Job Discussion Forums

[Boy Wonder]

1. Fed up with the EFL grind and the ' wherever I lay my hat that's my home ' way of life....

2.Totally put off settling down in my own country due to 'New' Labours inability to do anything constructive to help out first time buyers in the UK.

I am thinking over emigrating full scale to the new lands....Canada...where until yesterday at least....
I had a girlfriend waiting for me and murmerings/vague mumbling of it being relatively easy for me....A staunch supporter of everything British....to settle down/find a job and live a full and fun life there!

Question is ....what is Canada like?.......Is my other 'alf just leading me along so she can get her hands all over my sexy body...or is Canada really the real deal?

Has anyone out there successfully negotiated cultural integration......?

And would I be better off living in downtown Calgary as oppose to Inner City Coventry?

Or should I just forget about the whole thing and continue baking home made Wagon Wheels from my roadside hut in Ho Chi Minh City??

[Varvian]

I don't anything about Canada other than it's REALLY COLD. My question is how comfortable would you feel in a country where the temperature drops to around -16 C in the winter?

[Mark-O]

From knowing people who are currently going through the Canadian immigration process, I've heard that it's very rigorous and selective (if you are looking for permanent residency). Places are only limited to 2-3000 per annum, I think. Not much for such a large country. The bureaucracy surrounding the application is as you'd expect: enormous and superfluous.

[spiral78]

Uh, I'm an American currently "serving three years time" (for partner's job) in downtown Calgary...............It's better than returning to my own country, where I haven't lived since 1997...........Well, we've got cowboys and oilmen and all the culture that goes along with them. The Rockies are under an hour's drive, so outdoor sports opps are super. But, speaking of cold, minus sixteen is an understatement on the previous poster's part. We saw temps around minus THIRTIES this past winter. I'm enjoying the three years, but Calgary forever - not for me!!

BTW, lots of teaching opps here as Calgary's got lots of emmigrants and foreigners visiting to learn language. However, most positions are not especially well paid. If you've got MA in the field, it's best to check out university programs; otherwise the big chain schools in the downtown are your best bet.

[Capergirl]

Okay, I'll be the 'token' Canadian and reply to this thread.

From http://www.saskschools.ca/~lyndale/canweb.html:

Immigration

Canada has one of the most positive immigration policies in the world. The Canadian Government plans to admit over 200,000 immigrants each year for the next five years. There is no quota based on either nationality or occupation.

In terms of standards of living, the United Nations has voted Canada as one of the best places in the world to live.

Top 10 Reasons for Immigrating to Canada

1.Successful Migration with full family.

2.Immigrant Visas issued within a reasonable time frame.

3.Migration possible for skilled workers as well as investors.

4.Many opportunities in the Information Technology sector for software professionals - over 20,000 jobs unfilled in the IT sector.

5.Eligibility for Canadian Citizenship within three years of arrival in Canada with permanent residence status.

6.Dual Citizenship allowed.

7.Entitlement to government welfare benefits (in case of necessity), free medical facilities, free education, old age insurance, unemployment insurance etc.

8.Minimal government regulations in starting your own business.

9.Access to the U.S. market based on the NAFTA Agreement.

10.The best country to live in the world - and the United Nations keeps reaffirming it!


If you want to know if you qualify, go here: http://canadavisa.com/english.htm.

If you want to find out more general information about Calgary, including the weather, try this site: http://www.foundlocally.com/calgary/Local/Info-CityInfo.htm.


I live on the East Coast and have never been to Calgary so I can only speak for my own part of the country. We do have very cold winters but if you dress for it, you'll survive. I have students who have come from tropical climates and who have adjusted wonderfully to our savage Canadian winters.

[Gordon]

I like Calgary, but it can get pretty cold. Like Capes said, you just dress for the cold weather. Vancouver or Victoria are much warmer, but it rains a lot and is more expensive than Calgary to live.

