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The "Wanting To Join Another Military" Thread- Them To Us- Us To Them

Hi All

I am an ex soldier of the british army with 8 years service under my belt and would very much like to join the Canadian Forces.

Is there any way this can happen i dont expect to keep rank or to skip basic training.

Regards

BritishSoldier
 
I, of course, am not an expert in the area... But, I would assume that if you meet all the criteria for enrollment in the CF there would be no issues.

1.) Be a Canadian Citizen (if your not, you have a few steps to take with Immigration Canada)

2.) Minimum Grade 10 level of education. (you will need to contact a Board of Education to translate your British credentials)

There are a few more, but after these steps, you would then be in for a little wait, considering your involvement in a military force from another country, for security reasons. Like anything else having to do with Recruitment, best to go see the nice staff at a CFRC.

My two cents.
 
Is this for the Regs or for the PRes? We currently have several ex UK Forces lads in my regiment with two others in the waiting to get in.

The hurdles are getting your quals recognized by DAT, you will need all of your annual assessments, course reports and testimonial if you recieved one. It wouldn't hurt if your UK service was recent and you had a UK point of contact (Bn Comd or OC) that could be reached to verify your service via a letter.

Be prepared to be lowballed initially and then your Cdn unit will have to fight to have your quals reviewed.

Examples-
Soldier A- Regular UK inf - Pl Sgt, Afghanistan, Iraq and Northern Ireland service.
He was initially told that he may be lucky if he was granted a Sgt, qual in the PRes * WTF! This man is qualified to Pl WO and beyond in our system.

Soldier B- TA Inf Colour Sgt- Recce , FAC qualified.
Presently serving Sgt acting lacking 3A (Small Arms course) complete bullshit offer. This soldier single handidly kept our training running over the past few months.

So be prepared.

Noneck
 
If you're not in Canada as a Landed Immigrant/Citizen the process will take considerably longer as you need that first.
Depending on what job you want to go into you may also be able to speed up the immigration process.  Best bet is to contact the Canadian Defence Liaison Staff in London and inquiries can be made as to whether you are in a need trade that could be fast tracked.
This is not a set in stone process, unfortunately it varies between personalities and trades involved.
 
Better yet, use the www.forces.ca site and go to the chat.  You can explain your case to the recruiter online and they can give you the advice you need.
 
britishsoldier,
there are several formerr members of the Brit army here on the forum whom you should get in contact with - as they are the most current with what hoops they had to jump through

Might I recommend "towards the gap" a Sapper with the Royal Engineers, he's currently serving with 2CER.
Look him up on the members list and send him a Personnal message... am certain that he can bring you up to speed.

Good luck

CHIMO!
 
noneck said:
Is this for the Regs or for the PRes? We currently have several ex UK Forces lads in my regiment with two others in the waiting to get in.

The hurdles are getting your quals recognized by DAT, you will need all of your annual assessments, course reports and testimonial if you recieved one. It wouldn't hurt if your UK service was recent and you had a UK point of contact (Bn Comd or OC) that could be reached to verify your service via a letter.

Be prepared to be lowballed initially and then your Cdn unit will have to fight to have your quals reviewed.

Examples-
Soldier A- Regular UK inf - Pl Sgt, Afghanistan, Iraq and Northern Ireland service.
He was initially told that he may be lucky if he was granted a Sgt, qual in the PRes * WTF! This man is qualified to Pl WO and beyond in our system.

Soldier B- TA Inf Colour Sgt- Recce , FAC qualified.
Presently serving Sgt acting lacking 3A (Small Arms course) complete bullshit offer. This soldier single handidly kept our training running over the past few months.

So be prepared.

Noneck

Noneck is right. I was 8 years in the British Army and it's taken me almost 15 years to get approval for some of my equivalencies in Canada.

Make sure you get a full statement of army service (Form B6987) from MoD, dig out all your course reports and course photos, and write away to previous commanders and ask for a letter of reference. It helps if you provide them with a short narrative of what you did when you worked for them, and what equivalencies in general you want them to comment on e.g., 'Sgt Bloggins was a fully trained and very experienced section commander'.

