How to find jobs in Canada

Depending on your circumstances and how much you are willing to help yourself, there are ways more than one that you may do to get a Permanent Resident Visa and or legally work in Canada.

1. Contact your friends or relatives who are now in Canada. Ask them to help you find a job offer by referring you to their respective employers and other contacts. They are in the best position to help you. Or if applicable, they may help you get a PR Visa through Provincial Nominee Program.

2. Maximize the use of internet and email. Look for job vacancies in Canada that match your profile. Send your resume with a good cover letter. (Here's a free Canada resume guide) There are many job posting sites where you can find job vacancies in Canada. But to avoid scammers like that in the case of OMNI Hotel Scam, I suggest you look for job vacancies from Canada Job Bank, which is a government owned website. You may also want to check these Canada Jobs Online Portals that I highly recommend.

3. Once you find an employer who is willing to hire you, that employer needs to submit an application to Human Resource Social Development Canada (HRSDC) to get you a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) report.  Simply put, it's  a validated job offer from an eligible employer. Your employer will then send you the LMIA. There is also a chance that an employer may be willing to sponsor you through Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) or through the Global Talent Stream.

4. If you already have the LMIA, you may now file your application for Temporary Resident Visa - Work Permit or Permanent Resident Visa at the the Visa Office near you. To check which Visa Office may handle your application, click here.

Information about visa application to Canada is available for FREE at http://cic.gca.ca.



Only ICCRC Registered Immigration Consultants or Canadian Immigration Lawyers are authorized to represent you for a fee.  Clients of Canadian Immigration Consultancy are represented by an ICCRC Registered Immigration Consultant.

Employers' Guide: Hiring Filipino Workers

Last month, Apples Jalandoni of ABS-CBN's Bandila visited our office to gather information about application process to live and work in Canada. And few weeks ago, I was contacted by a couple of employers from British Columbia who want to hire Filipino Workers. Why is there a huge demand for Filipino Workers is probably best explained by this: Imagine a world without Filipinos.

If you are an employer from Canada planning to hire temporary foreign workers from the Philippines, the following information may help you.

First, you must apply for a Labor Market Opinion (LMO) from Human Resource Social Development Canada. (We can help you with this if you are not familiar with the process.)

A prospective employer interested to hire Filipino workers must be pre-qualified or verified by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Canada and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), the Philippine government’s arm that manages the deployment of Filipino workers overseas.

Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) verification process is to ascertain the existence of the company or project and that there is indeed a need for Filipino Manpower.

The following documents must be provided by the employer:

Special power of attorney issued by the principal or employer to the licensed Philippine agency or recruitment agreement or service agreement;

Master employment contract which stipulates among others the minimum provisions of employment contracts of landbased workers;

Manpower request indicating the position and salary of the workers to be hired;

Valid business license, registration certificate or equivalent document.

Upon POLO Validation, employer must be registered by a local recruitment agency to POEA in order for them to conduct recruitment activities. The following document are required for registration

Special Power of Attorney or recruitment agreement or service agreement with the Philippine licensed agency;

Master employment contract of the direct employer or foreign placement agency containing the minimum requirements for contracts of employment of land based workers;

Manpower request indicating the position and salary of the workers to be hired.

Valid business license, registration certificate or equivalent document or proof of existence of project validated or certified by the issuing authority in the host country;

Visa assurance or any equivalent document validated by the issuing authority. (LMO will do)

With the complicated process of hiring Filipino Workers, you need an experienced partner like Internationl Jobs Recruitment Agency.

Our partner, International Jobs Recruitment Agency (I-Jobs), is in the best position to assist you if you are planning to hire Filipino Workers They will not only provide you qualified workers with skills, training and education that you need. They will also help you plan for your manpower requirements.

Visit http://www.intl-jobs.com now!

Backgrounder: The Proposed Canadian Experience Class

The proposed Canadian Experience Class was actually first introduced in 2007. The Canadian Experience Class comes after a number of recent initiatives the government has undertaken to help newcomers succeed and to help make Canada a more attractive destination for skilled individuals from around the world. These initiatives include changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program; the establishment of the Foreign Credentials Referral Office; increased investments in language training and other programs and services aimed at helping newcomers successfully settle and integrate into their new communities; and, most recently, changes to the immigration system that would allow for priority processing of certain skilled applicants and reduced wait times for those wanting to immigrate to Canada.

