WILL I ....FOR ALL EXPERTS (SHARON,RAJ,MIKE....)

Canada Immigration Forum (discussion group)


 
       
Subject: WILL I ....FOR ALL EXPERTS (SHARON,RAJ,MIKE....)
  HI ALL!

I AM NEW TO THIS VERY INFORMATIVE FORUM, ITS AMAZING HOW PEOPLE LIKE SHARON, RAJ, MIKE AND OTHERS ARE SPENDING THEIR VALUABLE TIME FOR THE SAKE OF NEW IMMIGRANTS WHO INVARIABLY WILL BE PASSING THRU ONE OF THE MOST TURBULENT TIMES IN THEIR LIFE WITH HIGH EXPECTIONS ON ONE SIDE AND INSECURITY OF THE UNKNOWN OR PROBABLE FAILURE ON THE OTHER SIDE.SO HATS OF TO YOU GUYS - KEEP IT UP.

AS FOR MYSELF I AM ONE AMONG THE PROBABLE SKILLED CAT IMMIGRANT FROM BANGALORE - JUST GOT MY MEDICALS REQUEST
I AM 43 YRS AN MECH ENGINEER - MBA WITH 17 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN INDUSTRIAL (TECHNICAL) SALES AND MARKETING WORKING AS DGM (DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER) IN A BRITISH MNC.WELL SETTLED WITH WIFE ALSO WORKING AS INSURANCE EXECUTIVE IN GOVT COMPANY.

WOULD ANY OF YOU LEND YOUR COMMENTS ON THE FOLLOWING:

1)IS IT JUSTIFIED LEAVING ALL THE ABOVE AND RELOCATE TO CANADA HOPING FOR A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE WHICH AFTER GOING THRU YOUR FORUM DISCUSSION LOOKS VERY UNCERTAIN.
2)EVEN IF I BRAVELY TAKE A DICISION AND MAKE THE MOVE, WILL I SUCCEED IN YOUR COUNTRY.
3)WHICH IS THE BEST CITY FOR MY BACK GROUND TO SETTLE.
4)WHAT SALARYY CAN I EXPECT.
5)WILL IT BE BETTER IF I GET SOME CANADIAN QUALIFICATION.
6)WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF MY WIFE GETTING AN IMMEDIATE JOB WHO IS A COMMERCE GRADUATE AND A INSURANCE SPECIALIST.
7)INITIAL PER MONTH EXPENSES FOR MYSELF CONSIDERING A SIMPLE DECENT LIVING TILL I GET MY FIRST JOB.

WITH ALL THE ABOVE YOU ALL MAY THINK I AM WEAK HEARTED, NO NOT EXACTLY - i JUST WANT BE SURE OF WHAT I AM UP TO IN THE COMING MONTHS.

WITH JUST 40 MILLION POPULATION IN SECOND LARGEST COUNTRY - I THINK CANADA HAS GOOD FUTURE AND I SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE IT WITH MY SKILLS!

BUT THE FEAR OF INSECURITY ALWAYS SUCKS US.

PLEASE HELP ME BY ANSWERING TO THE ABOVE.

CHEERS!
RAMESH

1)

[20-04-2008,01:25]
[**.92.196.128]
RAMESH.C.S
(in reply to: WILL I ....FOR ALL EXPERTS (SHARON,RAJ,MIKE....))
At your age and experience moving to Canada is not worth unles you want to put in time and effort to do PEng or PIng Depending on where you go. Salary you can expect is 6000 dollars a month after taxes comparable spending power ot 70000 a month. Cheers!!!
[20-04-2008,01:31]
[**.140.244.85]
Vinod
(in reply to: WILL I ....FOR ALL EXPERTS (SHARON,RAJ,MIKE....))
This type of decision is a personal decision.

You have already applied and just got your medicals so your close to the finish line and now your getting cold feet!

Buy a warm pair of socks and since you have not done sufficient research in your opinion, do more.

