Move to Whistler?

Whats an American got to do to move up to BC? Me and my bud are trying to figure out our plans for after rafting season, and need a new home. Working visa's, visa visa's, do we gots to marry some fat hosers to get citizenship? Im pretty much in the dark when it comes to moving out of the country. Besides, there are quite a few people who would like me to get outta the country...
Im sure there are hundreds of Americans trying to get jobs up there, so Id like to know how to get a headstart...
Thanks if you got any info,
Brannen

i've been going to school here in van for 4 years and its basically still impossible fore me to work up here. don't count on working up here. save your money during the summer and just bum up here in during the winter

now by bum, do you mean live on someone's couch? i dont know anyone yet, and i may have my dog with me, making this hard. or by bum, do you mean get a totally overpriced apt. somewhere "near" the mtn?
i was figuring getting a job would be pretty hard, even though that place is huge. my rafting job here goes till the end of summer, and after that im thinking of hitting up SA, depending on my money situation. is rafting big up there? maybe ill get the rafting experience here, live in CO or WY again this winter, and then try and get a rafting job up there next summer. that is the ultimate goal, guide rafts in summer somewher i can ski and mtn bike on days off. im guessing Whistler blows the socks off of Hood, but havent been to Hood yet. the windsurfing thing would be sweet too. why is everything so difficult?

There's rafting on the Birkenhead Rivers, floating in the Lilloet and WW kayaking in the Upper Cheakamus. I safety boated for an outfit on the Squamish - Elaho and there's much more rafting here.

The season here is short and the rivers are shitty compared to what is down in Hood River. There's less operators here then there was 5 years ago due to the cost of insurance/.

You'll need all your river rescue tickets, OFA, WFA etc and no-one will touch you without work visa. The fact that you're asking basic questions now leads me to believe you don't have a prayer of getting one by say even next summer as you haven't even looked at the forms or the bureaucracy.

You'd be better off in Hood River. Windsurfing season should be starting soon, you can always raft-guide down there and there's an assload more white water down there then in Whistler.

Don't get me wrong, I love whistler for the ski touring and the biking and the hiking but its not where I'd go for white water./

ok - maybe i misunderstood. what stebed said is right about winter work. There were lots of unfilled jobs this winter as W/B screwed over so many employees last year that word got around/. When W/B had the early season start they were short on staff and even axe murderers were getting work. but you still need a visa.

I just googled some stuff - you can do that yourself, Also look under NAFTA

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/index.html

The work visa is the hard part. Canada has a "working vacation" thing with a bunch of other countries but not America. That's why's there's so many Aussies and Kiwis here. Jobs are easy because kids would rather make $20 working construction instead of $8 slinging hash.

frickin crown
us americans get killed for employment everywhere the crown is involved. that leaves us with mexico.....any good slopes there?
nice info, im getting scared but excited at the same time. ill look into the visa now i guess. ive been lazy.

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Originally Posted by LONG~DUCK~JONG

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Don't know why this image finally made me do it... Certainly the flubber fetish seemed much worse... But the topical unrelatedness finally convinced me to add "LONG~DUCK~JONG" to my ignore list. Oh happy day.

I know someone who came up and found a job under the table without a problem. Working at some pasta place or something. Without a visa your options may be limited but I think you'd be fine

trade me your US credentials for my canadian ones...

i dont think you want them. warrants, pregnant girlfriends, bastard children, angry farmers daughters fathers (?), credit card debt, VD, collection agencies, george w bush, hostile ex-employers, and so on...... you get the good, you gotta take the bad.
as for working under the table, im guessing this needs some connections that take time? ive had one job under the table, and it was from a friend.

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visas:

www.swap.ca

www.bunac.com

I got mine from swap.ca. They'll give you a 6 month visa, but it's only for students I believe. Maybe you can find a loophole, or maybe you are a student.

If you don't have a car, don't live in Spring Creek. Trust me.

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Originally Posted by Samwich

visas:

www.swap.ca

www.bunac.com

I got mine from swap.ca. They'll give you a 6 month visa, but it's only for students I believe. Maybe you can find a loophole, or maybe you are a student.

If you don't have a car, don't live in Spring Creek. Trust me.