Under the proposed changes, graduates of a Canadian post-secondary educational institution with Canadian work experience would need to meet the following minimum requirements:

temporary resident status in Canada at the time of their application;

successful completion of a program of study of at least two academic years;

one year of skilled, professional or technical work experience; and

moderate or basic language skills, depending on occupational skill level.

Under the proposed changes, temporary foreign workers would need to demonstrate the following minimum requirements:

temporary resident status in Canada at the time of their application;

two years of skilled, professional or technical work experience;

moderate or basic language skills, depending on occupational skill level.

Requirements would be based on a pass/fail model. In other words, if the minimum requirements were met, the applicant would be eligible. There would be no point system as with the federal Skilled Worker Program.

For more information on Canadian Experience Class, click here.

Canadian Experience Class

Canadian Experience Class is another avenue to live and work in Canada permanently and eventually apply for citizenship. Selected temporary foreign workers and foreign student graduates with Canadian experience may benefit from this program. Once the class is established, individuals meeting specific criteria will be able to apply for permanent resident status from within Canada. Currently, this option is available only for the temporary foreign workers under the caregiver program.

Here's the news release from Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Canada’s government to help temporary foreign workers and foreign student graduates become permanent residents

Waterloo, August 12, 2008 — The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today announced the details of the Canadian Experience Class, a proposed new avenue for immigration for certain temporary foreign workers and foreign student graduates with Canadian work experience. Unlike other existing programs, this proposal will allow an applicant’s Canadian experience to be considered a key selection factor when immigrating to Canada.

The Canadian Experience Class will allow certain temporary foreign workers and certain foreign student graduates with managerial, professional, or technical or trade work experience to apply to become permanent residents, and eventually Canadian citizens. All applicants, depending on their occupational skill level, will be required to demonstrate either basic or moderate language skills. Proposed regulatory changes have been pre-published in the Canada Gazette for a 15-day comment period. Final regulatory changes will be published following this comment period.

“The Canadian Experience Class is one more measure this government is proposing to make our immigration system more attractive and accessible to individuals with diverse skills from around the world, and more responsive to Canada’s labour market needs,” said Minister Finley. “This new proposed avenue for immigration would also go further to spread the benefits of immigration into smaller centres across Canada.”

Temporary foreign workers and foreign students are generally spread out across the country and contribute to the growth of smaller communities as well as metropolitan areas. Individuals applying for permanent residence through this new avenue could apply from within Canada while continuing to work and continuing to contribute to their local communities.

The Canadian Experience Class comes after a number of recent initiatives the government has undertaken to help newcomers succeed and to help make Canada a more attractive destination for skilled individuals from around the world. These initiatives include changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program; the establishment of the Foreign Credentials Referral Office; increased investments in language training and other programs and services aimed at helping newcomers successfully settle and integrate into their new communities; and, most recently, changes to the immigration system that would allow for priority processing of certain skilled applicants and reduced wait times for those wanting to immigrate to Canada.

Through the Canadian Experience Class, newcomers will be more likely to make the most of their abilities while undergoing a more seamless social and economic transition to Canada. And, in turn, their cultural and economic contributions will enrich Canada.

“Choosing newcomers based on knowledge of our labour market and experience within Canadian society would make Canada a more attractive destination for skilled individuals from around the world,” added Minister Finley. “International students and skilled workers would be more likely to choose Canada if they knew their time in Canada and contribution to Canadian society would assist in their eligibility to apply to stay permanently.”

Canadian Experience Class would definitely be a welcome development for thousands of Filipino workers who are now working in Canada.

Live and work in Canada: Application processing shortcuts

There are those who are looking for shortcuts to live and work in Canada. Most of them are asking for information about fiance visa or tourist visa application with the end in view of working in Canada.

But will that really work?

There is no fiance visa category in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act of Canada. And getting married with a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Residents in Canada is not a guarantee that you will be given a permanent resident status, too. Well, there are those who are able to exploit the system, but there is a great chance that if marriage was just done for convenience, it will be caught.

Now comes the other shortcut - tourist visa application. There are those who visit Canada and work there even without a work permit. That is illegal.

If if you are already in Canada on a temporary resident visa, you must apply for a work permit first before you should work. You can actually apply for a work permit from within or inside Canada if:

you have a valid study or work permit, or your spouse or parents have a study or work permit

you have a work permit for one job but want to apply for a work permit for a different job

you have a temporary resident permit that is valid for six months or more or

you are in Canada because you have already applied for permanent residence from inside Canada. You will have to pass certain stages in the main application process before you can be eligible for a work permit.

