Did it really worth it?

[Melisaa]

Tnaks people. It's great to see some of you have also gone thru a similar experience. 5 years ago CIC system was totally different. Processing time for my country was maximum 5 months. I guess they loosened it too much, but I believe they could settle some tough law ( like the new conditional PR, they could have done it much earlier), but instead they should shorten the processing time. Most European countries have long had this law for spouse/ partner sponsotship. Seriously, does it make sense that some countries have 20+ months processing time for spouses? I don't think so.

 

[keesio]

Then when they finally make it here they have to start frim scratch because qualifications from back home not valid in canada....smh

This is a big beef of mine... well more specifically my spouse. She needs to pay thousands, take exams and wait a year or more just to practice in Canada (she was a physical therapist in the US). It is even more confusing since her profession is listed under NATFA as an "in demand" profession. If they classify it as a profession they like for you to have, why make it so hard to practice? The US seems a bit less restrictive about this - they allow Canadian PTs to practice much easier.

 

[QuebecOkie]

I'm also an immigrant (to Canada) (moved here 13 years ago) but let's face it, moving from US->Canada is hardly culture shock and not that much different. The two countries are pretty similar, though all my Canadian friends vehemently disagree

Ha, well, you can find some U.S. to Canada culture shock if you look for it. I'm in Northern Québec. After a year, I can mostly "get by" in French (grocery store, buying movie tickets, clothes shopping, other simple tasks), but I don't expect to be conversationally fluent for years yet. It'd definitely different up here.

I get a little pissy, when I check the mail yet again and there's no word from CIC (after over 10 months with no AIP). I'm an American with no criminal history. My husband is not only a Canadian in good standing, but he serves his country through the Royal Canadian Air Force. The guy has top secret clearance, for goodness' sake! And yet here we are, still just waiting. We'd gladly pay twice or three times the immigration fees if only we could speed up this interminable process.

 

[keesio]

Ha, well, you can find some U.S. to Canada culture shock if you look for it. I'm in Northern Québec. After a year, I can mostly "get by" in French (grocery store, buying movie tickets, clothes shopping, other simple tasks), but I don't expect to be conversationally fluent for years yet. It'd definitely different up here.

oh yeah, I'm sure moving to anywhere in Quebec outside of Montreal is quite a change. You are right about that for sure. Unless you are from the NE corner of the US which borders QC.

the US is so big and diverse I'm sure where in the US you are from has a big difference. For me, I was born and raised in NYC, then went to school in Buffalo, NY - 30 minutes from the border. So going to Toronto was not a shock considering Toronto is like a mini-NYC in some way (sorry Torontonians - Toronto is not the centre of the universe!). Also, being in Buffalo - which has Tim Horton's stores (and Tim Horton played for the Buffalo Sabers) and you can get CBC broadcasts over the air. I remember watching Don Cherry on CBC during my university days wondering how a guy so non-PC can be on a network broadcast!

 

[messenger]

oh yeah, I'm sure moving to anywhere in Quebec outside of Montreal is quite a change. You are right about that for sure. Unless you are from the NE corner of the US which borders QC.

the US is so big and diverse I'm sure where in the US you are from has a big difference. For me, I was born and raised in NYC, then went to school in Buffalo, NY - 30 minutes from the border. So going to Toronto was not a shock considering Toronto is like a mini-NYC in some way (sorry Torontonians - Toronto is not the centre of the universe!). Also, being in Buffalo - which has Tim Horton's stores (and Tim Horton played for the Buffalo Sabers) and you can get CBC broadcasts over the air. I remember watching Don Cherry on CBC during my university days wondering how a guy so non-PC can be on a network broadcast!

You in Buffalo were watching CBC and Don Cherry and I in Toronto loved watching Buffalo 29 for its morning cartoons. THE BEST!

Seriously now!

Many VO's although on strike are still issuing some COPR's and in general they look like they at least are doing something! The most unbelievable VO of all must be Vienna.

