Other countries licensing?

[Commander1]

Hi all, does anyone know if i could convert a JAA mechanic license to an Australian or Canadian?

Has anyone worked as mechs in any of these countries? Would you recommend them? What is the pay like?

Thanks alot

[pionairtech]

The Canadians won't give you any credit for their licence, but the Aussies do i think. http://www.casa.gov.au/
Also check out www.airmech.co.uk as the have covered both these countries ;) .

[pigs]

did I read somewhere the Aussies are introducing an EASA style system soon? The conversion would be fairly straightforward, apart from the legislation differences.

[Commander1]

So would it be harder to covert to a Canadian license? I read that the have skill shortages like Australia and i would have a good chance of getting residency.

[Commander1]

P.S isn't Canada a better country to live in compared to the USA regarding a higher quality of life, as i know the pay in America is low plus its a high standard of living. Isn't it different in Canada??

[Commander1]

What a about Canada, i'd rather go there to be honest. Its only 6 hours flight time from Scotland (approx) :)

[Commander1]

Can someone please tell me what i would need to do to work in Canada as an aircraft mech with a JAA license?

Thanks

[unstable load]

I am just getting started on the rigmarole involved in getting a Canadian License. Unfortunately my apprenticship training was not accepted by TC so I need to do the whole thing all over. I am enrolled with ICS as a correspondence student and once the course is done I will need to write the required exams with TC and then get my license.

[pionairtech]

transport canada are the ones to contact. You won't get any credits for a JAA licence, but there are only 5 exams to write from memory:confused: they were CDN$50 weach except air leg which is CDN$100.
The hardest bit is getting approval to write the exams. :ugh:Took me six months but i was ex militery from NZ and didn't hold a licence .

[Commander1]

Cool, i'll need to wait and get my JAA license first of all then see if i could take the exams for the Canadian one. Though i'd like to move to Canada and i qualify regarding the visa so i should be ok?

[unstable load]

Commander 1,

You may not need to wait to get your JAA ticket. Contact Transport Canada and they will tell you what you need to do to get the Canadian license.
I served a full apprenticeship and have held an A/C license since 1993 and I have had to start from scratch to get my Canadian license.
I was asked to submit all my records (logbook, license, academic) and they told me that they would accept my logbook of experience but that my academic course (and thus current license) were not accepted to them and that I would need to redo all the exams. I am subsequently enrolled with ICS Canada as a correspondence student doing the basic knowledge course and once I have completed the exams and passed the course I will need to write the TC exams. Those exams and my logbook SHOULD be eneough to qualify me for the license.
I say SHOULD because as a government department they are entitled to shift the goalposts without notice or explanation.

I don't know what your basic qualification, if any, is but I will assume for the sake of the thread that you are currently involved in the industry in a technical capacity. Assuming that, you will be busy with or have completed your academic studies.
IF those studies are acceptable to TC from the syllabus/time studied point of view you may well be allowed to take the exams now.

That will make things a lot easier for you as you will not need to go through with the JAA qualification and then move to Canada to have to start all over again.
Personally, however I would suggest that you do the JAA if you can as you can never be TOO qualified from a license coverage point of view.

I hope this is making sense to you. BTW, I have the advantage of working for a Canadain company (on non C- reg aircraft) and they have done all the research/leg work for me and are even paying for my ICS and all the exams provided I pass. If not, then I get to pay it all back.

No pressure, then, right??

[Commander1]

Hi thanks for that handy info. Just wanted to ask, what is the pay like in Canada and living like compared to the UK? Is it harder living in Canada than in UK (Scotland?)

Or should i be better off just staying here? I opted to go for an American license but it seems highly red taped and the cost of living in America is VERY high. (boyfriend is from there)

I am currently studying my NC at college then moving onto an SVQ 3 and maybe HNC if required.

[unstable load]

Commander1,

Sorry, can't help you there as I don't live there. Like you, I am thinking of moving there.
As for salary, I work on Rotorwing and from what I understand that is a different planet to F/W. From what I heard though, it should be the same costwise at worst, but probably cheaper than Jockland.

