Posted on 09/14/2016 4:49:50 PM PDT by Bulwyf
Please forgive me as I've never posted anything before, and I'm not entirely sure I'm doing this correctly.
I live in northern Alberta, and for the last two years I've been trying to make it work up here, but it's getting far worse.
The far left government that got in both provincially and federally are killing us economically. The new taxes coming in are ensuring we don't have two nickels to rub together (they got rid of pennies). I've been fighting them on the federal level and provincial, but we have no legal political way to remove out of control governments and the locals seem unwilling to put up much of a fight.
I'm a vet, I did my time in the infantry, I did three tours overseas, and I'm not afraid of a fight, or putting my neck out there. I just don't want to be doing it all solo.
I'm a journeyman electrician in the oil and gas industry, though I can do commercial as well. The work is drying up, rates are falling drastically, and there are jobs in other areas but I don't want to move to put myself in the same boat.
I would like to be able to find something and work with more like minded people and be surrounded by like minded people, and I would like to know a few things.
1. How difficult is it for a trades guy such as myself to work in the south. (visas, and such)
2. If a man or woman comes down to work, are we able to apply for permanent citizenship?
3. Are there companies that allow us to contract? (run our own trucks, tools, etc).
4. Is that recommended to contract? I am not sure how that works out, or if it's better to go employee with benefits.
5. I'd want to be in a gun friendly state as I own some and of course you can never have enough.
6. Is anything I'm asking feasible? heh.
I'm a 40 year old man now with wife and kids, and I don't see a future where I am. I know the situation is similar in many places, but at least as I mentioned earlier, I'm not as likely to be out there solo.
I'd appreciate any input in this as you FReepers see fit.
Thank you all very much, and God bless.
Bul.
I Live in Sarasota, Florida and all I know is that here there is a Canadian Health Care Clinic and a radio show in the winter months that is skewed towards all Canadian News.
No idea about your immigration details, but I wish you the best. Fwiw, trades jobs here in North Carolina are booming.
From the reading I’ve done, seems to be a lot of trade jobs around.
I’m curious about quality of life etc too, what I can expect for what I do?
I can’t stand Canadian news, it’s 99% lies.
So many people just eat it up though, so many sheep.
With respect to immigration, I would think you’d need to speak with an immigration attorney or adviser about your specific situation, but otherwise, it would seem that some of the oil and gas producing areas of Texas, New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado, etc., would be good places to go.
It depends on where you are and the immediate market conditions. I would research your immigration situation first - because it’s the same regardless of the state you target - and then search on job opportunities.
The South is awfully warm by your standards, but costs are low relative to pay in desirable trades.
I would need a work visa, basically I’d need an invite from an outfit most likely.
Come over with a sombrero and call everyone gringo and you might just get on our social programs.
Go to west Texas son. Low oil prices hurt, but still profitable in Texas.
Apache’s new huge find will be sure to need the infrastructure to move production to the western Permian basin.
Don’t know if you will need to be re-accredited in the US, but a visa should be no problem, especially if you have a US job.
It is noteworthy that you in fact want to work. Donald Trump points out that 1 in 5 households in the US has no member of the household in the labor force. It is reasonable to expect that you will be rewarded for your labors if you make the contemplated move.
Haha, I’m OK with dismantling social programs.
Greenville SC is a boom town right now as BMW has invested a billion in expanding their current facility. The economy here has been better than the rest of the US for several years.
You may be forced to work with and support a union that hates you. And you will have to research each state on if your certs are valid.
For immigration you’re kind of screwed. You’d have to find a job with a company that will sponsor you on a H1B visa. You’d have to pick some small community that has no electricians for hundreds of miles to qualify. The US system, currently, does not want working educated white people.
OR you can go the easy way. Take a trip to California, change your name to Juan Sanchez and you are illegally in the nation. You can find work in any sanctuary city.
Greenville SC is a boom town right now as BMW has invested a billion in expanding their current facility. The economy here has been better than the rest of the US for several years.
Look at Texas, handyman. You can do a lot as a handyman. No contracting laws like Florida, etc. good way to get started.
URGENT- ELECTRICAL SUPERINTENDENT (FORT WORTH, TX)
http://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=f690ba1f57069654&q=journeyman+electrician&l=Texas&tk=1aslidompah7f8mo&from=web
Electrical Construction Project Manager
https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/index.php?/job/apply&clientkey=9D507CF272E20B9CC61E8983E4C576B8&job=6746
Electricians/Automation techs
http://www.indeed.com/cmp/Stronghorse-services/jobs/Electrician-Automation-Tech-134807aed93c93ab?q=journeyman+electrician
Make sure that there aren’t ways around that. My wife is Canadian, and when we were exploring options for her before we got married, there were things that could be done without a work visa. NAFTA etc.
“2. If a man or woman comes down to work, are we able to apply for permanent citizenship”
DON’T get citizenship in the US.
You have Canadian citizenship now. If you live outside Canada, you do not pay Canadian taxes. Americans have to file US taxes, no matter where we live. We share this delight with one other country in the world - Eritrea.
Get residency here. Pay taxes here while you work here. Don’t become a lifetime tax slave. Keep your options open in case your future location preference changes.
My current company does operate in midland too. Isn’t it flat and hot and dusty? I heard expensive too.
You raise a valid point though, I had forgotten about our office there, I should bug my office for some contact into for the electrical manager there.
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