Decided not to go
Nov 26th 2004, 1:56 pm
#91
Just going for Holidays
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2004
Location: Paignton, Devon
Posts: 521
Re: Decided not to go
Originally Posted by Jonny
Might seem a strange point, but if I was one of these lucky "licensed professionals" thinking of emigrating to Canada, and I was desperate to stay in my "profession", I would check whether I could find work and my qualifications were acceptable first with prospective employers and then consider CIC's requirements, i.e. treat my immigration as completely separate from my employment. If you know you have to be licensed to do your job in the UK (or another country) and there are criteria you have to meet, wouldn't you look into whether you qualify for a license in Canada before paying large sums to CIC? I think I would...
You are completely correct in your assesment here Johnny. BUT.....
We have not paid our CIC for PR as we have done our research carefully.
1. We were informed by my wifes licencing authority that she would be a shoe in for a licence due to her qualifications and experience..
2. My wife was offered a job on the telephone.(Subject to final interview)
3. We went to Nova Scotia, and the interview was confirmed, as was the job offer.
4. The licencing body still said that there would be no problem with licences, subject to hours worked (over 500) and a clean police record, but let us have some money first to complete our checks.
5. tHEY TOOK THE MONEY, THEN SAID NO TO THE LICENCE. tHIS WAS A FINAL NO, NOT A MAYBE.
6. We then got politicians and the media involved, and they brought pressure to bear, so the licencing body suddenly changed their tune and decided that my wifes qualifications needed assessing for compatibility.
7. The assesors then decided this would cost about $6000.
8. I have been offered 3 jobs in Halifax, subject to a licence. To aquire the licence I need to take a USA based exam, (no problem there) and a Provincial exam (no problem either), and even if I pass both, the Cheif Examiner of Elevators can decide that he feels I am not worthy of the licence, can refuse issue, or insist I go back through the Apprentice programme lasting 4 years.
We were not daft enough to pay out for all of this in advance as it would have probably cost $15,000 - 20,000, with the prospect of earning $5.00 per hour a Tim Hortons.
Can anyone see the point in that?
I agree that there are many reasons for moving to Canada, but complete financial destitution is not one that I find reasonable.
In answer to a post above, yes we would be financially secure to start with, but it does not take long to run through savings, and equity if you are not earning a living wage.
The real bitch was that Immigration gives out points like sweeties for Diplomas, degrees and the like, and for having completed so many years in employment.
What is the point in this if those self same qualifications and experience are going to be ignored by licencing bodies?
A level playing field is all that is asked for. If Canadian Industry will not accept the qualifications, why does the Immigration department?
Nov 26th 2004, 1:56 pm
#92
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Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,152
Re: Decided not to go
My opinion. Mr and Mrs Liftman have made the right decision by deciding not to come to Canada. Anyone who wishes to continue with their career in a new country needs to be sure that it can be continued and sadly in Canada there are obviously issues for them that are unsatisfactory.
We've been here since mid-September and so far it's been okay. We moved because my wife is Canadian and we had a house to sell in the UK that meant with the profit we could buy a house here outright and a much bigger house too. We've done that, we love our new house and the move was the right thing to do. However the most striking thing that I read from contributers on this forum who are planning such a move is how the UK "is going down the tubes" and the wonderful lifestyle that's on offer in Canada. The problem is that the grass is always greener until you get there and we never learn that lesson until we experience it ourselves. But from where I'm looking it seems that for every pro in Canada there's a con and my advice to anyone is that when making a move it has to be for quite specific reasons that have been researched fully. Mr and Mrs Liftman have clearly done that and deserve full credit for making their decision and not allowing their hearts to rule their heads. Anyone else who gets here thinking that they are heading for paradise will be in for a shock. Watch the TV news or read the newspapers over here and see all the same reports on lack of funding for health or high taxation complaints, bullying at school, concerns over obesity or bad youth behaviour and so on and on and on. Half close your eyes and it's just like being in the UK.
Of course the problem is that we can only speak with any real authority on our own experiences and I had quite a good life in England so that has to be taken into account on my perspective on things. You just have to be careful about the things you decide to give up or risk giving up because of what you might think you are going to get in Canada.