Note that there are some things you have done in the UK that have no relevant equivalency in Canada (apart from the time in nick of course!), so don't be disappointed if they come back at you with no relevant qualification. The important ones, of course, are the career progression oriented qualifications, so make sure that you get those right at a minimum.

Once you've been granted any equivalencies, as with any good 'lost comms' procedure, keep trying. Policies change over time and, as I discovered, if you keep asking the question through formal channels, the answer might change. Gawd I love bureaucracies.

Good luck Mr. Bond!

D&B
 
i hope that it goes alot smoother for you than what it did for me transfering from the Australian Navy. There are alot of hurdles but so far it`s been worth it. i`m still complaining so i guess i`m happy
 
Pieman said:
Hi RyanNS,

For the UK Army, you have to keep in mind the age limit for NCM is 27 years 11 months. Do you have a millitary background already? If not, you will be too old by the time you do your time in the CF.
The Royal Marines will take you until 33, fyi
While in the CF, I believe it is possible to go on soldier exchanges with other armies. Something to look into.

Pieman
Indeed, at least as an Officer. My Godfather, a current serving Colonel in the CF spent a large part of his career on exchange with the British army and absolutely loved it.
 
Greetings my Canadian friends  :salute:

Here's the scenario - I leave the British Army, Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers (REME) in May 2011 after 22 years, by which time I will be 40 yrs old. My family and I wish to emigrate to your fine country. We spent a year in Alberta stationed at CFB Suffield and had a great time.  Based on the information below; what do you think my chances of enlisting are and what would be the best way to go about proceeding:

Rank: Warrant Officer Class 1, Artificer Sergeant Major (ASM) - this is our highest non-commissioned rank which I think equates to your Chief Warrant Officer?

Trade: I enlisted and qualified as a Vehicle Mechanic (VM) subsequently working on a variety of wheeled and tracked vehicles; I was then selected for fast-tracking through our Artificer stream - I think this equates to a Vehicle Technician who has completed the Advanced MOC Training at the Supervisor and Manager level, however, our Artificer Course is 18-months long.

Qualifications: I have Secondary School GCEs and a BTEC Higher National Diploma (HND) in Mechanical Engineering - this equates to Grade 12 and a Canadian three-year post-secondary diploma, according to IQAS.

Military Record: Classified as 'Exemplary;' - I have the Long Service & Good Conduct medal (which means I never got caught). 

Medical: Classified as FE which means I am fully fit, pass all fitness tests and am deployable worldwide.

Experience: Extensive - I have worked hands-on as a Mechanic, commanded a 16 man section on operations, been a Workshop Sergeant Major and worked in Defence Procurement & Support etc.  I have served in the UK, Germany, Northern Ireland, Norway, Turkey, Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Canada.  :cdn:

At this stage I would appreciate any feedback, advice or contact details you can provide - if anyone knows an ex-Brit who has enlisted it would be particularly useful.

Many thanks  ;)

Pete
 
Ummm.... there are a couple of former UK military types that hang around here....
one, "Towards the gap" was a Cpl in the Royal Engineers & is now serving in one of our Combat Engineer Regiments - then again, I believe he was an Expat coming home.  Will see if I can give him a shake & get him to join this thread.

Cheers!
 
British Army said:
I must apologise :-[, as you can see I am new to this.

Thanks for the steer  ;)

'ello mate,

Here's a couple of locations on this site for good gen:

http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/17703/post-789428.html#msg789428
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/18494.0/topicseen.html

Make sure you keep copies of all your course reports, course photos and PERs, and also ask for letters of reference from previous COs/ Supervisors that explain what type of job you did for them, in layman's terms. I found that the CF has few direct equivalencies for many British courses and qualifications.

Also be prepared to be offered a position at lower than your current rank.  Depending on how desperate you are to leave Blighty, I'd take it then put in for equivalencies once you're here. Bring your stiff upper lip, you may need it.


 
Pete,

You can always do a lateral to here, we take Poms all the time, and its warm here  :nod:

Try www.defencejobs.com.au

Regards,

OWDU
 
G'day all,

Just thought I'd have an ask around to see if anyone here might be able to shed a little light on my situation.

