casual talk---besides the approval of PR..

[keesio]

i would definitely recommend getting some kind of education/certificate in canada. many times your education/degree from back home won't be recognized by the companies unless you have huge job experience. certain fields like engineering, nursing, medicine, business, law etc are regulated and they would you to get a certificate in order to practice. look into it before you move and you will be ahead of the curve once you land here.

especially true for the health profession. My wife was a licensed physiotherapist in NY, worked for 10 years as one. She had to get certified in Ontario and so far we have spent thousands and she has been studying for a year for the exams. It is a big pain. It is even worse for doctors... I hear it takes several years.

 

[katester]

I hope she said that in jest. Otherwise that is a very ignorant comment... especially to her granddaughter-in-law!

Also Canada has warmer ties to the UK being a commonwealth country and ties to the Crown. the UK is considered the "motherland" for the anglo Canadian. The USA is a renegade land that broke from the Crown and once invaded what is now Canada. There is also the whole "little-brother" complex. But any "issues" are really mild. I did not have any real issues when I first immigrated to Canada.

Lol! You don't know his grandma! She was serious with that comment! His family loves me as a person, they love how I treat my husband, they love how we love each other. But the moment anything American is brought up, they start WW3! Of course America is good enough for most of them to visit for 3 or more months each and every year but God forbid a Canadian and a bloody American fall in love and actually want to start a life somewhere! That is when I am the devil. So I really hope your experience is the one I have once I land... Because his family has me terrified that I, as an American, will be rejected.

 

[Alurra71]

Lol! You don't know his grandma! She was serious with that comment! His family loves me as a person, they love how I treat my husband, they love how we love each other. But the moment anything American is brought up, they start WW3! Of course America is good enough for most of them to visit for 3 or more months each and every year but God forbid a Canadian and a bloody American fall in love and actually want to start a life somewhere! That is when I am the devil. So I really hope your experience is the one I have once I land... Because his family has me terrified that I, as an American, will be rejected.

They won't even likely notice. Don't panic. Nobody knows I'm American unless I tell them

 

[katester]

They won't even likely notice. Don't panic. Nobody knows I'm American unless I tell them

Well that's good to hear! When I was visiting my husband for a few months the biggest give-a-way that I was different was when I was getting gas!! Lol. Typical Amercian getting so confused and trying to do the math from gallons to liters!

 

[Alurra71]

Well that's good to hear! When I was visiting my husband for a few months the biggest give-a-way that I was different was when I was getting gas!! Lol. Typical Amercian getting so confused and trying to do the math from gallons to liters!

Just do like I do. Get one of those paypass thingies for your keychain. Hit the Esso and just fill her up every time no fuss no muss LOL I STILL can't figure that stuff out without a calculator

 

[katester]

Just do like I do. Get one of those paypass thingies for your keychain. Hit the Esso and just fill her up every time no fuss no muss LOL I STILL can't figure that stuff out without a calculator

Lol! Not a bad idea.

 

[keesio]

Lol! You don't know his grandma! She was serious with that comment! His family loves me as a person, they love how I treat my husband, they love how we love each other. But the moment anything American is brought up, they start WW3! Of course America is good enough for most of them to visit for 3 or more months each and every year but God forbid a Canadian and a bloody American fall in love and actually want to start a life somewhere! That is when I am the devil. So I really hope your experience is the one I have once I land... Because his family has me terrified that I, as an American, will be rejected.

Your husband's family is definitely on the more extreme side in their feelings. The only people I know who feel that strongly about Americans are people on the hard-left of the political scale - usually the left-wing "activist" types that see the USA as an evil force in the world. I'll see them in the Annex neighborhood in Toronto (many U of T profs and students live there) and the like. Not surprisingly some are children of Americans who fled to Canada to avoid Vietnam so they have extra interest (and bile) towards the US.

Anyway the vast majority of Canadians are not like this. They have their own issues towards the US but as I said, it is pretty mild. I have never had an issue and if you lay low, I doubt you will too. Now if you want to walk around in your "Don't Mess with the USA" T-Shirt then maybe you'll get some stares Otherwise they will never know. Heck, when I became a Canadian citizen and someone publicly congratulated me, I had co-workers I have known for a decade come up to me and say they never knew I was not Canadian in the first place!