We've been here since mid-September and so far it's been okay. We moved because my wife is Canadian and we had a house to sell in the UK that meant with the profit we could buy a house here outright and a much bigger house too. We've done that, we love our new house and the move was the right thing to do. However the most striking thing that I read from contributers on this forum who are planning such a move is how the UK "is going down the tubes" and the wonderful lifestyle that's on offer in Canada. The problem is that the grass is always greener until you get there and we never learn that lesson until we experience it ourselves. But from where I'm looking it seems that for every pro in Canada there's a con and my advice to anyone is that when making a move it has to be for quite specific reasons that have been researched fully. Mr and Mrs Liftman have clearly done that and deserve full credit for making their decision and not allowing their hearts to rule their heads. Anyone else who gets here thinking that they are heading for paradise will be in for a shock. Watch the TV news or read the newspapers over here and see all the same reports on lack of funding for health or high taxation complaints, bullying at school, concerns over obesity or bad youth behaviour and so on and on and on. Half close your eyes and it's just like being in the UK.
Of course the problem is that we can only speak with any real authority on our own experiences and I had quite a good life in England so that has to be taken into account on my perspective on things. You just have to be careful about the things you decide to give up or risk giving up because of what you might think you are going to get in Canada.
Nov 26th 2004, 1:57 pm
#93
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Joined: Sep 2002
Location: London Ontario
Posts: 453
Re: Decided not to go
Originally Posted by Jonny
Might seem a strange point, but if I was one of these lucky "licensed professionals" thinking of emigrating to Canada, and I was desperate to stay in my "profession", I would check whether I could find work and my qualifications were acceptable first with prospective employers and those who provide the license, then consider CIC's requirements, i.e. treat my immigration as completely separate from my employment. If you know you have to be licensed to do your job in the UK (or another country) and there are criteria you have to meet, wouldn't you look into whether you qualify for a license in Canada before paying large sums to CIC? I think I would...
Nov 26th 2004, 2:03 pm
#94
Unclear Engineer
Joined: Jul 2004
Location: Noblesville, Indiana.
Posts: 130
Re: Decided not to go
Originally Posted by indybrit
By the way Jonny, I lived in Ontario for 8 years and I know things can be very different from one province to another.
Whereabouts in Canada do you live??
Whereabouts in Canada do you live??
Originally Posted by Jonny
I don't yet...
Nov 26th 2004, 2:06 pm
#95
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 88
Re: Decided not to go
Originally Posted by indybrit
Why did I (and several others on this board) know you were going to say that.......LOL
Anyway - I think Jonny knows enough about life in Canada - afterall he is married to me and I lived there for 22 years before moving to the UK!
Nov 26th 2004, 2:06 pm
#96
Unclear Engineer
Joined: Jul 2004
Location: Noblesville, Indiana.
Posts: 130
Re: Decided not to go
Originally Posted by liftman
You are completely correct in your assesment here Johnny. BUT.....
We have not paid our CIC for PR as we have done our research carefully.
1. We were informed by my wifes licencing authority that she would be a shoe in for a licence due to her qualifications and experience..
2. My wife was offered a job on the telephone.(Subject to final interview)
3. We went to Nova Scotia, and the interview was confirmed, as was the job offer.
4. The licencing body still said that there would be no problem with licences, subject to hours worked (over 500) and a clean police record, but let us have some money first to complete our checks.
5. tHEY TOOK THE MONEY, THEN SAID NO TO THE LICENCE. tHIS WAS A FINAL NO, NOT A MAYBE.
6. We then got politicians and the media involved, and they brought pressure to bear, so the licencing body suddenly changed their tune and decided that my wifes qualifications needed assessing for compatibility.
7. The assesors then decided this would cost about $6000.
8. I have been offered 3 jobs in Halifax, subject to a licence. To aquire the licence I need to take a USA based exam, (no problem there) and a Provincial exam (no problem either), and even if I pass both, the Cheif Examiner of Elevators can decide that he feels I am not worthy of the licence, can refuse issue, or insist I go back through the Apprentice programme lasting 4 years.
We were not daft enough to pay out for all of this in advance as it would have probably cost $15,000 - 20,000, with the prospect of earning $5.00 per hour a Tim Hortons.
Can anyone see the point in that?
I agree that there are many reasons for moving to Canada, but complete financial destitution is not one that I find reasonable.
In answer to a post above, yes we would be financially secure to start with, but it does not take long to run through savings, and equity if you are not earning a living wage.
The real bitch was that Immigration gives out points like sweeties for Diplomas, degrees and the like, and for having completed so many years in employment.
What is the point in this if those self same qualifications and experience are going to be ignored by licencing bodies?
A level playing field is all that is asked for. If Canadian Industry will not accept the qualifications, why does the Immigration department?
We have not paid our CIC for PR as we have done our research carefully.
1. We were informed by my wifes licencing authority that she would be a shoe in for a licence due to her qualifications and experience..
