The new list of 29 occupations brought out by Citizenship and Immigration Canada has created a stir amongst people who were aspiring to migrate to Canada for permanent settlement. This is because now those who fall under the skilled workers category of Canada based on the above list would be given preference. The occupation of Welders & Related Machine Operators has been included under the list of 29 occupations under which an applicant can apply for the immigration and permanent resident status in Canada under skilled worker category.

Qualifying Criteria

For Welders:

• They must have completed at least secondary school.
• They must have done a three-year of apprenticeship program.
• Or they must have an experience of three years in the field of trade along with some college degree or some vocational course in wielding.
• They must have authorized certificate in trade as it is mandatory in Alberta but not in other provinces like Nova Scotia , British Columbia , Prince Edward Island to name a few.

For soldering, brazing and weldering machine operators:

• They must have completed their education at least up to secondary level in school.
• They must have few months of professional training in their specific area.
• They must have worked for some time as a machine operator helper.

Duties and Responsibilities

Welders are required to perform the following duties:

• They are responsible of reading and interpreting the various specifications in relation with welding process.
• Welders carry out the various processes to fuse the various parts of the metals with each other.
• Processes to be used for fusion may vary under different conditions. Some are plasma arc welding (PAW), shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) or gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) to mane a few.
• They also  run the equipments and machines used in brazing and soldering
• They help in running the machines  which are used in the shaping of the metals such as shears, brakes and other machines used in the bending and straightening of the metals.
• They are responsible to repair the decaying parts of the various products of the metals.
• There are certain areas in which welders may have special training such as ship building and repair, custom fabrication, pressure vessel welding, aerospace precision welding, pipeline construction welding and equipment repair welding.

Welding, brazing and soldering machine operators are required to perform the following tasks:

• They repair the metal parts by operating the welding machines
• They braze or solder the machines for the metal bonding.
• They are responsible to maintain and repair the machines and equipments used in various processes such as brazing, welding and soldering.

Apart from above duties, there may be other duties and responsibilities which can be expected from the professional to perform. If your profession comes in the above category and you are able to meet the above requirements then your chances to get migrated to Canada are high. To know more you can write us at ajay@abhinav.com for further information and professional help.

Canada has currently joined the league of popular immigration destinations around the world where immigration is accountable for population growth. The Statistics Canada revealed that the country current population is over thirty-four million. As per the figures stated by the agency, until April 1, the country recorded a population of 34,019,000.

Canada’s big population is a contribution of migrants from across the world. Reportedly, the official figure recorded in April was up 88,000 from the figure recorded in early this year. Big population, mostly contributed by immigration has been a concern for many countries like the Australia and the United Kingdom. But, it seems Canada is not that concern about the issue of growing population, instead the country is concerned about its aging population.

The Canadian government has recently implemented measures to attract more and more overseas skilled migrants to the country. Because, the country strongly believes that immigrants make an integral part of the country who contribute to the country’s society and economy.

Almost every province in the country saw population increase in 2010’s first quarter. Out of the all, provinces in the west have experienced higher population growth. One of the provinces is Saskatchewan, which recorded the largest quarterly population growth since the year 1972. Exception is Nova Scotia where there was no record of people immigrating during the quarter. Moreover, there was no population increase in the province, which is the result of more deaths and fewer births.

The increasing number of inhabitants in Canada surely indicates that the country’s policy to encourage more and more people to immigrate and work is working so far, especially in its Western provinces!

In an era of globalization where more and more bridges are being built, studying or working overseas has become the dream of every common man. With more and more people for better standards of life, Canadian immigration process for skilled professionals has become simpler. After all, a good quality of life is that we all crave for. Isn’t it?

