raine66

Well they won't here from me that's for sure, glad someone else got one over on them.

Raine

anglogerman

Ooooh, I'm sorry Raine... but really I think you just had bad luck. Never had a landlord like that - and I've had a few here. Reminds me of when I'd just come to Germany and was looking for a flat in Pforzheim. One potential landlady told me not to worry, she didn't have foreigners in the house... on seeing my bemused face, she said that she didn't consider the English to be foreigners. Ähm - what??

Der Arsch der Welt - I thought that was how Darmstadt got its name?? *ROFL*

anglogerman

Don't we all.... what do they expect when you arrive with only a couple of minutes to spare and then have to fight with those ticket machines, not to mention fighting to get your ticket validated once you've got it?
If it's any consolation, I've never yet had my ticket checked on the S6... but don't quote me on that....

Judy in Calgary

You got that right, Heather. You've said you'll take Morwenna's advice and ask your technical questions on the Immigration forum. I'll address some of the "lifestyle" implications here in this thread and, while I'm about it, I'll play the Devil's advocate.

My husband and I raised two kids far away from grandparents and other extended family, and it was tough. We had good reason to move to Canada from apartheid-era South Africa. If we knew then what we know now we still would have emigrated. So I’m not saying I regret our decision. Under the circumstances, I believe it was a valid choice. But that doesn't change the fact that it was a challenge to raise kids without our families. And it would be doubly difficult for you, since you would be a single mum.

From what I’ve observed in Canada, knowledge of German is of almost no use. I speak a little German, and I virtually never have occasion to use it in Calgary. Languages that would be more useful here would be Spanish (trade with Latin America), French (for getting a job with the federal government), Mandarin, Cantonese or Japanese (for trade across the Pacific), and Russian (for dealings with Russian oil companies--a specifically Calgary thing).

I am guessing that knowledge of German might have SOME relevance in Ottawa, where embassies are located. But then I imagine most diplomatic personnel would know English anyway, so even that is a stretch.

You seem to be self-employed. Both my husband and I are self-employed. But both of us draw on the contacts we had back when we had “real” jobs. It would have taken MUCH more effort for us to get going as consultants / contractors if we had lacked those networks.

The fact that you are a published author of ESL books outside of Canada may count for little in Canada. Canadians tend to have an inflated idea of the value of “Canadian experience.” Quite frankly in this instance they may even have a point. Canadian English is slightly different from British English, so you would be on a bit of a learning curve at first.

If you wanted to teach in a formal setting, that is, in an actual school, you would need to get accreditation in the province in which you wanted to work.

My husband has a colleague who is a single mum from the Former Soviet Union. She is totally fluent in her native language, Russian and English. When I say she’s fluent, I mean she translates high level, technical documents. She only just earns enough money to afford a two-bedroomed apartment and a small car. As a single, working mum, it is onerous for her to get her son to his ice hockey practices and games.

When her father was dying in her native country, she asked us to look after her son while she flew back to visit her father. We agreed to do it, but we were dreading it. It would have involved driving the child to and from school in a neighbourhood that is located far from ours, driving him to and from his hockey practices and games, and juggling that with our work. We were most relieved when, at the eleventh hour, the family of one of her son’s classmates offered to take him in. I’m mentioning that as an example of the sorts of challenges she faces as a single parent.

I’m not saying your plan would be impossible to pull off. Perhaps you’re good at thinking outside the box and you’ll find a creative way of earning a living in Canada. But, at a minimum, I hope you’ll arrive with some savings to tide you over while you figures things out over here.

anglogerman

Thank you for that Judy, it gave me a lot to think about.

I can't reveal too many personal details, but I can say that I would not be living in Canada as a single parent. If that were the case, I'd probably stay here. I'm not stupid enough to expect it to be a bed of roses even under these circumstances, but I wouldn't be completely alone, that's one thing. In any case, even here I don't have extended family to help with raising my son, so that wouldn't be anything new.

The Canadian English thing did occur to me, too. However, as for translation, I can make an average monthly turnover as a full-time freelance translator of about 3000-4000 Euro. The agency for whom I do most of my work employs freelancers on a global basis, and the owner has assured me that I will continue to be her first-choice German-English translator wherever I am. That at least is reassuring.