And of course, you must have a valid job offer or a Labor Market Opinion (LMO). In some cases, LMO is not required to get a work permit.

For list of jobs in Canada that require a work permit but not LMO, click here.

To get updates about application process to live and work in Canada from Canada Visa Application Online Resource, subscribe visa email here.

Filipino Workers Needed in Canada

Yesterday night, ABS-CBN'S late night news show, Bandila, featured about opportunities for Filipino workers to work in Canada.

Ambassador Jose Brillantes said that Filipino Workers are preferred by Canadian employers who are hiring foreign workers because of their dedication to work and language proficiency. About 32,000 Filipino workers are needed in Canada according to the ambassador!

Meanwhile, Apples Jalandoni reported about the application process to work in Canada. She went to Philippine Overseas Employment Agency, where she got the list of registered recruitment agencies like our partner, International Jobs Recruitment Agency. She also visited our office to inquire about the immigrant visa application to Canada.

Yes, that's me explaining to Apples Jalandoni the immigration process! (Photo captured by my friend, Dr. Emer. Apples Jalandoni contacted one of my colleagues, Ms. Vangie Naron, to ask for an interview which we gladly accepted. Of course. he!he!)

If you failed to watch the report last night, a video clip is available here.

Ambassador Brillantes suggested filing the application at Canadian Visa Office in other countries where the processing is faster like Singapore. Processing period varies from one Visa Office to another primarily depending on the number of application it receives for processing. Click here for the current application processing times.

Overseas Filipino Worker's (OFW) Information Sheet

IF you are planning to apply to work in Canada and that you have experience working overseas, you may be required to submit a certified copy of worker information sheet from Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA).

You may get a certified worker information sheet from POEA Central Records Division, 6th floor POEA Building located at EDSA Cor Ortigas Avenue, Mandaluyong City. You may contact the Central Records Division at 721-94-89.

I contacted the Central Records Division and I was surprised, but glad, to know that there is no fee required to get a certified copy of worker information sheet. If all your record is available at their main database, you'll get the certificate the same day that you requested for it. Otherwise, allow 3-5 days allowance for them to coordinate with Regional Offices and Philippine Overseas Labour Office abroad.

Certified copy of worker's information sheet is not included on the checklist on the application kit for work permit application. My suggestion to get this document in advance is based on experience. You may submit this in advance to avoid delay on the processing.

How to expedite the process: Application to work in Canada

Information on how to apply for work in Canada is available in the Canadian Embassy website. You'll find there the downloadable application forms, instructins and list of requirements that you needed to submit.

Now, this post is to give tips (for Filipino workers) on how to expedite the process of work permit application filed in the Philippines. Current processing period is approximately 10 weeks but based on the acknowledgement letters we receive from embassy, it looks like the processing period is really 18 weeks. These tips could not only help expedite the process but may also give you a higher chance of approval.


1. It is best that your employment contract and Labor Market Opinion (LMO) is validated by Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) before filing your application at the Canadian Visa Office here in Manila.

2. Accomplish your appliction forms properly, don't leave any field blank. Put N/A if fiedls are not applicable to you.

3. Submit all the applicable documents required on the checklist. Submit original documents if that is the requirement.

4. Submit your original passport including all previous passports. If it's lost, prepare an affidavit.

5. If you have expereince working abroad, secure a certification and or OFW Information Sheet from POEA. You'll not find this on the checklist, but they may require you this just the same. So submit this as well to avoid delay.

6. Most of the jobs in Canada require language proficiency in English or French. An English Test result may help expedite the process. This is not mandatory but highly recommended. Once you have your work permit application File No. you may then schedule your CANSPEAK Test through Canadian Embassy Phone Center. The test will cost you P 1,000.00. Or if you want to submit English Test Result at the time of filing of your application, you may take the IELTS Examination. This will cost you P 8,640.00.

We provide assistance both for work permit, permanent resident visa and all Canada Visa application. Please feel free to email me at aapuntar@go2canada.com should you need more information.

Good luck to your application!

URGENT: Nurses needed in Canada

We are in the process of pooling nurses for possible opportunities in Alberta, Canada. To pass the screening process, you need to have these requirements:

Must have an IELTS overall score of 6.5, and listening of 7.0

Must have nursing experience of 4 years

Willing to be registered with the nursing body in Alberta (the fee costs C$210)

If you have these qualifications and you're interested to apply, please email me at aapuntar@go2canada.com.

