This list is applicable to those who have received the CoPR / PR Card and are ready to move permanently to Canada.
Congratulations for getting selected & finally taking this big decision of shifting to Canada. It is going to be tough and you are going to love it.
Following are the few pointers which I had used before moving to Canada and these pointers immensely helped me :-
(Assumption : Cost of living in Canada is more expensive than in your home country. Example : India, China etc.).
12 months to 8 months before arrival
1. Get Ready to Network
Canadian job market works primarily on networking. So start preparing your self to network once you reach Canada. Most of the professionals who land in Canada simply ignore this step. You cannot simply start networking once you reach here. Few of us are naturals in business networking & reaching out to unknown people. However, for majority of us, this is a road less traveled. If you don’t focus on honing this skill, you will find yourself wasting initial few crucial months in acclimatizing with this new way of job search.
(I found book : Never Eat Alone to be very useful in this scenario.)
Also, just reading these tips is not going to help, you need to move out of the comfort zone and start practicing those skills in real life.
2. LinkedIn
Building up a professional network on LinkedIn takes time and it’s a very good idea to start as early as possible. This should involve :-
1. Join a Pre Arrival Program
Register for the FREE pre-arrival program of any Canadian government authorized agency. Canadian Government provides grants to multiple agencies to conduct such programs that help immigrants to understand about the various aspects of job search & work culture. There are multiple agencies providing such programs. Their programs turned out to be very good. It consisted of high-quality online content (videos & tests) and usually 2 consultants are assigned to us :-
These programs guide us on the following parameters :-
Such programs can be registered 6 months to 2 months before arrival. You will have to provide your CoPR or PR Card details as proof along with your Resume.
I had registered for the pre-arrival programs of ACCES EMPLOYMENT and it benefited me a lot.
There are programs also conducted by YMCA Canada and other agencies. You can visit their sites and connect with them via EMAIL for more details & the schedule.
2. Dental Treatment
Cosmetic dental treatment is very expensive in Canada viz-a-viz India unless its covered by your company’s insurance. So root canal treatment might be covered by insurance but you will have to pay for the crown that you need after root canal treatment.
3. Driving License Extract
Please get a Driving License Extract from local RTO office which will help you in fast tracking the process of receiving Canadian Driving License. For India, please check if your RTO office is listed on the Govt. of India website for online application.
https://parivahan.gov.in/sarathiservice8/dlServicesDet.do
4. Accommodation
If you don’t have any relative or good friend with whom you can stay for a few months then you need to finalize an accommodation. If you are arriving in Canada during spring or summer (April to Sept) then staying slightly far from public transport won’t be a problem. However, during winters it is advisable to stay close to public transport (especially subway).
I had booked Airbnb for the first 3 months period at 3 different locations using Indian credit card. Following were the reasons / benefits :-
Collect & keep originals of all the documents that you had submitted at the time of Express Entry Application (PCC, Proof of Funds, Experience Letter, ECA, I.E.L.T.S. Marksheets, etc.).
Please DO NOT FORGET to carry your “Confirmation of PR” document.
6. Photographs
Keep a few passport photographs as you might need those in Canada.
Along with “Confirmation of Permanent Residency” document you would have also received the instructions to carry specific type of photographs.
Congratulations for getting selected & finally taking this big decision of shifting to Canada. It is going to be tough and you are going to love it.
Following are the few pointers which I had used before moving to Canada and these pointers immensely helped me :-
(Assumption : Cost of living in Canada is more expensive than in your home country. Example : India, China etc.).
12 months to 8 months before arrival
1. Get Ready to Network
Canadian job market works primarily on networking. So start preparing your self to network once you reach Canada. Most of the professionals who land in Canada simply ignore this step. You cannot simply start networking once you reach here. Few of us are naturals in business networking & reaching out to unknown people. However, for majority of us, this is a road less traveled. If you don’t focus on honing this skill, you will find yourself wasting initial few crucial months in acclimatizing with this new way of job search.
(I found book : Never Eat Alone to be very useful in this scenario.)
Also, just reading these tips is not going to help, you need to move out of the comfort zone and start practicing those skills in real life.
2. LinkedIn
Building up a professional network on LinkedIn takes time and it’s a very good idea to start as early as possible. This should involve :-
- Updating your profile. (I found the articles on www.themuse.com very useful for this purpose)
- Identifying the companies that you wish to target (Top 100 companies in Canada, Best GPTW Companies in Canada, etc.)
- Identifying people in Canada who have a similar profile (LinkedIn Groups, Common Contacts, etc.)
- Read the job descriptions to understand the requirements or Canadian job market
- Connect with recruiters
1. Join a Pre Arrival Program
Register for the FREE pre-arrival program of any Canadian government authorized agency. Canadian Government provides grants to multiple agencies to conduct such programs that help immigrants to understand about the various aspects of job search & work culture. There are multiple agencies providing such programs. Their programs turned out to be very good. It consisted of high-quality online content (videos & tests) and usually 2 consultants are assigned to us :-
These programs guide us on the following parameters :-
- How to prepare a Canadian resume, cover letter, elevator pitch, LinkedIn profile, behavioural interview answers in STAR format,
- Overview of the job market for the relevant program that we had registered with (IT, Supply Chain, HR, etc.)
- First consultant helped us in refining the resume & the LinkedIn profile
- Second consultant acted as the employer liaison
Such programs can be registered 6 months to 2 months before arrival. You will have to provide your CoPR or PR Card details as proof along with your Resume.
I had registered for the pre-arrival programs of ACCES EMPLOYMENT and it benefited me a lot.
There are programs also conducted by YMCA Canada and other agencies. You can visit their sites and connect with them via EMAIL for more details & the schedule.
2. Dental Treatment
Cosmetic dental treatment is very expensive in Canada viz-a-viz India unless its covered by your company’s insurance. So root canal treatment might be covered by insurance but you will have to pay for the crown that you need after root canal treatment.
3. Driving License Extract
Please get a Driving License Extract from local RTO office which will help you in fast tracking the process of receiving Canadian Driving License. For India, please check if your RTO office is listed on the Govt. of India website for online application.
https://parivahan.gov.in/sarathiservice8/dlServicesDet.do
4. Accommodation
If you don’t have any relative or good friend with whom you can stay for a few months then you need to finalize an accommodation. If you are arriving in Canada during spring or summer (April to Sept) then staying slightly far from public transport won’t be a problem. However, during winters it is advisable to stay close to public transport (especially subway).
I had booked Airbnb for the first 3 months period at 3 different locations using Indian credit card. Following were the reasons / benefits :-
- Since accommodation is a major expense for the month, by paying in Indian Rupees we did not have to worry about carrying extra CAD.
- By booking at 3 different locations, I got to meet 3 different hosts as well as other guests. This also helped me in increasing our network.
- Since I booked Airbnb rooms where a common kitchen was available, I did not have to worry about utensils & furniture. This saved the initial cost on those items.
- Renting an apartment / condo requires a credit check and possibly a job offer copy as well. So for the initial months, immigrants end to staying in basements. By booking Airbnb rooms I was able to stay in proper rooms with ample natural light and good facilities at a nominal cost.
Collect & keep originals of all the documents that you had submitted at the time of Express Entry Application (PCC, Proof of Funds, Experience Letter, ECA, I.E.L.T.S. Marksheets, etc.).
Please DO NOT FORGET to carry your “Confirmation of PR” document.
6. Photographs
Keep a few passport photographs as you might need those in Canada.
Along with “Confirmation of Permanent Residency” document you would have also received the instructions to carry specific type of photographs.
