Could I move to Canada?
August 5, 2023 7:36 AM Subscribe
I've wanted to live in Canada ever since I visited as a kid, and things are getting pretty bad here in the UK, so now seems like a good time to move. I think I have just about enough points to qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker program, but I don't want to move without a job lined up, and finding a job in another country seems impossible.
I'm a book designer, which is not the most sought-after skill (it was hard enough to find a job here). There are probably other graphic design jobs I could apply for, but it doesn't seem like Canada has any shortage of designers. Is there any chance I could move there in the next couple of years, or is this a pipe dream?
I'm a book designer, which is not the most sought-after skill (it was hard enough to find a job here). There are probably other graphic design jobs I could apply for, but it doesn't seem like Canada has any shortage of designers. Is there any chance I could move there in the next couple of years, or is this a pipe dream?
Best answer: Now is not a great time to be in Canada, honestly. We’ve got a cost of living crisis - housing and food costs are through the roof, pretty much everywhere. Layoffs are happening in every sector. In Ontario, hospitals in smaller places are having to close emergency rooms, and hospitals everywhere are running short-staffed while our premier is reserving healthcare funding for a private system that’s being planned. There’s a lot of far-right sentiment outside the cities. Within the cities, there’s been a huge rise in homelessness and addiction to synthetic drugs that can cause aggressive behaviour, difficult to endure if you’re someone likely to be targeted (AFAB or small framed AMAB). In Toronto, violent crime on transit has gone up a huge amount. There’s a general loss of civility. A decent number of young Canadians with highly valued skills are leaving for the US and Europe where maybe similar things are happening but they could at least afford a home.
posted by cotton dress sock at 8:42 AM on August 5, 2023 [8 favorites]
posted by cotton dress sock at 8:42 AM on August 5, 2023 [8 favorites]
I was going to say the same thing as cotton dress sock above. I know the UK seems to be not great at the moment, but things aren't exactly peachy here either. You are just trading one set of problems for another, in a foreign country to boot. Please at least take off any rose-colored glasses and do some research into the where in Canada you're looking at, because different areas are vastly different with different problems.
I’m in the tech sector, and never in my 25+ year plus career before have I ever known so many people personally (including designers) looking for work. Interest rates on our mortgages have skyrocked and people with damn good jobs cant pay them anymore. Rent is also ridiculous. I could go on, but I am aware Im not answering the question directly.
posted by cgg at 9:07 AM on August 5, 2023 [6 favorites]
I’m in the tech sector, and never in my 25+ year plus career before have I ever known so many people personally (including designers) looking for work. Interest rates on our mortgages have skyrocked and people with damn good jobs cant pay them anymore. Rent is also ridiculous. I could go on, but I am aware Im not answering the question directly.
posted by cgg at 9:07 AM on August 5, 2023 [6 favorites]
Re: working remotely as a freelancer for Canadian clients — this would be possible, but it wouldn't help you immigrate. If you want a full-time job offer before you get your work visa, you'd have to convince one of your clients to hire you full-time and then they'd have to go through an LMIA — a difficult and complicated bureaucratic process where they have to prove there are no equivalent Canadian applicants. The vast majority of full-time job postings — those who don't want to do an LMIA — legally couldn't hire you until after you get your work visa.
There are plenty of graphic designers in Canada (I'm one), you're right that it's not rare. Wages here for graphic design are not great and have been going down in the past 10 years — on top of our recent surge in inflation, it's bad. We've recently had an increase in the minimum wage, which is great, but now there are graphic design jobs that are literally minimum wage. Many companies that would have hired graphic designers in the past are now getting their design work done on sites like Fiverr. I'm working on transitioning out of straight graphic design into something more specialized.
There are not a lot of jobs for book designers at all, we have very few publishers here compared to the US. If you want to stay in book design, you're honestly better off in the US.
It's true Canadian companies like to hire Americans, but that's mostly in tech/game industries. Traditional graphic designers are just not seen as valuable in the same way (see minimum wage above). But! Don't try to do a UX program thinking you'd get an entry-level UX job, the market for that is absolutely flooded with bootcamp grads. Bootcamps are fully lying about their hiring numbers.
Not to say it isn't possible, but the easiest route is probably to get your work visa approved first. At least then, you'd be in the running for a regular full-time job.
posted by 100kb at 9:21 AM on August 5, 2023 [1 favorite]
There are plenty of graphic designers in Canada (I'm one), you're right that it's not rare. Wages here for graphic design are not great and have been going down in the past 10 years — on top of our recent surge in inflation, it's bad. We've recently had an increase in the minimum wage, which is great, but now there are graphic design jobs that are literally minimum wage. Many companies that would have hired graphic designers in the past are now getting their design work done on sites like Fiverr. I'm working on transitioning out of straight graphic design into something more specialized.
There are not a lot of jobs for book designers at all, we have very few publishers here compared to the US. If you want to stay in book design, you're honestly better off in the US.
It's true Canadian companies like to hire Americans, but that's mostly in tech/game industries. Traditional graphic designers are just not seen as valuable in the same way (see minimum wage above). But! Don't try to do a UX program thinking you'd get an entry-level UX job, the market for that is absolutely flooded with bootcamp grads. Bootcamps are fully lying about their hiring numbers.