I've served as a medic in the New Zealand Army for the last 2 1/2 years.  At the moment I'm looking at joining the CF and becoming a SARTech, mainly because I want to make a career of SAR and emergency medicine and the opportunities just aren't available over here.

In early April I finish with the Army - from there I'll be heading over to Canada for a year to work and travel.  This will be a good opportunity to see if I want to move there (I dont think it will be a hard decision; all my mates who've been over have said Canada is an amazing country) and to get in touch with recruiters and the immigration department.

From searching these forums and the internet it seems the process would go something like this:

[list type=decimal]
[*]Spend 2 years in Canada travelling
[*]Apply for Permanent Residency
[*]Reside in Canada for three years
[*]Apply for Citizenship
[*]Apply to join CF as a relevant trade (most likely medic or firefighter)
[*]Complete min 4 years service and attain rank of Cpl
[*]Apply for SARTech trade
[/list]

All up it looks to take around 10 years, a long time but ultimately worthwhile.  In the meantime I'd have hopefully become a qualified paramedic or firefighter and have some experience working as a volunteer for a local civvy SAR organisation.

If there's any advice from those in the know or any Kiwis out there who've gone through the immigration and enlistment process I'd be eternally grateful for your help.

Cheers,

-Kiwi
 
Kiwi one major problem with your plan is this:

You can't apply for PR status unless you are a landed immigrant, in order to be a landed immigrant you must first be deemed eligible for immigration by the CIC.
There's a whole criterium you must follow...

So your two year travel Canada plan won't work.
 
MedTech said:
You can't apply for PR status unless you are a landed immigrant, in order to be a landed immigrant you must first be deemed eligible for immigration by the CIC.

That adds a couple more years to that estimate.  Do you know of any Kiwis that have joined?
 
Kiwi,

Talk to your chain of command before releasing. This forum has members of other Commonwealth countries who have transferred over to the CAF and visa versa. There are policies in place to recognize service and to accomodate you. I do not know the policies, but a good place to start is within your unit well before your release date.
 
kratz said:
Talk to your chain of command before releasing.

Cheers, will do.  I'm not sure who would be best to talk to but I'll pass it up the CoC.  If they can facilitate a transfer chances are I'll still do my 2 years travel then reinlist back in the NZ Army then swap over to the CF.
 
Kiwi (and others who have posted here looking for information)

Get onto our website, forces.ca, and use it to link to the 'chat with a recruiter' function at a time when they are online, or email them with your circumstances.  They can give you specific information that pertains to some of the special circumstances that apply to individuals from other countries that are interested in emigrating/immigrating (take your pick) to Canada and serving in the CF.  Suffice to say here that in many cases the various Canadian government departments work together when there is an identified Canadian requirement for a skillset held by a potential immigrant - whether for the military or a particular industry identified by a provincial government.

While in the past it had been somewhat, well quite, lengthy, we have between us all been able to speed the process considerably although it is not necessarily quick.

Good luck!
 
Hey guys - I've talked to my CoC and one of the nursing officers who has worked with the CF at Kandahar as well as sending an email to the CF recruiters.

NO: Has said that she'll try get me contacts for the MOs and other medical staff she knows so I'll send them an email explaining my situation.

CoC: Has been completely unhelpful (not surprising) as they want me to come back when I'm done travelling.  I might have a talk to some other people who dont have a vested interest in not providing help.  ;D

Here's the email from CF Recruiter I recieved after outlining the details of my position:

Good day,

Thank you for your interest in the Canadian Forces (CF).  Unfortunately, there is no current arrangement between our countries to facilitate a direct transfer thus you must complete the following:

Step #1

Eligibility requirements may vary for each occupation. There are, however, basic eligibility requirements common to all occupations within the CF:

To be eligible for consideration for the Canadian Forces, you must meet the following minimum conditions:

- Be a Canadian citizen or a Canadian Permanent Resident;

- Be 17 years of age (with parental/guardian consent) or older; junior level Military College applicants must be 16 years of age; you may be enrolled in the Reserves providing you are 16 years of age; and

- Meet the minimum education requirements for your entry plan and/or occupation.