 

[katester]

Your husband's family is definitely on the more extreme side in their feelings. The only people I know who feel that strongly about Americans are people on the hard-left of the political scale - usually the left-wing "activist" types that see the USA as an evil force in the world. I'll see them in the Annex neighborhood in Toronto (many U of T profs and students live there) and the like. Not surprisingly some are children of Americans who fled to Canada to avoid Vietnam so they have extra interest (and bile) towards the US.

Anyway the vast majority of Canadians are not like this. They have their own issues towards the US but as I said, it is pretty mild. I have never had an issue and if you lay low, I doubt you will too. Now if you want to walk around in your "Don't Mess with the USA" T-Shirt then maybe you'll get some stares Otherwise they will never know. Heck, when I became a Canadian citizen and someone publicly congratulated me, I had co-workers I have known for a decade come up to me and say they never knew I was not Canadian in the first place!

I do feel his family is extreme when is comes to their hatred of the US. I can not say if it was the same before I met them. My husband thinks all the hatred started once we got married and we were deciding which country to live in. Since my husband is in the military, we were researching about if he could join the US military. So from that moment on my husband has not stopped hearing from his family about how horrible Americans are.

 

[ovasquez1]

I'm also worried about finding work in Canada...I have a Bachelor's degree in Biology...I have been working as a long term substitute teacher for the last 4yrs and for the last 6yrs with a University in a STEM program (supervising position) during the summer months, before that I was a lab assistant during my years at the university...I'm also IRS tax certified..first aid/cpr certified....so I'm taking advantage of these months to request letters of recommendation and my best references because I don't know how it will be in Canada...as of now I'm doing well in the states but when I receive my PR I will go to be with my husband in Toronto... I know in Canada I can't teach or substitute unless I go back to school and get re certified...and it seems like a lot of things require a certification there...I'm considering joining a job agency when I get there to help me get Canadian work experience..my husband is real optimistic about me finding employment but I'm a little nervous...

 

[SenoritaBella]

How can you "steal" a job when you had to interview for it like everyone else? Oh well... as for being welcoming, it is region by region; some adapt easily to newcomers than others.

Canadians are more welcoming of UKers VS USers. My grandma in law was from England and has lived in Canada for 50 years...... However she has even accused me of just wanting to steal jobs from real Cabadians! She had to be reminded that she once was an immigrant.

 

[SenoritaBella]

I think you have solid work experience and it would be great to begin networking even before move. There are always tips for how newcomers can access the labor market, so be sure to attend those workshops and build your network. Does your husband know people who could know about jobs? Begin finding out what it takes to become certified in Ontario.

I'm also worried about finding work in Canada...I have a Bachelor's degree in Biology...I have been working as a long term substitute teacher for the last 4yrs and for the last 6yrs with a University in a STEM program (supervising position) during the summer months, before that I was a lab assistant during my years at the university...I'm also IRS tax certified..first aid/cpr certified....so I'm taking advantage of these months to request letters of recommendation and my best references because I don't know how it will be in Canada...as of now I'm doing well in the states but when I receive my PR I will go to be with my husband in Toronto... I know in Canada I can't teach or substitute unless I go back to school and get re certified...and it seems like a lot of things require a certification there...I'm considering joining a job agency when I get there to help me get Canadian work experience..my husband is real optimistic about me finding employment but I'm a little nervous...

 

[keesio]

ovasquez1 - as SenoritaBella mentioned, you have a lot of skills. There will be some time you need to spend to get acclimated on how things work here and also rectification (if needed). The key thing is to be patient. My wife came her a year ago and was depressed about the rectification process for her field. But she kept at it. She volunteers at a hospital, which led her to make some good contacts for references when she get certified and she continues to plug away at her studies. The key thing is to try not to get too down and be patient.

 

[keesio]

I do feel his family is extreme when is comes to their hatred of the US. I can not say if it was the same before I met them. My husband thinks all the hatred started once we got married and we were deciding which country to live in. Since my husband is in the military, we were researching about if he could join the US military. So from that moment on my husband has not stopped hearing from his family about how horrible Americans are.

They are extreme. And there is something more to it than just the prospect of their son moving to the US.

Anyway you won't face anywhere near that level of hostility from the rest of us (other than the occasional troublemaker every now and then which is best to ignore).