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Frustrated IT Project Manager from Singapore

joconstantine

Hero Member
Mar 30, 2020
657
555
Category........
FSW
NOC Code......
0213
Pre-Assessed..
Yes
AOR Received.
01-08-2020
Lucky you
Nope, I am not lucky. You are lucky getting PR when it was still easy.
Now I am giving up the hope to settle down in Singapore, abandoning the place of comfort and facing the challenges of moving to a totally strange country. Hahaha
 

scylla

VIP Member
Jun 8, 2010
95,892
22,136
Toronto
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
28-05-2010
AOR Received.
19-08-2010
File Transfer...
28-06-2010
Passport Req..
01-10-2010
VISA ISSUED...
05-10-2010
LANDED..........
05-10-2010
Lucky you
Nothing to do with luck. This person had enough points to be selected. And there was hard work involved to get there.

Ultimately the question is how badly do you want this? If you want this badly, the next steps are to dedicate hours / days to thoroughly researching Canada's immigration programs to understand your options between Express Entry and the various PNP programs - and allow you to better understand which specific provinces you are thinking of targeting and which specific programs within those provinces. You also need to take the IELTS test (possibly multiple times) and achieve as high a score as possible (ideally max it out). Same for your spouse. Getting a job offer in Canada to boost your points will almost certainly not be feasible. So you'll want to explore other ways. Potentially taking French or having you or your spouse complete additional education.
 

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
55,605
13,529
Would just add that lots of people don't have cars in Canada or own a home. They also have to wait for buses or trains.
 

vinz1985

Member
Aug 24, 2020
18
1
Nope, I am not lucky. You are lucky getting PR when it was still easy.
Now I am giving up the hope to settle down in Singapore, abandoning the place of comfort and facing the challenges of moving to a totally strange country. Hahaha
Oh please dont be so modest. There is nothing comfortable about Singapore. In Canada, you can build your life in a cold country where there is cold chilly air which gives you a fresh feeling, that doesnt make u tired and sticky, large landed houses, CARS, welfare government, free schooling, free healthcare, a huge country with places you can keep exploring for life... u can drive for thousands of miles being in the same country.. exploring new places every weekend. Come on.. i call that a clear win and a huge promotion from this tiny little red dot.
 
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vinz1985

Member
Aug 24, 2020
18
1
Nothing to do with luck. This person had enough points to be selected. And there was hard work involved to get there.

Ultimately the question is how badly do you want this? If you want this badly, the next steps are to dedicate hours / days to thoroughly researching Canada's immigration programs to understand your options between Express Entry and the various PNP programs - and allow you to better understand which specific provinces you are thinking of targeting and which specific programs within those provinces. You also need to take the IELTS test (possibly multiple times) and achieve as high a score as possible (ideally max it out). Same for your spouse. Getting a job offer in Canada to boost your points will almost certainly not be feasible. So you'll want to explore other ways. Potentially taking French or having you or your spouse complete additional education.
I have dedicated hours and days for this. Even if i max out my IELTS, i get only around 430-440 score and that too assuming ECA would recognise my degree as canadian equivalent (it was distance education part time). May be a little hope around PNP but my profession doesnt favor me. Nobody wants NOC 0213 and non technical IT guys. Getting job offer in Canada using AIPP program is the only feasible way which I am trying hard by creating different kinds of cover letter, resumes everyday. setting up alerts also help me to see the vacancies immediately they are posted.
 

joconstantine

Hero Member
Mar 30, 2020
657
555
Category........
FSW
NOC Code......
0213
Pre-Assessed..
Yes
AOR Received.
01-08-2020
Would you consider taking a Master course in Canada? But given your current age, obtaining a student visa can be tricky.

After 2 years of study, you can work for another 2-3 years, you will have enough points by then. However, this path has risks, too. Who knows what it will be like after another 4-5 years. You will end up loosing Singapore PR status as well.
 

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
55,605
13,529
Oh please dont be so modest. There is nothing comfortable about Singapore. In Canada, you can build your life in a cold country where there is cold chilly air which gives you a fresh feeling, that doesnt make u tired and sticky, large landed houses, CARS, welfare government, free schooling, free healthcare, a huge country with places you can keep exploring for life... u can drive for thousands of miles being in the same country.. exploring new places every weekend. Come on.. i call that a clear win and a huge promotion from this tiny little red dot.
Partially free healthcare (No national pharmacare, no dental coverage, no optical coverage only eye exams for children and seniors but no glasses, no physiotherapy, no medical devices, payments even for subsidized longterm care, etc.) Those without benefits that they pay into through their employer struggle to pay for many of these things. Many don’t have the option for benefits through their employer. Welfare payments keep you under the poverty level so nothing to get too excited about although I realize we are lucky. Most welfare recipient are dependent on charity for food and basic necessities. Many in Canada rarely leave their city. Most are way to busy to explore new places every weekend. They need to do their cleaning, shopping, other chores, potentially a child’s activity because on the weekdays most people essentially have time to get to work and come home to cook dinner and maybe relax a bit. Would not really say that winters are refreshing in most places in the country. Have you experienced a real winter? I am not a fan of the crazy heat and humidity but also can’t take the cold winters. 4 hours shovelling snow? Sun going down at 4pm and being too cold to go out many days. Bad driving and hours stuck in traffic. Ice storms. Hot summers. It has been 40 degrees with the humidex many days during the summer. Not trying to discourage you but you seem to have an over romanticized view of Canada? Have you ever visited?
 