[Commander1]

I'll Jockland you!! lol

Yeah though i think the USA is alot more expensive than Canada, though dont quote me on it, just going by what my boyfriend tells me.

[unstable load]

Och Aye, the noo! Poch yer ein hohn! (pardon the spelling):}

I think you are right there about the prices. Speaking to colleagues who have been resident in both places I get the impression that the frozen north is a better deal for me. If nothing else, my Canadian license when I eventually get it will count for more worldwide than the A&P, which is not to say that the A&P is second rate. Before you go there (and ask why I would want a license that I can use elsewhere, but I want to live there) I am on the touring circuit, so again, a whole different planet, but none the less, an interesting one to be on.

Seriously, I think that is the place to go to.:D

[Commander1]

You're quite good with the Scots language lol

Where are you from?

Yeah I defo agree with you, Canada even though it has deadly cold winters, has a good quality of life, i only know about 2 people who have immigrated there and have never looked back since.

:)

[unstable load]

Commander1,

I am South African, but I had the pleasure of working with a few Jocks in my wanderings around the dark continent.
As for the weather, depends where you end up really. Vancouver is pretty mild as far as that goes, but there are places that are almost telephone numbers below zero!!!:eek:

[Commander1]

OOh, doesn't Vancouver get alot of rain though? I quite like the look of Toronto area aswell though, but i have never been to Canada only the USA.

[wrenchbender]

Lots of work right now.
Cascade Aerospace in Abbotsford, BC. has lots of contracts for overhauls; http://www.cascadeaerospace.com/careers/Current%20Opportunities
Kelowna Flightcraft is looking for people to work at their facility in the Okanogan valley, BC; http://www.flightcraft.ca/
Various others; http://search1.workopolis.com/jobshome/db/work.res_list?pi_sort_col=POST_DATE&pi_search_id=578159021&pi_page_no=1&pi_msg=&pi_gam_date=&pi_page_id=&pi_search_filter_flag=1

[Commander1]

Thanks for that Wrechbender.

Just one question

Which country is cheaper to live in and has a better quality of life, Canada or the USA?

[wrenchbender]

Which country is cheaper to live in and has a better quality of life, Canada or the USA?
I have never lived in the USA, but from visiting there and observing prices, I think that Canada is probably cheaper. It really depends on what part of the country(s) you want to live in. For instance, there seems to be lots of aviation work in and around Los Angeles and San Francisco, California, but it is incredibly expensive to live there. There are other places in the States that would be much cheaper to live, but is there work???
I feel that a much more important factor to consider is "quality of life" where you are planning to live. For that, I think Canada wins hands down. The reason I say this is that we have far, far less violent crime here. And the reason for that is the gun control laws. There are very few people carrying handguns here, where in the States you can safely assume that nearly everyone around you is armed!
You know, there are pros and cons to everything in life. There is probably more opportunity in the States than in Canada. If you search the on-line recruiters, you will see that there is LOTS of work down south. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.
Cheers!

[unstable load]

I stand corrected, but I also believe that per capita, Canada has far more aircraft than any other country.

That's eneough for me, but throw in the lifestyle and (for now) largely correct use of the Queen's English and that's where I am off to.

[Commander1]

Hehehe thats cool, i think you're right about Canada. Which province/town do you live in?

I agree about the US having too many guns, seemingly Texas has 3 guns to one person. Statistically speaking.

[unstable load]

Like you I am at the "I want to go there" stage. I currently live in South Africa, so anything with more than a drop of snow is going to be a serious culture shock.
Would love to go to Vancouver, but just too expensive to buy property there so I am considering Halifax as an option.

[Commander1]

Would you ever go to America? Im still crossed between the both. Just dont know about pay/benefits and crime there

[unstable load]

To be honest, I have never considered it as an option. Hard to decide really, as I have grown up in the commonwealth, so Canada or OZ/NZ would be my initial choices.

[Commander1]

What is the crime like in the US, is it as bad as everyone makes it out to be?