts, employment reference letters, international drivers licence, Department of Transport Certificate, container (oh boy!), international flights, Immigration process upon arrival, buying a house in Canada, buying a car, leasing a car, life insurance in Canada(do you cancel the cover in SA?), medical cover in SA (beware of the 1st 3 months), opening a bank account in Canada.... Feel free to mail and let me help anyone who is genuinely interested! Cheers, Lee

joburgsista Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 24 Sep 2008 Location: Kitchener, ON Posts: 0	Quote Reply Posted: 26 Nov 2008 at 4:00pm
	Hey Lee, Its great to hear from you and your opinion counts a great deal because you are here and you have been through the process. I also here but on a visitor's visa. My husband is here but as an asylum claimant since he is from Zim. I guess my biggest thing right now is to get a work permit. Do you have any suggestions on how I can get around doing that. I have a visitors visa because we were not sure what to do, and my husband immigrated by himself first and I came later to see how things are hence the visitors visa and I have been here since. I am not sure how I can get one, if I can apply through my husband or if I am stuck. He was denied his asylum but he is going through the humanitarian process now so we are all just up in there air even though he has been working now for two years. It seems like the lawyers we have consulted with are not sure what I can do, they are telling me that I have to wait for my visa to run out and then try to change then and at the same time apply with my husband for his humanitarian application. My thinking is that the must be a way that I can work in the mean time, I mean I think it will benefit the country since I will be paying taxes and staying out of trouble. Any suggestions will be much appreciated. Thanks
	"its better to live one day as lion than many days as a lamb"

theodore Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 27 Nov 2008 Location: Vanderbijlpark Posts: 0	Quote Reply Posted: 27 Nov 2008 at 6:02am
	I just discovered the forum yesterday!!! I can't believe the amount of things that I learned yesterday!!! This forum must get a 10 out of 10!!! I am a 27 years old South African working in the Congo as a logistics co-ordinator for a year now, I completed my bcom degree last year. I have been applying for logistics jobs offer in Canada since the begining of this year, not a single reply from the recruiters in Canada, not even an answer to tell me that my application wasn't succesful!!! The option of using lawyers came to mind, I approached Immigration unit from south africa; company that specialised in immigration, they told me that they could assist me in getting in Canada; for 70000R. they will also assist me with the paper work, getting a job and with my qualification, work experience, my age and my ability to speak French, it wasn't going to be a problem getting a job. What must I do!!!!

LeeCAN Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 25 Nov 2008 Posts: 20	Quote Reply Posted: 27 Nov 2008 at 4:17pm
	Hello "jobursista", I can only guide you from my experience... My wife applied for a seperate work permit before entering Canada - we did not want to be in a position where the whole family was reliant on me. Her work permit is an "open" permit, hence not restricting her to any industry or job type. It was interesting that she was afforded this, yet I was required to go through a Labor Market Opinion (LMO) as well as have a firm job offer on the table. I am sure that my situation made her work permit possible. Therein may be the devil you are dealing with and for that reason (due to your husband's situation) your lawyer has told you to wait! I do feel that if you are in a position that you NEED to work to earn a living, then the Canadian gvmt. would not want to place obstacles in the way and risk having a family dependant on the state - make sense? I wouls in all honesty have a serious meeting with the lawyer and failing this, go to www.cic.gc.ca/English/information/applications/work.asp to investigate what you can do to drive the process... If you feel your lawyer is not coming to the party let me know and I can give you a few alternate names... Good luck and keep us informed. Lee

LeeCAN Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 25 Nov 2008 Posts: 20	Quote Reply Posted: 27 Nov 2008 at 4:32pm
	Hey Theodore, Well done on your qualification. You are learning the hard way that if at first you don't succeed, try and try again. However, at some point you should reassess the position otherwise you will just be making a fool of yourself. Seems as if you woke up very early in this game - good 4 u! Remember, it is one thing for a lawyer to assist you in the process, but unless they guarantee you an outcome, why pay R70,000? There are lawyers in canada who can do the job for much less. naturally there may be personal reasons why you selected that specific lawyer (?). Considered using an Immigration Consultant (i.e. not lawyer but registered member of the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants)who can do the job at a fraction of the price? In most cases there specialist advisors have worked at canada Immigration and know the ropes from "grass root" level. I met such an individual (originally from Nigeria) who you could chat to... 1. Unless you have Canadian work experience, you may find that you are not in the best position. 2. Be mindful that the world economy is in bad shape, so your work is cut out for you (in more ways than one...) 3. How have you been searching for jobs in Canada? Online (e.g Workopolis), via specific shipping companies? This may say a lot about why you have not been achieving the desired results. If there is a will there is a way - you have to beleive in the cause and give it your all, otherwise don't bother starting... P.S. There are lawyers in Canada who focus on "recruitment immigration" (personal emphasis), hence they do the immigration and also have the ability to search the market place for a job. Within this area there are those that outsource the job search and those that do it all inhouse... As for your last statement (think it was actually a question?!!) - only you can decide what to do my man.... Cheers, Lee

theodore Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 27 Nov 2008 Location: Vanderbijlpark Posts: 0	Quote Reply Posted: 27 Nov 2008 at 5:47pm
	Hey Lee, thanks for your input. Just wanted to ask you if you could send website of lawyers that you mentioned; lawyers that could get me to Canada on less than R70000; 70000 it's a lot of money man!!! Hope you can help, Regards. Theodore.