Canada goes on a points system to see if you are elegible to immigrate. I heard they recently lowered the score to attract more people.

[Louis]

I'll second Mark-O: having worked for the federal government, I've seen first-hand how long, expensive, frustrating and difficult it is to immigrate to Canada. Easier said than done.

[zaneth]

Do they take Americans? I've sometimes wondered if I could convince my wife to go to Canada with me. Kind of a compromise between Russia and America (yes, yes, I know Canada is in America, too). Similar climate to Russia, hitchhiking distance from my parents (Seattle).

But I've heard stories of Russians here having big headaches with the Canadian Embassy. It doesn't seem to be all that different from the American Embassy.

B.C., that's where I'd go. Maybe Nelson. Ah, the Kootenays. Maybe farther North.

I just don't think I qualify as a 'skilled worker.' "Uh, I can speak English?" Maybe my wife's degree would get us in, she's much better educated than me.

Do they check to see if you're actually working in the field you have a degree in?

[yaramaz]

A good friend of mine from France just got his Canadian citizenship after three years in Canada. His immigration process seemed strangely easy after all I'd heard. He got his initial permit without much fus. He does something akin to metallurgy (not sure the details but last I heard he was making crystals for medical purposes). I think he only has a B.Sc. When he came over (legally) he worked at Safeway in Vancouver. Not exactly related to his field. At that time he also studied English, which was not at all fluent on arrival (it's perfect now).

As for climate... I'm currently back on Vancouver Island to see my parents, where winters are pretty mild and the political climate is much more laid back than in other places I've ventured. Admittedly it's more expensive to live here and jobs are harder to find but.. well, it's really nice here. Prices are lower up Island though, in the Cowichan Valler and Nanaimo areas, or Courtenay-Comox.

[Jetgirly]

Price wise, I have found living in Victoria to be quite similar to living in Calgary. My absolute favorite place in Calgary to live would be Kensington... it is one train stop away from downtown, or a ten/fifteen minute walk across the river into town... but it is adorable. Not too expensive either... I had friends living in a nice 2-br apartment for $875/monthly. Don't live on the East side of the city (Northeast or Southeast) because it's dirty. Calgary winters are cold but manageable... I usually wore a t-shirt under a wool coat and was fine outdoors. Anything heavier than a t-shirt or VERY light long-sleeved shirt would just kill me when I got back inside... inside Calgary can be hotter than hell in the middle of winter thanks to all the indoor heating. If you live right downtown in Calgary, you can get around through the Plus 15 system (overhead walkways) for most of the downtown core, so you don't actually have to go outside. It hardly ever rains, which is good if you have frizzy/wavy hair. In April 2003 when I left Calgary, I remember spending four days suntanning in my bikini on the lawn at U of C, going inside and about eight hours later being in the middle of a huge blizzard!


I live in Victoria now and it's a great city too. I have an awesome 2-br apartment for $850 monthly, utilities come to about $120 more each month (phone, cable, internet and hydro). I can walk to downtown in fifteen minutes, bus to downtown in five minutes, walk to grocery stores, the pool, nightclubs, shopping malls, parks, etc... There are "less nice" areas of town that aren't actually that bad (especially if you have a car)... I've heard of 3-br houses in Esquimalt renting for $500 monthly, and know a guy with a GREAT apartment (pool, squash courts, sauna, waterfront, parking, etc) on the border of downtown/Esquimalt who pays less than I do. The weather in Victoria RARELY drops below zero... we get a few snow days each winter but other than that the only weather problem is RAIN.

I think that if you look around and shop at the right time, living almost anywhere in Canada (save downtown Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver) can be very affordable.

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

I am both British and Canadian so let me give you what (I think) would be useful information.

First of all, if you want to just immigrate to Canada, you need a sponsor.

Failing that, you need a certain amount of money as an investment.

Failing that, you need to have certain skills deemed required.

Canada is kind of like a mix between America and Britain.