The process is like any other major decision others can recommend this or that but in the final second you have to say Yes or No!

Roy
www.cvimmigration.com

[20-04-2008,10:35]
[**.55.218.226]
Roy
(in reply to: WILL I ....FOR ALL EXPERTS (SHARON,RAJ,MIKE....))
Roy is absolutely correct. Just getting through the application process is an enormous ordeal, so you must have felt pretty strongly when you applied that it was a good idea to move yourself and your family half way across the globe.

Do your homework to answer your above questions. Make Google your friend. There are wonderful websites for every Canadian city and small town, each listing major employers for their region. Make a habit out of checking the daily newspapers available online for job postings, apartment rentals, and home prices, as well as for general issues, concerns, and cultures of each area you are considering.

Ask yourself some basic questions ie: what kind of weather can you handle, and some hard ones ie: what kind of lifestyle are you expecting immediately and then in the near future?

Familiarize yourself with Canada´s regions; it is a much larger and much more diverse country than many people realize. Narrow your search down and invest in taking a trip there before jumping in.

Monster.ca is a fine place to start looking at the job situation. For eastern Canada, careerbeacon.com is a great resource. Also search under "careers" on individual company websites; familiarize yourself with what is out there and tailor your search accordingly.

No one here can tell you whether moving to Canada will be "worth it" to you. For some, it is an economic move, for others a spiritual one. We all have our individual reasons, and only you know yourself and your situation to make such an enormous decision. Good luck to you.

[20-04-2008,15:25]
[**.189.189.252]
wannabecanadian
(in reply to: WILL I ....FOR ALL EXPERTS (SHARON,RAJ,MIKE....))
I have moved, quickly settled into a job, and continue to live on high horse, so to speak. It will be 3 years in month and I am almost 100 thousand ahead in savings... and it will increase further this year. Now I am not trying to get you excited. I am a high-powered technocrat from the US. What will happen to you? Very difficult to say. Will they accept all your work experience? Obviously they did, for the evaluation of PR eligibility. Will the job market take into account the valuation done for immigration? NO. Job market stands on its own independent feet. It is upto you to convince them that they need your services. If anything you do needs licensing or certification (Canadian), you have to do additional work before looking for work.

Basically you are doing good in your country but want more. What if you can´t work for 6 months, 1 year or for several years? Can you absorb the shock with grace? The best course of action for folks like you (in the midst of a career): take non-paid leave of absence from work for 1 full year, or whatever length of time they will allow you. Do this right before moving here. Once you are here, if things go your way, you can politely inform your employers of your decision to quit. If you run into brick walls and can´t stand the protracted demands for improvement of credentials, you can make whatever way you perceive is best, then decide if you really want to stick it out or fold. Canada is best for folks who have nothing to lose back in their countries. Or for people like me who have lost employment for any reason and found one here, and hence the move. People who were doing great at home but were driven by a need to prove their worth in a western system or suffered delusions of grandeur they might achieve by simply being in the West, may not take the shock well. Some Indians in the past said they were shocked at the prospect of working in a warehouse lifting weights or pushing carts or cleaning floors or working as a javan in front of stores, all because they were experts in something or other at home! You have to have a great healthy predisposition to work itself. Any work ennobles human life! Not just easy administrative work. Canadians greatly respect those that prescribe to this notion. In Toronto, my taxi driver was from Pakistan. He said he was a king there but here he had to drive taxi so his family will continue to feed! I said there is nothing wrong with driving taxi... the goal is to get money. You could even rob a bank if ya know how. LOL. Anyways, the final call is yours and you will be held responsible for your decision both by the society (here and there in India) and your dependents. Good luck.

