Singaporean applicants under FSW

[abelkwh]

Wife's aunt and cousins over in Calgary and Chestermere.

What are the attractions in Regina? Affordable real estate? Jobs?

Hi Tran

I am heading to Uni there to take up a program, cause most of the unis do not have the program that i am interested in and also i was late for applications for the limited program available in Alberta unis, thats why heading to regina. Anyhow, Sk is a fast developing economy now with lower rental, lower cost of living and also plenty of excellent incentives and benefits for new immigrants.

[jnathan]

abel

Do you know if Universities or institutions offer programs in cheaper rates comparing to other provinces in Canada? Youre gonna be a full or part timer to study there? Are jobs available in Regina?

[abelkwh]

Jnathan,

Generally, tuition fees and total program fees are cheaper in Mantioba, Sakatscheawan and Alberta for PRs and Canadian Citizens. Quebec, actually offers the lowest fees if u are a Quebec resident, but as PRs, fees are also relatively cheap in Quebec but not cheaper than Quebec residents. Fees in Ontario and BC are generally more expensive and also living cost are also higher compared to Alberta and Sk or Manitoba. Another factor which determines the fees is the program which u are interested in.

I am going to be a full time student. Whether if there are jobs available there depends on which industry and also yr jobs description.

So what programs or province u are interested in? jnathan?

[jnathan]

abel

Thanks for your info.
I love IT, have been working in the field of IT since starting my career in 2004.
its still very early to say such things tho.
I would study and work in IT. I'd go anywhere depending on the conveniences that would suit my education, skills and needs.

I guess ON is the main target for 99% of the aspirant PR's.

[abelkwh]

good for u, just get ready a sum of money for yrself to be educated in Canada if u really want to settle down and find job easily cause without the proper canadian qualification, it aint that easy to find the ideal job or sector that u want. Also be ready for higher cost of education cost and also higher living cost if u are keen in staying in Ontario.

[mediajunkie]

Hey Tran and everyone else,

Sorry been away for a while. Just started working at a new temp job at a call center. The assignment is only for a month, but they offered extra money and overtime to work weekends so I decided to take up that offer. The job is not easy because everyone calls up to yell or complain, especially on weekends and because we are dealing with sensitive information I'm not allowed to surf the net or even have a pen and paper or cell phone while at the table. I'm especially busy because people keep directing all their French and Spanish and even Chinese callers to me. Only good thing is that the hours are great because I don't have to deal with rush-hour traffic and the time passes extremely fast.

There are about 50+ people working with me and I would say that about 90% of them are recent immigrants who have come over in the last few years. Not a single white face in there. Most of them are graduates and all say the same thing, about how hard it is to get a job in Canada without the Canadian work experience or more importantly - 3 Canadian work references. There's this filipino girl who used to be head nurse and now she has to go back to nursing school and is working this job and at starbucks at the same time. And there's this Iranian girl who I'm friend's with and she tells me that her entire family is university educated, but they're all working at Tim Hortons.

Anyway, tran, I've decided that I'm moving to Alberta. The 5% sales tax is extremely attractive since I'm paying 13% here in Ontario, plus whatever increase since the new HST was introduced. Income tax seems to be a lot higher in Alberta though. My parents want to move over there too and I told them it was okay on the condition that I get my own place away from them. It will probably be in 2-3 years though because my parents want to wait for my brother to finish university, and I have to finish school as well. So maybe once you've settled in Calgary in we'll head over to pay you a visit to reccy the place a bit.

[tran]

Hi mediajunkie,

"The job is not easy because everyone calls up to yell or complain,...." It reminds me of my basic military training(BMT) days.
After getting a skinhead haircut, yelled at day and night. Maybe it's a ritual every newly-arrived immigrant needs to go through.

Besides the 5% sales tax, what are the other pull factors of Alberta? For me, I always feel that Alberta and Saskatchewan
are the "have-everything" provinces of Canada.

[ahorse]

Hello Seniors,
please share: usually how long the E-status will change to Medical results received after CHC Singapore receives medical examination results.
Thanks
ahorse

[BDSkilled]

Please see my timeline

[ahorse]

BDSkilled,
thanks.

[tran]

A little update on Calgary.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2010/07/22/calgary-census-growth-slows.html

[maoist]

hi mediajunkie

when are you moving to calgary?

Anyway, tran, I've decided that I'm moving to Alberta. The 5% sales tax is extremely attractive since I'm paying 13% here in Ontario, plus whatever increase since the new HST was introduced. Income tax seems to be a lot higher in Alberta though. My parents want to move over there too and I told them it was okay on the condition that I get my own place away from them. It will probably be in 2-3 years though because my parents want to wait for my brother to finish university, and I have to finish school as well. So maybe once you've settled in Calgary in we'll head over to pay you a visit to reccy the place a bit.

[mediajunkie]

hi mediajunkie

when are you moving to calgary?

2-3 years, after I finish school. It may not be Calgary, because I do not think that property prices in Calgary are exactly that low. Also considering Edmonton. If I can get a good job here in Ontario I may not move at all. Alberta may have lower sales tax compared to Ontario, but Alberta has much higher income tax. I don't buy many things, so sales tax may not matter as much except for when I'm buying property. But income tax is taken out of every paycheck. I made $450 last week and my paycheck after taxes came to $314 after taxes, employment insurance, and Canada Pension Plan (CPP). I imagine that that it would be less than $300 in Alberta.

My dad likes Calgary because it is close to the West Coast and easier to fly out of Vancouver back to Singapore or Asia. My mom is afraid she can't take the cold, but she barely leaves the house anyway. My parents like to invest in property and low sales tax is beneficial for them. My current goal is to be able to purchase a place of my own and I want to be in a place with more affordable housing prices.

Of course we will have to visit Calgary one day to decide if we want to live there. I hope that tran would play host and show us around once we get there. 

[tran]

Hi mediajunkie,

Maybe by then(3 years later), I might be a realtor, and waiting in anticipation
for my three prospective RE buyers.

If your dad likes the West Coast, and your mom is afraid of the cold, Port Moody,B.C.,
seems like a good option. It is part of Greater Vancouver, and the RE prices are more
affordable than Vancouver. I know one ex-Singaporean who is currently living there;
after having shifted from Burnaby, Greater Vancouver. He seems to like Port Moody
very much. The only fear is that Greater Vancouver is long overdue for a big earthquake.
Last winter, Calgary temp. dropped to -40C

[jnathan]

media and tran

what are the best places in terms of weather for People moving to Canada from countries like Singapore, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Burma.