My federal skilled worker immigration experience

[canacit]

I want to share my experience for all that are planning to come to canada so they may be well prepared.we are now citizens after living in canada for three years, so it is time for me to write about my time here.

My husband and I with 2 children came to canada august 2010. My husband was the primary applicant and we applied for the federal skilled worker program under financial manager category. We were residing in London at the time as my husband was doing a masters even though he worked for the central bank of our original country as a manager for over 10 years. After completing his masters we stayed in the uk under post study work visa with the intention of switching to a highly skilled immigrant visa.
We decided to apply for the canadian FSW program because we thought that canada offered us a shorter period of becoming a citizen than the uk. I also wanted to add that after my husband had finished his masters in the uk he had a short term job with the Scottish government as an analyst, before he went back to our home country to resume work at the central bank.

Our FSW application only took 6 months to be approved and issued. We were very excited as we believed that the standard of living was higher in canada and that there were more opportunities work wise than offered in the uk. We believed all the job advertisement we saw on the internet and also believed that there were jobs all over canada, and that we would not have any problems getting employment and settling in fast, even if it wasn't a job at the level that we left behind, but something reasonable to start with even if it was a banking clerk position that was in the sector my husband worked in....we honestly believed that this would not be a problem.

In preparation to move over here fully, I started visiting this forum and saw lots of post of people that were settling into canada and others that were not doing so well and were trying to explain that canada did not live up to their expectations but they were always attacked by other members and I wondered why it was such a bad thing to say if your experience was not a rosey one as expected. Anyway I told my husband of these both the good and bad experiences and he refused to listen and believed that he will not have a bad experience in canada.

I was a little anxious and didn't really want to leave the uk but went ahead with my husband anyway.
We didn't know anyone here in canada. But a friend put us in contact witha lady that had recently landed and we spoke on phone. She was very secretive with information and only told my husband that he should not resign from his work but did not say why. My husband did not listen but choose to resign from his well paying job that he had done for over ten years sell our house and move to canada.

Immediately we landed at Pearson in Toronto , I must say i was expecting a more modern airport. We did the landing and went straight to a hotel where we stayed for a week in mississauga as that was the city we decided on.
It was hard finding somewhere to stay as everyplace we went to they told us that we don't have a job and no credit history. We eventually found a place but it was difficult experience.
Tips to have in mind before coming to canada,I share this because we did not have a single soul in canada and had to find our way by ourselves. We went through a lot of hard ship and lost all our money so please read this post and take notes.

When coming please look for a basement apartment to rent first to conserve money.

Please if you come as a professional DO NOT TAKE SURVIVAL JOBS!!!!!!!!!!!! You will be demoralized and may never come out of it!!!!!!!! It is VERY VERY VERY hard work especially if you are coming for an office background. It is hard emotionally and physically. You will develop health problems you never had before and will lack the will to leave it ounce your money has finished and it seems as there is no hope.

Prepare your mind before you leave that you will have to return to school once in canada. If possible get transcripts and apply for schools before you even land in canada if you get admission then go and land were your school is. If coming with wife then both of you go to school. As a pr you are entitled to take student asistance loans to pay...it is an investment that will pay off. To me it is better to go to school than work survival jobs and lose your confidence or applying for thousands of jobs and not getting any reply or few replys. You will also save the money you bring to canada because the student loans will be enough to live on.
If possible apply for a program that has coop or internship. During school breaks you could work if you can find something or volunteer in your field this way you build experience and still maintain your self confidence.

Also if possible take a leave at your place of work, do not resign immediately.

After canadian education it will definelty be a little easier to get a better job than working survival jobs immediately you land.

I will add more tips later. Hope this helps

 

[nishesh3003]

Thanks for sharing this information. Are you financially/economically settled now ? Hope everything is alright.

 

[canacit]

Hi, I will share much more of all our experience. I will give an honest unbiased account of our experience and how to avoid the mistakes we had. To answer your question no, after a year of working in factories comparable to that of third world countries my husband got a job stocking shelves in Walmart in early 2012. We were happy because back even to get a job at Walmart was such a big deal. Other immigrants that we knew that came the same tine we did was asking how we got the job. Finally January of 2013 my husband eventually got admission into university of Ottawa to do another masters. If we had known we would have made as many applications as possible before we left. Even to get the application fee of $100 at the time was very difficult. Life was very hard. We moved to Ottawa January of 2013 for my husband to start and later that year I got admission also to do a second degree. I was given exemptions and I started in my third year. I have just finished third year so will be starting the four and final September.

