Passport Request Received

[PommeDeRoute]

Hello All

Just wanted to share with everyone that I received my passport request today. I will be picking up my visa in person and hopefully landing before the end of June. My wife and I will soon be together =)

Although I have not been a very frequent user, I would like to thank everyone for being a source of information and moral support throughout the long months. I wish everyone the best of luck in immigrating to the greatest country in the world.

P. d. R.


O Canada!
erre de nos aïeux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!
Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix!
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.
Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits;
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.


Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

 

[Mridula R]

Congratulations!

 

[LCS]

Write again in a few months when you've been a Canadian "Consumer" and gasoline costs $1.33 per litre,
milk is $3.69 for 4 litres,
a loaf of bread is $1.69 for the cheapest,
12 eggs are over $2.00,
1 lime is .48 cents,
one bunch of spring onions is .69 cents,
green peppers are $2.48 per kilo,
meat is ridiculously expensive.
Unless you live in a small town somewhere remote where real estate prices are not high, rent is nearly unaffordable for many people and buying a house is out of reach.
The sticker shock of coming to and living in Canada is something immigration info. does not advertise and many people have a difficult time with once here. I was born here and make a supposedly good wage but in the last 3 months my cost of living has gone up over 10% due to the fuel prices and subsequent food and utility costs.



oh, Canada

 

[PommeDeRoute]

Hi LCS

I feel your pain. We are going through similar problems with the economy in the US now and so are many other countries around the world (there have been violent protests by truck drivers in Spain over high fuel costs).

But before hating on Canada, let me say that my wife takes about $30000 per year worth of medication, which is paid for by the Canadian government. The US medical system is near (but perhaps not so dear) to me and I can tell you that even with private insurance, we would probably be required to cover an ever-increasing portion of those costs in the US. How's that for a high cost of living?

My salary in Canada, at the beginning, will probably be less than what I am currently earning in the States. But at least we'll have my wife's meds and I do plan to further my education in Canada and hopefully become a lawyer. I always tell other prospective immigrants that you can't reinvent the wheel. That is to say that you have to adapt to life wherever you're going. Moving to Canada will require me to adapt to the Canadian job market and go back to school, but that is not going to stop us from making a good living.

Like the US, Canada is a land of opportunity. The opportunities may be different but if one is resourceful and works hard, I see no reason why success should not be possible.

P.d.R.

 

[LCS]

I have never been sick, am a very healthy person and have not drawn on the medical system like so many people, including those who see Canada as a great way to get their medical bills paid for. But Canada is also going the way of the U.S. in privatization and is already having problems with treating people in the existing system.
I have not ever been a burden, and currently am not a burden on the Cdn health care system. But when I am older and do need it, it's not going to be there for me and I will not be able to afford to pay the fees in the privatized health care system.
The country of my birth is becoming a less and less desirable place to live. I would NOT say Canada is the greatest country in the world. At most, Canada is the best of what the alternatives are.

 

[willostj]

Hey LCS,
What is your line of work? I will be migrating soon from the USA and would like to get an idea of what your salary is as you seem to be really struggling to make ends meet(No disrespect intended). I am not trying to be nosey but I would really like to know how I might fear on a teachers salary! Thank you.

 

[PommeDeRoute]

Hi LCS

Neither is my wife a burden to the health care system. She is Canadian, has paid her taxes and happens to need medication to survive. You should consider yourself lucky that you are a healthy person and that you are living in a province with a booming economy. My advice to you is to get some further training and get a higher paid profession if you can't make ends meet. It's the name of the game in a free economy.

You complain about people using the existing system to get their medical bills paid but then you say you will not be able to afford care when the system goes private. What would you suggest then? You can't have it both ways. Every system has advantages and disadvantages. In the States we don't have the wait times of many places in Canada but if you have a serious illness and have no insurance, you could be paying medical bills for the rest of your life.

Look around you. There is opportunity everywhere. All it requires is some initiative.

 

[Leon]

I find that Canada has a pretty good standard of living. Sometimes it's hard for immigrants to get proper credit for their experiences and education but you have every opportunity to get back into your career or start a new one if you are willing to work at it. I started in a new trade and started at the bottom at a salary I could barely live off but I advanced quickly and now make a good living.

As for the health care system, you kind of get what you pay for. Many countries in Europe have way higher taxes than Canada so if their health care is better, that is why.

 

[LCS]

It's not a matter at all of making ends meet, you are making the wrong assumption completely. I make quite a good salary, but I see it all slowly being eaten away when it costs so much more to fill with gas, buy food and pay for utilities and we are one of the highest taxed countries in the world, the Gov't grabs a piece of everything, many times twice over.
I guess I think of how things were in the past compared to the last 3 years when the price of everything has gone crazy. It costs me double to fill my tank from 8 years ago. Groceries and products are always going up with this world wide petroleum pricing.
Also I just resent the h#ll out of the Government. The only difference between so called "crooked" third world countries and Canada is that they have everyone thinking they "aren't" crooked when they are.