No one from our 2013 members plus some more from 2012 have got any sign of life from them. Amazing!


Regards

messenger

 

[QuebecOkie]

oh yeah, I'm sure moving to anywhere in Quebec outside of Montreal is quite a change. You are right about that for sure. Unless you are from the NE corner of the US which borders QC.

the US is so big and diverse I'm sure where in the US you are from has a big difference. For me, I was born and raised in NYC, then went to school in Buffalo, NY - 30 minutes from the border. So going to Toronto was not a shock considering Toronto is like a mini-NYC in some way (sorry Torontonians - Toronto is not the centre of the universe!). Also, being in Buffalo - which has Tim Horton's stores (and Tim Horton played for the Buffalo Sabers) and you can get CBC broadcasts over the air. I remember watching Don Cherry on CBC during my university days wondering how a guy so non-PC can be on a network broadcast!

I definitely agree that, in most cases, U.S. to Canada/vice versa isn't much of a culture shock. I used to jokingly call my hubby a "dirty foreigner" when he lived in the U.S. It was totally a joke, because we grew up on the same breakfast cereals and cartoons and such. (Well, not our early childhood, which he spent in Germany.) In fact, I'd say New York to Toronto is far less of a culture shock than many moves you could make from one place to another in the continental U.S.

I really would enjoy being able to sit in on some Canadian secondary school courses, though. I don't know as much as history and government as I'd like.

 

[gongdi]

This is a big beef of mine... well more specifically my spouse. She needs to pay thousands, take exams and wait a year or more just to practice in Canada (she was a physical therapist in the US). It is even more confusing since her profession is listed under NATFA as an "in demand" profession.

This reveals the hyprocrisy of the Canadian govt as it claims there is a "skills shortage" and that the country "needs" more people! Why is it then that immigrants who were engineers in their home countries are driving taxis in Toronto (I've met more than a few while living in TO) or that "skilled" workers are working in meat processing plants and serving tables at Denny's? These are the same 'skilled' jobs that young Canadians once did, and quite well for many decades. The call for extra people is moreso a call from big business to bring in dirt cheap labourers who are so desperate to stay in Canada they are willing to be full out exploited. Recently the con govt added a 275$ head tax for companies who hire cheap labour but it only seems at best a token, at worst an attempt to get a piece of the pie.

Even during the strike, the govt has chosen to expedite student visas online while families languish. Families do not benefit corporations or post-secondary education industries, so we are always on the backburner. Has it always been this way? Has CIC become a scam to bilk aspiring immigrants out of legitimate opportunities to settle in Canada? In any case, family members of Canadian citizens are separated for months, sometimes years on end, while well-heeled foreigners can stride into the country if they can flash the cash. This is my wife's first impression of Canada.

Here in Beijing, whenever I tell a local I am a Canadian, they always remark about how easy it is to buy immigration to Canada. People think of immigrating to Canada as an easy option, almost a certainty provided they have the funds, that is our claim to fame. What other 1st world country has such an embarrassing reputation as the "easiest one" to get into??? Chinese websites are littered with advertisements to immigrate to Canada and several well-known Chinese white collar criminals are currently residing in Canada. All the while, people like my wife are being treated like criminals or phoney mail-order brides in spite of a 2.5 year marriage, a shared daughter and squeaky clean and innocent, debt free, employed histories. My wife's passport has been sitting in a shelf in the VO since March! It is outrageous.
The Canadian immigration system is broken.

 

[NewDad]

Is it worth it? The opener moved to Canada 10 years ago with her parents and now wants to bring her husband? Sounds like she thinks it is worth it.

I was also brought to Canada by my parents. I have left and been back a few times now. It is the country I choose to apply to bring my spouse and child to. Nowhere is perfect and Immigration Officials everywhere tend to develop a negative view of humanity of they let themselves. But my conclusion is that Canada is one of the best places to be employed and raise a family, at least for many of us.

