Canada is certainly a dream location for many people looking for a new life abroad. With over 670,000 British residents already there, the long-standing relationship between the two Commonwealth countries cannot be denied.

That said, as with most countries outside of the EU, Brits will need to meet certain visa criteria before they are allowed to apply for permanent residency. There may be benefits to the Commonwealth connection but in most cases those wishing to emigrate will need to fulfill a points based visa system. Points are attributed to, amongst other things, education, age and adaptability. There are also a number of work visas available which will make permanent residency easier and quicker process.

The good news is that Canada now has an Express Entry System for those wishing to apply for a skilled profession vacancy.

All applicants will have their experience based upon an NOC ranking. That is National Occupational Classification (NOC) system to classify jobs (occupations). Jobs are grouped together based on the type of job and work the applicant does.

For immigration purposes, the main job groups are listed by the Canadian government as follows:

Skill Type 0 (zero): management jobs, such as: restaurant managers, mine managers, shore captains (fishing)

Skill Level A: professional jobs that usually call for a degree from a university, such as: doctors, dentists, architects

Skill Level B: technical jobs and skilled trades that usually call for a college diploma or training as an apprentice, such as: chefs, plumbers, electricians

Skill Level C: intermediate jobs that usually call for high school and/or job-specific training, such as: industrial butchers, long-haul truck drivers, food and beverage servers

Skill Level D: labour jobs that usually give on-the-job training, such as: fruit pickers , cleaning staff, oil field workers

Using the NOC ranking allows for some applicants to apply for certain skilled trades through the Express Entry system. Permanent residency will be based upon the applicants ability to do a list of named skilled trades.

Those eligible to emigrate under the Federal Skilled Trades Program need to have proven experience in the following industries, under the major and minor NOC groups. :

– Major Group 72, industrial, electrical and construction trades,

– Major Group 73, maintenance and equipment operation trades,

– Major Group 82, supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related production,

-Major Group 92, processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators,

-Minor Group 632, chefs and cooks,

– Minor Group 633, butchers and bakers.

You can also apply under the Canadian Experience Class. In order to do this you will need a minimum of 12 months skilled work experience in Canada, along with a number of other requirements. You can apply through CEC if you have experience in the following sectors:

– Managerial jobs (NOC skill level 0)

– Professional jobs (NOC skill type A)

– Technical jobs and skilled trades (NOC skill type B)

Being a French speaker will also be useful in Canada. The French-speaking province of Quebec has their own special agreement with the Canadian government and if you are looking to emigrate there you will need to go through a separate process.

The most lucrative careers in Canada right now revolve around the tech sector. Fluency with software, data and analysis is in big demand and this is where the biggest salary growth is now occurring. A recent report highlighted that Canada needs 182,000 people to fill a number of IT positions by 2019.

Jobs listed included: Information systems analysts and consultants, computer and network operators and web technicians, computer programmers and interactive media developers, software engineers, graphic designers and illustrators. Computer engineers, user support technicians and web designers and developers were also listed. These jobs are certainly one way to make more money than you might make back at home. According to job searching website Indeed.ca the most popular jobs in 2017 are as follows:

Full Stack Developer, average salary $80, 268 (£47, 423)

DevOps Engineer, average salary $97,379 (£57, 532)

Back End Developer, average salary $77, 853 (£46,000)

Real Estate Agent, average salary $108, 741(£64, 257)

Android Developer, average salary $86, 749 (£51, 262)

Analytics Manager, average salary $94, 360 (£55, 759)

User Experience, average salary $80, 815 (£47, 761)

IT Security Specialist, average salary $80, 969 (£47, 852)

Optometrist, average salary $105, 790 (£65, 522)

Python Developer, average salary $85,675 (£50, 629)

If you’d like some ideas of companies to work for in Canada, why not focus on the country’s best employers. Here’s a list of the top companies in 2017.

If you’d like to discuss moving from the UK to Canada, with PSS International Removals, here’s a brief summary of our Canada specific offering. If you are considering moving abroad, PSS International removals can help. We are a family run company, which has specialised in international removals for over 40 years. We are committed to providing a friendly, professional and stress free overseas move for all our customers. Whether you’re sending a full or part household removal, excess baggage or a vehicle, we will ensure that you receive the highest level of care and attention.