ak9

Hi Everyone,

So i was just having a little look around the forum reading different things and came across this theard...which put the fear of god in me!! it was titled "we are going back" and all about this families journey and time in Canada basically being a nightmare! and then others commenting on how hard life there is as well! .. This is just so strange to me as i left Canada almost four years ago thinking of how great Canada is and couldnt wait to get back! and how i am hearing more and more how difficult it is and just its really realy making me nervous as I am really scared that its nothing like what i remember it! and clearly perhaps i didnt really know Canada as i thought....

Would you say this ladies story is an exception? or this very common for most people immigrating over there??

i hope the link works http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=794189

SchnookoLoly

I saw that thread... I've pasted the entry here and have included my thoughts on a few of the points. These are only my thoughts and my own opinion.

I moved from Canada to the UK in 2008, and this was the same for me. I think this is a standard feeling whenever you move country. Moving from any country to another, particularly with a family, is never going to be easy, particularly if you're moving somewhere without a support system already set up - no family, no friends - you have to start over, and it is admittedly harder to make friends when you're later in life as opposed to earlier - but it's not impossible. It just takes a bit more work.

It's hard to say why this was - she doesn't say what line of work she's in, and under which category they moved under. Did they go as PRs, or did they go hoping to get TWP/LMO? It's hard to say.
Now, that being said, my husband is a PR, and has been searching for jobs in banking. He's very well qualified (Bachelors and Masters from Cambridge and is a Chartered Accountant) and has been working in the UK for two very well known international companies, and has excelled in both jobs. However, his frustration is the amount of "back-door" work that applying for jobs in Canada requires. Applying online is basically useless; you have to go through recruiters and/or personal contacts, you have to be persistent, and you have to be patient and not let people ignore you. You have to be willing to pester people, which is so far away from the British norm that Brits tend to find it difficult and a massive breach of socially acceptable behaviour - I'm having to push my husband quite hard to get over this mind block because it's just the way things work in Canada. We haven't moved yet, and he's hating this side of things, but he does understand that this is what is required to try to get a job.
So without knowing what she did, their line of work, their strategy... it's hard to say. I'm also not sure where she was living - was she in a big city, or was she in a suburb somewhere?

I don't mean to be unsympathetic with this one, and she did say that her mum died suddenly, but I don't see how this was "Canada"'s fault, if that makes sense... so I'm just going to skip over this point.

Again, don't know where she was living, but did she not look into the schools before she moved? The Canadian school system is very specific about children only attending the school in whose catchment area they live. Generally speaking, schools are not very accommodating or willing to cater for cross-boundary students. If they moved into the catchment area of a rough school, I can't help but think that was their fault. My husband and I have been researching the schools in the town we are looking to move to so that we can make sure we move to the correct catchment area, as there are some seedy schools in the general vicinity.

Same job comments as above. They also may have had to settle for jobs outside of their field if they were not applying as PRs.

Do not tell me you moved to Canada and you had misconceptions about what "winter" means in that country. Of all the stereotypes, this is the most common.
This is one of the huge positives with Canada - you get way more in terms of real estate. And clearly they highlight this as a plus.

Again, going to say this is not specific to Canada. I have met good and bad people in my time in the UK, and I will go back to Canada with both good and bad memories.

This is true - the mosquitos suck. But I don't think it's a reason to move - and it's not anything a bit of bug spray can't fix. Citronella is your friend...

Fair enough, at least she seems to be going back with a "glass is half-full" attitude, and as she says, if she is going to decide to go back then this timing makes sense because of her children's school timings.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

Edit: Just read the rest of that thread... so a few more thoughts.

1) She moved to North Bay, and another poster commented that they warned her about the shad flies and about the lack of jobs in North Bay. North Bay is about 3.5h's drive north of Toronto (map), and has a population of 53,600; if you read the Wikipedia entry and look at the economy, most of the jobs there are in public sector, and are focused on nature, health, education, and government.

She has also posted this:
I question how much research they did about the jobs - it doesn't take a genius to work out that North Bay is not close to any major cities and with a population of only 53,600 it's not going to offer a wide range other than what already exists there.

