Fear of taking the decision

[Cinthia]

Hello Guys,

I am Cinthia and i choose to write today in the forum because i am looking for some way of reassurance that whats happening with me is totally normal and it happened to all immigrants that got their express entry. Just to explain my situation, i have applied to the express entry 5 months ago and i got the invitation and after i got approved, COPR and passport were sent to me two weeks ago and they are still hidden in my closet. I currently live in the united states under a working visa (H1B) for 2 years now and i am really happy with my job and i am making lot of money here. i have applied to the express entry looking for stability in my life and to nit have be afraid takin the decision to go visit my family and friends whenever i want and not being stressed out regarding starting a new family. I guess i needed something that will make me safe. and now after having what i worked hard for and spent good money on "Express entry" i am having a really difficult time taking the decision whether to go to Canada and buy piece of mind or stay here in the US and follow money. I guess i am afraid of the change and the unknown. I am really struggling to convince myself that i will be starting from scratch and that i will have to start from zero in a brand new community and will have to make the effort of integrating a completely new environment. Today i am seeking some piece of advice from people who were in my shoes before and they know what i feel. I would like some advice regarding what to expect and what i should do before going and when landing. I would like to know what steps i should take in order to successfully settle down in the new environment. Know what are the crucial governmental paper work that i need to get when landing. How you guys made the decision of where to stay and what bak to choose and even how the system works there. I am looking for ideas and steps to help me settle down the first few weeks in the new country. Thank you for reading.

 

[zardoz]

Hello Guys,

I am Cinthia and i choose to write today in the forum because i am looking for some way of reassurance that whats happening with me is totally normal and it happened to all immigrants that got their express entry. Just to explain my situation, i have applied to the express entry 5 months ago and i got the invitation and after i got approved, COPR and passport were sent to me two weeks ago and they are still hidden in my closet. I currently live in the united states under a working visa (H1B) for 2 years now and i am really happy with my job and i am making lot of money here. i have applied to the express entry looking for stability in my life and to nit have be afraid takin the decision to go visit my family and friends whenever i want and not being stressed out regarding starting a new family. I guess i needed something that will make me safe. and now after having what i worked hard for and spent good money on "Express entry" i am having a really difficult time taking the decision whether to go to Canada and buy piece of mind or stay here in the US and follow money. I guess i am afraid of the change and the unknown. I am really struggling to convince myself that i will be starting from scratch and that i will have to start from zero in a brand new community and will have to make the effort of integrating a completely new environment. Today i am seeking some piece of advice from people who were in my shoes before and they know what i feel. I would like some advice regarding what to expect and what i should do before going and when landing. I would like to know what steps i should take in order to successfully settle down in the new environment. Know what are the crucial governmental paper work that i need to get when landing. How you guys made the decision of where to stay and what bak to choose and even how the system works there. I am looking for ideas and steps to help me settle down the first few weeks in the new country. Thank you for reading.

Why don't you just complete the landing procedure at the Canadian border and then return to the USA to think about the future. That way you are a PR and have up to three years to consider the options, without any risk. If your COPR expires before you "land" it will be too late.

 

[MARYKE4NNY]

Why don't you just complete the landing procedure at the Canadian border and then return to the USA to think about the future. That way you are a PR and have up to three years to consider the options, without any risk. If your COPR expires before you "land" it will be too late.

This is certainly a very thoughtful advice.

 

[MARYKE4NNY]

Hello Guys,

I am Cinthia and i choose to write today in the forum because i am looking for some way of reassurance that whats happening with me is totally normal and it happened to all immigrants that got their express entry. Just to explain my situation, i have applied to the express entry 5 months ago and i got the invitation and after i got approved, COPR and passport were sent to me two weeks ago and they are still hidden in my closet. I currently live in the united states under a working visa (H1B) for 2 years now and i am really happy with my job and i am making lot of money here. i have applied to the express entry looking for stability in my life and to nit have be afraid takin the decision to go visit my family and friends whenever i want and not being stressed out regarding starting a new family. I guess i needed something that will make me safe. and now after having what i worked hard for and spent good money on "Express entry" i am having a really difficult time taking the decision whether to go to Canada and buy piece of mind or stay here in the US and follow money. I guess i am afraid of the change and the unknown. I am really struggling to convince myself that i will be starting from scratch and that i will have to start from zero in a brand new community and will have to make the effort of integrating a completely new environment. Today i am seeking some piece of advice from people who were in my shoes before and they know what i feel. I would like some advice regarding what to expect and what i should do before going and when landing. I would like to know what steps i should take in order to successfully settle down in the new environment. Know what are the crucial governmental paper work that i need to get when landing. How you guys made the decision of where to stay and what bak to choose and even how the system works there. I am looking for ideas and steps to help me settle down the first few weeks in the new country. Thank you for reading.

