Hi Abehola, Firm, Egrace,
Unfortunately I am not allowed to send PMs as of yet (probably because I am a new member). However, I'll try to provide general responses to your questions. Montreal, just like everywhere else, is not El dorado. There are challenges and there are advantages.
Housing isn't much of a problem in the real sense as there are loads of apartments available for rent pretty much everywhere. Rental agreements are typically long-term, i.e. for 12 months. There are, however, very few landlords or businesses that provide short-term accommodation renewable on a month-on-month basis--- I would recommend this for new immigrants since it affords the opportunity to have a good look-around for suitable accommodation before committing oneself to a 1-year contract. For starters, I would advise renting on the main Island where most immigrants stay due to its proximity to Downtown Montreal, African and Asian shops and Mosques, Churches etc. Yes, those churches you're familiar with have parishes here: The Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, RCCG, Deeper Life Bible Church, Chris Okotie's (the name has just eluded me) etc etc.
Per further university studies, you could start pressing the relevant buttons right now in anticipation of your arrival in Montreal. Funding wont be much of a problem as the Government of Quebec proudly provides funding through the Quebec Loans and Bursary program. University tuition fees hover around $3500 per annum (for permanent residents and citizens), which is a real steal! Getting an offer for PhD studies involves a great deal of strategic planning. Abehola, we'll discuss that at some point. There are also opportunities for 3-12 month refresher courses in Business Administration, Marketing, Insurance Administration, Graphic Design etc. etc. in colleges (which also have bursaries and loans attached to them should prospective applicants be cash-strapped).
Regarding job opportunities, I would tell you straight up that being bilingual helps a great deal. If your French is either non-existent or not that great, you can take advantage of the French language immersion programme organized for newly landed immigrants. The Government is also generous enough to pay a limited amount of money in bursary to participants. I would recommend taking the French immersion course if you are really desirous of enjoying your Canadian (not just Quebec) residency to the fullest extent possible. Still on the job market, most employers prefer to deal with applicants with either Quebec qualifications or credentials deemed equivalent to their Quebec counterparts. It would be in your best interest to submit your credentials to the Quebec Foreign Credentials Evaluation office as soon as you arrive, or better still, 4 months prior to your date of arrival. Note that you would need to ask the University(ies) you attended in Nigeria to send your transcripts directly to the evaluation office. I'd be happy to signpost you to the relevant weblink should you choose to do this.
I could go on and on and on... because there's so much to say. One finally thing though: Do not fret if you have no knowledge of French. You can always get by with just English as pretty much everyone is bilingual on the Island of Montreal and its environs.
I hope this summary will go a long way in illuminating pathways as to what living in Montreal feels like.
Best,
Francomaj
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