 

[messenger]

The problem here friends is not the policies of the government. It has to do with the Politics (the politicians) of the country. Conservative governments are succeeding one another in Canada. What Canada needs to justify its reputation as a fair country is a government that has a popular basis and not a government of the corporations.
Of course now a days it seems even this type of governing is not bringing the wanted results but it is still a better alternative than right wing Capitalistic Governments

 

[amjad1002]

This is a big beef of mine... well more specifically my spouse. She needs to pay thousands, take exams and wait a year or more just to practice in Canada (she was a physical therapist in the US). It is even more confusing since her profession is listed under NATFA as an "in demand" profession. If they classify it as a profession they like for you to have, why make it so hard to practice? The US seems a bit less restrictive about this - they allow Canadian PTs to practice much easier.

hi
from Pakistan to Canada spouse sponsor time is 28 months but CiC take at lest 3 years .

 

[amjad1002]

Tnaks people. It's great to see some of you have also gone thru a similar experience. 5 years ago CIC system was totally different. Processing time for my country was maximum 5 months. I guess they loosened it too much, but I believe they could settle some tough law ( like the new conditional PR, they could have done it much earlier), but instead they should shorten the processing time. Most European countries have long had this law for spouse/ partner sponsotship. Seriously, does it make sense that some countries have 20+ months processing time for spouses? I don't think so.

i am just want to tell you thaf from Pakistan to Canada sponsor application time line is 28 months but CiC always take 3 years

 

[CanadianJeepGuy]

The problem here friends is not the policies of the government. It has to do with the Politics (the politicians) of the country. Conservative governments are succeeding one another in Canada. What Canada needs to justify its reputation as a fair country is a government that has a popular basis and not a government of the corporations.
Of course now a days it seems even this type of governing is not bringing the wanted results but it is still a better alternative than right wing Capitalistic Governments

+1

 

[truesmile]

This is a big beef of mine... well more specifically my spouse. She needs to pay thousands, take exams and wait a year or more just to practice in Canada (she was a physical therapist in the US).

We ALL:
- paid thousands = in application fees and pre PR-approval visits
- took exams = do you remember all the exams (errr "forms") we had to finish??
- and waited a year or more = well some squeezed by in less ... (browners!)

"What's new?!"

 

[skas13]

Messenger: You said it beautifully, people need to try to adjust to living in Canada.

I lived in India for 5 years with my husband and even gave birth to one of our children there. And I am so glad I had that experience because now I will be able to understand how my husband will feel once he lands here and moves here permanently. It's not easy to move from your home regardless of the circumstances of that country.

But having lived in India for that amount of time, I can truly say how thankful I am to be here. Canada is by no means perfect, but boy is it nice to not have scheduled power cuts for 2-4 hours every day. And not having to fear every time my child gets a mosquito bite that it isn't typhoid or malaria. And not having having a panic attack when my son drinks his bathwater for fear of a severe diarrhea or worse because of it.
Also, how nice it is to go out and take walks with my children. Something so so simple. Trying to push a stroller down the busy chaotic pot holed roads was not easy. Never mind the starring. Constant eyes on me and the kids was so uncomfortable.
Clean air, health care (though I have my problems with that a little sometimes here). Being able to put my kids into a variety of extra-curricular activities. "Free" education (to put my child in a good international school in India would have cost a minimum $3500 a year). I say "free" because i know we pay a tax for this. But still.

These are important things not only for me, but for my husband as well, and I am thankful to him for the sacrifice he is making (to leave his family and home country) in order to be with me and our children, and to provide a better life for them.
It was a long process but we know that the good things outweigh this time we waited. And in 5 years from now those 9 months of waiting will be such a tiny amount of time.

I am sorry your husband got rejected (without an interview which seems very odd and unfair to me). I hope you find a way to be together in Canada some day.

 

[steaky]

But Canada does have cases of West Nile Virus, another virus related to mosquito bites especially in the Montreal, Alberta and Manitoba areas of the country.