Vancouver has a reputation for its wonderful scenery, its thriving tourism industry and its expanding film sector. The Canadian economy is traditionally stable, and the country’s proximity to the United States gives it immediate access to the world’s largest market. 

Vancouver’s location, coupled with its port being one of the busiest in the world as it regularly receives and distributes goods from East Asia, makes it a global hub of activity and business opportunity.

Vancouver is one of Canada’s largest industrial centres. The port has an economic output of $22 billion and produces $10.5 billion in gross domestic product. The traditional industries in Vancouver are forestry, mining, agriculture and fishing. However, more recently the city has developed a widespread service industry, and the film industry has become a big earner for the city. The biotechnology and software industries are highly advanced and Vancouver is poised to be a global player within these fields. 

The tourism industry is also important for Vancouver. Each year, over a million people pass through Vancouver to take advantage of its natural wonders and to access Alaska on scheduled cruises.

Like most western countries Canada runs on a 9am to 5pm, five-day working week. Upon obtaining a job offer, expats will need to apply for a working visa. There are certain requirements that need to be fulfilled by the visa applicant and their prospective employer before the working visa will be granted. There are many agencies that can help with this process.

It can be quite difficult to get a job in Vancouver unless one has local references or globally acknowledged skills. There are some programmes that place prospective workers, but these are usually student or entry-level jobs. However, there are also a number of job related websites that assist expats looking for positions in Vancouver, the city’s newspapers also have good job listing sections.