wcitizen

You are right. One really gets frustrated during those hard days of looking for a job and having no success; and then starts to question evrything.

The thing is that Canadian government doesn't like to see the population falling, so they have to take more immigrants; but professional bodies, trade unions etc have problem with new arrivals, because it could bring competition and lower their wages, so for regulated jobs like medicine, they make it almost impossible for new immigrants to right away start practicing their profession here.
IT market is some how different, because the supply is more than demand: jobless Canadians retrained in IT, H1Bs coming from the US, new immigrants from China, India etc mainly trained in IT.
There are a lot of other issues which I won't go into them, but for Yasmina and others, I have to say: Hang in there, it's hard, been there myself, but when you finally manage to land a job everything starts to look good here. I'll be more than happy to share my experience in this regard, so just PM me!

Alberta_Rose

Hey I've just rediscovered my "ignore" button! Haven't had to use that for a while. I know everyone is entitled to their say, but I reckon this person has had it and is just getting repetitive now.

From my own point of view, (since we're on me me me mode), I investigated possible problems with my UK qualifications, and spent 10 months getting them accredited for equivalency by the Canadian professional body in question. I quite thought I should have to do further study to upgrade and had allowed time for that, but in the event (amazingly) I didn't have to.

I have arranged a mentor, and can register to work as a qualified professional "under mentorship" until such time as I pass the Canadian Competency exam.

It really should be possible to research and find out if you are likely to be able to find work in your field, and if it truly is not, then in my opinion you have the choice to not proceed with moving to Canada, or retraining if this is possible.

I think that with the current long wait times for Canada, coupled with the curent recruitment drive for immigrants to Australia, we may see some prospective Canadians heading there instead?

Sheila9

[QUOTE=jabber]Hi Sheila and welcome.

I appreciate your comments. A bit more to my story.....When I said 5 months I was referring to the time you can stay without being classified as a permanent resident. I was "going to try before I buy". I was planning to return to Ottawa where I have been holidaying since 1990 at least once a year.
There has been a lot of sometimes heated debate in this news group about whingers who moan a lot instead of just getting on with it....I am afraid that I have a bit of a tendency to be one of them. I never intended to stay in the UK and when circumstances forced me remain I have bored all and sundry about how I was planning to go back to Ottawa when the time was right....Retirement is of course not the best time but I have seen how nigh on impossible it has been for my Canadian friend's 2 daughters to get a good job after an expensive University education. I qualified as a nurse at the Ottawa Civic Hospital in the early 70s and one of the reasons I left to go to the UK was because of the workload and constant shift work (much better in UK hospitals). I know that what ever I do I will find it difficult, however, I would like to give it a try (settling in Ottawa).
Re your UK thoughts: In spite of all the problems with terrorism it is a fantastic place to be, one of the main things being the better weather than what you have described in Canada as well as all that I said in my previous post. Global warming is changing climates everywhere and it is difficult to predict where will be a temperate place to live.
Re jobs here: there is a wealth of jobs and the employment legislation seems to be tighter. They cannot keep you on contract for long periods of time but must consider making you permanent if you are working within a public service. Having said that the Civil Service (equivalent of the Federal Government Agencies in Canada) is planning close to 40,000 redundancies over the next couple of years.
Sheila

flashman

I understand that he got his medical qualifications from a Caribean diploma mill which are accepted in the US but not Canada

Judy in Calgary

If that's true, England must be drop-dead gorgeous.

Biiiiink

I think he meant Britain, the best bits being in Scotland

andy_sheila

I sort of agree biiiink, Scotland is unquestionably very beautiful, i travelled all over scotland and i was always amazed, never bored with the scenery. On the other hand, the North York moors, The Dales, The cotswolds, Dartmoor, Exmoor, a lot of Wales etc etc are just as nice, no better, no worse, different but just as nice

jabber

[QUOTE=Sheila9] Hi Sheila,
You sound pretty decided about your move, so good for you. I'm afraid I'm one for whinging about my situation big time! So don't feel bad. I'm 49 and I've never been able to satisfy my ambitions in Canada. I got my degree when I was 29, and I became so frustrated about jobs, always thinking it was my fault. Then I got wise that the opportunities were just not here in Canada. (I'm pretty slow to catch on). I know I should have gone much sooner to the UK, but there we are - I didn't. So, I hope to make up for lost ground next year by going, and I hope that my age won't be too much of a factor. I would be working in admin. most likely at a university in the UK. I don't forsee a problem, should I?
Yes, the terrorism is a worry, but we are quite likely to be next over here - I pray not - but the possibility is certainly present.
I don't see any problems coming over to Ottawa for 5 months. Rental housing is pretty easy to get now in Ottawa. Have you got accommodation sorted out? I certainly think it a good idea to "try before you buy". Will you be here during a winter?
The best of luck to you, and if I can answer any questions for you, please post. We seem to be going off on our own thread haven't we!
Regards.