In order to immigrate to a better destination, the application process for Permanent Residence is the most significant step towards your overseas dream. So, here are a few ways to apply for permanent residence for Federal Skilled Worker Class in Canada:

1. Assessment of the application at the Centralized Intake Office (CIO) based at Nova Scotia, Canada :Your application will be assessed by the officers based at CIO, Department of Citizenship and Immigration, Nova Scotia, Canada. They will make sure that all the necessary documents are submitted from the document checklist. The fee for processing has to be submitted as well. But if there is some flaw or mistake, your application with your documents and money will be returned to you with a letter which would inform you about the errors. Just in case, your application is rejected, then you will receive a letter which would inform you about the reasons for rejection and also that your fee or payment will be refunded to you

   If your application is accepted by the authorities, your application will be sent for further assessment to the local consulate located in your country of current residence. You will be sent a letter that informs you with your reference number, instructions for contacting the visa office. A copy of the recommendation letter will be sent to the local Canadian High commission as well.

2. Assessment of Application at the local consulate office/ Canadian high commission

On the acceptance of your application, a positive recommendation is sent to the local Canadian high commission located in country of your current residence. You must submit required forms and all documents within 120 days of the positive recommendation by centralized intake office at Nova Scotia, Canada.

At this stage, the eligibility for you to have your visa will be determined on various conditions including evidence related to no criminal record. These include the selection factors based on which the applicant would be given points for each criterion such as his proficiency in the English language skills, age, and adaptability and so on. Apart from this, the applicant must also cater to the mandatory financial requirements. Also, the admissibility requirements are also important to be satisfied. Those meeting all requirements are then issued the medical forms and post medical, the applicant, spouse and dependent are invited to submit passports for visa stamping.

Based on the above two steps, the Canadian High Commission would then call for a personal interview (if applicable). Based on the performance on the interview, the visa officer takes a decision on whether to grant you a visa or not.

Every immigration program follows distinctive procedure. Thus, when one is looking forward to immigrate to a new country, it is very important for that person to have the proper understanding of the application process for the particular program that he/she has opted for. It fact, the secret of successful immigration lies in the proper understanding of the application process and little homework beforehand.

Let’s have a look at the application procedure for Canadian Federal Skilled Worker program:

• Before an applicant is set to work on the application process, he/she must confirm that the Federal Skilled Worker category is appropriate for him. It follows choosing the right application form.
• The applicant is required to get his/her qualifications, occupation, experience, and other required documents assessed by the authorized body.
• When filling up the form(s), the applicant must make sure that he/she has put in all the details carefully and it is complete. Incomplete forms are most likely to be rejected.
• The fee for the processing of the application for the applicant as well as dependants should be submitted along with the forms.
• Once the applicant is done with these steps, the application will go to the Centralized Intake Office (CIO) in Nova Scotia, Canada. Here, things undergo scrutiny and the CIO will decide whether the application meets the prerequisites for the Federal Skilled Worker program. If they find the application fulfills the criteria, they would forward it to the designated country visa office, otherwise if they end up with a negative decision, the application is most likely to be returned back.
• This follows the submission of the application along with all the essential documents at the local visa office.
• The applicant must provide the IELTS test score report earned for the language proficiency at the visa office.
• The applicant must bear his/her expenses related to medical and security clearances.
• Once the applicant is approved to immigrate to Canada, he/she must pay for the Right to Permanent Resident fee. However, the fee, which covers both the applicant and his/her spouse or law partner, should be paid before the applicant is issued with the PR visa. Afterwards, if the applicant decides not to use this visa, the fee would be refunded.
• Last but not the least, the applicant must submit his/her passport to be stamped on the visa.

The process of making application is one of the most important parts of the whole immigration process. This is the phase where you should be presented yourself watchfully in order to make your immigration successful. While, you may find it critical at times, hiring an Immigration and Visa consultant would be the smartest move you could make!

If you are one of those intending to look for a better life…then Canada is the place for you. It is one of those very countries which consider its immigrants an asset to its growth and development. And guess what! Now it’s even easier to immigrate to Canada. All that is required of you is that your occupation is mentioned in the New Occupations Lists for Canada Skilled Worker Applications.

