Brutal Winter and a Jobless Immigrant family

[willi]

I think the mistake we sometimes make in life is assume and rush in taking decision without having a master plan in place first. I am 35 years old with a lovely wife and a beautiful year old baby girl. We got our PR on March this year through express entry Saskatchewan nominated and had to land before January 2017. Am currently working and earning not too good but reasonable income monthly and so also is my wife. So after we got our PR, I decided not to rush in settling in Canada but focus on completing our landing before January 2017. We saved enough money to get us to Canada to complete our landing process and back to our country to prepare and have a plan in place before we finally move to settle.Thank God we did our landing on October 19 and return to our country after some few days. Of course you need to know someone in Canada in this case so that you can use his or her house address for your PR card process. Our card is ready as at yesterday and I have make arrangement with DHL to go and pick it up for me. Now that our PR process is fully complete, we have two years out of five years to stay in Canada to renew our PR card. So it means we have approximately three years to plan how we will move to settle permenantely in Canada. I will like to share with you our initial plan. Save enough money and after one year, I will first move to Canada without my wife and kid and then straight way enter colledge.I have done enough research about the course I want to pessue and if I manage to get the admission for the program, a company is ready to pay for my Tuition and other things for the two years program. Though the company is not promising work after completion but will most likely employ those who have completed that course. I have already apply for admission and the program start next year September and if by the grace of God I get the admission, I belief I will go for it. My wife and kid will finally join me after a year or two when I have familiarise myself with the Canadian environment. This is our first option, we are still looking at other options which will best help us integrate fast into the Canadian system and at the same time not regretting of the decision we have taken, after all we have three years to plan. As PR card holder we are open to so many opportunities and privileges we can take advantage of but it will all depend on how we have plan to approach it. My advice to you is that have a plan in place. Everybody story is different. Some people landed and within a month they got a job and others are not taking it easy at all in finding a job but you can let things go in your favour by drawing your own plan and working at it. My plan might be a little bit expensive and time involve and therefore might not be suitable for you but you can also draw your plan and work at it. Do not rush in taking such phsycological and emotional decision. Am 35 years and I don't want to enter Canada and go start from a work that ordinarily will not do in my country and be wasting more years all in the name of settling down. Am planing now to avoid that and I know we all can do a little better if we plan and not rush. Thank you.

 

[volodyalysak]

Lots of people who move to Canada or US don't realize that they have to start their life from scratch here, it will take time and effort + some luck to find descent job here, if you had white collar job in whatever place you came from it doesn't mean that you will get same job here. For CEC it might be a bit easier to settle in , but for FSW Outland it is a different story, one have to bring enough money, have a good plan, and you absolutely have to do survival jobs for a while to be able to understand how system works and how to get better and smarter to find good job. I'we lived in US for last 9 years and unfortunately can't get either GC or PR here, so my best bet is Canada, i don't know whether i like it or not, but i will try my best to make it my home if i get PPR. Anyone who things that Canada waits for you with high paying job and beautiful life are mistaken deeply, it all will depend on what kind of person you are and your ability to adapt to new.

 

[thepilot]

Survival of the fittest.

 

[deadbird]

It is indeed quite fascinating how much the cold can have an impact on your emotional well being. Here are some helpful tips I can offer that can make an immediate difference:

* Layer your clothes. Wear inner layers, followed by a sweater and then a heavy jacket on top. If you warm or cold add on another layer. It's that simple. See for more details - https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/layering-basics.html
* Choose appropriate snow shoes. Having wet and cold feet can be very depressing especially when you have to walk around a lot. It doesn't have to be expensive but it has to be waterproof and have a grippy sole.
* Layer your socks to keep your feet warm.
* If you have a portable electric heater; take it into your bathroom. Having to sit down in the cold on the pot can get pretty nasty.
* Bubble wrap your windows. This will save heating costs - http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Conservation/bubblewrap.htm

Overall, keep calm and winter on.

 

[dks2323]

I would love to know how the OP (deerestlovelybear ) is doing now....The OP is pretty active on the forum so I guess he/she has overcome the problems he was facing....