As Zardok said, it will be best to complete the landing process and then think about this later. If the organization you work for has a branch in Canada, you can consider asking for a transfer that way its a win-win situation too. Whichever way, you have a golden opportunity at hand. Don't let it slip off your hands. Congrats on your PR approval.

 

[Cinthia]

i think if i will do the landing first and go back here to the states i will just make myself more lazy for taking the decision. I need to make up my mind very soon. I really want to jump in a plane and head to canada very soon but i am scared of the unknown and for not knowing what needs too be done.

 

[mandiebraxton]

i think if i will do the landing first and go back here to the states i will just make myself more lazy for taking the decision. I need to make up my mind very soon. I really want to jump in a plane and head to canada very soon but i am scared of the unknown and for not knowing what needs too be done.

Looks like this is a decision you have to make yourself. As other have said, do the landing formalities and spend some time to make a decision whether to permanently move or not.

 

[indpnv]

Hello Guys,

I am Cinthia and i choose to write today in the forum because i am looking for some way of reassurance that whats happening with me is totally normal and it happened to all immigrants that got their express entry. Just to explain my situation, i have applied to the express entry 5 months ago and i got the invitation and after i got approved, COPR and passport were sent to me two weeks ago and they are still hidden in my closet. I currently live in the united states under a working visa (H1B) for 2 years now and i am really happy with my job and i am making lot of money here. i have applied to the express entry looking for stability in my life and to nit have be afraid takin the decision to go visit my family and friends whenever i want and not being stressed out regarding starting a new family. I guess i needed something that will make me safe. and now after having what i worked hard for and spent good money on "Express entry" i am having a really difficult time taking the decision whether to go to Canada and buy piece of mind or stay here in the US and follow money. I guess i am afraid of the change and the unknown. I am really struggling to convince myself that i will be starting from scratch and that i will have to start from zero in a brand new community and will have to make the effort of integrating a completely new environment. Today i am seeking some piece of advice from people who were in my shoes before and they know what i feel. I would like some advice regarding what to expect and what i should do before going and when landing. I would like to know what steps i should take in order to successfully settle down in the new environment. Know what are the crucial governmental paper work that i need to get when landing. How you guys made the decision of where to stay and what bak to choose and even how the system works there. I am looking for ideas and steps to help me settle down the first few weeks in the new country. Thank you for reading.

I would suggest doing a soft landing first, just to start your 5 year clock and start looking for a job from the US.
Since you mentioned that you have lived in the US on a H1B visa for 2 years, I am assuming that you would be applying for an extension next year.
Considering the denials on the H1B extensions lately, I would just have the PR status activated as a backup and worry about settling down for later. as you will have enough time to think about it. You can always move up there later if something unexpected happens with the H1B.

 

[WarHammer]

Hello Guys,

I am Cinthia and i choose to write today in the forum because i am looking for some way of reassurance that whats happening with me is totally normal and it happened to all immigrants that got their express entry. Just to explain my situation, i have applied to the express entry 5 months ago and i got the invitation and after i got approved, COPR and passport were sent to me two weeks ago and they are still hidden in my closet. I currently live in the united states under a working visa (H1B) for 2 years now and i am really happy with my job and i am making lot of money here. i have applied to the express entry looking for stability in my life and to nit have be afraid takin the decision to go visit my family and friends whenever i want and not being stressed out regarding starting a new family. I guess i needed something that will make me safe. and now after having what i worked hard for and spent good money on "Express entry" i am having a really difficult time taking the decision whether to go to Canada and buy piece of mind or stay here in the US and follow money. I guess i am afraid of the change and the unknown. I am really struggling to convince myself that i will be starting from scratch and that i will have to start from zero in a brand new community and will have to make the effort of integrating a completely new environment. Today i am seeking some piece of advice from people who were in my shoes before and they know what i feel. I would like some advice regarding what to expect and what i should do before going and when landing. I would like to know what steps i should take in order to successfully settle down in the new environment. Know what are the crucial governmental paper work that i need to get when landing. How you guys made the decision of where to stay and what bak to choose and even how the system works there. I am looking for ideas and steps to help me settle down the first few weeks in the new country. Thank you for reading.

I am kind of in your similar situation. I did complete my soft landing though and have the PR in hand. It helps me sleep better at night.

There are definite downsides in Canada though. I landed in Toronto for my soft landing and stayed in a hotel 30 minutes from the airport.

I live in one of the major cities in the US. Compared to that Toronto really felt like Mumbai or any 3rd world country. Not to sound disrespectful towards India but am sure you get what I mean. Right from driving standards no one really followed the rules much. It really felt like I was back in India which did feel good ina way !!
Then there is the miserable cold unless you live in Vancouver which is the 3rd most expensive city in the world !!
During my stay there for 3 days I hardly encountered anyone other than people from Asia. Again not a bad thing .. just get weird to not see a single native.

