A family of four with a CRS score of 465 (declining to 460 within two months) had been waiting for a PNP nomination in an in-demand NOC and considered whether going to Canada on a visit visa and finding a job there could realistically lead to a work permit, given that international student fees are about 3x higher.
What the thread strongly agreed on:- Going on a visit visa and getting hired into a job that converts to a work permit is next to impossible for the average applicant. Multiple replies explicitly warned against this, describing it as a route promoted by some consultants but not realistic in practice.
- Consultants who suggest this "visit visa then switch to work permit" strategy should not be trusted — this was called out directly as bad advice that doesn't reflect how the system actually works for most people.
- With a family (especially children involved), the thread strongly discouraged taking this kind of risk. Given a CRS score of 465, which was described as already solid, the better use of time and resources is to explore additional PNP program options directly, rather than gambling on an informal visit-visa-to-job pathway.
The practical takeaway: a CRS score around 465 is a strong asset — use it to actively pursue more PNP streams rather than risking a family's stability on a "visit visa into a job" strategy, which the thread consistently described as unrealistic and something some consultants wrongly promote.