I quit.....

[squibbler]

.....the other day.

A highly cathartic moment it has to be said.

ATSM isnt even bothering to advertise my job; queue of applicants already he reckons :hmm:

Already had a few calls in the last few days along the lines of "err...I understand you may have an ATCO vacancy early in the new year."

The ATC "bush telegraph" is obviously working well :}

So farewell EGGP and hello to CYQT........must remember to buy extra pairs of long-johns - Brrrrrrr!!! :eek:

[Jerricho]

Hee Hee.......

Look forward to hearing another "accent" over the hot-line.

I start my Thunder Bay Terminal training mid November :ok:

[cossack]

Hey squibbler!

Welcome aboard. It really is better than what you've heard, even being so close to Jerricho. ;)
Lake effect dumping 2 feet of snow overnight: clearing your driveway before you go to work and again when you get home. You'll love it.

[ayrprox]

any course 98 reunion is going to be a bit of a hike though.
all the best over there mate, take a good coat i hear it can get a bit chilly in those winter months!

[JustaFew]

Has Thunder Bay stolen Liverpool's claim for 2008, then?:p

Best of luck in the 'forest with a house.'

[royman]

queue of applicants

Do they have radar ratings though?

[Friio4]

Heres a useful link to get some clothing before you go. My mum says they're good anyway!


www.damartonline.co.uk/ (http://www.damartonline.co.uk)

[Jerricho]

I have two words for you Sqib my friend....... DOWN JACKET :ok:

[squibbler]

Kind words indeed :ok:

Jerricho - wont know what's hit 'em! IFR controller foreign accent, VFR controller foreign accent..........still we're all in the commonwealth eh? :}

Cossack - cheers! Must get down to Canadian Tire when I arive and see if they've got a blower on special offer!

Oh.....anyone thinking of jumping into my shoes after I've gone? Please ensure you've got your APR rating, it'll do wonders for morale! ;)

[cossack]

Just remember, snow blowers are on sale from August until November, December if you're lucky. I tried to buy one in February and it was like looking for hen's teeth. They start selling BBQs in January. Oh what optimists!

[Hooligan Bill]

Oh.....anyone thinking of jumping into my shoes after I've gone? Please ensure you've got your APR rating, it'll do wonders for morale!

Whose morale, management or the troops?

[Lock n' Load]

Moving to Alberta is the ultimate in confusion. You need a snow blower and a big ol' shovel, but you also need cowboy boots (or sh*tkickers in the vernacular) and several unregistered firearms. In Ontario, you have to complain about Americans. In Alberta, you have to complain about Americans, Ontarians Quebecois, immigrants in general (oh, the irony), the gun registry, federal taxation.... It's a long list. In return, you get the lowest income tax in Canada, no provincial sales tax, $400 from King Ralph (the premier) as a gas tax rebate and the right to wear sh*tkickers without it looking like an affectation.
Cossack and Jerricho have less of these factors to live with! Jerri does have more mozzies, and Cossack has truly awful property prices to deal with.... Ahh, 'tis all worth it in the end.

[cossack]

and Cossack has truly awful property prices to deal with If I were to live in downtown Toronto or some of the leafier parts of Mississauga, then perhaps it would be true. Pick your location carefully and prices quickly become more reasonable, and always way more reasonable than the prices we all left behind.
In my case, more than twice the house I left for two-thirds the $$$ :ok:

I've had the boots too for many years but haven't found the right place to wear them, other than a rodeo we went to in the summer! Again, pick your location carefully!

[Jerricho]

and Jerricho have less of these factors to live with! Jerri does have more mozzies,

Yeah, but we also have the world famous Palomino Club where you can go cougar hunting (:E), a beach which supposedly is one of the top 10 in North America and the Morden Apple and Corn festival.

What more could a mere mortal wish for

;)

[Lock n' Load]

Cossack - come for a visit, and you can wear the boots all day long! Eventually you get used to the crippling lower back pain associated with the heels...