The eligibility criteria are not very complicated for the Federal Skilled Migrant program. Various factors such as age, language skills, education and work experience and so on are looked into. Once you qualify under the eligibility criteria, you application process would consist of the following –

• You would have fill and file an application form at the Centralized Intake Office (CIO) in Nova Scotia, Canada. It would take around 2 – 3 months to receive an approval from the CIO. It has to be remembered that this assessment is the most important for any Federal Skilled application. It is important that your occupation has been identified aptly or your application would be rejected.
• Post approval, the process is carried out at your nearest visa post that is your country of residence/nationality. Here, you have to submit all the required mandatory documents. These documents have to be submitted with in 120 days from the dated communication received from the CIO.
• The entire process time takes around 6 – 12 months. In the meantime, you can get done with the medical and the police clearances for the same.
• You might be asked to attend an interview, which again depends on your application and as assessed by the visa officials.

You also have the option of checking your application status online. With this, the consultants at Abhinav can guide you at every stage of the above mentioned process. This would make the process easy for you. This is true especially for the documentation part. Collecting the right documents in the correct format is the most tedious task of all.

In no time, you would receive your Permanent Residence status which is the fastest when compared to other countries. Being one of the richest countries, it offers good standards of living and thus, a better life.

So, think and decide and make sure that Canada is on priority. You would not regret it for sure!

To know more about the Canada Federal Skilled Worker Class, watch this video of Mr. Ajay Sharma, the principal Immigration Consultant of Abhinav:

Recently Jason Kenney, Immigration Minister of Canada announced the introduction of Canadian Language Training Vouchers that are meant to assist the new prospective immigration applicants and enhance their skills in English and/or French language.

According to Kenney, a proficiency in both or either of the two languages would add on to the benefit as far as the new immigrants are concerned. It will serve as a perfect means to finding better job prospects and adjusting well in the Canadian society. He further stated that whatever is done in the field of assisting the new comers with language training is always a step towards the right direction.

According to the set pilot program, 2000 immigrants would be chosen in Ontario, Nova Scotia and Alberta and will be given “Language Training Vouchers”. The selection would be done on a random basis.

It is vital for every new comer to understand that attaining proficiency in English and/or French forms one of the crucial aspects of making a successful career in Canada and adjusting to an altogether new world. Therefore, these “Language Training Vouchers” funded by CIC would really serve as a cherry on the cake for those applying for a Canadian immigration. An Immigration expert would guide you more on the same.

Knowing well about the requirements demarcated for the occupation of “electricians” under the NOCL is necessary, if you wish to immigrate to Canada as an electrician. However, this occupation doesn’t include power and industrial system. Professionals of this group are responsible to lay, install, assemble, troubleshoot, test and repair control devices, fixtures, electrical wiring and related pieces of equipment within buildings or other structures.

Electrical contractors or maintenance department of a building and other such establishments are the immediate employers of these professionals. Self-employment is another option available to these professionals. Titles that are qualified under this occupation are: apprentice electricians, rural and domestic electrician, construction electrician apprentice, electrician and many others.

Employment requirements for the occupation of electricians, except those in the industrial and power system are:

• Secondary school completion
• 4-5 years of apprenticeship program (duly completed)
• Construction electricians must have trade certification in Ontario, Labrador, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Yukon, Quebec, Alberta, Newfoundland and the Northwest territories but it is voluntary available in Manitoba
• Rural and domestic electricians must have a trade certification to work in Ontario and Quebec, while this certification is voluntary available in Labrador and Newfoundland.
• Qualified construction electricians are also provided with an Interprovincial trade certification or Red Seal.