Leon you are right about immigrants not getting credit for their education and experience. There was a news documentary a few years ago exposing how the Cdn Gov't began the "come one come all to Canada" immigration spiel but didn't mention to immigrants their degrees would be worth nothing and would either have to re-educate to requalify or take "just a job" to make ends meet just to live. People who were Engineers, Pharmacists, Teachers were given their PR status for skilled workers only to find out they couldn't even work in their chosen career. That's just so misleading to people who are welcomed for their skills and then aren't allowed to use them by the same Gov't that attracted them. It's shameful.
It is quite a good standard of living here, but only if you have a good job. Minimum wage is laughable if you were single and trying to live here. I don't know how 20 yr olds do it on their own with a minumum wage job. The quality of life goes up with a partner/spouse, or if you are the one who owns a house and has paying roommates.

Pomme, you say:
"You complain about people using the existing system to get their medical bills paid but then you say you will not be able to afford care when the system goes private. What would you suggest then? You can't have it both ways. "
This statement makes no sense at all combining those two concepts. How was I even saying I want things both ways? I said I DON'T want what is now a slowly declining system to get to the point that when I have to use it I will have to pay for procedures and medicines. I have paid my monthly currently VERY IN-EXPENSIVE Provincial Health Care bill for the last 30 years and have used the system minimally. I guess I am supposed to get sick now and take advantage of it for all that I've paid in so far, and hope I don't get sick at 60+ (how likely is THAT) when privatization will make insurance claims very costly for a person that age, and/or have to pay for procedures out of pocket on a pensioners income. I would be better off moving to Mexico, Central America or somewhere like that where health care insurance can be obtained but even if certain procedures are paid for, are cheaper, the care is excellent, and faster than where I am now.

 

[willostj]

LCS,
You are such a whiner! Get over yourself and stop complaining like a little b...h. Get with the program man! Its people like you we do not need on this site. You preach too much gloom and doom. I personally wish you would shut the hell up! Have a nice day!

 

[fathungarian]

It is BY FAR the greates country on Earth which is hard to beleive because it is ran by a bunch of dorks. Those that complain about gas prices are encouraged to drive a more fuel efficient vehicle. Bread, milk, egss etc., are much more reasonably priced than in most other countries in comaprison with wages. Planty of ways to have a nice life here for just about anyone who is willing to WORK for it.
On the other hand, we should all do our fair share to piss-off as many government officials and politicians as possible. They really have nothing else to do but to get pissed off anyways.

 

[Mridula R]

All, I have been reading your concerns about the rise in prices and wanted to post my comments as well. I hope this will help understand the situation now in Canada. Please be assured that I am not being judegmental about anyone. I am posting my comments for those who want to know why the prices in Canada are high (Inflation) and what it takes to bring them down again.

Being a Hedge fund manager, I keep a very close eye on how the global Markets and the currencies perform. There are a number of reasons contributing to the current situation in Canada. The collapse of the sub-prime market in the United States has not only had a major impact on the North American markets but also on the Europian and the Aisan Markets (As you would re-collect how volatile the situation was just a few months ago)...
Specific about the oil prices, historically speaking, the Canadian dollar has been highly correlated with the price of oil, with the two tracking each other with over 80% precision. Canada is also the number one supplier to the world's largest oil importer, the United States. As you all know, Canada has the world's second-largest oil reserves (after Saudi Arabia). Bottom line is that, if you see an appreciation in the prices of oil you will also see the depreciation of the Canadian dollar, meaning the purchasing power of CAD falls down due to inflation. The trend in trade figures points to further downside. Overall GDP has plummeted to the lowest level in two years.
With the summer driving season and the Beijing Olympic Games fast approaching, the top consumers of oil in the United States and China show no signs of slowing down. Since the US markets and Canadian markets go hand in hand, you already know the answer that the prices would remain high for the time being. Oil prices have become detached from the dynamics of supply and demand fundamentals.

It seems only a matter of time before prices reach so high that swelling oil export revenues will make it cost effective for companies in Canada to expand capacity. Firms will hire workers and invest in new buildings and machinery. As more people go to work, disposable income levels will rise, spurring consumption and ultimately overall GDP as well.
The Canadian economy will thereby be able to decouple from the U.S. crisis, building positive growth momentum despite slowdowns in non-oil export sectors. As vibrant economic growth resumes, the specter of inflation will move the Bank of Canada to cut short their campaign of rate cuts, and start gearing up to move monetary policy in the opposite direction rekindling an interest in U.S. 'equities'. As the slowdown spreads globally, traders will look to U.S. Treasuries as a stand-by, safe-haven asset, prompting an inflow of capital into American debt markets. All this will prompt investors to buy dollars, with the subsequent appreciation in and of itself depressing oil prices as the dollar (both USD/CAD) regains purchasing power. This will send the USD/CAD higher while the price of oil drops lower, correcting the current distortion.

(Needless to say that Canada "might" give preference to work permits than to Family class visa's in the near future)
I hope this made sense.