2. My wife was offered a job on the telephone.(Subject to final interview)
3. We went to Nova Scotia, and the interview was confirmed, as was the job offer.
4. The licencing body still said that there would be no problem with licences, subject to hours worked (over 500) and a clean police record, but let us have some money first to complete our checks.
5. tHEY TOOK THE MONEY, THEN SAID NO TO THE LICENCE. tHIS WAS A FINAL NO, NOT A MAYBE.
6. We then got politicians and the media involved, and they brought pressure to bear, so the licencing body suddenly changed their tune and decided that my wifes qualifications needed assessing for compatibility.
7. The assesors then decided this would cost about $6000.
8. I have been offered 3 jobs in Halifax, subject to a licence. To aquire the licence I need to take a USA based exam, (no problem there) and a Provincial exam (no problem either), and even if I pass both, the Cheif Examiner of Elevators can decide that he feels I am not worthy of the licence, can refuse issue, or insist I go back through the Apprentice programme lasting 4 years.
We were not daft enough to pay out for all of this in advance as it would have probably cost $15,000 - 20,000, with the prospect of earning $5.00 per hour a Tim Hortons.
Can anyone see the point in that?
I agree that there are many reasons for moving to Canada, but complete financial destitution is not one that I find reasonable.
In answer to a post above, yes we would be financially secure to start with, but it does not take long to run through savings, and equity if you are not earning a living wage.
The real bitch was that Immigration gives out points like sweeties for Diplomas, degrees and the like, and for having completed so many years in employment.
What is the point in this if those self same qualifications and experience are going to be ignored by licencing bodies?
A level playing field is all that is asked for. If Canadian Industry will not accept the qualifications, why does the Immigration department?
This is by far THE BEST post I have read on this subject!!!!!
Nov 26th 2004, 2:09 pm
#97
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2004
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 338
Re: Decided not to go
Originally Posted by indybrit
Why did I (and several others on this board) know you were going to say that.......LOL
I do think that Mrs Liftman has been screwed (no offence Mr Liftman
) and have every sympathy and I wish them both the best of luck with their Australian application. The one good thing is that this issue has been brought to everyone's attention on this forum and may help future potential PR applicant's and hopefully through their contacts with the politicians and media, this problem will be solved...
Last edited by Jonny; Nov 26th 2004 at 2:14 pm.
Nov 26th 2004, 2:11 pm
#98
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Joined: Sep 2004
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 338
Re: Decided not to go
Originally Posted by Virgosah
Yes, but Jonny was speaking as a soon-to-be-immigrant and as someone who has not yet left for Canada. Perhaps these sorts of issues are best thought about BEFORE one arrives in Canada!
Anyway - I think Jonny knows enough about life in Canada - afterall he is married to me and I lived there for 22 years before moving to the UK!
Anyway - I think Jonny knows enough about life in Canada - afterall he is married to me and I lived there for 22 years before moving to the UK!
Nov 26th 2004, 2:12 pm
#99
Unclear Engineer
Joined: Jul 2004
Location: Noblesville, Indiana.
Posts: 130
Re: Decided not to go
Originally Posted by Tom Masters
I'm sure there are many professionals who do just that and decide not to bother with Canada. Once they realise the amount of protectionism that exists here they probably head off to another country with more vision and less hoops to jump through. Canada's loss. Very unfortunate for a country that supposedly needs more skilled workers. Or is it just a big con and a very good money making scheme?!
This thread, like so many others, demonstrates how the views of people differ enormously depending on whether that person actually lives here, or whether they live elsewhere and plan on moving here some time in the future.
Nov 26th 2004, 2:14 pm
#100
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Joined: Sep 2002
Location: London Ontario
Posts: 453
Re: Decided not to go
Originally Posted by stepnek
My opinion. Mr and Mrs Liftman have made the right decision by deciding not to come to Canada. Anyone who wishes to continue with their career in a new country needs to be sure that it can be continued and sadly in Canada there are obviously issues for them that are unsatisfactory.
We've been here since mid-September and so far it's been okay. We moved because my wife is Canadian and we had a house to sell in the UK that meant with the profit we could buy a house here outright and a much bigger house too. We've done that, we love our new house and the move was the right thing to do. However the most striking thing that I read from contributers on this forum who are planning such a move is how the UK "is going down the tubes" and the wonderful lifestyle that's on offer in Canada. The problem is that the grass is always greener until you get there and we never learn that lesson until we experience it ourselves. But from where I'm looking it seems that for every pro in Canada there's a con and my advice to anyone is that when making a move it has to be for quite specific reasons that have been researched fully. Mr and Mrs Liftman have clearly done that and deserve full credit for making their decision and not allowing their hearts to rule their heads. Anyone else who gets here thinking that they are heading for paradise will be in for a shock. Watch the TV news or read the newspapers over here and see all the same reports on lack of funding for health or high taxation complaints, bullying at school, concerns over obesity or bad youth behaviour and so on and on and on. Half close your eyes and it's just like being in the UK.
