Moving to Quebec
So you have decided to move to the cultural capital of Canada, Quebec. As an Aussie moving to any providence of Canada you are required to get a visa or permit to work or study, but if you are just traveling through, the visitor’s visa available to all Australian visiting Canada works just fine.
Quebec is the largest French speaking Province in Canada and is also the most unique. It is a Province that is governed very differently to other Provinces in Canada therefore it is the most difficult to apply for residency, work or study compared to other English speaking areas.
Montreal is the biggest city in Quebec and while most people are bilingual, it is a must to learn some basic French just to get through your day. Outside of Montreal, the rest of Quebec is heavily French speaking and it would be much more difficult (but not impossible) to live, work or study without knowing advanced French. So take a few lessons before arriving and this will alleviate the pain, however, be warned, Quebecois French is different to France French and at times even though they are technically speaking the same language, even they don’t understand each other.
Living in Montreal
The website http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/ has amazing visual tours of Montreal and all the areas including the Plateau, the Gay village, the old Port, downtown and more. The Plateau is the “trendy” end of town and it is definitely a must to walk down St Laurant or go see a Hockey game at a local pub, the old port is expensive but beautiful, the gay village has some great bars and downtown is, well, downtown.
If you are after a social network in Montreal, check out the “Aussies in Montreal” group on Facebook. The group runs organized events such as AFL grand final, Aussie trivia nights and of course Australia day celebrations. There are plenty of music venues, pubs, clubs and bars in Montreal.
The rent in Montreal is reasonable and it’s easy to get a room in a share house off Craig’s List. If you are with some friends and want to rent a house together, make sure you have some references to go with your application. The Quebec laws prohibit a landlord from obtaining a bond or the last months rent unless you agree to it. You will generally pay monthly and one month in advance, as long as you pay your first month when you move in, you are golden.
Downtown rent is higher as per usual; the Plateau is a great part of town to live in and reasonably priced. The Gay Village is just east of downtown and also very accessible; it is generally cheaper than the other areas close to downtown.
Working in Quebec
The first thing you need to work in Quebec, like the rest of Canada is a work visa, also like the rest of Canada you will need a SIN and a bank account.
Working in Montreal
Now that you have the legal right to work here and armed with the right tools, you need to look for a job. If you have limited French, stick to applying for hospitality jobs on the west side of the island (yes Montreal is an island) and the western side of downtown including Westmount. The language laws in Quebec state that you must be able to be served in French anywhere in the Province however, in my experience if you are working along side a Francophone, you can refer the customer to that employee and you will be fine. Crescent Street, Mackay and Bishop are the touristy areas of downtown and are the best spots to apply for an English speaking job.
There are some companies owned by the states that will hire English speaking employees mostly in IT and you can sometimes gain an administrative role through temping agencies in the west island. Craigs List and online job search companies are also good. If you know French, you can pretty much apply for any job for any company.
There are some specific professions that are seen as “in need” in Quebec, you can research them on Quebec’s Immigration website and this PDF from Emploi Quebec.
Please discuss this article in the CanAussie Forum
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This article is by Karen Wells, who has been living and working in Quebec for 12+ months.
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