Provincial and Territorial Regulatory Bodies - Nurses in Canada

In Canada, Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), Registered Nurses (RNs) and Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs) are regulated by different regulatory bodies determined by each provincial government. In Ontario, however, there is only regulatory body for RNs and LPNs. The territories have regulatory bodies for RNs only.

Canadian provinces and territories, with the exception of Québec, require that you write an examination to become licensed to practice nursing in Canada. This examination can only be written in Canada on the recommendation of a provincial or territorial nurses association. There is a difference examination for Québec nurses.

Provincial and Territorial Regulatory Bodies

BRITISH COLUMBIA
College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia
2855 Arbutus Street
Vancouver BC V6J 3Y8
Tel: (604) 736-7331
Fax: (604) 738-2272
E-mail: info@crnbc.ca

ALBERTA
College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta
11620 - 168 Street
Edmonton AB T5M 4A6
Tel: (780) 451-0043
Fax: (780) 452-3276
E-mail: carna@nurses.ab.ca

SASKATCHEWAN
Saskatchewan Registered Nurses' Association
2066 Retallack Street
Regina SK S4T 7X5
Tel: 1-800-667-9945 / (306) 359-4200
Fax: (306) 525-0849
E-mail: info@srna.org


MANITOBA
College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba
890 Pembina Hwy
Winnipeg MB R3M 2M8
Tel: (204) 774-3477
Fax: (204) 775-6052
E-mail: info@crnm.mb.ca

ONTARIO
College of Nurses of Ontario
101 Davenport Road
Toronto ON M5R 3P1
Tel/Tél. : 1-800-387-5526 / (416) 928-0900
Fax/Télécopieur : (416) 928-6507
E-mail/Courriel : cno@cnomail.org


QUÉBEC
Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec
4200, boul. Dorchester Ouest
Montréal QC H3Z 1V4
Tel/Tél. : (514) 935-2501 / 1-800-363-6048
Fax/Télécopieur : (514) 935-1799
E-mail/Courriel : inf@oiiq.org

NEW BRUNSWICK
Nurses Association of New Brunswick
165 Regent Street
Fredericton NB E3B 7B4
Tel/Tél. : (506) 458-8731
Fax/Télécopieur : (506) 459-2838
E-mail/Courriel : nanb@nanb.nb.ca


NOVA SCOTIA
College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia
Suite 600, Barrington Tower
1894 Barrington St.
Halifax NS B3J 2A8
Tel: (902) 491-9744
Fax: (902) 491-9510
E-mail: info@crnns.ca

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
Association of Registered Nurses of Prince Edward Island
53 Grafton Street
Charlottetown PE C1A 1K8
Tel: (902) 368-3764
Fax: (902) 628-1430
E-mail: arnpei@pei.aibn.com


NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
Association Of Registered Nurses Of Newfoundland And Labrador
55 Military Rd
St. John’s NL A1C 2C5
Tel: (709) 753-6040
Fax: (709) 753-4940
E-mail: info@arnnl.nf.ca

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Registered Nurses Association of the
Northwest Territories and Nunavut
Box 2757
Yellowknife NT X1A 2R1
Tel: (867) 873-2745
Fax: (867) 873-2336
E-mail: nwtrna@theedge.ca


YUKON
Yukon Registered Nurses Association
204 - 4133 - 4th Avenue
Whitehorse YT Y1A 1H8
Tel: (867) 667-4062
Fax: (867) 668-5123
E-mail: yrna@yknet.ca

Jobs in Canada | Canada Jobs Portal

Are you looking for jobs in Canada?



I have compiled list of job posting sites where you may post your resume or get information about job vacancies in Canada. Send as many applications to as many employers as you can. Prepare a good cover letter and resume.

Here is the partial list of my recommended job posting sites, where you may find information about Jobs in Canada.


Job Bank Canada
Job Bank is Canada’s one-stop job listing web site. Each year we help hundreds of thousands of Canadian workers, job seekers and employers connect online, and free of any service charges.

Career Jet
Careerjet is a job search engine designed to make the process of finding a job on the internet easier for the user. It maps the huge selection of job offerings available on the internet in one extensive database by referencing job listings originating from company websites, recruitment agency websites and large specialist recruitment sites.

Career Beacon
Created as an online tool to help professional recruiters find new talent for Atlantic Canadian employers, CareerBeacon.com is an excellent communication tool that delivers the best options to career seekers.