Buddy let us know.....

 

[naman.tuteja]

Hi guys,

Looking at this excitement about applying for PR reminding me and my family of years ago when we was as excited as you guys applying for Permanent Resident. I still remember the date I got my PR visas for the entire family, it was like we are going to a paradise, it was the best day in our life, we was so happy.

But now the reality of a broken dream in Canada is killing us day by day. Since the day we landed in this land, supposed to be our dream new home, we have sent countless of job applications. We followed all the advices, we volunteered and work for free and being exploited till we could not stand any more. My wife and I both took turn going back to school and spent the last dollar of savings into our last investment in a hope of landing a white collar job. We are not looking for jobs that pay 100K, all we need is a decent white collar job that we do not have to hide our qualifications and experience back home, a job that feed our family and do not leave our back so painful we cannot sleep at night. Over 3 years since we are here, all we have are surviving jobs, we shoved snow, cut grass, cleaned toilet, watched over shops at night in dangerous areas, yet we are not able to save any money and we spent all our hard earned money we got before we came to Canada. We want our parents here to help taking care of the kids while we upgrade ourselves but the insurance cost of super visa is forbidden barrier and it is almost impossible to sponsor them to Canada, even the 5000 lucky people submitting application on the 1st day of the year when application is opened and earn tons of $$ to meet the income requirements need to wait over 10 years till the time their parent can come to Canada as PR.

The market here is simply too small and there is absolutely no white collar job for immigrants unless you already have family or friends who are in the position of hiring you. People here are nice but this is simply too small an economy to absorb the huge number of skilled immigrants each year. Canada has been admitting a quarter of million skilled workers every year over the past decades and if you look at the number of jobs created last year, you know where those people will end up to. Canada now is not like Canada in the 1980s and 1990s, the number of jobs created each year barely match the number of local graduates and schools here increase the intake year by year because international students is a huge source of their revenue. I am totally shocked at why the government keep adding too many skilled immigrants to the country every year despite the brutal reality and hardship that these immigrants have to go to. This is clearly inhumane and misleading. Many families from other countries are leaving everything behind in the false hope of a better life in Canada just to realize that there is nothing for them here and they have to clean toilet, wash dishes or drive taxi. No matter if you have PhD or are managers back home, there is nothing for you here to use your skills and knowledge.

If the purpose is to recruit foreign skilled workers to do labourer job then what about Canadian youth who are jobless and desperate to earn some money to pay back their tuition loan? I totally do not understand the system, it is completely a scam and it is brutal. Just last week I was laid off from my security guard job, turned out that it was filled by another young immigrant. I am pretty sure he get less than what I earned which is just slightly above the minimum wage for a night shift job. And now the winter is brutal, and our family is turning to meagre social assistant and EI that is hardly enough to put foot on the table. We do not know what to do, it is harsh here. We want to go back, but the thought of being looked at like a "loser" make us feel so painful. Everyday I look at the snow, I just feel like we made the worst decision to leave everything behind and we are paying for that decision.

Hey Brother,

I do respect your words and feel sorry for your hardship.
"BUT"
Don`t lose your hope. Keep on trying till the last breath. Success is not severed on a plate, you have to earn it. Some might get it earlier and with some people it takes time. But trust me when the day of happiness strikes your life things will be changed.
Everybody have problem(s) in their life's (some way or another) and you are still better than other (believe me). Be thankful to what you have, strive for the best.
Keep faith in god and do good KARMA. Everything will be paid back.

All the BEST !!!

And all the people out there CANADA is a beautiful place with lot of opportunities however you have to find the way to get it.

CHEERS!! ;D

 

[popoxee]

It is indeed quite fascinating how much the cold can have an impact on your emotional well being. Here are some helpful tips I can offer that can make an immediate difference:

* Layer your clothes. Wear inner layers, followed by a sweater and then a heavy jacket on top. If you warm or cold add on another layer. It's that simple. See for more details - https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/layering-basics.html
* Choose appropriate snow shoes. Having wet and cold feet can be very depressing especially when you have to walk around a lot. It doesn't have to be expensive but it has to be waterproof and have a grippy sole.
* Layer your socks to keep your feet warm.
* If you have a portable electric heater; take it into your bathroom. Having to sit down in the cold on the pot can get pretty nasty.
* Bubble wrap your windows. This will save heating costs - http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Conservation/bubblewrap.htm

Overall, keep calm and winter on.