This post is now a billion years long so I'm just going to zip it.

scottish_maple

This is just there individual experience and although it maybe common, you are making your own life story. For every unfortunate story of a person/family making the decision to go back to the UK because they feel Canada wasn't for them there is another story to balance it out with how Canada was great for them or their family.

scottish_maple

This is what we are currently doing, I am well aware (not sure why, maybe just from TV) that Canada isnt as accommodating when it comes to which school you want your children to attend, so right now we are looking for places to live alongside looking at the schools in the area and judging our decision on both as we don't want to be moving a lot, we want her to feel as settled as possible as she is already giving up so much when we go.

ak9

And has that been your experience? A positive one??

scottish_maple

I have yet to move....lol I am still in the UK and my story has yet to start. However, I am in a similar boat to you where I am immigrating in Family Class and not based on moving for a job therefore my options are more open as to where we live etc.

I have my fears. I am 32 and am NOT much of a social butterfly, but that is because I have trust issues from past experiences however, I am going to have to learn to get over this as having to rely on my husband for emotional and moral support as well as being my life partner and my only friend, this will take it's toll on him.

I am very much a person that looks at the 'worst case scenario' and if it doesn't happen then it is a bonus.

I am not sure if I will live in Canada for the rest of my life, we may end up back in the UK, I love my country and I have a huge support system here, but I would rather have a 2 year adventure of being with my husband and my step children in Canada and give my daughter real life experience and opening up doors of different opportunities and look back at it thinking, I gave it a try rather than staying here and being comfortable.

It's scary, however, I believe there is a reason we have applied...something in our hearts or minds is telling us that this is the right thing to do right now. And although this immigration process is taking it's toll on my family (stressed), I know when I get on that plane a sense of relief and excitement about start a new chapter will be well worth it.

If you can afford it....take a trip there during the process, look at the area etc Although you are Canadian things change when you are away from your country and you are also in the same boat as non Canadians, you need to do research also, just like if you were out of the job market for a while....

SchnookoLoly

Off-topic, but I just got an email from my dad - my husband's PR card has arrived! YAY!

(Relevant because after we landed, we got a letter from CIC saying that the photos we provided were not correct - no idea what was wrong with them, but CIC didn't like them so we had to send new ones.)

Happy it's all done!

MrsL22

I'm not sure if this thread has gone off completely on a tangent, but incase anyone wants to know.

Application for PR sent - MAY 2012

PR Approved - Early MARCH 2013

Landed as PR - 27th MARCH 2013

Returned to UK - APRIL 2013 - still yoyoing between countries atm. Final move soon

SchnookoLoly

Hey, I've added you to the spreadsheet - when did you have sponsor approval? Congrats on getting it all sorted. (Things did go a bit off-topic but it's both for timelines/status updates and tends to have a few general questions in it as well. Don't worry, you're in the right place!)

scottish_maple

Awesome, CIC can be soo picky, but I am glad it is all sorted!

Jamesdavid3

Is there a Common-Law Thread which is the same for this as this is all mainly about the Spousal sponsorship ?

SchnookoLoly

Common-Law and Spousal are basically the same with a few minor changes in the forms and evidence required, but because they are processed through the same office they are basically comparable/equivalent, so both show up in this thread.

Jamesdavid3

I have a quick question,

I am currently trying to complete my Common-Law visa ASAP as my IEC visa ends in Jan 3rd 2013, so I have to get this end out before the end of May ASAP.

My Passport expires in May 2014, this wouldn't cause any issues with my visa would it, I know if everything goes well I would have received my PR by December/January and I would have already re-entered into Canada by then anyway.

Would I just do the normal process of just re-newing my passport while in Canada once I have my PR?

SchnookoLoly

Your passport expiring May 2014 won't be an issue. The only time they consider the expiry date of your passport is when they issue your COPR - if your passport expires within 1 year of your medical, then the expiry date on your COPR will be the same as on your passport. If your passport expires more than 1 year after your medicals, then the expiry date on COPR will be one year from your medicals (as your medical results are only valid for one year). Otherwise the expiry date doesn't matter.

orly

Yes