Lots of competition for jobs - so make sure u r good at what you do to enjoy similar standard of living in US. It’s a dogs life compared to US if you don’t make a shit load of money.

Overall right from the upkeep of streets, buildings etc it felt like a huge downgrade from the US. These are observations from my v limited experience. It could be great or even worse. I can’t judge from this one trip. So don’t come grabbing at my throat if someone doesn’t agree with me on the above sentiments.

These are the downsides to put with for the freedom of a PR and to escape the dreaded h1 rat race.

 

[navinball]

Don't do it. Unless you are at risk of losing h1b, it's not worth it. But yeah do the landing and get the card first.

 

[rajapanesar]

Don't do it. Unless you are at risk of losing h1b, it's not worth it. But yeah do the landing and get the card first.

Real advice from the MVP.

 

[Cinthia]

Don't do it. Unless you are at risk of losing h1b, it's not worth it. But yeah do the landing and get the card first.

what do you mean its not worth it? Is it a bad country?

 

[smash1984]

I am kind of in your similar situation. I did complete my soft landing though and have the PR in hand. It helps me sleep better at night.

There are definite downsides in Canada though. I landed in Toronto for my soft landing and stayed in a hotel 30 minutes from the airport.

I live in one of the major cities in the US. Compared to that Toronto really felt like Mumbai or any 3rd world country. Not to sound disrespectful towards India but am sure you get what I mean. Right from driving standards no one really followed the rules much. It really felt like I was back in India which did feel good ina way !!
Then there is the miserable cold unless you live in Vancouver which is the 3rd most expensive city in the world !!
During my stay there for 3 days I hardly encountered anyone other than people from Asia. Again not a bad thing .. just get weird to not see a single native.

Lots of competition for jobs - so make sure u r good at what you do to enjoy similar standard of living in US. It’s a dogs life compared to US if you don’t make a shit load of money.

Overall right from the upkeep of streets, buildings etc it felt like a huge downgrade from the US. These are observations from my v limited experience. It could be great or even worse. I can’t judge from this one trip. So don’t come grabbing at my throat if someone doesn’t agree with me on the above sentiments.

These are the downsides to put with for the freedom of a PR and to escape the dreaded h1 rat race.

Are you sure you were visiting Toronto? I have a hard time believing it because I have come to Canada from the US too (and from one of US's biggest cities).

 

[zardoz]

what do you mean its not worth it? Is it a bad country?

You are going to get different answers from different people, depending on their personal experience.

I, for one, do not regret for an instant coming to Canada from the UK. I'm now a citizen of both and have no particular desire to go back. Note that I don't live in a big city.
(Having said that, I moved for love, not money...)

 

[smash1984]

what do you mean its not worth it? Is it a bad country?

Not at all. In fact for families it is probably a better place to live.

I moved to Canada from the US last year. I was also on H1B and I didn't have a ridiculous waiting time for Green Card. In some ways I was in a very similar situation to you. I was earning good money and was on H1 and my company wanted to apply for my GC.

However I left the US even before my company applied for my GC because I have wanted to be in academia and I enrolled in a PhD program here.

Now, i have to say that if you are looking to make tons of money then Canada is probably not a great place for that. The pay is significantly lower compared to the US and taxes are generally high. It is a high tax high service country. The cost of living is high here but so is the quality of life. You get very good quality air, water, dairy, food, clean environment, beautiful, pristine, and untouched environment that is hard to find anywhere else in the world. On top of that the corruption is low, people are generally nice and accepting, the health care is free at point of service and the society gives you a leg up if you don't do that well. There is much less variation in school quality compared to the US and world class universities offer you a very affordable education which is maybe a quarter of the cost of US education. There is much less violence and the political environment is very stable.

If stability and overall quality of life is what you are looking for then there are very few places in the world that can beat Canada. However, if its professional and career growth you are looking for with accompanying financial benefits, its hard to better the US.

Edit: You still have to make the decision but only you know what is it that you desire in life. And one HUGE difference. Canadian immigration is probably the best in the world in my experience. They make you feel very welcome. You don't have to think 1000 times before you exit or enter the country. I can't tell you the difference in the peace of mind. That peace of mind alone is probably worth coming here for.

 

[navinball]

what do you mean its not worth it? Is it a bad country?

It's not a place to start over. A generic software engineer will not find a job quickly. Ignore words like 'stability', 'peace of mind' etc. You are making good money in the usa - I'm assuming close to or over 6 figures. You will not find it here, and if you quit your job to get here you can't go back to usa easily. Eventually you will run out of savings get cold, cloudy and depressed.

There is also no diversity here. Most of the ppl you see are young desi. lured in by the promise of PR, they are broke, drive ubers, work as cashiers or hang out around walmart parking lots.

I would suggest move here with an offer on hand. Take interviews from US, as you have a PR you can fly easily to give in person as well. Do not make the mistake of leaving a cushy job and moving here for 'peace of mind'.