Young Canadian, Looking to move and work in London

Hey im new to the forum ,


I am a 19 year old canadian and i have been looking up information with a family friend we have currently living over in London. I was looking for input on finding jobs over in London, renting a flat, best jobs and living expenses etc. etc.

How long does it usually take to get a work visa and all the necessary documents to get a job in London?

hey there,

a uk visa or work permit should probably be your biggest concern. the number of options available to you depends on many factors.

since you're about high school age, your best bet is probably the working holidaymaker visa, which allows you to live and work in the UK for 2 years, but you can only work for 12 months of those 2 years.

if you will be attending a uk university, or you have british ancestry, or you have a highly desirable skill set, there are other options.

your questions are very broad and generic. do some research, read this forum, and then post a more specific question.

cheers!

well i am in a quite similar situation as the person who originally asked the question (s). the only difference is that i am 20. everything sleepy said is what i have already descorvered. i am trying to look up jobs on the net and i can only find manager type jobs available. unfortunately i am unqualified. is there a better way to find a decent job?
i am currently working as a psychiatric nursing assistant at a nearby facility for mentally handicap adults. i have quite a bit of experience in this field of work and i am always interested in work relating. i have also done lifeguarding but i am not currently qualified.
i just would like to know the best way to get a job with my little amount of desirable qualifications for a good job.i have no university education but i do have experience under my belt.

It's pretty hard to get a job before you get here, and if you are on a working holidaymaker visa you may find it difficult to get a "serious" job because the employers know that you won't be able to stay.
There are lots of temporary jobs in London, so find yourself a cheap flatshare that's not too far out (try around Shepherd's Bush and Acton), sign up with a few temp agencies and see what happens.
Don't come here with the expectation that you will find a lifetime career and change to a permanent visa, unless you are qualified for an ancestry visa. I've seen a lot of travellers who went home after just a few weeks because they couldn't find the "right" job. It's much better to have an open mind about work, take what comes along and count it as an interesting experience - and use the money you earn to fund your travels around Europe!
You never know what might happen in the end - I eventually married one of the first people I met in Britain! - but the less expectations you have, the more open you will be to the opportunities available.
Good luck and let us know when you get here!

well i am in a quite similar situation as the person who originally asked the question (s). the only difference is that i am 20. everything sleepy said is what i have already descorvered. i am trying to look up jobs on the net and i can only find manager type jobs available. unfortunately i am unqualified. is there a better way to find a decent job?
i am currently working as a psychiatric nursing assistant at a nearby facility for mentally handicap adults. i have quite a bit of experience in this field of work and i am always interested in work relating. i have also done lifeguarding but i am not currently qualified.
i just would like to know the best way to get a job with my little amount of desirable qualifications for a good job.i have no university education but i do have experience under my belt.

In case you've not tried this, have a look in the local phonebook for your nearest "Jobcentre Plus" office, its basically like the unemployment office was in Canada, govt. agency listing avaidable jobs & providing help/advice on how to find work in your area & for your field. They also act as a one stop shop for govt benefits & applications, if you need info or help, they;re a good point of reference to start at, if they can't help you, they can tell you who can.

You can also try doing google searches on google.co.uk and check off "pages from the UK" underneath your search criteria. try putting in quatation marks "" your industry or job title and add in some key words like 'apply' for instance to try and get the likely job sites for your industry. There is also a monster.co.uk website if you're really hard pressed but I find the job details (pay & location) a bit sketchy on them & once you put yourself up on those sites, everyone and their best friend is calling you to waste your time trying to get you to meet them & sign up to their recruitment agency. do your homework first, check their websites first, pick the best 2 or 3 and give them a go, don't do like I did and talk ot them all or you'll be barraged by phone calls, text messages and voicemails everyday with nothing more important then "just checking that your still in the same situation" or "we have an opportunity which has nothing to do with your criteria and nowhere near you that we'll use as an excuse to bother you with"

In any case, a bit of time & research will do alot to cut down on future nuisance and improve your chances of finding work doing what you want & where you want