joconstantine

Hero Member
Mar 30, 2020
657
555
Category........
FSW
NOC Code......
0213
Pre-Assessed..
Yes
AOR Received.
01-08-2020
Partially free healthcare (No national pharmacare, no dental coverage, no optical coverage only eye exams for children and seniors but no glasses, no physiotherapy, no medical devices, payments even for subsidized longterm care, etc.) Those without benefits that they pay into through their employer struggle to pay for many of these things. Many don’t have the option for benefits through their employer. Welfare payments keep you under the poverty level so nothing to get too excited about although I realize we are lucky. Most welfare recipient are dependent on charity for food and basic necessities. Many in Canada rarely leave their city. Most are way to busy to explore new places every weekend. They need to do their cleaning, shopping, other chores, potentially a child’s activity because on the weekdays most people essentially have time to get to work and come home to cook dinner and maybe relax a bit. Would not really say that winters are refreshing in most places in the country. Have you experienced a real winter? I am not a fan of the crazy heat and humidity but also can’t take the cold winters. 4 hours shovelling snow? Sun going down at 4pm and being too cold to go out many days. Bad driving and hours stuck in traffic. Ice storms. Hot summers. It has been 40 degrees with the humidex many days during the summer. Not trying to discourage you but you seem to have an over romanticized view of Canada? Have you ever visited?
Even in the hottest days in Singapore, the heat seldom goes above 33 degrees and it does rain occasionally.
 

vinz1985

Member
Aug 24, 2020
18
1
Partially free healthcare (No national pharmacare, no dental coverage, no optical coverage only eye exams for children and seniors but no glasses, no physiotherapy, no medical devices, payments even for subsidized longterm care, etc.) Those without benefits that they pay into through their employer struggle to pay for many of these things. Many don’t have the option for benefits through their employer. Welfare payments keep you under the poverty level so nothing to get too excited about although I realize we are lucky. Most welfare recipient are dependent on charity for food and basic necessities. Many in Canada rarely leave their city. Most are way to busy to explore new places every weekend. They need to do their cleaning, shopping, other chores, potentially a child’s activity because on the weekdays most people essentially have time to get to work and come home to cook dinner and maybe relax a bit. Would not really say that winters are refreshing in most places in the country. Have you experienced a real winter? I am not a fan of the crazy heat and humidity but also can’t take the cold winters. 4 hours shovelling snow? Sun going down at 4pm and being too cold to go out many days. Bad driving and hours stuck in traffic. Ice storms. Hot summers. It has been 40 degrees with the humidex many days during the summer. Not trying to discourage you but you seem to have an over romanticized view of Canada? Have you ever visited?
I have not visited Canada but I have visited minus temperature places and absolutely loved it.
 

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
55,605
13,529
I have not visited Canada but I have visited minus temperature places and absolutely loved it.
-20-30C or even -40C+? Think most Canadians (Except some parts of BC) can easy tolerate 0 - -15C but that isn’t the typical winter temperatures in most areas and most certainly don’t love it when it is both very dark and freezing. In the winter most go to work when it is dark and return home when it is dark. It is a hard adjustment for most immigrants unless they have grown up with this weather and the lack of light. Although seasons are nice they also come with a lot of work from raking all the leaves, to shovelling for hours even before work and the gardening during the summer. On the cold days many need to plug in their cars so they start. You also really need to purchase both winter and all season/other tires unless you live on Vancouver island or maybe Vancouver. Again not trying to discourage you but you don’t seem to have realistic expectations.
 
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vinz1985

Member
Aug 24, 2020
18
1
-20-30C or even -40C+? Think most Canadians (Except some parts of BC) can easy tolerate 0 - -15C but that isn’t the typical winter temperatures in most areas and most certainly don’t love it when it is both very dark and freezing. In the winter most go to work when it is dark and return home when it is dark. It is a hard adjustment for most immigrants unless they have grown up with this weather and the lack of light. Although seasons are nice they also come with a lot of work from raking all the leaves, to shovelling for hours even before work and the gardening during the summer. On the cold days many need to plug in their cars so they start. You also really need to purchase both winter and all season/other tires unless you live on Vancouver island or maybe Vancouver. Again not trying to discourage you but you don’t seem to have realistic expectations.
Looks like first world problems to me. In Singapore, it is so bland... like a safe and secure and clean school campus with a good hostel. No one would like to live there for ever with family.
 

MAIL2SUNDAREEE

Star Member
Oct 25, 2019
115
30
Thanks for your reply. I am moving to Canada for the following-
1. To live in a country where we have winter and other seasons as well. Most importantly, I need winter.
2. To buy a car. Yes. It may seem insane, but in Singapore, we have to spend around 100,000 to buy a corolla and that too only valid for 10 years. After 10 years we need to scrap it or pay similar amount to renew the lease of the car. So buying a car in Singapore is not so motivating.
3. To be able to buy a landed house. In Singapore, minimum cost of a landed house is 5 million and upwards CAD.
4. Better work life balance
5. Nature- more mountain terrains, snow etc.
I have been in Singapore for few months
From my experience, i can tell below things (Singapore vs Canada)
First thing- Money - the tax is more in Canada compared to Singapore.
Getting a job - is not easy. you maynot land on same role on your first job. Here network is more important than Knowledge.
There is NO 13th month Salary in Canada (like in Singapore)

The reasons that you quoted for re-location is not reasonable. Life is not easy in Canada compared to SG.

1. the Winter lasts for 6 to 7 months. Real summer(like Singapore) will be for 2 to 3 months.
2. Petrol is cheap. Insurance is not cheap. It is advisable to use car only during summer (2 to 3 months) due to weather
3. House is not cheap in downtown. you may need to spend rest of your life paying mortgage (if single income) - if you add car's monthly payment + insurance.
4. Work life balance. Good/True - but based on company/project. not all projects are same.
5. Nature - Great compared to small sized Singapore

My suggestion is visit Canada during Winter for a month and experience it yourself.
Then you can decide.
 
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