This post is for those that do not have anybody here in canada. Once you get to Canada to get information from people is very hard. They will either tell you inaccurate information or false information. Many of them just want you to suffer hardship here in canada just like they suffered. Jobs are very very very hard to come by and out of every 100 newcomer maybe only 1 will get a job after a long while. Even factory work is difficult yo come by and very demoralizing. I have heard stories of men committing suicide or having heart attacks from the physiological trauma of the realization of how difficult it is here. There is a lot of racism both from whites and other immigrant even though it is hidden and passive.
All the hardship is less noticeable if you are able to maintain your self confidence and money. And eventually if you are able to get a reasonable job. Bare in mind that that probably you will step down a lot in terms of the type of job you did previously. But for instance if you are able yo get a clerk job in a financial institution here and you were a manager previously then you have achieved something great. Then you can slowly work your way up. But even that takes planning and patience.

 

[hardworkpays]

Hi, I will share much more of all our experience. I will give an honest unbiased account of our experience and how to avoid the mistakes we had. To answer your question no, after a year of working in factories comparable to that of third world countries my husband got a job stocking shelves in Walmart in early 2012. We were happy because back even to get a job at Walmart was such a big deal. Other immigrants that we knew that came the same tine we did was asking how we got the job. Finally January of 2013 my husband eventually got admission into university of Ottawa to do another masters. If we had known we would have made as many applications as possible before we left. Even to get the application fee of $100 at the time was very difficult. Life was very hard. We moved to Ottawa January of 2013 for my husband to start and later that year I got admission also to do a second degree. I was given exemptions and I started in my third year. I have just finished third year so will be starting the four and final September.

This post is for those that do not have anybody here in canada. Once you get to Canada to get information from people is very hard. They will either tell you inaccurate information or false information. Many of them just want you to suffer hardship here in canada just like they suffered. Jobs are very very very hard to come by and out of every 100 newcomer maybe only 1 will get a job after a long while. Even factory work is difficult yo come by and very demoralizing. I have heard stories of men committing suicide or having heart attacks from the physiological trauma of the realization of how difficult it is here. There is a lot of racism both from whites and other immigrant even though it is hidden and passive.
All the hardship is less noticeable if you are able to maintain your self confidence and money. And eventually if you are able to get a reasonable job. Bare in mind that that probably you will step down a lot in terms of the type of job you did previously. But for instance if you are able yo get a clerk job in a financial institution here and you were a manager previously then you have achieved something great. Then you can slowly work your way up. But even that takes planning and patience.

Thanks a lot for your share, you should provide more information.

Few things I really don't get the situation, that you and perhaps many others explain, is even dire then any 3rd world country.
finding a job is that difficult? and getting a job in Walmart is a matter of congratulations?
if so, then why on earth, CIC have FSW program at the first place.

may be they want to call 100 people and want the super skilled 10 out of that to stay.
for rest 90, no buddy cares. may be like this, who knows??

Still i didn't get your concern on spending 100$ at once, considering your husband did 10+ years job in high central bank post, and also sold your house. Thats none of my business though....
but did you lost all your savings in first few years?

I hope you are now well settled. And may be not now, but down the line cheers your decision of big move.

 

[canacit]

Hello hardworkpays, please read my post properly. I know it is long but it will give you a good idea of what too expect.even though you I'll never really get a full sense of what life is like in canada until you land and start living here.
The first condo we rented we had to pay one years rent in advance to a white canadian who wanted to exploit naive newcomers. This is illegal in canada but a lot of the agents do it because they know you are new and don't know the law. We paid 13 thousand dollars to the lady. Money goes very very fast in canada and everything is expensive compared to what you make. So the money you come with goes quickly. We believed that we would be able to get a job and again least make enough to cover the basics of life. But canada is not like the uk. Here you work a lot especially in menial jobs for little and exert all you energy. It is physically tasking. The lady told us that she was helping us as we didn't have a job or credit history. After a few months she told us to move out of the apartment because we couldn't find a job. It was the middle of December. It was a very stressful time and during this time our money was going very fast.we were really suprised at the cost of food and everything else in canada . We were not expecting it.
Eventually we moved out without her refunding our money. This experience took a major toll on our finances.
After about a year and a half all the money we came with had finished. I would like to add that because we thought canada was the same as uk I did not bring much with me. This was one of the biggest mistakes I made. The quality of clothes and even the price is so very ridiculous. Clothes are made of very bad quality and the ones that are a little better the prices are so high. So I spent a large amount of our money trying to get the things we left behind.
If possible get a container and pack up everything you have buy clothes and furniture anything that can and ship it to canada. To replace those things here is very expensive.if you are coming from uk or USA or if you have valuable things in your home country.
To answer your question by the time we applied for masters for my husband all our saving had finished a long long time ago. We were just surviving....that is why you here survival jobs or the terminology here in canada. You will only understand once you get here.
We have come to discover that canada wants your money that is why they require you to have a minimum amount to enter canada. They also need people to work for wages at these factories. If you are not well prepared you will fall victim and regret your life and decisions. But if you prepare properly you will avoid these pitfalls and be a successful immigrant.
I am not trying to deter anyone from coming but to prepare adequately and know the realities of canada.