LeeCAN Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 25 Nov 2008 Posts: 20	Quote Reply Posted: 27 Nov 2008 at 7:36pm
	Hi Theodore, No problem - with pleasure. Email me on shosholoza@gmail.com:- I need to clarify one or two things with you so that I know which of the lawyers would better suit your needs, e.g. type of immigration category you are considering:- skilled worker, business/ investor, sponsorship, humanitarian etc... Chat soon... Lee

joburgsista Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 24 Sep 2008 Location: Kitchener, ON Posts: 0	Quote Reply Posted: 28 Nov 2008 at 11:06am
	Hi Lee, You have been one helpful person and I am sure I speak for most of the people on the forum when I say thanks for taking the time to help your fellow South Africans in their time of need and confusion. At the end of the day we all want a better life wherever we can find it and Canada seems to be one of those places where we might be ok. With that said, I would like to follow up on that "open" work permit that your wife applied for. How did she get to do that and how did she apply? I think you and your wife were thinking like my husband and I were thinking, that we did not want to be reliant on my one person and to basically "put all our eggs in one basket" so we did apply for the same thing or at the same time. Let me know please how she went about applying for that work permit and hopefully I will be able to try it as well. Sincerely, Linda
	"its better to live one day as lion than many days as a lamb"

theodore Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 27 Nov 2008 Location: Vanderbijlpark Posts: 0	Quote Reply Posted: 28 Nov 2008 at 6:36pm
	Hey lee, hope you doingok!!! Just wanted to let you know that I sent you an email. Hope you got it. Regards. Theodore.

theodore Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 27 Nov 2008 Location: Vanderbijlpark Posts: 0	Quote Reply Posted: 30 Nov 2008 at 2:38pm
	Lee Theodore here. Just wanted to know if you got my email!!!

LeeCAN Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 25 Nov 2008 Posts: 20	Quote Reply Posted: 01 Dec 2008 at 4:02pm
	Hello Theodore, All good on my side - Thanks! I am having difficulty in accessing my mails at the address I provided. Please forward the same message to my alternate address "leeassist@gmail.com". Sorry. Take care & chat soon. Lee

LeeCAN Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 25 Nov 2008 Posts: 20	Quote Reply Posted: 01 Dec 2008 at 4:08pm
	Hi Linda/Joburgsista, The work permit was on the back of my work permit application. As mentioned in a previous posting, my application included a Labor Market Opinion (LMO) and I suspect that it was on the back of this that my wife was able to apply for an "open" work permit - at least that was my understanding from the discussion I had with our lawyers here. Both application were handed in at the same time and similarly, the approvals granted at the same time. Feel free to email me on "leeassist@gmail.com" to inquire further/detailed basis. Similarly, if there is anyone else out there who has had a different/similar experience, please feel free to share it, ok?... Cheers, Lee

Mandy13 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 02 Jul 2008 Location: Cape Town,SA Posts: 6	Quote Reply Posted: 01 Dec 2008 at 6:44pm
	Hello Lee My husband and I prefer to have a job offer as we have 2 little girls to consider as well. We have been applying for jobs for about a month and a half now. We have tried applying for jobs on the Internet with websites like workopolis, jobbank, insuranceworks but have not had any luck yet. We have also set up mail alerts on our e-mail to send us available jobs on these websites. Are we applying for jobs on the correct websites or what ? We dont seem to be getting any responses. We are serious about coming to Canada and will definitely persevere for the sake of our 2 girls: ages 5 and 8. I have been to Canada ( Pickering, Ontario and Petersborough and other touristy places ) 6 months ago visiting friends and absolutely loved it. Youre right an immigration company could assist us for about R50 odd thousand, but could not guarantee anything. You mentioned going through a immigration consultant for a fraction of the price- who and where are they located and do they guarantee a job offer ? My husband is in the Property Business and is a Property Valuer or as its called there a Property Appraiser/Valuer/Assessor. I am in the Call Centre Insurance Industry and am a Quality assessor and assess calls, product knowledge, soft skills etc. We will keep on trying ! Regards,Mandy

LeeCAN Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 25 Nov 2008 Posts: 20	Quote Reply Posted: 02 Dec 2008 at 3:53pm
	Hi Mandy, Glad you invested in a trip - it is a great country. Hope you succeed. Yes, you are looking at the right websites. I would argue that in some instances the Canadian work experience is key and without canadian work experience a lot of companies would shy away. I suggest you view the recent developments on canadian Immigration by going to the following website: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/releases/2008/2008-11-28.asp NOTE: Canada is committed to furthering their immigration initiatives. there are a few avanues to consider. 1st prize is the mentioned 38 high demand federal skills - it will also mean that your application may be approved within 12 months (bonus!!). Failing that, look at the various Provinces - THEY EACH HAVE A PROIVINCIAL NOMINEE PROGRAM (PNP). Look for the province who is seeking individuals with your qualifications. If you are serious about a better life for your daughters then this should be a no-brainer. I would say that only after you have done the above "homework", look for someone who can confirm your findings (i.e. a lawyer or immigration counsellor). The only reason I would go this route would be to avoid (1) getting my hopes up if there is in fact no chance of an oppotunity and (2) save on a possible consultation. let me know if you need further clarity. Lee leeassist@gmail.com

immigrationVIP Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 16 Dec 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 6	Quote Reply Posted: 16 Dec 2008 at 5:29pm
	Hello Sir ! Please verify on this site if you qualify to the immigrant Investor Program of Canada and Quebec , if you have any question about business immigration do not hesitate to contact me from the site. Our services to qualified investors are 100% free, the will be 0 charge for your immigration file and processing , every details is on our website. *There is no need to pay to get into Canada*. Even for regular immigration , all the papers required are on the Canadian and Quebec websites. You do not need to pay a lawyer to immigrate to Canada as a Qualified worker with your family. We can help
	Max Donzella Director of Free services www.vipBusinessImmigration.ca