Not to say it isn't possible, but the easiest route is probably to get your work visa approved first. At least then, you'd be in the running for a regular full-time job.
posted by 100kb at 9:21 AM on August 5, 2023 [1 favorite]
OP is in the UK, not America.
posted by heatherlogan at 9:42 AM on August 5, 2023
posted by heatherlogan at 9:42 AM on August 5, 2023
Yes, I know, I was referencing the person above who — as I read it — was suggesting OP get an American job first and then try to get hired in Canada. That would probably work for someone in tech — get hired in a tech role at a FAANG company or other big Silicon Valley name, then get sponsored into an LMIA-approved role by a Canadian company after a year in the US. But traditional graphic design is not in demand or seen as valuable in the same way.
posted by 100kb at 10:16 AM on August 5, 2023
posted by 100kb at 10:16 AM on August 5, 2023
The best way to find work as a designer in Canada is to be into game design or UX. Print design has gone pretty niche and is likely to be overtaken by AI soon enough.
posted by zadcat at 10:48 AM on August 5, 2023
posted by zadcat at 10:48 AM on August 5, 2023
Best answer: You have to be eligible to apply under a recognized program, see this list.
As it seems you know, the generic program for skilled workers uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (link to calculator to estimate your score), a points system that measures various factors, and rounds of invitations that use particular categories and points cut-offs. You would want to apply sooner rather than later as you would expect to wait until an invitation to apply is issued.
Nothing you've said reminds me of any particular immigration program that you'd be a good fit for, but if you are serious about this, you should consult a Canadian immigration lawyer (I recommend steering clear of immigration consultants). There are a huge number of possible routes, including provincial nominee programs which differ in criteria for different provinces, each with specific criteria. You couldn't reasonably assess your chances by internet research alone.
Bear in mind there are many, many people desiring to immigrate and the government prioritizes applications by fit with economic and other objectives. The cut-offs and preferred criteria change frequently.
As far as whether this is a good idea, it depends on where you want to live. If it's in a major city, it would probably be more challenging from a cost of living perspective.
posted by lookoutbelow at 1:16 PM on August 5, 2023 [2 favorites]
As it seems you know, the generic program for skilled workers uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (link to calculator to estimate your score), a points system that measures various factors, and rounds of invitations that use particular categories and points cut-offs. You would want to apply sooner rather than later as you would expect to wait until an invitation to apply is issued.
Nothing you've said reminds me of any particular immigration program that you'd be a good fit for, but if you are serious about this, you should consult a Canadian immigration lawyer (I recommend steering clear of immigration consultants). There are a huge number of possible routes, including provincial nominee programs which differ in criteria for different provinces, each with specific criteria. You couldn't reasonably assess your chances by internet research alone.
Bear in mind there are many, many people desiring to immigrate and the government prioritizes applications by fit with economic and other objectives. The cut-offs and preferred criteria change frequently.
As far as whether this is a good idea, it depends on where you want to live. If it's in a major city, it would probably be more challenging from a cost of living perspective.
posted by lookoutbelow at 1:16 PM on August 5, 2023 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Canada has recently implemented a new digital nomad program that might be of interest. As long as you can work remotely, you can live in Canada for six months. That might be enough time for you to figure out if you like it here, if you'd want to stay here, what part of the country appeals to you, etc.
Reportedly, you'd also have the opportunity to apply for Canadian-based jobs: "“(That digital nomad strategy) will allow people who have a foreign employer to come live in Canada for up to six months, live and spend money in communities in this country and, should they receive a job offer while they’re here, we’re going to allow them to continue to stay and work in Canada,” Fraser said at the Collision Conference in Toronto in June." (from the link above).
But honestly, I wouldn't bother moving here. I interact online with a lot of people based in the UK. Their discussions about politics, the economy, healthcare, etc. are pretty much word-for-word what a Canadian would write. We're really in the same boat as you, except it's a smaller boat that doesn't get as much international respect or have as much power.
posted by sardonyx at 2:46 PM on August 5, 2023 [10 favorites]
Reportedly, you'd also have the opportunity to apply for Canadian-based jobs: "“(That digital nomad strategy) will allow people who have a foreign employer to come live in Canada for up to six months, live and spend money in communities in this country and, should they receive a job offer while they’re here, we’re going to allow them to continue to stay and work in Canada,” Fraser said at the Collision Conference in Toronto in June." (from the link above).
But honestly, I wouldn't bother moving here. I interact online with a lot of people based in the UK. Their discussions about politics, the economy, healthcare, etc. are pretty much word-for-word what a Canadian would write. We're really in the same boat as you, except it's a smaller boat that doesn't get as much international respect or have as much power.
posted by sardonyx at 2:46 PM on August 5, 2023 [10 favorites]
Where do you want to live in Canada? Housing is unaffordable in the major cities and getting more unaffordable in smaller cities. By "things are bad in the UK" what do you mean? Canada has its problems too - don't know if you'll escape the problems of the UK by coming here and immigrating is not easy. I googled "British expats Canada" and came up with different websites, newsarticles and an FB group. Try talking to people who've done it, ask them your questions. Also try r/iwantout on Reddit.
our government has decided to take the population of Canada from the current 35 million to 100 million, by bringing in between one and two million people per year from now on.