I am trying to help those that are interested. This is only an advise from my experience and many many more unsuspecting immigrants to canada. It is only as a guide to those that want to prepare. You don't have to take it. People's luck is different. You might be amount the lucky ones. But I have come to know that preparation is always better than leaving everything to chance. You can make your own luck by being fully prepared of the realities that not everything you see is as it seems.

 

[nishesh3003]

Hi Canacit

I knw there cannot be a general set of guidelines but can you elaborate a little as to which areas in particular are you indicating when you suggest that we be prepared ?

Again - thankful for you sharing your experience.

 

[Nicknj7]

Thanks foe sharing your thought.

I am at USA and working in IT. I am having green card issue in USA so planing to apply for this category canada visa. How's the job oppertunity for IT people? Can I work for USA client and stay in Canada if we don't find any job in Canada?

Please advice your thought.

 

[canacit]

Thanks foe sharing your thought.

I am at USA and working in IT. I am having green card issue in USA so planing to apply for this category canada visa. How's the job oppertunity for IT people? Can I work for USA client and stay in Canada if we don't find any job in Canada?

Please advice your thought.

Hello,
I am not too familiar with the USA but if it is possible for you to work while in canada then please do that because you will need the money. Also you could look for a parttime program in relation to your skills to do here in canada so to establish ties or have something connecting you to canada.

 

[canacit]

Hi Canacit

I knw there cannot be a general set of guidelines but can you elaborate a little as to which areas in particular are you indicating when you suggest that we be prepared ?

Again - thankful for you sharing your experience.

Firstly know that canada is quite a difficult place to settle in. Do not think that it is easy but prepare your mind that there will be challenges and put plans in place to over come. That way when you come and are lucky to have it easy then at least you will not be demoralized.

The main points are:

Get admission as soon as pr is ready. It can be even at a community college. They take mature students and all you need to do is write a simple test. This is my opinion and just as a way of maintaining your confidence so you will be able to make plans for the future. It is difficult to work in a factory or survival job and think straight. You will fall into depression and give up on life. There are many many skilled professionals working all sorts of jobs here because they have lost themselves. Also a way to conserve money sinse you are entitled to take student loan as a pr. Better than working in factory.
Being in school is also a way of understanding canada and the people. They teach you resume writing and also you will have acces to work opportunities from networking with other students. A lot of information you will not have access to if you are not in school.
It is also a way to make up your time for citizenship so if after getting citizenship you still can't get a job then you can use your canadian qualifications to look for opportunities elsewhere. So in the end you have not lost yourself and have gain extra qualifications that you can use. Working in factories makes you lose your skills even after a year you will change allot if you work in a factory. Become moody and lose your self worth. And you will not even be able to make enough money to live on.

 

[SS66]

Thanks for sharing your personal experience in Canada.

If you don't mind to ask you about your experience in applying to canadian universities, I heard they generally require all applicants to have high academic achievements and strong language abilities, which makes them very competitive, especially for internationally-educated applicants. I'd also like to know whether it was difficult for you and your husband either to be admitted to the university, considering that your husband and you
- according to what can be deduced from your story - must be getting on for your thirties. If one's old age is not an issue, do they provide applicant with sufficient fund to cover both study expenses and the cost of life. I know this may depend on the field of study and the university to which one applies, but I think it will be worthy if you could provide us with some general inputs regarding this matter.

Thanks a lot, and best of wishes for your coming days.

regards.

 

[canacit]

Thanks for sharing your personal experience in Canada.

If you don't mind to ask you about your experience in applying to canadian universities, I heard they generally require all applicants to have high academic achievements and strong language abilities, which makes them very competitive, especially for internationally-educated applicants. I'd also like to know whether it was difficult for you and your husband either to be admitted to the university, considering that your husband and you
- according to what can be deduced from your story - must be getting on for your thirties. If one's old age is not an issue, do they provide applicant with sufficient fund to cover both study expenses and the cost of life. I know this may depend on the field of study and the university to which one applies, but I think it will be worthy if you could provide us with some general inputs regarding this matter.




