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[omaraz]

Hello everyone,

I am currently an American student and upon completing my doctorate degree I anticipate relocating to either Canada or the UK. My strategy for Canada is to apply for a skilled worker permit (I qualify according to their point system), and upon approval I will apply to Canadian universities.

My thought is that it will be economically effecient to deposit the minimum amount of funds as required by the government, apply and receive approval, apply for positions (proving that I have the right to work) and then move when a job is offered.

Would this be a safe strategy for the UK or should I just start applying when ready. I only ask because it seems difficult to enter the UK for work as an American citizen.

[expatinuk]

Would this be a safe strategy for the UK or should I just start applying when ready. I only ask because it seems difficult to enter the UK for work as an American citizen.

Not difficult at all...  if your employer wants you, and can demonstrate that you fill the job and no EU candidate does... they do all the paperwork.

[science_expat]

Try talk.uk-yankee.com

[socsci]

Will OP's strategy work for Canada? I score enough points on the online test, too, and I might not mind working in Canada sometime.

Thanks in advance.

[scotia]

Will OP's strategy work for Canada? I score enough points on the online test, too, and I might not mind working in Canada sometime.

Thanks in advance.

Chessplayer - you would probably be better posting this query in the Working Overseas or Job Seeking threads. The Academics in the UK may have no experience of Canadian immigration practices.

[gobelin]

This month's Dr Jobs on the University Affairs website is about getting jobs in Canada: http://www.universityaffairs.ca/_careers/dr_jobs/index_e.php.
You can find out about the Canadian PR applications from the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website, which you may have already found since you've been looking at the points required for a skilled worker visa.  The processing times are also posted and may give you pause for thought: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/times-int/02a-skilled-fed.html. 

The other thing to remember is that, once you get a PR visa, there is a residency requirement (which I think is 2 years in 5, but I'm not sure).  If you spent longer than that outside of Canada, you would lose the PR visa and need to re-apply if you wanted to go back.

As for the UK, it's definitely worth applying for jobs as an American. The main concern at the moment, as you will have read from other posts, is publications for the RAE.  So if you've got good publications, you're halfway there already!

I second previous comments that this is in the wrong forum.  You could PM the moderator and ask them to move it for you.

[omaraz]

Thank you all for the suggestions, as advised, I will ask to have this discussion moved to address the questions on Canada.