Of course the problem is that we can only speak with any real authority on our own experiences and I had quite a good life in England so that has to be taken into account on my perspective on things. You just have to be careful about the things you decide to give up or risk giving up because of what you might think you are going to get in Canada.
We've been here since mid-September and so far it's been okay. We moved because my wife is Canadian and we had a house to sell in the UK that meant with the profit we could buy a house here outright and a much bigger house too. We've done that, we love our new house and the move was the right thing to do. However the most striking thing that I read from contributers on this forum who are planning such a move is how the UK "is going down the tubes" and the wonderful lifestyle that's on offer in Canada. The problem is that the grass is always greener until you get there and we never learn that lesson until we experience it ourselves. But from where I'm looking it seems that for every pro in Canada there's a con and my advice to anyone is that when making a move it has to be for quite specific reasons that have been researched fully. Mr and Mrs Liftman have clearly done that and deserve full credit for making their decision and not allowing their hearts to rule their heads. Anyone else who gets here thinking that they are heading for paradise will be in for a shock. Watch the TV news or read the newspapers over here and see all the same reports on lack of funding for health or high taxation complaints, bullying at school, concerns over obesity or bad youth behaviour and so on and on and on. Half close your eyes and it's just like being in the UK.
Of course the problem is that we can only speak with any real authority on our own experiences and I had quite a good life in England so that has to be taken into account on my perspective on things. You just have to be careful about the things you decide to give up or risk giving up because of what you might think you are going to get in Canada.
Chris
Nov 26th 2004, 2:19 pm
#101
Yorkshire meets Vegas
Joined: Jul 2004
Location: T. ON (so there!)
Posts: 1,354
Re: Decided not to go
Two things occur to me.
1) People who post on here frequently do to bitch about the quality of life in Canada.
2) People seem to think that the world owes them a living, and just because they took home a vast salary in the UK they should get at least the same if not more in Canada.
Wise up people. You are not going to live in the Channel Islands. You're going to live in a foreign country whose laws, customs and culture is very different to your own. Unfortunately this means that you have to adapt. If your qualifications do not suit, then you will simply have to bite the bullet and retrain.
Before I got my job I was seriously looking at spending £25k on an MBA to improve my Canadian work marketability. Its tough yes, but if all I was going to Canada to do was to be a slave to the wage, I would be doing it for completely the wrong reasons.
I think that people need to take a long hard look at their reasons for emigrating. I don't believe that the world owes me a living. I'm terrified of the prospect of losing my first job in Canada and having to come home, to build a new social network in a country whose culture is quite different to my own.
But quite simply, spending the next thirty years of my life living and working in London scares me more. :scared:
1) People who post on here frequently do to bitch about the quality of life in Canada.
2) People seem to think that the world owes them a living, and just because they took home a vast salary in the UK they should get at least the same if not more in Canada.
Wise up people. You are not going to live in the Channel Islands. You're going to live in a foreign country whose laws, customs and culture is very different to your own. Unfortunately this means that you have to adapt. If your qualifications do not suit, then you will simply have to bite the bullet and retrain.
Before I got my job I was seriously looking at spending £25k on an MBA to improve my Canadian work marketability. Its tough yes, but if all I was going to Canada to do was to be a slave to the wage, I would be doing it for completely the wrong reasons.
I think that people need to take a long hard look at their reasons for emigrating. I don't believe that the world owes me a living. I'm terrified of the prospect of losing my first job in Canada and having to come home, to build a new social network in a country whose culture is quite different to my own.
But quite simply, spending the next thirty years of my life living and working in London scares me more. :scared:
Nov 26th 2004, 2:24 pm
#102
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 88
Re: Decided not to go
I agree... it seems as though too many immigrants feel they are owed something. I did spend over $30,000 to do a Masters degree - to increase my marketability in both the UK and Canada, and so far so good... When I first came to the UK I had to find agency work just to scrape by, but now, after some hard work and peristence, I have found myself in a good field making good money.
Immigration (and life in general) is what YOU make of it, not what you can make of it by complaining.