Thanks a lot, and best of wishes for your coming days.

regards.

Hello,
One thing about canada is that they don not discriminate against your age. My husband is in his early 40 and me in mid 30. When I started I was anxious after being out of school for over 8 yrs but I saw people in my class that could be my grandparents. Here in canada it is very acceptable to go to school or university at whatever age so don't be put off by age. Also people work at much later in life too. I see very matured women in banks which was strange to me as in the uk or even my home country you hardly see people in the 50 working at the front desks or as tellers.
Anyway. Concerning the admission process yes it was a task understanding the canadian school system and their requirements sinse it's so different from schools in Europe. Here in canada it is quite competitive especially in the gta or schools around the Toronto area. Competition is very high. My husband was actually told by York that he should do another bachelors. I told him no way after spending thousands of pounds in the uk, no way! So we applied to Ottawa first for a phd but was denied then we applied to carleton for msc in natural resources management and he was not accepted. We did not realize that here in canada you have to stick to what you studied in your undergraduate whereas in the uk you could change fields with ease. So when we realized he applied for economics Msc and was given admission into the qualifying year because there are courses that internationally qualified persons have to complete before progressing but still it was better than not getting admission.

For me Ryerson university put me on the waiting list and York did not bother to give me admission sinse my first degree was not from the uk. But Ottawa accepted me and also gave me exemptions because I had a first degree. My results from my first degree was average. So please try and apply for universities outside of the gta also if universities within Toronto area does not give u admission. This is one reason that we moved to Ottawa.

Secondly, a lot of new immigrants even with masters degree choose to go to community colleges or private college too. This is also a good option. Colleges prepare you for jobs quickly and most of my newcomer friends that choose colleges even with masters that they had now have jobs and are begining to buy homes and settle. So it doesn't have to be a university if the stress of getting transcripts will be too much. Colleges accept people with little stress. Also if you are unable to get your transcripts colleges will admit you in mature category And give you a simple test. All of my newcomer friends that went to colleges are now employed.

 

[canacit]

Ss66, I forgot to add that student loans is assessed based on the number of people in your family and your income. Usually you will get enough to pay the rent pay your fees and live on for the duration of your studies. As a rough guide. An applicant with a family of 4 can be given between 18 and 22 thousand depending on the program. Some are much more and some just a little less but not much less. Graduate programs are much more.so are professional programs such as engineering law medicine I think nursing and so on. But the amount is generally sufficient to see you through the studies adequately.in some instances both parents apply for osap and also their children that are ready for college. Each person is assessed individually.

If English is a problem then you could look at intensive English as a second language courses to improve that will be funded by student loans. Pls check the universites and colleges for such programs. I have little knowledge of them.

 

[victornel4]

thanks for your advice and for sharing your experience
in canada. am about to start the application process
and i thought i should register here and seek some
advice when i bumped on your article.

 

[canacit]

thanks for your advice and for sharing your experience
in canada. am about to start the application process
and i thought i should register here and seek some
advice when i bumped on your article.

Glad to help.

 

[nishesh3003]

Firstly know that canada is quite a difficult place to settle in. Do not think that it is easy but prepare your mind that there will be challenges and put plans in place to over come. That way when you come and are lucky to have it easy then at least you will not be demoralized.

The main points are:

Get admission as soon as pr is ready. It can be even at a community college. They take mature students and all you need to do is write a simple test. This is my opinion and just as a way of maintaining your confidence so you will be able to make plans for the future. It is difficult to work in a factory or survival job and think straight. You will fall into depression and give up on life. There are many many skilled professionals working all sorts of jobs here because they have lost themselves. Also a way to conserve money sinse you are entitled to take student loan as a pr. Better than working in factory.
Being in school is also a way of understanding canada and the people. They teach you resume writing and also you will have acces to work opportunities from networking with other students. A lot of information you will not have access to if you are not in school.
It is also a way to make up your time for citizenship so if after getting citizenship you still can't get a job then you can use your canadian qualifications to look for opportunities elsewhere. So in the end you have not lost yourself and have gain extra qualifications that you can use. Working in factories makes you lose your skills even after a year you will change allot if you work in a factory. Become moody and lose your self worth. And you will not even be able to make enough money to live on.

Thanks for Sharing !