Primary duties that electricians of this group are expected to perform are:

• Interpreting and reading drawings, specifications of the electrical code and circuit diagrams to determine the layouts of wiring for existing or new installations
• Pulling wires through holes in floors and walls and conduits
• Installation of hangers and brackets for supporting electrical equipment
• Installation, replacing and repairing of electrical control, lighting fixtures and distribution equipment, like circuit breaker panels, relays and switches
• Splicing, joining and establishing connection between components, wires and fixtures, in order to make circuits
• Testing circuits continuity with the use of test equipment and to check the safety and compatibility of system, followed by repair and installation
• Troubleshooting and isolating faults in electronic and electrical systems and replacing and removing faulty components
• Connecting electrical power with visual and audio communication equipment, cooling and heating systems and signaling devices
• Keeping maintenance records and conducting preventive maintenance programs

There is no better time for you to immigrate than when you are eligible. It may be a once in a lifetime opportunity for many of you, who may not become eligible any time later, after amendments in the terms and conditions have been made. So, in case you have been privileged with this opportunity today, do not let it slip from your hands. Grab it and apply under the guidance of an able immigration consultant for the NOCL occupation of “electricians.”

Proper maintenance of heavy-duty mobile equipment is no child’s play. Heavy pieces of equipment are used in forestry, landscaping, farming, material handling, land clearing, transportation, construction and many such activities. Repairing, overhauling, adjusting, maintaining and troubleshooting these pieces of equipment cater to the job of heavy-duty equipment mechanics.

Companies that deal in the manufacture and operation of these heavy pieces of equipment, dealers of heavy equipment pieces, service and rental establishments, urban systems of transit and railway transportation companies are the probable employers of these professionals of the NOCL occupation “heavy-duty equipment mechanics”.

Job titles that are accepted under this occupation are: heavy equipment mechanic, locomotive mechanic, heavy mobile logging equipment mechanic, farm equipment mechanic, tractor mechanic, construction equipment mechanic, diesel mechanic – heavy equipment, heavy-duty equipment mechanic apprentice and many others.

Before we move onto the job duties that come handy with this occupation, let us know about the employment requirements that an applicant must possess to qualify under this occupation. These requirements are given below:

• Secondary school completion
• Completion of an apprenticeship program of the duration of 3-5 years. Or, four years of trade experience along with any college, high school or industry level courses in the repair of heavy equipment is required, so that you are eligible to apply for trade certification
• To work in Alberta and Quebec, you must have the heavy-duty equipment mechanic trade certification but this is a voluntary requirement in other territories and provinces
• Another certification that is made available is farm equipment mechanic trade certification, though this is again voluntary in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, Labrador, Newfoundland and Saskatchewan
• Interprovincial trade certification or Red Seal is another certification that is made available farm equipment mechanics and heavy-duty equipment mechanics, who are well qualified

If you know you can successfully qualify through this first phase of selection under the NOCL occupation “heavy-duty equipment mechanics,” do not be in a hurry to congratulate yourself for the second phase involves primary duties that you are expected to perform as a professional of this occupation. You can check these duties below:

• Checking bulldozers, graders, cranes and other such heavy pieces of equipment that are used in agricultural, mining, logging and construction for better performance. Equipment are also checked for malfunctions and faults
• Diagnosing malfunctions or faults with the use of computers and other equipment of testing to determine the repair required
• Adjusting equipment and replacing or replacing of components, defective parts by employing power and hand tools
• Testing repaired equipment for enhanced performance and to make sure that specifications of the manufacturer are met at work
• Cleaning, lubricating and performing other everyday maintenance work of equipment
• Working tools and service attachments, like tillage equipment, harvesting equipment, side booms, winches, ploughs and blades
• May have to repair heavy trucks
• May have to adjust new equipment for the farm and attach components
• Farm and heavy-duty equipment mechanics can have specialty in specific machinery types, like fuel injection, electronics, hydraulics, power shift transmission, tracked vehicle or engine overhaul

Being able to satisfy these requirements, make you eligible for Canada skilled migration with extra points earned under the NOCL’s occupation “heavy-duty equipment mechanics.” So, hurry and hire an experienced immigration consultant today.

If you are an immigrant Lawyer to Canada, the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) is the body to get in touch with. This association was formed in 1896 and today, it has around 37,000 lawyers, judges, law students and professors etc. as its members. Of all the lawyers present in Canada, about two – thirds of them are the members of the CBA.