[20-04-2008,19:16]
[***.202.38.47]
Elvii
(in reply to: WILL I ....FOR ALL EXPERTS (SHARON,RAJ,MIKE....))
Wow I need to pat myself on the shoulder! I hate writing treatises but wrote a very long one above! I hope you read it more than once if needed and think it through! So my time wasn´t wasted on that.
[20-04-2008,19:27]
[***.202.38.47]
Elvii
(in reply to: WILL I ....FOR ALL EXPERTS (SHARON,RAJ,MIKE....))
First of all thanks for considering me an expert and mentioning my name with real experts like Roy and Sharon. I can understand what you are trying to ask and it is very natural if you are concerned about your future life in Canada. This is not a strange feeling and you can be concerned about this serious issue at any stage of immigration process.

I can see that you are a succesful person and spending a propserous life in your country which makes you a strong Candidate for immigration to Canada and you will defintely get it.

Let me give you the bigger picture of Canada and what would be your chances of success after you move to the country. Instead of going into giving you advises before hand that you do this and that kind of degrees, i would advise you to choose the right place to land. Toronto is not the right place land anymore, let me be very honest with you. We have doctors and engineers driving cabs in Toronto because the city is over crowded and job opportunities rtelated to one´s profession are less. Survival jobs are many, gives you atleast 9 to 12 dollars an hour.

I would suggest that you must do some research and start applying jobs in Alberta, Calgary, Fort McMurray, Sasketchwan, or even Nunavut. These place are full with opportunities and people do not like to move there for several minor reasons.

I am sking when you move from one country to another then what difference does it make if you live in Toronto or Calgary. You will enjoy the worst weather conditions even in Toronto. While in other places you can enjoy the Canadian beauty with propserity. Toronto should not be a hot place for immigrants/newcomers anymore. Because this place has accomodated more than it possibly can.

So my serious advice is that do some research about the places i told you, find employers, start sending you resumes because they are looking for people and choose a nice beautiful place (NOT TORONTO) and i am sure you will easily be able to make your life here.

Other than this, as a newcomer some challenges are built it so be prepared and give yourself few months atleast if not a year to completely to know the system and every thing.

I wish you all the best and May God bless you . Amen

[20-04-2008,21:18]
[**.251.73.156]
Mike
(in reply to: WILL I ....FOR ALL EXPERTS (SHARON,RAJ,MIKE....))
Ramesh,
It seems like you are doing pretty good where you are now, and there has to be really compelling reasons for you to think about making that move to Canada. Now, if you are doing it just because some of your friends have done it.... then think again, I´m not discouraging you, but point out that sometimes we get into the crowd mentality. Just make sure that the reason you wanted to migrate in the first place is still the same that you had in mind when you filled out the application, and you can justify that every day you are living in Bangalore.

Another good thing is also to do some cross comparison within India (you may have already done this).... like why not relocate to Hyderabad, or Delhi or Mumbai or whatever city you can think of. Even though its within India some of the issues will be common to your projected move to Canada, like new surroundings and having to deal with language concerns etc. You did not mention it, but do you have kids ? I think they will adjust pretty fast, but make sure they understand whats going to happen to them when they make this move like new schools, new friends etc.

Ok, lets move ahead.... another important thing you need to find out is how soon can your family settle down and start earning enough to be able to lead a reasonable life.... ! (Hint: Don´t think about 9-12 dollars an hour jobs as a permanent solution, its not worth it.) Your education and professional experience may or may not be of much use in Canada. In occupations like sales and marketing, knowledge of the local market is invaluable, so unless you have experience dealing with the western world, you might have to pass through a adjustment phase.... you may have to enroll in a university, and sometimes that can help you find some suitable job openings too. I can´t give you a time frame or any assurances on that my friend.

Do some job related searches and see if you find openings that might fit your skill, same for your wife. Most of the jobs may not make the job search engines because they are already filled through word of mouth and recommendations by peers and relatives, so do you have some family / friends in Canada so that you can get into the networking scene pretty fast, this might be very important factor for your profession if its not in that much demand.