Jerricho - I might have to retain your guiding services on a cougar hunt, as long as your MIL isn't one of them. I trust these hunts are "catch and release"...

[Farrell]

What more could a mere mortal wish for

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b140/quartermilefinal/anna014.jpg

[cossack]

I'm fine with the heels. Hmmm that didn't sound right.:O The boots are very comfortable just not widely worn round these parts.

We too will receive cash from Hydro rebates as we were overcharged (surely not!) last year. A whole $60. We have the pleasure also of paying off debt that the previous hydro company incurred long before we even thought of living here. Makes you feel part of the community!

Local to me we have the Alliston Potato Festival, the Caledon Strawberry Festival, more corn than you'd ever care to eat (and it seems more than the farmers want to harvest :confused: ) and mozzies loaded with West Nile Virus.

How many days a year are suitable for the beach in the Peg?

It has been mentioned before: just how many ex-UK, not just ex-NATS controllers are out here now? I know of 8 in YYZ ACC plus me in the Tower, what about elswhere? There must be close to 20.

[RAC/OPS]

Canada's going to be a proper Costa del Snow then!!:D

[Jerricho]

Who let Farrell in here???????

As to your question Mr C, here in the Peg centre we have 2 ex-NATS and one ex-EGHH. 'Peg tower has one hippie ex-UKer, but he's been here for a while ;)

[Farrell]

Sorry........I'll go now:(

[Lock n' Load]

In YEG, down to 2 ex-NATS and one ex-RAF in the experienced controller program, plus one ex-NATS from several years ago and one Brit who married a Canuck and started out as an ab-initio here. Also one Kiwi, 3 Aussies, one South African, if I'm counting right (may have to remove socks).

Those who've left in the last year or so... One ex-EGHH, one ex-SERCO Middle East, one ex-Warton, one Aussie, one ex-NATS.

[Coast]

"Yeah, but we also have the world famous Palomino Club where you can go cougar hunting (), a beach which supposedly is one of the top 10 in North America and the Morden Apple and Corn festival.

What more could a mere mortal wish for"

Big sky, no traffic ;)

[bagpuss lives]

Good luck squibbler.

[Jobby Wheecher]

Lock n'Load wrote
"In YEG, down to 2 ex-NATS and one ex-RAF in the experienced controller program, plus one ex-NATS from several years ago and one Brit who married a Canuck and started out as an ab-initio here. Also one Kiwi, 3 Aussies, one South African, if I'm counting right (may have to remove socks)."

Hey - say Hi to all the Scots Lucky Puckers left over from last years ATC HockeyFest ;) - ask if they remember THAT goal ;)

Big Jimmy, Rutti, Don, Kim, Jeff, Chris, Rowan and Mark
(and hi to Dimo too)

[squibbler]

Jeeeesuuss!

Anyone go out there with kids? I am trying to work out whether or not I need a study permit for my kids to attend school.

CIC Canada......need I say more? :{

I'm going out there on a work permit. CIC say I need a study permit for my kids to attend elementary school. They're still kindergaten age but my eldest is 6 next year so can attend elementary from September. Now based on the fact I'll be there when she "comes of age" here's the problem - from the CIC website:

A minor child already in Canada is authorized to study without a Study Permit (except for a child who is accompanying their parents who are temporary residents within the visitor class). Note that it is only once a child is in Canada that the Study Permit exemption applies: minor children outside of Canada must apply for a Study Permit if they are coming to Canada to study.

Now on a work permit am I a temporary resident within the visitor class? Or do I come under a "worker class" or something similar.

:mad: paperwork!!

Perhaps I should just put in for Permanent Residency Status when I get there and hope it comes through in time!!

[Married a Canadian]

Squibbler

You might aswell apply for permanent residency now...but don't expect it to come through quickly.

I applied a year and a half ago...since then I got the job with NAV Canada...passed my security clearance and medical...obtained a work visa and married a native....have got a mortgage already...purchased a car on finance and opened two bank accounts.

