‘The best country in the world in which to live.’ That’s how the United Nations referred to Canada. That must have something to do with why so many people from all over the world fancy making it their home. In the last ten years an average of 221,000 people per year have immigrated to Canada. This doesn’t include those who go on working holidays staying for months or even years. The United Nations were referring to the standard of living, but Canada’s attraction is more than that. If you are one of the many who find the Canadian lifestyle appealing, I hope that this book will help you to make your dream a reality.

The idea of working in Canada – whether in the short, the medium or the long term – is an attractive prospect for many. Often those who visit Canada on holiday find the way of life very appealing; others respond to the challenge of the ‘wide open spaces’. Certainly Canada is large and varied enough to offer an enormous range of opportunities – from the cosmopolitan outlook of cities such as Toronto and Vancouver to the slower and yet equally challenging lifestyle found in remote areas.

Anyone who is thinking of working in Canada needs to consider carefully many aspects – it’s a very big country and there can be, quite literally, a world of difference between city and town, east and west, mountain and prairie. In this book those differences are made clear and you will find out what opportunities are available and where. More importantly, you will be led step by step through the whole process of achieving Employment Authorisation, finding the job you want and landing that job.

I have tried to include as much information as possible to help you in your venture. One of the problems with such a vast country is that there is an equally vast amount of contacts. Where these have been too many to list I have indicated where the information can be found. Just about all the references I have given should be easy to find, either when you begin your job search here at home or when you continue it in Canada.

The section on Immigration is a pretty big one, as really that is the key to the whole procedure. Without Employment Authorisation you simply will not be able to work in Canada. So wade your way through the information there. I hope it will help you to get that magic visa! And remember that approximately 90 per cent of all Skilled Worker applications are successful. I hope you will be, too.

There are addresses throughout the book, as well as in the Useful Addresses section at the back. Often these are just a small sample of the services available. You will come across many more.

Needless to say, there have been some changes since I last updated this book in 2004. I have tried to incorporate as much new information as possible. In particular, the massive growth of the Internet has changed the playing field. In the last edition I mentioned that access to the Internet, although not essential, would make your search for information and contacts so much quicker. Of course there is still a wealth of material available in books, directories and other publications, but I am now inclined to say that Internet access will make your task a lot easier and more productive. There is information on the net that simply does not appear elsewhere and, in most cases, it is the most up-to-date source. Fortunately, if you don’t use the net at home it is not a problem as all you need do is visit any reasonably sized library where you can use public access computers and gain Internet connection. There is usually a very small fee to pay and, should you need assistance or advice, the librarians are trained in computer use and are there to help. I have included more relevant website addresses in the Useful Addresses section, but really these are only the tip of the iceberg. You’re bound to come across even more informative sites as you search.

I would like to thank all those who have supplied me with information for this new edition. The folks at Canada News have provided invaluable assistance. Their magazine is a source of information about Canadian employment and lifestyle that you should definitely not be without.

In previous editions I was wary of painting too rosy a picture of employment prospects and living conditions in Canada. This is still the case, although as things stand currently it is very difficult not to be very enthusiastic. Canada is enjoying the strongest growth in living standards of all G7 countries, as well as boasting the best employment record. But do be aware that, as with all things, economies change. Your best bet is to keep yourself up to date with current trends. There’s plenty of information in this book about how to do just that. The opportunities are there if you have the right skills and know where to look.

I hope you enjoy your Canadian adventure and wish you the very best of luck.