canadianish

[
Shelia,

I am also a registered nurse..trained in Ontario and them moved to London shortly after completing my training. I also had some great employment opportunities in the UK and moved up quickly into a 9 to 5 position that had a lot of responsibility. I loved living in London for the 8 years that I was there but moved back to Ontario as family is here and I wanted a better standard of living.

My advice to you is... Look before you leap,

1) If you want to work as a registered nurse in a hospital or in the community you need to be registered with the College of Nurses of Ontario - if not you may have to find work in a poorly paid position as as a personal support worker. Volunteer work might be a better option.
Also, even though I'm sure you have fantastic work experiences and skills- you may not recieve much credit as it is not "Canadian Expeience"

2) You will miss the culture and the liberal attitudes of England, over here it is more conservaitve, people are less tolerant of things that are out of the norm, and people - in general seem to prefer watching television to socialising with friends. Also remember, the winters can be absolutely brutal over here.

I can give you more information about the steps you need to take for employment qualifications....good luck in your quest! -Carie

QUOTE=Sheila9]I have lived in the UK for the last 30 plus years having originally come only for a 6 month working holiday. It has been very good to me: I have made great strides in my professional life that would not have been a possibility in Canada. London is a fantastic city to live in in terms of transport, culture and multi-culturalism which has made me much more open minded.
HOWEVER, I still miss Canada after all these years and am considering retiring back to Ottawa. I have no family (an elderly aunt in Ottawa if that counts and a couple of Canadian friends) and therefore feel I am foot loose and fancy free....
However, I am a bit stumped by the very complicated processes involved in giving it a try for approximately 5 months which is the maximum time you can return for without being categorised at a resident. Over staying this limit would have significant tax implications. Has anyone out there been in a similar situation to me?
I will have a pension which means that I will only be looking for part/time work (nursing) or volunteering to get me integrated back into Canadian life.
The question is I suppose am I just suffering from a bad case of nostalgia?! I really miss Canada sometimes for the wide open spaces and a slower pace of life.
Any comments or suggestions would be welcomed.
Sheila[/QUOTE]

cov-canuck

I'm actually encouraged that this dude could only come up with 8 reasons. Who ever heard of a "Top Eight" list, what happened to a "top 10"?

orazone

its pretty much the same everywhere. I did'nt go through this thread but i have pretty good idea what you guys are talking about.
Look taxes in US are just reasonable and so is insurance (ofcourse depends where you are living) but i moved to this city some 6 months back , and today i have been told everybody who lives here pays 2.5% of his salary to local City's administration. There is absolutely no medical support in US, even if you visit doctor to discuss your flu you will be paying (your employment insurance might cover it but i seriously doubt it will cover your family).
So there are always pros and cons. When a new immigrant lands , he has to apply for everything. Its a long and sometimes frustrating process. Because so many things are going on, as a human, its very natural to lose patience and get frustrated with things. I have seen my friends going through this cycle and then finally settling down. A friend of mine recently got job and it took him 5 months. Now he admits unsuccessful job hunt was not the reason behind his frustration , lots of other things were also going on and he basically just got distracted.
I believe new immigrants should do lots of research before coming to Canada and these days everybody has internet so you can send emails to concerned institutions or call them so that you can have better understand before you land there.
As far as the original poster is concerned. He is certainly a loser but i dont know how i would react if i was in his shoes. May God help him and bring peace to his life.

brit_in_fizroy

Can't take this lying down. 10 years in Scotland, yes it was mountainous, and had pretty cool cliffs way up north - but compared to Kent on a summers day - no contest. England has green scenary, Scotland is baren (though spectacular in places)

matty266

Couldnt count that far , failed math at school probably, or ran out of fingers

lol