NIGERIA APPLICANT PLEASE LET US NETWORK.

[Jibaba]

Thanks all for the good wishes .
Mc Silas raised a point about women , marriages and i think we shouldn't shy from this from the outset . i dare to share my opinion again and share experience.

I once sat with a truck driver to help me pack my stuff when i was moving houses and he told me how he has been having problem with his wife and he asked me if am married and i told yes and he advised me not to bring in my wife to Canada ....( i rejected it straight inn the spirit ;D ;D)
He recounted how he was locked up in a criminal cell becuase his wife reported him on a minor issue , According to him , He found her with a boyfriend and confronted her. i was surprised when he told me he is a pastor and both of them used to have a church ...I could see he was so pained, drained . he spoke with several sigh, uhhm, , his recollections were laden with almost tearful innuendos and i realised that the advise he gave , though was subjective to his experience but the best advise he will give any man . I pitied him and i tried to question him . He said he is a pastor disillusioned about the beauty of marriage, it still happens. He blamed it on the "system".


Yes there seems to be a subtle system here and i encountered it first hand when i went for my SIN card registration .
I wanted to fill the form for my 2 kids and the officer said, No , it is my wife's calling and that she has full responsibility for the kids . it hit me hard ! but i got the message , which we had a good talk on thereafter.

I also heard there are lot of occasions and formalities that give the woman more power so to say and easy way to get off at slightest provocation . e.g if you are divorced mother , you get higher allowances etc . The idea i got was like most wives might see this as opportunities to divorce and start afresh with someone else and have full government support .. I believe a lot of things can be worked out before calling the government in. Once the government is in as a 3rd party ... you are done .

i am not a marriage counsellor , but i think couples should be aware of these red flags to marriages upfront and before leaving naija , have a good heart to heart discussion with their partner, think of working together as a team and be positive ; I heard of a couple that had a minor misunderstanding and when one of them out of fright mistakenly called the police, ... the man went to jail , whats separated several distance from the family , need to call the police before he can talk to the children ... it was way bad for him .

i dont think the government really want to break marriages , they are trying to bend it and more importantly ensure safety of the women in the marriage , but like every good thing , people will take advantage of it and creatively use it otherwise... so a lot depends on the 2 adult in the marriage. Settling down here is a great time for couples to bond again , work together as a team , make some adjustments, and just enjoy it as much as you can BUT without forgetting where they are coming from . I don't want to sound too simplistic, marriage is complex than 2 plus 2 equal 4 ..... and i have only heard the men side here ...I am curious to listen to the women side am pained to see people pass through divorce/separation when they can prevent it way back before it happens . So as you are praying for work and good life here , make your marriage top of the list as well.

Yes , there are red flags around marriages , be aware and work towards safe guarding your marriage, remember you are coming to a different culture and you need to integrate ...not change your identity or culture . I always draw inspiration from the DR Odidis , a muslim couple WITH 5 CHILDREN who owns a big scientific outfit in toronto that is listed on some stock exchanges .... they work together and am so proud of them , i really wish to meet them some day .........

 

[jodav3]

Jibaba,

You may not know it, you have provoked good news and reactions on this thread this first day of the month. It is not a coincidence that you started posting this day. I see all the delayed updates coming in as we begin a new week this Monday. Thanks for these qualitative posts.

 

[babakura]

Jibaba ,

You are so correct with all your assertions ......

In calgary everyone is upward and mobile not like Toronto where you dont know who is who ?

People that move from toronto to Calgary never go back because YYC gives you an opportunity to be focused and achieve alot within a short time.
Calgary pays more in wages, (I used to work for Shaw head office in calgary and for the same job I was recruited for was paying 20% to 30% less in toronto)
GST(VAT) is 5% in Alberta while in other provinces it ranges from 8% to 13%
Gas (Petrol) is way cheaper under a $1.10 per litre most times while in Ontario a minimum of $1.25

If you work in the Oil and gas industry in Nigeria (or want to experience the industry) and looking at the one of the best places to work its Alberta ... I could remember when I relocated to calgary from toronto .. 80 to 90% of my church members (RCCG HOP calgary) work in the oil and gas industry

