Steve 76:
I do know that the Helicopter Industry in Canada is quite stable, I've been in it for more than 20 years and if a pilot has a 1000 hours he shouldn't have a problem earning a modest living. I have never been without fulltime employment in 18 years.
I know quite a few Canucks who/have work/worked for various companies in PNG. I don't think PNG has much of an infastructure to produce pilots though.
I was under the impression that OZ and NZ were/are very protective of their industry, and it is quite difficult to get in.
You mentioned the one year visa in OZ. Do you have landed imigrant status in Canada?
I think Canada is quite liberal ( pardon the pun); I have flown with guys from every continent except Antartica. None seemed to have any real problem getting in; one pilot even defected from the former Soviet Union.
Canada is a great company in spite of an incompetent self serving government.