The following is a list of some of the useful branch sites of the CBA:

• http://www.cba-alberta.org/ – If you are a lawyer intending to live and practice law in Alberta, the above mentioned site is the place for you.
• http://www.cba.org/BC/home/main/ – The British Columbia branch is responsible for the promotion of the interest of lawyers and other members of the body residing in British Columbia.
• http://www.cba.org/Manitoba/main/home/ – The Manitoba Bar Association works for creating opportunities for around 1300 members in Manitoba which includes lawyers, law students and professors and so on.
• http://www.cba.org/NB/main/ – The New Brunswick branch is part in promoting fair justice systems, law reforms that are effective and equality amongst the professionals. To know more, click on the above link.
• http://www.cba.org/newfoundland/main/Home/ – The Newfoundland and Labrador branch is the governing body for the province. The branch offers an active platform to express and discuss various issues of interest.
• http://www.cba.org/northwest/Main/home/ – The North West Territories has one of the smallest branches of all the provinces. Click on the above to know more.
• http://www.cba.org/ns/home/ – Nova Scotia Branch offers a forum enhancing professional development and networking in the form of many events and so on. To know more, click on the above.
• http://www.cba.org/nunavut/main/home/ – The Nunavut Branch was one of the recent branches to be established with a goal to promote law reform and public interest etc.
• http://www.oba.org/ – The Ontario Bar Association is an effort by the profession to the profession to offer better services to all its members and the public in general.
• http://www.cba.org/pei – The Prince Edward Island Branch is an important source of the Bar Association in Canada. If you intend to live and work in Prince Edward Island, the above is the link to be clicked on.
• http://www.cba.org/quebec/main/accueil/ – For Quebec, knowing French is important so that you can communicate with the local citizens.

However, the list is not restricted to the above mentioned websites and provinces. There are many other important and useful websites which could help you in selecting the right place to reside and practice your profession. An added advantage to this would be the expert guidance and assistance of an Immigration and Visa expert which would make things much easier for you.

Are you a Chartered Accountant and a foreign national? Are you on the lookout for a job in Canada? If yes, you have landed on the right page! In order to work in Canada, you have to get an approval from the Provincial Institute of Chartered Accountants. You must apply to the particular provincial body where you intend to live and work. There are 10 provincial chartered accountants institutes in Canada with the authority to grant admission to students and other members. These institutes are also in charge of drawing the guidelines for the foreign accountants to qualify for Canadian jobs. These guidelines also include conducting examinations for the candidates.

The following websites would be of great help for those applying for an accountant job in Canada:

• http://www.albertacas.ca/Home.aspx – If you intend to live and work in Alberta, the above link would guide you through the procedure to be followed.
• http://www.icab.bm/ – The Province of Bermuda offers job opportunities in this particular field. However, the candidate has to undergo the CPA examination conducted by the Chartered Accountants of Bermuda. For more, log on to this website.
• http://www.ica.bc.ca/kb.php3?catid=9 – Under the laws of the British Columbia, the use of the term CPA is not valid. However, an exception is only made if the candidate is a member of the BC Institute. Visit this site to know more on the application procedure.
• http://www.icam.mb.ca/ – There are 12 mandatory courses for CA that are recognized by the Chartered Accountants of Manitoba. Click here for more on the CAs in Manitoba.
• http://www.nbica.org/english/index.asp – There are certain guidelines to be met in order to be a practitioner in New Brunswick. The official website of Chartered Accountants Institute would be of great help.
• http://www.icans.ns.ca/ – The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nova Scotia is the official designating body granting permits to the foreign trained accountants to work in Nova Scotia.
• http://www.icao.on.ca/ – This site is good for those planning to live and work in Ontario. This official site is updated with all the latest regarding the rules and regulations brought out by the Chartered Accountants of Ontario.

However, there are many more such provincial bodies. For the best possible outcome, it would be wise to get in touch with a visa and immigration expert.