OTHER FORUM MEMBERS
Calgary is the place its happening but the only issue ppl complain about is the cold cos it can be annoying and bitterly cold and there is also Manitoba and Saskachewan with frigid temperatures

My little advice for those coming into the canadian system is that you are coming to face a whole new set of challenges and approach to life .. Most things you have to do yourself, start the process of acquiring international certifications that are recognizable (one or two aint bad )

All the best

 

[Pilele01]

I Have just check my e-cas and it show "medical result received", can't wait to get a passport request. Have made payment for RPRF as well. any ideal when ghana gonno give the good news?

 

[cynmax]

Jibaba thanks for the thought provoking advice and information and congrats on your new job.God will take you to the zenith of your career in Canada IJN. To our landed brothers and sisters that are still looking up to God for a good job your time has come. You will share your testimonies with us soonest.

 

[Jibaba]

yes Calgary could be very cold and very dry . but it is not that bad, by my 4th week i.e early January , i was going out without my head cap and gloves ...i dont advise that oh ! Something funny happened to me here . I washed a shirt and hung it in my bathroom on the 13th floor . within 2 hours , the cloth has dried and looks as if starched. I was alarmed , because i also noticed that i always get scaly like texture on my skin despite using vaseline and oriii ( shea butter) . I thought may be my blood is being sucked slowly by the dryness here .so i quickly called a friend and narrated my experience , may be i need to raise alarm and he laughed so tey !! . he told me the air so dry here and it is not unusual . Then you may experience a bloody dry nose , dont be alarmed it is all part of calgary swagger ! ;D

but you can prepare for it , i got these thermal vests and underwear that i use everyday and it helped a lot , the day i hurriedly left the apartment and forget to wear them .. that was the day i tasted calgary cold. SO you might want to get one asap l. you may not be able to get it in nigeria, you may get your host to buy some and keep for you . they could be expensive but i once in my calgary waka discovered a place BiancAmor liquidation store , somewhere in South East calgary , that sell it for like 9 dollars. google them .

 

[babakura]

yes Calgary could be very cold and very dry . but it is not that bad, by my 4th week i.e early January , i was going out without my head cap and gloves ...i dont advise that oh ! Something funny happened to me here . I washed a shirt and hung it in my bathroom on the 13th floor . within 2 hours , the cloth has dried and looks as if starched. I was alarmed , because i also noticed that i always get scaly like texture on my skin despite using vaseline and oriii ( shea butter) . I thought may be my blood is being sucked slowly by the dryness here .so i quickly called a friend and narrated my experience , may be i need to raise alarm and he laughed so tey !! . he told me the air so dry here and it is not unusual . Then you may experience a bloody dry nose , dont be alarmed it is all part of calgary swagger ! ;D

but you can prepare for it , i got these thermal vests and underwear that i use everyday and it helped a lot , the day i hurriedly left the apartment and forget to wear them .. that was the day i tasted calgary cold. SO you might want to get one asap l. you may not be able to get it in nigeria, you may get your host to buy some and keep for you . they could be expensive but i once in my calgary waka discovered a place BiancAmor liquidation store , somewhere in South East calgary , that sell it for like 9 dollars. google them .

Hahahahhahahahah ;D
I thought may be my blood is being sucked slowly by the dryness here .so i quickly called a friend and narrated my experience , may be i need to raise alarm and he laughed so tey !! . he told me the air so dry here and it is not unusual . Then you may experience a bloody dry nose , dont be alarmed it is all part of calgary swagger ! ;D

 

[cynmax]

How una dey my people. I thought i should share my 3weeks experience so far in Calgary as i prepare to return to Nigeria in a few days to come in order to prepare for my final settlement later in the year. It has been an eventful stay with Jameslew45 a brother in the house. It was a great priviledge getting to talk and meet with Orire, EMO and Pa right (the elders) The struggle has not been different from what i expected. Waking up everyday in the harsh freaking winter morning to head to Calgary downtown which i liken to naija's Victoria Island.lol. to submit resume, attend workshops and counselling sections at center for newcomers, directions for immigrants and Alberta works. These government agencies have truly been helpful in understanding canadian workplace ethics, writing resume, cover letters and credential assessment (IQAS free of charge) i bet you wanna take advantage of these resources when you arrive.
Recruitment agencies or better still staffing agencies have been a port of call on a daily basis as have had interview sections with about 4 or 5. Accounttemp, robert half, Hays consulting, Roneta are sure bets for accountants and auditors. Although, the usual, we would get back to you syndrome is a common place but you can be sure you can get your interview skills tested by these guys.