Toronto is like New york in the sense that its the gateway for immigrants coming into those two countries, keep your options open, your first priority is to get some "Canadian experience" in your relevant profession as soon as possible, so be open to move wherever necessary. Also it will help if you can bring enough $$$$ to help you relocate.... If you cannot find a good job, you may have to take up the 9-12 hr temporary jobs as I discussed before. How comfortable are you if you see your life savings dwindle for the short term ? Some people panic, some don´t.... think about it. You are an immigrant and be prepared to struggle initially as its a new place, Canada is a great country, but being prepared before you move is the key, a lot of immigrants are not happy for the wrong reasons.... some have very high expectations.... be reasonable, I´m telling you this because you are already in the 40s now, you may find it too much to give up some of the luxuries you are enjoying now.... LOL.

There is a lot more info that has been discussed previously in this forum on this topic, so try to scan through a few posts every day to see if you can get some other valuable ideas....

And finally.... do not burn your bridges.... if it does not work out, make sure you can go back and still lead a better life !!

Wish you good luck !

[21-04-2008,13:30]
[***.242.242.2]
Raj
(in reply to: WILL I ....FOR ALL EXPERTS (SHARON,RAJ,MIKE....))
Ramesh,

Raj gave you very good & realistic suggestions.

I strongly would suggest you to give a trial alone before finally selling everything.. moving with family. Come and stay in Canada for few months.

Why?

I guess your main concern is job related and in that respect, to be honest the Canadian professional market is super saturated. Every year there are many thousands coming like you and you have to compete with the locals as well who are already many steps ahead than you. To bite the market you need to have something unique. So, don´t simply reply on your Indian credentials..experience. Those would basically mean nothing. You have to brush yourself. How? take local degree/courses/ceritifcations and most importantly building up personal relation. That´s the key factor for success in Canada. Remember that many guys with local degrees remain unemployed as well because of no personal conenction. In short that will be your way. Some people can make out of it, then the outcome would be huge no doubt.

Be specific in your research. You are an engineer so have a look in that point. Don´t simply read the unemployment rate..GDP..like data. Try to see how many Mechanical engineers similar to your case are successful, specially the immigrants. I´m not trying to scare you, but be realistic and asssess.
http://www.eng4eng.ca/background.htm
http://www.ospe.on.ca/pdf/CCE_OctNovSpeakingOut.pdf

Only if you have the mentality like Elvii say "I said there is nothing wrong with driving taxi... the goal is to get money" then you can come without any hesitation. Many highly educated professionals are continuing menial jobs and some of them are still happy.

Good Luck.

[21-04-2008,16:03]
[***.219.255.152]
DC
Will I.... (in reply to: WILL I ....FOR ALL EXPERTS (SHARON,RAJ,MIKE....))
Roy,Raj,Mike,DC,Wannabe and ELvi, (Sharon??????)

Many thanks to all of you.

I must appologise for the delay in conveying thanks to all of you especially to Elvi- Yes indeed I read it more than twice!

Relocating permenantly to a different country is never an easy decision to make for any body, I know it will be compromises all the way but than no body has prevented people like me from continuing to stay comfortably in our present place so all of you are right.

My logic for my decision is if I could succeed professionally in a country like India which under any yardstick is a much tougher place than I must be able to do well for both myself and my adopted homeland, so will give it a try and if by any chance I fail, I can always come back to my mother land and pick up the thread where I left which should not be difficult with India likely to continue its grotwh story (8%+ GDP) for atleast another decade.

Thanks once again for all the time and efforts that you guys put to make this forum hilghly informative for the likely immigrants.

I think it will be most usefull if people who use this forum before landing in Canada continue to share their post landing experiences.I will defnitly come back and share my post landing(settling) experience in this forum

Cheers!
Ramesh




[16-05-2008,08:04]
[***.248.37.161]
Ramesh
(in reply to: WILL I ....FOR ALL EXPERTS (SHARON,RAJ,MIKE....))
sounds like you are feeling a little better about the whole thing.

Good luck to you - I am sure all will be fine.

[16-05-2008,14:35]
[**.155.160.37]
Sharon