When I rang immigration to find out why I still hadn't received my permanent resident card they said it was still being processed (after a year and a half) and it could take any time up to 3 years from the date I first applied.

Efficient eh!

Good luck with the study visas aswell....hopefully someone can help you cut the corners.

[cossack]

squibbler

You may want to ask any immigration questions here (http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=33) . There are immigration consultants who regularly post on the site and will answer your questions for free! We're worker class, visitor class are not allowed to work. I don't have kids so I can't help there.

I applied for PR last year (AOR March 04) and it all looked to be going OK when I received a request for more info to "prioritize" my application back in January. I duly sent it all, then heard nothing. In July I contacted my local MP and he chased it up. Last month CIC sent me a letter saying the info was never received and to resubmit it within 60 days or they would cancel my application. MP again involved and medical requests have now been received. I hope to have this all completed by early next year. If you apply now through London, you'll be very lucky to have it completed before your WP runs out. They now quote 36 months for applications through London. It was 18 when I applied.

M a C

Are yoiu applying as a skilled worker or spousal? From what I've read spousals take about 6 months through the Mississauga office.

Good luck

[squibbler]

Cheers Cossack thats an excellent site - should prove very helpful :ok:

I'm coming on a work permit, the wife's a lady of leisure at the moment but I'll surprise her by appling for a spousal when we're there - hee hee! :D

I'll apply for PR from Canada, seems a better and quicker option than applying through London!

[cossack]

squibbler

I think I've confused you. The mention of applying through Mississauga is only available for spousal PR applications (like Married a Canadian's) not skilled worker ones like ours. You must apply through London CHC.

If you're wife is anything like mine, her work permit will just gather dust!

If you know you want to stay here, then apply asap for PR (forms downloadable from CIC website). Like I said at least 36 months now through London. It will take you a good few weeks to get all the paperwork together. Things like UK Police checks should be done before you leave. They're only valid for 12 months and take up to 40 business days to come through after your dabs are taken, but do them now, apply and then, like us, send up to date fingerprints (being done tomorrow) to the RCMP at medical time.

If I can be of further help, just ask.

[Jerricho]

Hi again Squib,

I'll send more to you via email, but I'll just touch on this briefly here for others.

Spouses are automatically covered under the Skilled Worker program visa/permit we get for out postions, it's just than when you first arrive in the country, not many of the Immigration people know it. There is some code on the visa/permit that backs this up in their book of knowledge (and on the HRDC website), but they are unwilling to go in search of it.

My suggestion is to pay the $150 CAD (or what ever it is) for both of your permit before you get to Canada and obtain the "Yes I have paid for my visa/permit" receipt, and get the Immigration people to issue both your visa and your spouse's right there when you arrive. As I said, you are entitled to it being done at the time, but not many of the officers know about it.

We unfortunately learnt this after the fact and had to wait a couple of months for Mrs J's to come through. Also, depending upon what line of work your spouse would like to do, there is a requirement for a medical for some positions (teaching, nursing etc).

As to customs declarations, I've got the full gen on that as well :rolleyes:

[Lock n' Load]

One of the guys here has kids in school - I'll ask for his take. As a work permit holder, you don't actually come under the "skilled worker" umbrella as such. You obviously are one in the sense that a work permit is issued for a specific job, but the skilled worker label is part of the permanent residency side of things.
Given that permanent residency applications take an age in the UK (and I wouldn't necessarily trust immigration consultants to speed things up for their £2,000 or so), I'm going to apply in country. Applications from inside Canada go to Buffalo, NY, for skilled worker applicants. You get more points for having arranged work, and more still after a year of Canadian employment.

Jobby - the "Scottish" team has been mentioned to me many times! I work on the same speciality as Kim, Rutti and Big Jimmy's wife. I've been skating once in the 15 months since I got here, and I broke two ribs...