If you would like more information about becoming a Permanent Resident of Canada please go to the Citizenship & Immigration Canada website:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/

Step #2

Permanent Residency aside, if you wish to join the CF we need to determine whether or not the Managing Authority of the occupation in question is interested.  In order to do this, you must email a CV (resumé) and cover letter to jobs@forces.ca (they must be sent as attachments to your email in either MS Word or pdf formats).  Your submission should clearly indicate which CF occupation you are applying for and highlight any military experience relevant to that occupation.

The CV/resume should include:

Personal Information
- Name (in full)
- Date and Place of Birth
- Brief outline of where you have lived (include dates)
- Where your immediate family is currently residing (include parent, siblings, spouse and parents-in-law)
- Reasons for your relocation to Canada
- Date of arrival and date you were granted Permanent Resident Status

Education
- Name of all educational institutions attended
- Grade/Level completed and year of completion
- Diplomas/Degrees awarded
- Area of specialization
- Marks/Grade Point averages
- Apprenticeship/Journeyman qualifications

Employment
- List all part-time, summer or full-time employment positions you have held
- Dates for each position
- Brief description of duties for each position
- Qualifications or training you have received "on-the-job"

Activities
- List all volunteer positions you may have held
- List all clubs/organizations/community groups you have belonged to

If there are any other points or pertinent facts you would like to include, please feel free to do so.

Step #3

Once you have submitted your CV/resume, it will be assessed by CF Recruiting Group to determine what skills you possess that may be of benefit to the CF.  When finished we will contact you via email with a decision.

SAR Tech

The CF is actively recruiting a small number of direct entry (semi skilled) candidates for the Search and Rescue Technician (SAR Tech) occupation.  SAR Techs are highly trained specialists who provide on-scene medical attention and rescue for aviators, mariners and others in distress in remote, hard to reach areas.  SAR Techs also lead ground search operations and mountain SAR missions.  They are highly trained survival experts, who generally work in teams of two and operate under all climatic and terrain conditions (land, sea and air).  SAR Tech is a non-commissioned member (NCM) occupation (there are no officer positions).  There are approximately 130 SAR Techs in the CF who are based across Canada.

To be eligible candidates must have successfully completed a Primary Care Paramedic program, must achieve an appropriate score on the CF Aptitude test and must be able to complete a rigorous physical fitness test which includes:

- 2.4 km run in 10:15 or less
- 31 consecutive push-ups
- 33 consecutive sit-ups
- 8 consecutive chin-ups
- 450 metre shuttle run

Must complete all portions of this test in 16 minutes or less.  Must also complete a 675 metre continuous swim in 20 minutes or less

SAR Tech is a physically demanding occupation.  Applicants should include physical fitness as part of their lifestyle rather than only training intensively to pass the fitness test.

SAR Tech training includes diving, parachuting, field & winter survival and mountaineering.  Experience with as many of these activities as possible would remove doubt about a candidate’s basic ability to perform these activities and would be an asset to the candidate.

Other experience which would help indicate suitability for SAR Tech training and employment:

- Scouting, Cadets, Reserve or Regular Force service
- Outdoor clubs
- Diving Instructor, Dive Master, Rescue Diver
- First Aid Instructor or Attendant
- Mountain Guide, Mountaineering Instructor
- Survival Instructor
- Parachuting and Rappelling experience

While there is no specific application deadline all applications must be submitted in time for complete processing prior to the selection board scheduled for September 2009.  Those selected will attend the Basic Military Qualification (BMQ) course commencing in October 2009.  Successful candidates will be posted to Comox, BC to prepare for the SAR Tech pre-selection course held in Jarvis Lake, AB in February 2010.  Those chosen to proceed to complete SAR Tech training will be notified.  Those not selected will be offered the options of reassignment to another CF occupation or release.

Overall it sounds pretty similar to the aformentioned situation.  The only thing that provided a bit of hope was the part about "The CF is actively recruiting a small number of direct entry (semi skilled) candidates for the Search and Rescue Technician (SAR Tech) occupation."

Cheers for your help so far chaps!
 
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