I'd never heard of this so I did some poking around. I found this and here's the official Canadian government policy on immigration.
posted by foxjacket at 7:41 PM on August 5, 2023
our government has decided to take the population of Canada from the current 35 million to 100 million, by bringing in between one and two million people per year from now on.
I'd never heard of this so I did some poking around. I found this and here's the official Canadian government policy on immigration.
posted by foxjacket at 7:41 PM on August 5, 2023
Mod note: One deleted. Please focus on the OP's question and situation rather than just using this as a space for an extended rant about Trudeau and Canadian politics.
posted by taz (staff) at 10:24 PM on August 5, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by taz (staff) at 10:24 PM on August 5, 2023 [4 favorites]
There are a couple populations for whom Canada is significantly safer than either the UK or the US - trans folks, for instance. But services vary across the country: immigrant communities that will be welcoming to certain groups tend to be concentrated in a couple regions; Halifax has the highest proportion of trans-identifying residents, but a lack of gender confirming surgery options. Without knowing OP’s reasons for interest in moving to Canada, it’s hard to make more specific recommendations, but I would recommend doing more research on any relevant details to narrow down a potential location.
Often jobs in Northern Canada that are open to folks from outside the region pay a northern cost of living premium. This is needed due to the extra high cost of food and such (and the need to travel south for many more complex medical care issues) in the far north, however if you have few needs and can find one that provides housing or housing assistance, I’ve known a couple folks who have managed to save up a little bit and achieve some economic security.
posted by eviemath at 6:33 AM on August 6, 2023
Often jobs in Northern Canada that are open to folks from outside the region pay a northern cost of living premium. This is needed due to the extra high cost of food and such (and the need to travel south for many more complex medical care issues) in the far north, however if you have few needs and can find one that provides housing or housing assistance, I’ve known a couple folks who have managed to save up a little bit and achieve some economic security.
posted by eviemath at 6:33 AM on August 6, 2023
It sounds like a very difficult thing to do without family or some other support system in place. I can’t speak for the whole country but Cotton Dress Design's answer is a good picture of Ontario. The upper-middle class is eating the lower classes alive. Rent controls have been lifted, meaning that a ton of housing is being bought up as investment property. These same people demanding fast-tracked healthcare and when they finally get a two-tier system, will be happy to watch the public one crumble.
..but more to your question, I work in animation and an unprecedented number of my LinkedIn contacts are out of work, so I would imagine that they'll be flooding all the adjacent design zones for the next year or two.
posted by brachiopod at 12:30 PM on August 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
..but more to your question, I work in animation and an unprecedented number of my LinkedIn contacts are out of work, so I would imagine that they'll be flooding all the adjacent design zones for the next year or two.
posted by brachiopod at 12:30 PM on August 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
Of course, you could court and marry a Canadian and have them sponsor you.
How's your French?
posted by zadcat at 12:44 PM on August 6, 2023
How's your French?
posted by zadcat at 12:44 PM on August 6, 2023
Just an addendum to my previous answer. If you don’t have a family support system in Canada but you’re young and can count on some sort of safety net to return home to, then you’ll be no worse off and will have had the experience. Just saying it’s tough all over right now and even my own idea of Canada is changing by the day.
posted by brachiopod at 5:34 PM on August 8, 2023
posted by brachiopod at 5:34 PM on August 8, 2023
I don’t have any great recommendations for how to get to Canada, in terms of which immigration pathway to take, but I just wanted to add a non-Toronto, non-big city perspective.
I live in Saskatoon, SK where rent is still bearable and you can buy a very decent, detached family home for 325-400k CAD. It can also be easier to get your Permanent Residency if you move anywhere that isn’t Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and sometimes Halifax because everyone wants to live in those places and the federal government is currently looking to spread around immigration numbers.
Our provincial government isn’t great re: diversity and left-leaning politics but there are still a lot of really, really great folks out there doing the work for women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, and Indigenous rights and I haven’t found it hard to find them.
I wouldn’t anticipate that a graphic designer would have a tremendously hard time finding a job here; I see postings for that field several times a month.
posted by oywiththepoodles at 5:50 PM on August 8, 2023
I live in Saskatoon, SK where rent is still bearable and you can buy a very decent, detached family home for 325-400k CAD. It can also be easier to get your Permanent Residency if you move anywhere that isn’t Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and sometimes Halifax because everyone wants to live in those places and the federal government is currently looking to spread around immigration numbers.
Our provincial government isn’t great re: diversity and left-leaning politics but there are still a lot of really, really great folks out there doing the work for women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, and Indigenous rights and I haven’t found it hard to find them.
I wouldn’t anticipate that a graphic designer would have a tremendously hard time finding a job here; I see postings for that field several times a month.
posted by oywiththepoodles at 5:50 PM on August 8, 2023
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posted by nouvelle-personne at 8:19 AM on August 5, 2023