VacantReady

I currently live in the US, and work for the Hyatt Regency. I have spent hours reading about the Vancouver hotels and opportunities, as well as on the web sites about working in Canada. All the hotel jobs posted say you must have a work permit or will not be considered. To get a temporary permit to work in Canada, you must have a job offer....so it is a never ending circle with no way to get a job?
I saw researched the way to get a skilled visa to immigrate to Canada, but it says it may take years!

My girlfriend moved there a few months ago, and we are NOT about to get married so I can move there.

Is my only hope to get a transfer with my hotel or apply for immigration and wait years??

Are there no hotels that will consider an experienced and successful sales manager? Should I send my resume anyway?

Please help and advise....

Brandon

I am an American looking to jump on the Vancouver hospitality job bandwagen as well.  In May 2009, I will be graduating with a B.A. in Hotel Management from Johnson & Wales University, and I would love to work in a foreign country that has a demand for hospitality managers. Brittish Columbia and Dubai are possibilities that I want to explore.  In addition, I would like to get my graduate degree outside the U.S., as well.

A few weeks ago, I did a google search for hospitality graduate schools.  Royal Roads in Victoria, BC was one of the first things to come up on the search.  The Royal Roads program is new and was created because there are apparently not enough people in Canada qualified for hospitality and tourism management positions.  My search also led to several articles saying that Canada (particularly Vancouver) is in need of hospitality employees and is encouraging hospitality graduates to stay in Canada after they complete their studies.  The 2010 Olympics will also create more demand for employees as well.

However, as you were saying, the process to get a permanent worker card can take a few years, and you must have a job offer in order to get a temporary worker card.  It is catch-as-catch can.  If I enter the Royal Roads program, I hope that will increase my chances of finding employment in Vancouver or Victoria, BC. 

If anyone in the hospitality industry from BC can shed some light on this or offer any suggestions, that would be great! 

Thank you.