Immigration (and life in general) is what YOU make of it, not what you can make of it by complaining.
Nov 26th 2004, 2:25 pm
#103
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Joined: Sep 2004
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 338
Re: Decided not to go
Originally Posted by Sarah Farrand
Wise up people. You are not going to live in the Channel Islands.
. Never had a swanky job earning a ton though, stacked shelves for a while in a wine shop, that was fun..
Nov 26th 2004, 2:30 pm
#104
Unclear Engineer
Joined: Jul 2004
Location: Noblesville, Indiana.
Posts: 130
Re: Decided not to go
Originally Posted by Sarah Farrand
Two things occur to me.
1) People who post on here frequently do to bitch about the quality of life in Canada.
2) People seem to think that the world owes them a living, and just because they took home a vast salary in the UK they should get at least the same if not more in Canada.
Wise up people. You are not going to live in the Channel Islands. You're going to live in a foreign country whose laws, customs and culture is very different to your own. Unfortunately this means that you have to adapt. If your qualifications do not suit, then you will simply have to bite the bullet and retrain.
Before I got my job I was seriously looking at spending £25k on an MBA to improve my Canadian work marketability. Its tough yes, but if all I was going to Canada to do was to be a slave to the wage, I would be doing it for completely the wrong reasons.
I think that people need to take a long hard look at their reasons for emigrating. I don't believe that the world owes me a living. I'm terrified of the prospect of losing my first job in Canada and having to come home, to build a new social network in a country whose culture is quite different to my own.
But quite simply, spending the next thirty years of my life living and working in London scares me more. :scared:
1) People who post on here frequently do to bitch about the quality of life in Canada.
2) People seem to think that the world owes them a living, and just because they took home a vast salary in the UK they should get at least the same if not more in Canada.
Wise up people. You are not going to live in the Channel Islands. You're going to live in a foreign country whose laws, customs and culture is very different to your own. Unfortunately this means that you have to adapt. If your qualifications do not suit, then you will simply have to bite the bullet and retrain.
Before I got my job I was seriously looking at spending £25k on an MBA to improve my Canadian work marketability. Its tough yes, but if all I was going to Canada to do was to be a slave to the wage, I would be doing it for completely the wrong reasons.
I think that people need to take a long hard look at their reasons for emigrating. I don't believe that the world owes me a living. I'm terrified of the prospect of losing my first job in Canada and having to come home, to build a new social network in a country whose culture is quite different to my own.
But quite simply, spending the next thirty years of my life living and working in London scares me more. :scared:
The point here, as has been stated by myself, Tom, Ocean, Liftman plus others is nothing what so ever to do with the world owing them a living.
It's about prospective immigrants being missled into believing that they will be allowed to work in a job in Canada only to learn once they're here that they cannot.
Read Liftmans last post because I think it spells it out very well. I didn't see anything in his post that even implied that he believed the world owed him a living. He's just pissed that he was told one thing, relieved of a lot of money, and then told something completey different.
Nope......I just read his and several other peoples post's, nothing there about the world owing them a living.
Sarah, I'm curious as to how long you've lived in Canada and how your job is currently working out for you?
Nov 26th 2004, 2:33 pm
#105
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 88
Re: Decided not to go
Originally Posted by indybrit
I think some people are just not lisetening to what's being said, so for the hard of hearing I'll spell it out again.
The point here, as has been stated by myself, Tom, Ocean, Liftman plus others is nothing what so ever to do with the world owing them a living.
It's about prospective immigrants being missled into believing that they will be allowed to work in a job in Canada only to learn once they're here that they cannot.
Read Liftmans last post because I think it spells it out very well. I didn't see anything in his post that even implied that he believed the world owed him a living. He's just pissed that he was told one thing, relieved of a lot of money, and then told something completey different.
Nope......I just read his and several other peoples post's, nothing there about the world owing them a living.
Sarah, I'm curious as to how long you've lived in Canada and how your job is currently working out for you?
The point here, as has been stated by myself, Tom, Ocean, Liftman plus others is nothing what so ever to do with the world owing them a living.
It's about prospective immigrants being missled into believing that they will be allowed to work in a job in Canada only to learn once they're here that they cannot.
Read Liftmans last post because I think it spells it out very well. I didn't see anything in his post that even implied that he believed the world owed him a living. He's just pissed that he was told one thing, relieved of a lot of money, and then told something completey different.
Nope......I just read his and several other peoples post's, nothing there about the world owing them a living.
Sarah, I'm curious as to how long you've lived in Canada and how your job is currently working out for you?