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11. Working in Vancouver

Vancouver at a Glance

Working in Vancouver

Welcome to British Columbia's main economic driving force.

Besides employment in the Greater Toronto Area, working in Vancouver remains one of the prime choices for expats longing for the Great White North. As the city is one of Canada’s major economic centers, expats working in Vancouver can gather experience in various economic fields.

Working in Vancouver: Economic Climate

With the nation’s largest port and the western end of the transcontinental highway, Vancouver is a major gateway for pan-Pacific trade. Furthermore, many companies working in Vancouver have their national and international headquarters here, especially in mining and forestry. Biotechnology and IT are increasingly becoming important as well. A flourishing tourism sector and a vibrant film industry – ten percent of Hollywood’s movies are actually filmed here – contribute to the great reputation working in Vancouver enjoys across the board.

Working in Vancouver: Expat Job Opportunities

Those who are considering working in Vancouver know only too well: Finding a job there is not always easy. The reason is simple: Vancouver remains among the most popular expat destinations worldwide. To add to that, Canada already has a high number of skilled home graduates. The market for lucrative graduate jobs, therefore, is highly competitive.

Nevertheless, with a degree and work experience in the right field, expats interested in working in Vancouver still have chances of finding a job there. Specialized skills in areas such as IT, (bio)engineering and certain business sectors are particularly sought after.

Working in Vancouver: Work Permits

Your first step towards working in Vancouver consists in acquiring a work permit under the Temporary Foreign Workers Program. The prerequisite is straightforward: You need an employment contract in order to be able to start working in Vancouver. The permit is only issued for the particular position you signed a contract for. So you need to reapply for a new work permit in case your first foray into working in Vancouver does not work out and you’d like to change jobs.

The employer for whom you will be working in Vancouver has to apply for and obtain a positive Labour Market Opinion before you start working in Vancouver. This opinion, issued by Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC), includes details on the availability of qualified job seekers for your specific position and whether or not the local economy can profit from you working in Vancouver.

If you plan on working in Vancouver as part of an intra-company transfer, the process is sped up considerably, as the aforementioned Labour Market Opinion is no longer necessary. This is possible for management or executive positions and highly specialized staff.

Please remember to apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN) right after you arrive in Canada and before you actually start working in Vancouver. The SIN is necessary for both legal employment in Canada and for social security benefits. To find out more about the application process, please see this Service Canada site.

Working in Vancouver: Social Security

Employees working in Vancouver are covered by a fairly comprehensive social security system. British Columbia is one of the Canadian provinces with a mandatory Worker’s Compensation plan, to which employers are bound by law to contribute. In case any harm or work-related incident may befall you while you are working in Vancouver, you are entitled to certain compensations. For further details, please see this workrights.ca info page on the topic.

Apart from the Workers Compensation program, expats working in Vancouver are also covered by the Employment Insurance (EI) program. Both you and your employer have to contribute to the EI while you are working in Vancouver. The EI covers you in case you lose your job through no fault of your own and have satisfied a number of other requirements. Again, Service Canada offers a comprehensive informational pdf.

Canada has social security agreements with various countries. This makes sure that expats working in Vancouver do not have to pay for social security services in two countries at the same time. Additionally, the social security contributions you have paid during your time working in Vancouver will be recognized once you repatriate back home. To find out whether such an agreement exists for your home country, please see the pages of Service Canada.