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I got a 6-month from BUNAC as well. I rolled up to the boarder like I owned the place and asked for my 12-month and they gave it to me. It worked for my girlfriend and another friend of mine as well. Use the force or some mojo or whatever you have and you can get your rinky-dink 6 month extended a little. BUNAC charges a small fee (under $400) for the service and travel insurance while you're there. The only problem is you have to either be a student or have graduated in the last 6 months. They make you send legit transcripts to prove it.

Everyone talking about all the under-the-table jobs in Whistler....yeah right. They are few and far between. Not to mention if you get caught (and Canucks will turn you in) you get kicked out of Canada and aren't allowed back in for the rest of your life. Unless you want to spend your days cleaning up construction sites for 12 hours a day making shit wages, you HAVE to get a visa. People say it's hard to work in the US, but it's nowhere near how hard it is to work in Canadia.

It can be done though. If you can register for school at your local CC, get your transcript, then drop your classes before the bill is due, you have everything you need.

Once you get there, it'll make it all worth it.

p.s., yes Whistler blows Hood out of the water.

Ive dirtbagged in both HR and Whistler and both are nice but different. Its impossible to say which is better IMO

Ya, if you are not a student getting a work visa is next to impossible for an american. In fact it is impossible unless you have a special skill and your employer can prove to the government that they cannot hire a Canadian. I've been a student up here for a while and have looked into all my options for after school, because I'm American. Good luck is all I have to say, because you can't beat Whistler.

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Originally Posted by NWshredder

I know someone who came up and found a job under the table without a problem. Working at some pasta place or something. Without a visa your options may be limited but I think you'd be fine

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I've heard the only easy under the table jobs to get are landscaping and painting.

Just jump the fence and hope for Amnesty. Works well here in the US should work elsewhere.

ha
i will check out those websites and figure out how to apply. i gradumuated in december (after only 8 years) so i guess i have until june for the 6mo. deadline. i have a dog, does he need papers? cant wait to ski and bike on the same day again

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Originally Posted by brannen

i have a dog, does he need papers?

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Hey, I can answer that -- he needs a valid Rabies certificate at least 30 days old. Unless it's a puppy under 3 or 6 months (customs and agriculture laws are different).

the whole job thing in can. is set up on ratings. 1-20 or something like that.
over 13 will get you in! Over thirteen jobs include glassblowing (no joke) doctors, landscape foremen, and level four ski instructors. With one of those jobs, and an employment sponsor a working visa is accessable without college. Everything has to be in line before you get there though.

I roled up like I owned the place 7 yrs. ago with my passport that the immigration department from my hometown said would be all I needed. Yeah right, the canucks do want us there, and they make it real hard, too. Two strip searches of myself and my truck later, I was back in Vail.

note to self...after getting turned away at one border, do not try another one down the road telling them you are now resorting to plan B in Alaska and you just need to pass through.

It didn't help that Phish was opening up a fall tour in Vancouver that year.

Good luck, and if you have bear mase and they ask if you have any weapons...say yes.

note to self part two.....when drunk and mad at canada...don't pick arguments with large, leathered, biker chicks about how Amercan hockey rules Canada!

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Originally Posted by Snow Dog

Hey, I can answer that -- he needs a valid Rabies certificate at least 30 days old. Unless it's a puppy under 3 or 6 months (customs and agriculture laws are different).

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Who needs to bring another dog to Whistler? Go to WAG and get one for free, or just wander the streets around sundown and pick up one of the hundreds of abandoned dogs that someone brought with them, then figured out they couldn't afford, or couldn't get on the plane back to Oz with them.

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Originally Posted by brannen

i dont think you want them. warrants.

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that alone will get you turned around at the border. if you've been arrested in the US, forget about a visa.

Canadians have a sore spot for m'ericans "rolling up like they own the place" so your likely not going to find anything under the table.

the deck is stacked against you. I suggest saving yourself time and misery and ski bum elsewhere.

thnx for trying to turn me away, but i think im still gonna try. although i did ride the lift yesterday with this guy who lived in hood for a few summers. made it sound real enticing. this brings up another question - when i was at whistler (5 or so yrs ago) i think i remember the lifts not being open to the public bit for a few hrs each day. most of the terrain was designated for the camps, and open skiing was like after 12 or 1. is this right? same at hood?
and the drunk'n mad at canada story sounds hilarious..