The IEC and post-graduate work permits are separate and don't affect each other. The PGWP must be obtained shortly after completing eligible study courses, so you'll likely want to use that up before applying for additional work permits under the IEC scheme, as long as you meet the age requirements. You can apply for additional IEC work permits for each eligible citizenship you hold. Flight training in Canada has no impact on your participation in the IEC scheme.
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What are the chances of success in getting the IEC working holiday programme?"
That depends on citizenship and the application date. For UK passport holders, the odds of being selected this year are slim whereas currently an Irish passport holder stands an excellent chance. It's better to apply as a UK citizen at the start of the year when the quota is refreshed. Quotas by country are
here.
If you're aiming for
PR, you'll likely need a job offer from an employer who can secure a positive LMIA. It's unlikely any FTU would offer an instructor job to a non-Canadian because it requires the employer to pay at least the median wage for 1 560 hours per annum. The median wage for pilots, under NOC no. 72600, is 40 to 50 CAD per hour depending on the province/territory. Median wage figures for flight instructors haven't been separately estimated.
Working in Canada will increase the points needed to be eligible for participation in the Federal Skilled Worker programme. This means you can enter the Express Entry pool to be considered for
PR. However, the pool is oversubscribed and only candidates with the highest CRS scores are invited to apply. CRS points are given to applicants with work experience both inside and outside Canada in the same occupational classification. Setting aside
PR chances, have you apprised yourself of the current cost of living in Canada?
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Some flight schools have been saying due to the new changes this year, getting study permits, PGWP and permanent residency is a lot harder. Do you have any insight on this?"
There have been a bunch of changes this year, eg the number of study permits will be reduced by 35%, spouses can no longer apply for an open work permit unless the principal applicant is pursuing a post-graduate degree, FTUs in places like BC cannot newly apply for DLI status, etc.
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I'm currently weighing up my options as to carrying on in the UK or moving to Canada; currently in favour of Canada as, if I'm right in thinking, it is a lot cheaper, more fun, no 13 ATPL exams and the training would be done a lot quicker?"
There are several separate considerations here. Hour building, training, immediate job opportunities, and your long-term career goals. Numerous factors make for richer hour building in Canada compared to the UK. Canada offers greater geographical diversity with more opportunities for mountain flying and many beautiful places to fly, such as Vancouver Island. The airspace can be far less congested. ATC is more accommodating. Aircraft hire costs are lower. Despite the snow and bitterly cold winters, the climate tends to be more favorable overall, with approximately a third more sunny days per year in major cities. For instance, Winnipeg has about 44% more sunny days than London. Doing the hour building in Canada does not commit you to training for a Canadian CPL/MEIR.
The quality of flight training in Canada is broadly comparable to that in the UK. Both countries derive their air exercises and training syllabuses from the same Gosport System. The CPL training course in Canada includes spin training and you'll need to demonstrate spin entry and recovery on the test. Ground school is shorter and the exams are fewer, ie ther CPL and IR require only one exam paper each. The flight instructor rating training takes longer than in the UK. You can anticipate spending at least 3 months on this. You'll also need to budget for ground briefings and preparatory ground instruction for all courses to be undertaken. On a positive note, it means you'll also be paid for these activities if you take up instructing. You'll need to carefully consider and cost out the subsequent acquisition of a UK CPL/MEIR in case things don't work out in Canada. The subsequent "conversion" of a Canadian CPL/MEIR into the UK equivalent will cost substantially more than you'll save as a flight instructor working in Canada for several years.