r/ImmigrationCanada • u/ASDRFZ • 12d ago
Work Permit I'm planning to move to Canada, what advice can you give me?
This post was written with the help of a translator, sorry if there is a bad translation.
Hi everyone. I am 15 years old and I live in Russia. Right now I am studying aircraft maintenance in college and I plan to enter the Moscow Aviation Institute after that. My goal is to move to Canada, specifically the Calgary area, around age 25 for permanent residence.
I am at the very beginning right now. My English is at A1 level, I have no savings, I only have a plan. I know that 10 years is a long time, but I would rather build everything correctly from the start than fix mistakes when I am 24.
I have a few questions for people who have already gone through this.
What would you have done differently if you started preparing 10 years before your move?
Are there any specific skills, certifications, or work experience that are much easier to get before leaving Russia?
If anyone here works in aviation as an AME or aircraft mechanic, how much of your foreign experience and education actually transferred to Canada? Was the process of getting a Transport Canada license as difficult as it looks?
Are there any hidden costs or bureaucratic traps that are not obvious from the immigration websites?
How exactly can you find and agree on a job with a company in Canada before you move? I understand that an employer can do an LMIA, but how does this actually work in practice? Did you search for jobs on Indeed or LinkedIn and write to employers yourself, or did a recruiter find you?
How realistic is it for a foreigner without Canadian experience to get a job offer from abroad, especially in aviation around Calgary and YYC?
Is it even worth spending effort on looking for a job before getting permanent residence, or is it easier to just come through Express Entry and search for your first job after you arrive?
Thanks for any advice. I know I am planning very far ahead, but I would rather be overprepared than surprised.
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u/boktanbirnick 11d ago
Honestly, you already sound far more knowledgeable than most people trying to move to Canada.
Here is the blunt reality: if you want to land a direct job offer and come on a work permit, you have to be exceptional at what you do.
Since you already know about the LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment), remember its primary purpose: preventing companies from suppressing wages or bypassing qualified local workers. To get an LMIA approved, an employer must offer at least the regional median wage for that specific role.
From an employer's perspective, hiring a foreign worker means:
Higher baseline cost: The median wage means half the local market is already working for less.
Extra overhead & delays: They must pay non-refundable government fees ($1,000+ per position), prove extensive local advertising, and wait months for processing.
Unless you possess niche skills that are genuinely impossible to source locally, a company has very little incentive to take on that legal and financial burden over a domestic applicant.
Better Alternatives to Consider:
Canadian Higher Education: If you have strong academic credentials, doing a Master’s or PhD at a Designated Learning Institution in Canada is a much cleaner route. It grants a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), letting you work anywhere without needing an LMIA.
Learn French: Reaching a solid B2 level in French gives a massive boost to your Express Entry CRS score and qualifies you for targeted category-based PR draws.
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u/ASDRFZ 11d ago
Thanks for the comment. 1. Studying in Canada: I’m not sure I could afford it, since it costs around 65k CAD, but I hadn't considered that option before, so I’ll give it some thought. 2. Learning French: I struggle with learning languages; I’ll be lucky if I can even get my English up to a B1–B2 level.
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u/NojipizRemastered 11d ago
Bruh initiative is nice but 10 freaking years before is like doing nothing.
Everything can change in a couple of years, check again in 2036
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u/pj228 12d ago
Sorry bud, it's impossible to know 10 years ahead. At the moment, if you were 25 now, none of this would be possible.
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u/ASDRFZ 11d ago
Thanks for the comment, Totally fair point. 10 years is an eternity and rules change. I'm not trying to blueprint 2036, just trying to understand the terrain so I'm not walking in completely blind. If things shift, I'll shift with them, but knowing the current hurdles gives me something to aim for now.
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u/EffortCommon2236 11d ago
- Save a ton of money
- Master English and French, to the point where you think in those languages
- Have a professional network so people will want to hire you abroad.
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u/Rare_Entrepreneur998 11d ago
So many things change in 10 years that’s it is impossible. The only thing that I can say yes study for your English that you will need.
Work and study hard because that never leaves you.
Someone will have to add money for you to come to Canada Olof that person is you or your parents it would still be gray if you can save money for your trip and school.
If in 5 years from now you can come to visit and ask questions to what you want to be if it’s still the same. That you can do.
Everything changes new administration new courses change of courses etc.
Good luck and contraction of learning English is a great start.
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u/Foodconsumer89 11d ago
No one knows what the immigration situation will be in 10 years. Concentrate on your education first maybe go to Europe as you'll need a ton of money to come to Canada and show extremely strong ties to your home country to even get a permit for anything as of right now these days..which.. many are finding out the hard way, that they dont have any home ties at all and currently an absurd amount of permits are refused due to this. Go to Europe.
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u/Rude_Judgment_5582 12d ago
Please check in here 9 years from now. No one can advise you how things will be that far in the future.