The kind of paperwork you need for Canada depends on whether your move is short-term, or full-blown immigration. Most people wanting to work temporarily need a work permit - around 90,000 foreigners enter the country this way every year, helping address regional skill shortages.

Work Permits are controlled by two government departments: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC). Before you apply for a permit an employer must first offer you a job. Their offer is referred to HRSDC, who provide a ‘labour market opinion’: confirmation of the offer. Once they agree a foreign national may fill the vacancy you can apply to CIC for the permit.

Some foreigners may work without a permit - the CIC website www.cic.gc.ca carries a list of exempted occupations.

In addition to this, some workers are exempt from referral to HRSDC, such as those classed as ‘within company transfers’, spouses, etc. Phil Beeney got lucky when he moved to Toronto in 2005. I started applying for Permanent Residency,” he says. “Whilst doing this, my employer in Crawley noticed and asked why. I explained I wanted to be with my Canadian fiancée. Rather than lose an experienced employee, they arranged an intra-company transfer to their Toronto office. They got the paperwork sorted for me - all I did was land at the airport, produce my papers, and a helpful immigration official issued the Work Permit. It was that easy.”