Thanks
Mridula

 

[LCS]

LCS,
You are such a whiner! Get over yourself and stop complaining like a little b...h. Get with the program man! Its people like you we do not need on this site. You preach too much gloom and doom. I personally wish you would shut the hell up! Have a nice day!

willostj,
The facts are the facts, and so many immigrants are being caught up in the sunshine and roses about coming to Canada and then are let down about a lot of things. You seem to prefer hiding the harsh truths. I'm a third generation Canadian, and don't like the way this country is on the downslide as far as quality of life for all people compared to 20 and 30 years ago. We have the Gov't to blame for a lot of it.


As for your foul mouthed insulting snide comments, it's people like YOU in Canada that are making this country more rude, self-centred, ill-mannered and hate filled adding to the decline in quality of life and class ( lack of in your case) of people. You need to reviewyour communication skills if that's how you beak off to everyone, and work seriously on your maturity level.

 

[LCS]

woooo willostj,

That was rude and uncalled for, what LCS said is absolutely true, she's only relaying the state of things in Canada. I too make a very good salary but live in the most expensive city in Canada (by choice) and even though I absolutely love my profession and my job it's rediculous at the rate that prices for everything have gone up in the last 3-4 years. I'm not destitute, I have no problem making ends meat, but I rather see my hard earned money in my pocket then in the governments.

I've lived in Canada my whole life and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else but that doesn't mean it's a "perfect society", if you believe that then your rose coloured glasses will be knocked off your head pretty damn fast once you get here.

It's true that a degree in another country is pretty much useless here. A friend of mine was a prominent doctor in his home country and he's been in Canada now 4 years and rather than practicing his profession he's been basically going through medical school all over again. In a country that is desperate for skilled workers especially in the medical profession the goverment just blows smoke up their a#@to get them here and then, oh yeah by the way, McDonald's is hiring!


I'm not bit#@ing or complaining just saying that it is what it is, Canada isn't the country it used to be when my parents immigrated here in the 70s.

Do your research and don't be rude to people who are just trying to voice their opinion.

Peace,
Raven

Thanks Raven,
You might be living in the same city I do, and was BORN in. Because of ppl like willostj, what you said, Canada isn't the country it used to be.

 

[LCS]

All, I have been reading your concerns about the rise in prices and wanted to post my comments as well. I hope this will help understand the situation now in Canada. Please be assured that I am not being judegmental about anyone. I am posting my comments for those who want to know why the prices in Canada are high (Inflation) and what it takes to bring them down again.

Being a Hedge fund manager, I keep a very close eye on how the global Markets and the currencies perform. There are a number of reasons contributing to the current situation in Canada. The collapse of the sub-prime market in the United States has not only had a major impact on the North American markets but also on the Europian and the Aisan Markets (As you would re-collect how volatile the situation was just a few months ago)...
Specific about the oil prices, historically speaking, the Canadian dollar has been highly correlated with the price of oil, with the two tracking each other with over 80% precision. Canada is also the number one supplier to the world's largest oil importer, the United States. As you all know, Canada has the world's second-largest oil reserves (after Saudi Arabia). Bottom line is that, if you see an appreciation in the prices of oil you will also see the depreciation of the Canadian dollar, meaning the purchasing power of CAD falls down due to inflation. The trend in trade figures points to further downside. Overall GDP has plummeted to the lowest level in two years.
With the summer driving season and the Beijing Olympic Games fast approaching, the top consumers of oil in the United States and China show no signs of slowing down. Since the US markets and Canadian markets go hand in hand, you already know the answer that the prices would remain high for the time being. Oil prices have become detached from the dynamics of supply and demand fundamentals.

It seems only a matter of time before prices reach so high that swelling oil export revenues will make it cost effective for companies in Canada to expand capacity. Firms will hire workers and invest in new buildings and machinery. As more people go to work, disposable income levels will rise, spurring consumption and ultimately overall GDP as well.
The Canadian economy will thereby be able to decouple from the U.S. crisis, building positive growth momentum despite slowdowns in non-oil export sectors. As vibrant economic growth resumes, the specter of inflation will move the Bank of Canada to cut short their campaign of rate cuts, and start gearing up to move monetary policy in the opposite direction rekindling an interest in U.S. 'equities'. As the slowdown spreads globally, traders will look to U.S. Treasuries as a stand-by, safe-haven asset, prompting an inflow of capital into American debt markets. All this will prompt investors to buy dollars, with the subsequent appreciation in and of itself depressing oil prices as the dollar (both USD/CAD) regains purchasing power. This will send the USD/CAD higher while the price of oil drops lower, correcting the current distortion.

(Needless to say that Canada "might" give preference to work permits than to Family class visa's in the near future)
I hope this made sense.

Thanks
Mridula

VERY interesting and informative Mridula. I know much about what you are saying, but I appreciate that you think there will be some improvement in store for Canada after the tumble in the U.S. economy. I do worry about world oil prices and supply. It seems to be the #1 factor raising costs all across the board.