For AINP Applicants - ONLY those who have plans to relocate in summer 2009

[Jacaranda]

I agree, plus communication skills are also way important than what most immigrants usually envision, esp in the west. Adding to aNewHope: you may be a renowned medical professional in your respective country but if you are not able to understand what the patient says/ express clearly the medical diagnosis, you would end up driving a taxi...

I just don't get where all this surprise and outrage is coming from. 

It is natural for any person to give more value to educational qualifications from an institution they recognize.  Say you are a bank in Mumbai and someone asks you for a job saying that they have an MBA from the University of Burundi, and that they do not have any Indian experience but they have 5 years of extensive experience with the largest commercial bank in Burundi, would you give them a job?  You would be more willing to consider them if they had a degree from India and work experience in India or if they had a degree from the US or UK and their experience was from those countries.

Why should the rules be any different for Canadian employers?  I am sure US education and experience are sufficiently recognized in Canada.  If they do not place much faith in educational qualification and experience from, say, India/ Singapore/Hong Kong or any other places - there is a work around - get qualifications/experience in Canada.  Those are the rules of the game!  Immigration typically involves some level of reset in one's career and if one is not prepared to accept it, then perhaps immigration is not a wise option for him/her.  All those reports of doctors and lawyers from Pakistan/Bangladesh/India driving cabs in Canada - why is that a surprise, they did not update their credentials in Canada.  Again, if I were in India and had to visit a doctor's office, I would hesitate to go to a doctor from Congo unless he has a certificate from the Indian medical board.  Why should Canada be any different.

[cchabert]

• Should I book apartment/condo for long lease or temporary stay (friend/hotel) for a week initially and look for rentals after landing?
• Moving furniture/car from USA or buy everything in Canada and start from scratch?
• Should I, alongwith my family, get PR and then come back to get my belongings?
• How to manage transfer/sale of banks funds, 401k, Employee stocks, etc?
• What documents will help me in Canada - latest credit scores from all three agencies, good-will letter from community for future lease, letter from banks. etc

Please share anything you think will make relocation smoother.

Please chime.
Taps

This is what I'm planning to do:

1.- Arriving at Calgary with already some apartments to see, but I heard you can get to the apartment at the beginning of each months, so I don;t want to paid extended stay in hotels.
2.- For Furniture I'll keep some pieces of it, everybody I have asking about it, they told me to bring as much I can afford because is more expensive over there, you can search on Ikea  Calgary and Ikea on your city and compare prices.
3.- That depends of you, in my case I'll live my belongings with a friend and send the truck later, I'm not planning to come back. if you go and then come back is more money to expend.
4.- I have all my money in RBC as soon I land I'll open on the same bank and transfer online the funds.
5.- A) Bring your driving record from the DMV this will help to have your new drivers license.
B) Bring your insurance record, here is not guarantee but it can help to have a good rate, car insurance is way more expensive there than here in USA.
C) On your credit history there is no guarantee that it will help, you'll start from scratch it may help to buy a car or house (For a house you need 20% for down payment, there is not like was here that you buy a house with 0% down), but wont hurt to bring it.

When are you moving? did get your passport request already?

[Tapak]

• Should I book apartment/condo for long lease or temporary stay (friend/hotel) for a week initially and look for rentals after landing?
• Moving furniture/car from USA or buy everything in Canada and start from scratch?
• Should I, alongwith my family, get PR and then come back to get my belongings?
• How to manage transfer/sale of banks funds, 401k, Employee stocks, etc?
• What documents will help me in Canada - latest credit scores from all three agencies, good-will letter from community for future lease, letter from banks. etc

Please share anything you think will make relocation smoother.

Please chime.
Taps

This is what I'm planning to do:

1.- Arriving at Calgary with already some apartments to see, but I heard you can get to the apartment at the beginning of each months, so I don;t want to paid extended stay in hotels.
2.- For Furniture I'll keep some pieces of it, everybody I have asking about it, they told me to bring as much I can afford because is more expensive over there, you can search on Ikea  Calgary and Ikea on your city and compare prices.
3.- That depends of you, in my case I'll live my belongings with a friend and send the truck later, I'm not planning to come back. if you go and then come back is more money to expend.
4.- I have all my money in RBC as soon I land I'll open on the same bank and transfer online the funds.
5.- A) Bring your driving record from the DMV this will help to have your new drivers license.
B) Bring your insurance record, here is not guarantee but it can help to have a good rate, car insurance is way more expensive there than here in USA.
C) On your credit history there is no guarantee that it will help, you'll start from scratch it may help to buy a car or house (For a house you need 20% for down payment, there is not like was here that you buy a house with 0% down), but wont hurt to bring it.

When are you moving? did get your passport request already?

cchabert, Thanks for sharing your relocation plan; I must admit it is a better than mine. I could learn few things.