However, in the immigration forum, I've been advised to try the skilled worker route even so, as the self-employed route is probably the most difficult one there is. Something else to think about.

Anyway, thanks for playing devil's advocate Judy. That's exactly what I was hoping for here

Judy in Calgary

Well the details are none of my business, and I'm not mentioning this just to be nosey, but if you will be living with someone who is a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, they can sponsor you as a common-law partner. That would enable you to enter Canada as a family class immigrant. That process is a LOT quicker than the skilled worker route.

Very reassuring indeed. There are a couple of people on this forum who live in Canada and work for British firms (presumably not so very different from working for a German firm). In some ways it's the best of both worlds -- earn a higher European income but spend it in lower-cost Canada. Just be aware that you would experience sticker shock if your situation was to change and you were to earn a more meager Canadian income.

Anyway, it looks as if your situation would be easier than I first thought when I saw the facts presented in your original post.

anglogerman

But don't you need to have already lived together for at least a year first?

Judy in Calgary

Well I don't know where your partner is located and whether or not it's possible for you to live together for a year before you apply for immigration to Canada. However, when you consider that skilled worker applications are taking four years (or is it up to five years now?), the eighteen months to two years that it would take via the common-law partner route (and that includes the year of living together!) seems short by comparison.

A complication in your family's case, if I understand these things correctly, is that your son's father would need to provide authorisation for you to take your son to Canada (I believe that would be true if you applied as a skilled worker as well). If your partner was to sponsor you as a family class (common-law partner) immigrant, I believe your partner would need to adopt your son. But I'm really skating on thin ice when I discuss family class immigration, because I don't have personal experience of it. I'm going by what I've read on this forum and on Citizenship and Immigration Canada's website.

anglogerman

Yes, it's complicated, especially as my husband and I are not yet legally separated - I have to provide proof that I have custody, proof that I am permitted to remove my son from the jurisdiction of the German courts (couldn't even return to Britain without that), and a statement from my husband authorizing my son to live in Canada. To get a divorce under German law, we need to have been legally separated for at least a year (longer if my husband contests it).
Just read up on CIC, and there's a problem: my partner previously sponsored his own dependents to go and live in Canada, and according to CIC, he may therefore not be allowed to sponsor anyone else. Frankly I'd rather do it off my own bat, even if does take longer... From what I've read, processing times are currently a bit quicker in Germany anyway *grins*

Alberta_Rose

I have a feeling that I read somewhere that you are not able to apply as a common-law spousal sponsorship while you are still legally still married to somebody else. May be wrong though ....... , but it would seem reasonable.

anglogerman

Yes, makes sense. It would certainly be an odd situation, another reason why I'd rather do it independently. After all, what's a few years compared to the rest of your life??

Judy in Calgary

Yup, it sounds as if Plan B (skilled worker) might be best after all.

anglogerman

I just read that 80% of skilled worker applications are processed by the Berlin office in 20 months, compared to 2-3 times that length of time in London! Now I know why I had to spend the last 10 years in Germany... *lol*
Having said that, I still have to renew my German residence permit every 5 years....

laceybank

I'm also a brummie who defected from Bayern and yes the Germans are much quicker with their stuff than the Brits, probably fewer to process (I started the process the same time in Munich as a colleague did from Birmingham and i've been resident for 18 months already and he is still waiting!!)...the limiting factor as always is the Canadian side from what I can gather!
Anyway good luck.
I can't believe all you guys lived around funfseenland!!!!....I worked at the Munich International School in Starnberg for 20 years and lived in Unering, Hadorf, Perchting, Soecking, Pocking, Maising and Tutzing.....unbelievable eh?
BUT what I really can't believe is all you guys appear to like Canada more.....I loved chocolate box bavaria and still feel it far surpasses Canada in many ways...and i'm not just talking about scenery...still, if it's shops you want I guess Canada takes it. Hate shopping...I'm a guy, can you tell?
Tschuss!

laceybank

Tutzing and Winnipeg.
Bit like comparing Porsche and Ford
Arse of the world over here has to be Angus, near Barrie, which unfortunately is where I live.