How can people in the UK emigrate to Alberta?
Categories: Skilled Worker Visa
Alberta is actively seeking people from the United Kingdom who want to emigrate to Canada to work in Alberta. Hector Goudreau, Alberta’s Minister of Employment and Immigration, travelled to the UK in July 2008 to extend a welcoming hand to British citizens who want to move to Alberta.
Why Choose Alberta
Alberta can offer newcomers from the UK a higher standard of living than they could expect at home. With a favourable exchange rate of over 2 Canadian dollars to the British Pound, newcomers from the UK can find that their savings go a long way in Canada.
Alberta offers a comparatively low cost of living to UK migrants, even with the recent increase in costs in Alberta. The average selling price if a home in Calgary in 2007 was $444,769 CAD, which is roughly £225,000. Migrants from the UK can find that for the price of a small flat in a British city, they can afford a multi-bedroom house in Calgary or Edmonton.
Employment and Jobs
Job opportunities for UK emigrants to Alberta are wide open. The Alberta government is actively seeking teachers, nurses, doctors, engineers, managers, and skilled tradespeople such as electricians and carpenters.
Investment in Alberta’s oilsands has meant that employers in Alberta have been unable to keep up with the demand due to a shortage of workers. Skilled workers in management, trades or professions like engineering can expect to choose between multiple job offers in Alberta.
Immigration to Canada from the UK
Emigrants from the UK can take advantage of two main visa streams, the Skilled Worker Visa and the Temporary Work Permit.
A Skilled Worker Visa allows for permanent residence in Alberta, and anywhere else in Canada. For most applicants filed with the Canadian high commission in the UK, Skilled Worker applications can take anywhere between 14 and 24 months to be processed. However, a confirmed job offer in Canada can make the application process.
Alberta also offers a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) for applicants who meet the qualifications. If applicants commit to live and work in Alberta in a qualifying profession, they may be able to have their Skilled Work Visa application fast-tracked.
The Skilled Worker Visa uses a points-based system to qualify applicants. Applicants need to score 67 points in order to qualify.
Newcomers from the UK can also investigate a Temporary Work Permit. Although temporary Work Permits usually require a verifiable job offer in Canada, employers in Alberta are currently so hungry for skilled workers from abroad that job offers are relatively easy to find. This is especially true for skilled workers from the United Kingdom. Citizenship and Immigration Canada has recently taken steps to make the Work Permit application process for Alberta streamlined and easier to manage.
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5 Responses on “How can people in the UK emigrate to Alberta?”
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I am interested in applying for a skilled worker visa. I am a british subject but currently live in Spain, is it possible to apply from here?
hi im ely from mexico and i would like to work in alberta i just finished the dancer profesional school in and want to have the oportunity to dance thanks
I am a British citizen who was born in Trinidad & Tobago,am I elegible to apply sucessfully for the skilled worker visa?
My common law partner a British Citizen,will I qualify as a dependant as she’s the main applicant? I am a citizen of Trinidad & Tobago.
admin,
I would like to go to alberta, I notice there is a shortage of housekeepers,cleaners etc. is it possible for me to get a job once I arrive and go across the border to get my work permit.