Health Match BC
A free health professional recruitment service funded by Government of British Columbia. If you are a health professional seeking employment, or a health care facility in British Columbia hiring qualified professionals, Health Match BC can help.

We'll update this Canada Jobs Portal list every time we find a reliable job posting sites featuring Jobs in Canada.

Philippine Overseas Labor Office's New Conditions for Live-in Caregiver

The Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Canada recently released a directive affecting Live-in Caregiver. Under this new directive, an addendum to the employment contract must be signed by the employer.

As a result, those live-in caregivers who already have Canda Visa and are just waiting to leave for Canada when this directive came out, would have to wait again until the employer complied with the new regulation. The current processing time for live-in caregiver application filed in the Philippines is 12 to 18 months. Worst, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office's New Conditions may not be accepted by the employers.

PRESS RELEASE
Philippine Overseas Labor Office

TORONTO--Employers hiring caregivers from the Philippines are now strictly required to have their employment contracts verified with the Philippine Overseas Labour Office (POLO) before the documents are processed by the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) in Manila and the workers allowed to leave for Canada.

The new requirement was in response to reports of bogus employers, workers being released upon arrival, and distressed workers being terminated or abandoned by their employers.[Source]

For information about Philippine Overseas Labor Office locations click here.

Live-in Caregiver Program | How to apply

Canada’s Live-in Caregiver Program is a unique program under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. It allows someone to enter Canada on a temporary work permit, and then apply from within Canada to become a permanent resident.

To qualify under the live in caregiver program, you must meet the following:

A job confirmation letter from a Canadian employer.[A positive labor market opinion from Human Resource and Social Development Canada (HRSDC)]

A written contract with your future employer

Successful completion of the equivalent of Canadian secondary school. [For Filipino Applicants: You must have at least two year post high school education, in which you must have obtained at least 72 units of credit].

At least six months’ training, or at least one year of full-time experience (including six months with one employer) during the past three years. [For Filipino Applicants: In order for your training to be recognized, it must be taken at an institution accredited by the local education authority (TESDA).It should six months with a minimum of twenty-five hours per week in classroom lectures must have been completed as part of formal education.]

Good knowledge of English or French

A work permit before you enter Canada

A job offer and a positive Labor Market Opinion is not a guarantee that you will be issued visa and work permit. You must be able to satisfy the visa officer that you meet the requirements, especially the education, training and experience. This is where most of those who apply for the program fail.

If you don't have formal caregiver training, you must have at least one year related experience. This experience must be within the last three years from the time you filed your application.

Looking for employer in Canada? Here's how to find jobs in Canada.

Application forms and complete application kit for Live-in Caregiver Program may be downloaded from http://cic.gc.ca.

Guaranteed Visas and Jobs in Canada!

If you are seeking immigration advice or trying your luck in getting a job offer from Canada and you get this kind of offer, think twice before giving them your personal information and much more giving them your hard earned money. It is probably a scam!

Like in the case of Omni Hotel Scam, the following are typically their too-good-to-be-true offers:

Guaranteed work permits!

Free scholarships!

High-paying jobs in Canada with minimal or no experience needed!

Free air tickets and accommodation!

Guaranteed employment!

SPECIAL programs!

Earn $4,000 a month as a hotel cleaner!

Don't be a victim of a scam. Here's a fraud warning notice from Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

The things you need to know:

Only visa officers at Canadian embassies can decide whether or not to issue a visa.

Immigration representatives cannot guarantee you will be issued a visa. No representative has special connections with government officials.

All forms and guides needed for you to apply for any type of visa are available for free on this website.

The Government of Canada will never ask you to deposit money into an individual’s personal bank accounts or to transfer money through a specific private money transfer company.

Processing fees are the same at all Canadian visa offices around the world.

The Government of Canada does not use commercial e-mail addresses. All e-mail addresses of the Canadian government end with “.gc.ca”.

You can obtain accurate and reliable information at this website. If you have questions, contact Citizenship and Immigration Canada or the visa office responsible for your area.

If the offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Canada Visa

Canada Visa, specifically Canadian Permanent Resident Visa, is one of most sought-after visa nowadays by many Filipinos. Canadian permanent residents and citizens enjoy all of the same rights and privileges like, free health care, free elementary and secondary education, etc. It will also make your access to visit U.S.A. easier.

