Hi all,

I'm looking to migrate to Canada and thought I'd seek your opinion on certain key areas before I do so.

Am a software engineer currently living in the UK - under the highly skilled migrant programme. However, having lived for 4 years in the small country environment of the UK, am looking to move to Canada - a larger country whose pristine beauty stands out from the rest.....with a welcoming environment for those who can and will contribute...not only to their country of origin but also the host country.

I have a bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Physics and Mathematics as well as a Masters in computer applications from India. In addition, I hold a Postgraduate Diploma in Computing Science and a Masters in Advanced Computing Science from the UK. Hopefully, I shouldn't have much of a problem on the education requirement to apply for permanent residence in Canada.

I did check my points total on the immigration points checker and it stands at 68. Pretty low because I don't know french and I have no family ties in Canada....and I intend to come as a skilled Individual - so no points for the spouse section as that section is not applicable in my case.

I noticed that the number of years in the designated field has a bearing on the score. More the years, more the points.

Now, my dilemma is :
1. Is it better to apply now (I'll be applying via the London Office) with a mere 68 points or is it better to continue working for a year or two and apply after crossing the 70 threshold? I'm interested in the probability of my application being successful if I apply with 68 points.

2. I read a lot about job markets in Canada....and the picture is quite rosy from the outside. However, if anyone of you with access to job market facts as it truly is....can rate the possibility (on a 1 to 10 point scale) of a software engineer with 2+years of work experience in the UK (C++,C#,SQL Server 2005 and ORACLE - banking and finance) of finding a job at Calgary or Toronto within a month, that would be helpful.

3. I've lived in the UK for a while now and even studied here...and got through the Highly skilled migrant programme. Now that I've decided to head to Canada instead, is it likely to be viewed as a plus point of having been a proven skilled worker or will it be a problem instead......that someone already holding a skilled immigrant visa of one country applies for skilled immigration to canada i.e. am I likely to be faced with a salvo of questions / or would it be better if I wasn't on the HSMP status in the UK?

Last but not the least, for those of you who feel that any of these questions should not have been asked or if you feel that the answer is self evident, I'd like to add that am only seeking a candid opinion as I've never been there nor have a clue of the ground realities in my areas of interest.

Glasgow_man, I am no longer in a position to comment on the viability of your application given that you have only 68 points(as I am not aware of the exact points threshold etc. at present.)

But I will comment on point 2 and say I am surprised to hear that you have a 'rosy' picture of the job market in Canada. I am not aware of the job market in the UK. While I do think that you will have a leg-up on people who are unqualified and are coming directly from India, sometimes getting an IT job matching your skill, experience and salary expectations can be a challenge especially if you are looking to get something within a month. So I'd give you a score of 5 on your 1-10 scale in terms of chances. Don't mean to discourage you and I wish you the best.

As for point 3, I don't think your going through the HSMP program in the UK will have either much of a positive or negative bearing on your application for Canadian permanent residence, though you might be asked a couple of questions on those lines perhaps when you land.