On TV, you can watch many popular shows that appear back in the old country. Coronation Street, Neighbours, Eastenders, etc.

If you fancy a pint in a pub, not a problem. There is a large British community in Canada, particularly in BC and most particularly on Vancouver Island.

Hmm...

Maybe you know all this.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

Canada can be a great place to live if you have money and a job.

If you do not have a job, then it is very difficult to get one (I'm from Toronto and have also lived in Ottawa, so it may be harder than in other areas). Toronto is a very expensive place to live. Fortunately, there are a lot of jobs in Toronto; unfortunately for every job there are hundreds of applicants.

Thousands of Canadians who graduate university every year leave and go to Korea to work. This is because thousands of university graduates cannot find emplment in Canada (part time retail is a very popular career "choice" for a lot of university graduates. As is the "choice" to move back in with their parents). Why Korea? Because with Korean companies, normally the employer pays for the flight over. There are (of course) many people who really want to get overseas and there are many (myself included) who actually train to be an ESL teacher after their undergrad for a year and then come overseas (qualified to teach ESL in Canada and Ontario, but alas, no jobs).

Most of the time in order to obtain employment in Canada (in the province of Ontario at any rate) in entry level to intermedate level positions you need to do a college level (or occasionally univertsity level) certificate in the area first. These take a year, and require either a college diploma or a university degree to get in. There is no such thing as training by employers in Canada, or at least in Toronto, or Ottawa. If you choose the wrong field (you complete the certificate no probs, but cannnot get a job in that field due to the hundreds of applicants, other than the odd contract position and sometimes the contract is done on a daily basis, and can be worded in such a way as to prevent you from actually getting paid for the work- like a commision only type contract) you will find yourself doing it again (so another year of earning potential gone, as well as the thousands in tuition, living expenses and books). I'm writing this because many immigrants find that their own credentials are not recognized by employers in Canada, and so end up having to go the college route even if they have several years of experience and a degree in the field from their country of birth.

ETA:

See article from today's Toronto Star:

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1090447813631&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154

[Jetgirly]

My dad has a B.Eng. from University of Toronto. He runs his own project management company. I have seen resumes that he has received from people who have immigrated to Canada... often times they have higher credentials than he does (I don't know the exact name... probably a Masters of Engineering or something) and are currently working as custodians or McDonalds employees. BC is a terrible place to look for work... I highly doubt that I will ever want to return here.

BUT IT'S REALLY NICE HERE! Lots of trees! Clean air! Pretty view out my bedroom window! Nice people! Lots of fresh vegetables! CHEAP drinks at nightclubs!

[yaramaz]

Jetgirly, you're in Victoria right? I'm here too, but just for the summer. I did my degree here but failed riotously to find steady decent employment before, during and after I got it. Lots of part time retail. Strangely, I left for several years mid degree and easily found work in several countries, which gave me the illusion that I was employable in my home land. How wrong I was. I came back, finished my BA, worked for $9 an hour part time as a cashier (couldnt even waitress because I had no experience), did my TEFL and found quite a few subbing jobs in language schools but nothing permanent or full time. This is not unusual. I have friends here who at 30 have moved back in with parents or had to dip into RRSPs to subsidise their piddly jobs. Fun. But jeeze, it's real purty here! I live in Vic West (wrong side of the tracks but not yet esquimalt) right down by the water and it's lovely and there are cafes and pubs and other happy things. But I can say this without a hint of panic because I'm only here for the summer and have a job to go back to in Sept.

I guess I should have gone into metallurgy. My french friend is doing too well...

[Gordon]

Jetgirly and yaramaz,

Are there any good colleges around Victoria that have ESL programs? What about UVIC? I'm not talking about language schools, but post secondary colleges.
I'm in Vancouver now on holidays, but have been considering going to the Victoria area in a couple of years when my Masters is complete. You can only live in Japan for so long. Vancouver is just too expensive to buy a house. You can PM me if you don't want the whole world to know.