But immigration is just one way of getting a Canada Visa. The following are the types of Visa you may apply for depending on your circumstances:

Temporary Resident Visa.
More than 5 million people visit Canada every year. Depending on your citizenship, you may need a Temporary Resident Visa. To check if you need a Canada Visa , click here.

If you plan of visiting Canada, you must:

have a valid travel document, such as a passport

be in good health

satisfy an immigration officer that you have ties, such as a job, home and family, that will take you back to your country of origin

satisfy an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit and

have enough money for your stay. The amount of money you will need can vary with the circumstances of the visit, how long you will stay and whether you will stay in a hotel or with friends or relatives.

Here's a guide for Filipinos visiting Canada and information about tourist visa application.

Student Visa
More than 130,000 students come to study in Canada every year and even more come to Canada to learn English or French. To study in Canada, you may need a study permit or a temporary resident visa, though not everyone must have these documents.

To be eligible to study in Canada:

You must have been accepted by a school, college, university or other educational institution in Canada.

You must prove that you have enough money to pay for your:

tuition fees

living expenses for yourself and any family members who come with you to Canada and

return transportation for yourself and any family members who come with you to Canada.

You must be a law-abiding citizen with no criminal record and not be a risk to the security of Canada. You may have to provide a police certificate.

You must be in good health and willing to complete a medical examination, if necessary.

You must satisfy an immigration officer that you will leave Canada when you have completed your studies.

Work Visa
Every year, over 90,000 foreign workers enter Canada to work temporarily in jobs that help Canadian employers address skill shortages, or as live-in caregivers. A work permit is needed for most temporary jobs in Canada, though for some positions and business people it is not necessary. You may apply for a work permit from outside Canada or inside Canada.

To apply for a work permit from outside Canada, you must submit the following documents:

a job offer from a Canadian employer

a completed application, that shows that you meet the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, and

written confirmation from Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) that the employer can hire a foreign worker to fill the job. This confirmation is called a positive labour market opinion.

You can only apply for a work permit from inside Canada if:

you have a valid study or work permit, or your spouse or parents have a study or work permit

you have a work permit for one job but want to apply for a work permit for a different job

you have a temporary resident permit that is valid for six months or more or

you are in Canada because you have already applied for permanent residence from inside Canada. You will have to pass certain stages in the main application process before you can be eligible for a work permit.

Here's work permit related news and articles.

Business Visa
For Canada Visa application, I have a separate here: Canada Business Immigration Program.

For your queries about Canadian Visa Application, please feel free to leave your comments here.

Omni Hotel Scam

IF you are actively looking for a job offer from Canada and you suddenly receive an email like this, you'll probably jump for joy.

I am Mrs Rose Grand from canada, the manager of omni hotel canada

we need men and women who can work and live in canada,

Hotel will pay for your air ticket, accomodation and express visa processing fees with the immigration bureau in canada.

Hotel needs twenty more additional workers for immediate employment.

if you are interested contact me back immediatelly via my email below o.k?.

Email : canadians_ominicityhotelzone@yahoo.ca

Sign ,
Manager Of omni hotel Canada
Mrs Christana Rose Grand

Then you will send the information they require and then later you will be sent an employment contract with great compensation scheme. You'll be real excited and then comes the requirement for you transfer money via western union for the cost of courier and other expenses.

Some immediately pay, while some others finally realize that something is wrong.

Sometimes, you'll just receive an unexpected email. But they also post vacancies to job posting sites and since you remember sending them your resume,you will not suspect its a scam. But it is!

IF you're dealing direct with the employer who wanted to hire you, you will not be required to pay anything. If they can't even afford to pay the courier fee, how can they afford to pay you the promised salary?

Notice the email address used? It's a yahoo.ca email account! Well, just because the email sender used a yahoo account does not necessarily mean it's a scam. But it should at least make you curious.

Here's a comprehensive guideline from POEA website to avoid overseas employment scams.

POEA suspends agency collecting placement fees from recruits to Canada

There is a standing POEA Policy that there should be no placement fee for Canada-Bound Overseas Filipino Workers as early as October last year. However, there are still some recruitment agencies charging as much as US$ 8,000.00 for helping applicants get a jobs in Canada.

POEA Administrator Rosalinda Baldoz said JFG Career Agency, the counterpart of September Star Inc in Canada, was cited for default in its contractual obligations to the Filipino workers, and for gross violation of laws, rules and regulations on overseas employment.[Source]

If you are interested to live and work in Canada, you may send your resume for initial assessment. With or without a job offer, you may have the chance live and work in Canada through Permanent Resident Visa Application.

