Oil jobs in Alberta

[cheese89]

What are the possibilities of getting a work visa and a green card to work in the US if I start working with an oil company in Alberta?

I'm fully Canadian and was born and raised here to Canadian parents but I would like to relocate because of my girlfriend. People are saying it's tough if you have a girlfriend/wife/family but this would be much better than what I have going so far which is seeing her every two months when I have the money.

My plan is to move to Calgary and get hired as a floorhand by a company that would fly me up and down for every two-week long work period (I heard this is what they do, someone please confirm) and then with the week off I would buy a ticket and visit my girlfriend in Texas.

I am thinking long-term that with advancement and working well with my crew I might able to work on an off-shore rig or maybe in mainland in texas. This way I could get a work visa and then a green card and maybe switch my job and getting into being an Electrician (Which is what I studied for)

Is this possible? Or is there something I'm overlooking?

Thanks in advance

[ishfish]

What about calling up one of the companies. They do fly people to where they need them if that person is of value. But if you are moving why not head to where the rigs are active and they are short of riggers.

[cheese89]

What about calling up one of the companies. They do fly people to where they need them if that person is of value. But if you are moving why not head to where the rigs are active and they are short of riggers.

I could call some of the companies, my friend that lives in Calgary mentioned this to me, this entry-level position as a floor-hand is not working on a rig.

I'm looking for an entry-level position, they are short of labourers for the work in northern alberta from what I've heard but if you don't have any experience I don't think I would qualify as being "that person... of value"

I went to get started in this and, if I like it, see which other options and career opportunities could branch off from this in the near future. (US Visa, Oil rig jobs etc etc)

[fuzzy_avocado]

Be careful. Working up there in the oil industry is very hazardous to your health. It's very common for workers to get sick (not like the flu, but like cancer), and guess what, you're disposable to the big companies out there so you'll just get replaced by the next young bright-eyed bushy tail labourer.

[InfidelInfantry596]

Typically you can only get a work visa if the company can prove that there is no one qualified in the US that can do your job. That probably very unlikely given the current job market in the States

[amplified]

keep in mind cost of living in alberta is skyrocketing and you also wont have much of a life while you're working and maybe not much of a life while you're not either. you may think that its great to have a week off before flying back up but you'll be physically and mentally drained that it'll take most of the week to recover and get stuff done in the week when your not working. you may have the $$ to buy a ticket to visit your gf but not much else.