I'm a software engineer, and I moved to Toronto from Australia. Originally I came in on a working holiday permit (12m), then got a standard work permit (12m), then permanent residency, and now I'm a citizen.
Getting a work permit at the time was pretty easy - all I needed was an official offer letter, my resume and a few government forms. The permit arrived in a few weeks.
I applied for residency from within Canada and it only took 6 months. From what I hear, it's much faster if you apply once you're here, so your best bet might be to find a job first and get a work permit, then move to Canada, then apply for residency once you're here.
Getting a work permit at the time was pretty easy - all I needed was an official offer letter, my resume and a few government forms. The permit arrived in a few weeks.
I applied for residency from within Canada and it only took 6 months. From what I hear, it's much faster if you apply once you're here, so your best bet might be to find a job first and get a work permit, then move to Canada, then apply for residency once you're here.