Occupations Under Pressure

If you are in the process of looking for a job offer from Canada, it is best that you target those occupations under pressure.

In some regions, and depending on the circumstances/time, labour market information may indicate that the demand for labour in certain specific occupations is greater than the available supply. To meet the pressing human resource needs of employers, Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) and Service Canada (SC) have developed Regional Lists of Occupations under Pressure. For occupations found on these lists, employers will not be required to undertake lengthy or comprehensive advertising efforts before being eligible to apply to hire a foreign worker

These are the list of provinces with list of occupations under pressure:

Alberta

British Columbia

Manitoba

Nova Scotia

Ontario

Prince Edward Island

Quebec

But where do you find job vacancies? You might ask.

You may search job vacancies HERE.

Good luck!

POEA Memorandum Circular No. 4

POEA Memorandum Circular No. 04, which sets the Guidelines on Direct Hiring of Filipino Workers was greeted with a protest by Migrant workers and militant Bayan Muna in Congress:

“A cursory reading of MC #04 would reveal that this is a set of ‘Guidelines on Direct Hiring of Filipino Workers’ from the office of POEA Administrator Rosalinda Baldoz. Some parts of the memo show the some of the methods of government exactions on OFWs such as the ‘performance bond’ and ‘repatriation bond,’” Casiño said.

Among the controversial points of the memo are the requisites for two OFW categories: the Skilled Category and Household Service Workers. These types of OFWs are required to get a Certificate of Worker Coverage under a ‘repatriation bond’ worth US$5,000 or its peso equivalent. The memo states that the OFW will not be made to pay this amount as these would be charged to the employers.

“Although the 4-page memo states that the OFW will not shell out anything, OFWs will still foot these amounts as their employers will pass it on to them by underpayment or salary deductions. Concrete examples are what employers do when they are made to pay the OFW’s US$100 POEA processing fee. The memo also does not state where and how these new fees will be spent by the government. This is apparently another hocus-pocus revenue generation scheme by the Arroyo administration at the expense of OFWs and their families. It must also be noted that MC 04 is a blanket policy on all OFWs in all countries,” Casiño said.[Bayan Muna]

Filipino Workers in Hong Kong even formed a coalition against the said circular

SIXTY-five OFW groups representing more than 130,000 Filipinos toiling in Hong Kong as domestics and professionals have formed a coalition calling on the government to rescind a memorandum requiring foreign employers to pay $8,000 in fees to directly hire Filipino workers.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration requires foreign employers seeking to hire OFWs to pay a $5,000 repatriation bond to guarantee the repatriation of the worker or of his remains in the event of death, and a $3,000 performance bond to guarantee payment of salaries.

The new coalition is called SKRAP MC-04, or Samahan Laban sa Katiwalin ng mga Recruitment Agencies at Patakarang MC-04 (Society against Abuses of Recruitment Agencies and the MC-04 Policy).[Tonyocruz.com/Malaya]

Here's an interesting update.

The Labor department will revise the guidelines on direct hiring by foreign employers following strong objections from overseas Filipino workers.

Italy, Hong Kong and Canada will be exempted from the payment of the $5,000 repatriation bond and $3,000 performance bond requirement on foreign employers, according to Labor Secretary Arturo Brion.

The decision to revise Memorandum Circular No. 4 was arrived at during a meeting of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) governing board on Friday.[GMANews.TV]

This is one big victory for the Filipino Migrant Workers! But the struggle continues...

POEA and Jobs in Canada

Recently, I've been receiving calls from clients asking about the deal with POEA's recruitment activity for Canada after seeing the news aired few days ago. Some even went to POEA office to inquire and submit their resume only to find out that government placement facility has no job openings for Canada.

I haven't seen the news and don't have any idea how it was reported. But considering how the media exaggerates sometimes, it isn't surprising why many people reacted that way.

Anyway, POEA released an advisory to clarify the matter:

POEA’s government placement facility has no job openings for Canada. Job orders for Canada are available at DOLE-POEA licensed recruitment agencies with accredited principals/employers. Interested applicants may apply with these licensed recruitment agencies or search for job orders at our website. [For the full text of the advisory, click here.]

There are ways more than one that you may do to get a Permanent Resident Visa and or legally work in Canada. Here's how to find jobs in Canada.