My plan as of now:
A. I have shortlisted couple of areas for apartment rental purpose. I will land, along with my family, stay in hotel for few days (I will burn all my spg points.) Personally visit few rental properties and move within a week. Few weeks ago, I put up an ad on craigslist and kiijii for rentals; I would have got better response if my relocation was due in next month or earlier.
B. Once I get PPR, I am planning to get estimates for moving my car and furniture. If moving costs are significantly higher, I might just move some of my belongings and sell my car. I will buy a new car in Calgary on loan, giving me an opportunity to build my credit score for future high ticket items like home.
C. Pardon my ignorance, but what is RBC. I would like to consider that money transfer option. I tried to find if HSBC was an option but it seems that one needs 100k for premier membership.
D. I will get my credit reports and driving history from DPS,TX few weeks before my departure. Though I have heard conflicting reports, I will carry these reports, hoping that they would help.
E. I have my resume on workapolis as well as monster.ca. I got couple of responses for openings in Toronto and other non-AB places. I have updated my profile to let prospective employers know that I just need offer letter since I have been nominated under AINP. I am pretty hopeful of getting job in Calgary.

Unfortunately, my plan is in thin air, since I haven't received my PPR yet. I need to give atleast 2 months notice for apartment lease break. If I don't get my PPR before end of this month, my relocation will be postponed until next summer. This is purely due to my kids' education.

Taps

[cchabert]

RBC = Royal Bank of Canada = http://www.rbc.com/

On the car I was thinking to drive over there, it can easy pass 3 months until you get a descent job and you need to move every day to do the job interviews also that way you don;t drain your savings on down payments for the car and monthly payments, at the beginning I think your only expense will be rent and food, the more time pass with out a job the more stress as you can see your savings going fast and more if you come with nothing and start buying from scratch. And I have two small daughters too so I don;t want them to see daddy scratching his head trying to figure out how to stretch the savings.

Also you have to be careful about the first days in a hotel, one friend of mine who is already in Calgary since 2006 expend one month in a hotel because he can't move to the apartment until the end of the month, right there was like $3000 plus $5000 of a used car, plus clothing for winter and food, right there it can be easy 50 to 60% of your savings, assuming you came with only the $20,000 CAD that CIC require.

[kool]

I am interested to know if it is possible to get personal loan from US bank to invest in Canada ? I have excellent credit history in USA and loan offers come very frequently. Will it be a good idea to get personal loan from USA bank and invest them in Canada ? I am thinking of opening a convenience store if i don't get job in Canada within 2/3 months of landing.

[rascojenkins]

Well I thing the bank will like to give you a loan where they'll watch you use it well and pay them back. However if you could convince the bank to Loan you the money without telling them you'll invest out of the country then it's up to to invest it in Canada.

[cchabert]

I forgot to mention that the landlord will require a deposit for your rent and it can be between one to 4 months, so be prepare on this too

[npnotesin]

Free Checking Bank accounts in Canada

President Choice Financial - "No Fee" Checking account
http://www.banking.pcfinancial.ca/a/rates/noFeeBankAccountRate.page?referid=rightnav_rates

Citizens Bank of Canada - Global Checking Account
https://www.citizensbank.ca/Personal/Products/BankAccounts/GlobalChequing/
https://www.citizensbank.ca/SharedContent/documents/forms/ScheduleOfServiceCharges.pdf

Coast Capital Savings - "Free Checking, debit and more account"
https://www.coastcapitalsavings.com/Personal/Banking/Chequing_Accounts/Free_Chequing_Free_Debit/

Comparison with RBC, Scotiabank etc
https://www.coastcapitalsavings.com/Personal/Banking/Chequing_Accounts/Free_Chequing_Free_Debit/Shop_and_Compare/

[cchabert]

Here you can have and idea of food prices:

http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20081105/CGY_grocery_basket_081104/20081105?hub=CalgaryHome

[Tapak]

RBC = Royal Bank of Canada = http://www.rbc.com/

On the car I was thinking to drive over there, it can easy pass 3 months until you get a descent job and you need to move every day to do the job interviews also that way you don;t drain your savings on down payments for the car and monthly payments, at the beginning I think your only expense will be rent and food, the more time pass with out a job the more stress as you can see your savings going fast and more if you come with nothing and start buying from scratch. And I have two small daughters too so I don;t want them to see daddy scratching his head trying to figure out how to stretch the savings.

Also you have to be careful about the first days in a hotel, one friend of mine who is already in Calgary since 2006 expend one month in a hotel because he can't move to the apartment until the end of the month, right there was like $3000 plus $5000 of a used car, plus clothing for winter and food, right there it can be easy 50 to 60% of your savings, assuming you came with only the $20,000 CAD that CIC require.

Thanks for info about RBC. This really helps.

[dnataraj]

Looks like at HSBC Canada one can open an account even before entering Canada once PRR is in hand.

https://www.hsbc.ca/1/2/en/personal/chequing-savings/hsbc-passport

[rascojenkins]

Looks like at HSBC Canada one can open an account even before entering Canada once PRR is in hand.

https://www.hsbc.ca/1/2/en/personal/chequing-savings/hsbc-passport

Dna,
      This is very good infor.