In my opinion, Canadian employers are conservative and old fashioned. They believe Canadian style is best anyday. What this means is that, you cannot bank on job experience gained from third world countries except your company is a reputable multinational company like mine. lol. So, while you prepare to come here, you wanna think of getting international certifications like ACCA, CIA, CISA, CFE, CPA and the rest of them. For ICAN members you wanna think of writing ACCA now, so you can get adequate exemptions from CGA. with ACCA you have two papers to write to get CGA, while with ICAN you may have to write as much as 10 papers.

Finally, i have had to struggle to accept some reality culture shock especially with the special treatment accorded women. For the bad experiences people have shared with me, i think it all sucks. I wont say more than this..hahaha..
Surprisingly, just like naija, most jobs are gotten through back door-they call it networking or referalls. Employees of some companies get bonuses for this as it is seen as cheaper means of recruitment. There are instances where job interviews have been done during lunch dates, so when you are in Calgary, you wanna improve on your networking skills.

I rest my case. Naija state of the mind!!!

Thanks for sharing your experience with us quite insightful. We shall all eat the good fruit of Canada.

 

[ANigerian]

I Have just check my e-cas and it show "medical result received", can't wait to get a passport request. Have made payment for RPRF as well. any ideal when ghana gonno give the good news?

Pilele

Chill, it will come!

No one here can tell when it will come, but surely, it will come!!!!

 

[BEKK_1]

I Have just check my e-cas and it show "medical result received", can't wait to get a passport request. Have made payment for RPRF as well. any ideal when ghana gonno give the good news?

Can you share your timeline please?

 

[Razaqng]

@All,my greetings to landed,yet to land,mr awaiters and awaiting applicants,wish all Allah's favor.

Let me encourage those that are interestd in Australian Immigration with ielts score of at least 7.0 in each of the components that its easier than you know or think.
Let's be proactive as canadian immigration is closing up.I wish us all the best that we all wishing our selves.Cheers.
Razaqng

 

[emceemouli]

@ All,my greetings to landed,yet to land,mr awaiters and awaiting applicants,wish all Allah's favor.

Let me encourage those that are interestd in Australian Immigration with ielts score of at least 7.0 in each of the components that its easier than you know or think.
Let's be proactive as canadian immigration is closing up.I wish us all the best that we all wishing our selves.Cheers.
Razaqng

Guys,

I have created the following website to help New and Existing Canada Immigrants to find all the information they need in a single location.

https://sites.google.com/site/newcanadianimmigrants/

Please feel free to check it

Thanks
Chandra

 

[Lucasvilla]

Landed montreal 28th Feb. 5pm did landing paper works, took me like 25mins for all... no queue and just one question, she asked " are u carrying any meat product and i said no" left there and sat upstairs ... i ordered chicken n chips $9 and keeping using airport free wi fi on my laptop, waited for 4hrs to connect to winnipeg Manitoba. arrived 00:01, March 1st.
Stay tunned

 

[tinuadeadebola]

@Jibaba congrats on the new job and thanks for sharing may your joy be complete.

@ Silas Thanks too for sharing at least it shows we accountants have good prospect too not just the oil workers lol!!!

@ Jibaba I agree with you on the Nigeian pharmacist doing well here in Canada I also watched that documentary on CNN and was inspired by it

@ On the issue of women, we are first of all African women and also godly women before being Canadian and would always remember that but the men should also learn to treat women more nicely and with respect and with that there would be no problem.

@ all landed and about to land let's remain positive Canada is ours for the taking!!!

 

[Gabil]

@ mama T,
What of people wey dey wait for MR?.
Lol