It is not the cold. It is the shortage of sunlight exposure, which affects your bioclock and fux up your brain and emotions.
I always have an artificial sunlight with me in winter, and I suggest everyone to buy it.

 

[kryt0n]

It is not the cold. It is the shortage of sunlight exposure, which affects your bioclock and fux up your brain and emotions.
I always have an artificial sunlight with me in winter, and I suggest everyone to buy it.

Learn to snowboard. Winters will be much more fun.

 

[deadbird]

It is not the cold. It is the shortage of sunlight exposure, which affects your bioclock and fux up your brain and emotions.
I always have an artificial sunlight with me in winter, and I suggest everyone to buy it.

I agree 100%. I spent some time in Seattle (similar to Vancouver) and seasonal depression is a real thing. Many of my co-workers had an artificial sunlight.

 

[upmanit]

You can become Business Analyst or Tester. There are many firms who offers 4 to 6 months IT training based on that you can land pretty good Software Testing job, however within 3 weeks with no prior IT knowledge or experience it's very very unlikely.

Need a favor. Can you inbox me if you know any good reputed firms that offer courses here in Software Testing. Do they help in Job placement too. One of my friend is looking to make career in software testing.

 

[fkl]

For those who are still considering this just an opinion, its really a thing with scientific backing

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_affective_disorder

 

[Aal_]

Man this is so discouraging. I am FSW, I have no idea what waits for me in Canada with a family of 3. IT for 10 years now. Things seem hard even for people who are already there!

 

[fkl]

Man this is so discouraging. I am FSW, I have no idea what waits for me in Canada with a family of 3. IT for 10 years now. Things seem hard even for people who are already there!

Its discouraging if you are taking it way too for granted as if every thing will be handed over to you without effort.

But if that's not the case, and you are prepared to undergo some initial settlement effort and are good at what you do, you would get your way through eventually.

On the positive sides, a bit of personal story for encouragement, I along with several other friends came here on work permits, because we had specialized experience in specific areas in IT and an employer was looking for that.

All of us are pretty settled here and are very well paid.

Of course in some ways we were lucky, but still i wanted to emphasize - there are both sides to the picture. And you won't fall into one automatically. Some part is luck, other is home work, prior prep, awareness of ground reality and the effort you put in.

 

[duster]

After reading the comments here it is suggested that Canada is most pathetic place for which most of people dream for.
Therefore guys stop applying for PRS.
The country has potential to offer you good environment, health facilities and good infrastructure as compare to your third world location which is full of corruption,sanitation problems, power shortages, scarce of health facility,class system based on color,caste and financial status.
I think the multi cultural perspective of Canada is also wrong (the existing cabinet of Justine treadeau is most diversified in the world)
While reading through the threads it seems that Alberta is going to collapse very soon and Canada will definetely go for IMF package very soon (like Pakistan)

For Dreams you have to work for it otherwise third world country is only place where you can became millionaire without efforts conditionally you have public office/government job through corruption.

 

[thestunner316]

After reading the comments here it is suggested that Canada is most pathetic place for which most of people dream for.
Therefore guys stop applying for PRS.
The country has potential to offer you good environment, health facilities and good infrastructure as compare to your third world location which is full of corruption,sanitation problems, power shortages, scarce of health facility,class system based on color,caste and financial status.
I think the multi cultural perspective of Canada is also wrong (the existing cabinet of Justine treadeau is most diversified in the world)
While reading through the threads it seems that Alberta is going to collapse very soon and Canada will definetely go for IMF package very soon (like Pakistan)

For Dreams you have to work for it otherwise third world country is only place where you can became millionaire without efforts conditionally you have public office/government job through corruption.

i absolutely have no idea what you are trying to say... so lets just leave it at that