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Landed four months ago - Experience so far

icanada@12345

Star Member
May 15, 2016
74
1
Hello
If anyone is using a Forex Card in Canada please let me know
1. The charges for cash withdrawal in ATM (the bank from which i have taken forex card says 2.5 CAD per transaction but are there any charges levied by the ATM owner bank?)
2. Maximum amount of cash withdrawal that we can make in single transaction
 

greengoo5

Star Member
Aug 31, 2016
68
105
India
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Very informative Post. We received our COPR today. I am in a similar position in India. Doing extremely good for myself. Money is not what's driving me to migrate but the quality of living. I understand that it will be difficult initially but it's best to try than just give up. I have one question regarding the PR card when you land for the first time. Can we apply for a PR card as soon as we land by providing an acquaintance address? They can then courier the cards to us at a later date. I do not have any family in Canada. Our plan is to land and get a feel of the province for few weeks and then return to india. We will migrate permanently mid next year.
Yep. You can.
 

greengoo5

Star Member
Aug 31, 2016
68
105
India
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
i was under the impression that they dont let you courier the PR card? also do they require the passport for the PR card? cuz in one of your earlier posts you had mentioned that you submitted the passport.
You don't have to submit the passport for your PR card. Just for the PPR. That's it.

I had to re-submit the photographs though.
 

shilpi

Full Member
Nov 26, 2013
42
10
Visa Office......
new delhi
NOC Code......
1112
App. Filed.......
17-04-2017
AOR Received.
17-04-2017
Med's Done....
18-06-2017
Passport Req..
15-07-2017
VISA ISSUED...
01-08-2017
Thanks for your input... I have filed and submitted my application in April 2017 and now waiting for CIC email to send passport for stamping. I have three questions:
1. How much time do you think this should ideally take?
2. I am anMBA, Mcom with 10 years of experience in equity research working in a renowned KPO for a Canadian bank outsourced research work. According to you what are the chances of getting similar jobs in Canada, i.e. in Investment banking research. Which City would to best to land?
3. Can you tell me few certifications that would help me get the desired job, as per my experience.
 

shilpi

Full Member
Nov 26, 2013
42
10
Visa Office......
new delhi
NOC Code......
1112
App. Filed.......
17-04-2017
AOR Received.
17-04-2017
Med's Done....
18-06-2017
Passport Req..
15-07-2017
VISA ISSUED...
01-08-2017
I've been a long time lurker of this forum. I don't post often but do have a habit of checking out threads quietly. Figured I should contribute by sharing my experience in Canada.

Back Home
I'm from India. In mid 20s. Did well academically. MBA from a top 10 school. Amazing job right out of college that paid well. 15ish Lacs/annum if you're curious. Two years later, I'm working as a manager with a 50% bump in salary. Lived at home with parents so didn't even have to pay rent. To summarize it, I was doing well. Very well.

Express Entry and PR
I had been in the pool since Jan-15 when Express Entry started. Got my three years of experience and got an invite in early 2016. I started browsing the forums after almost four months of getting my AOR. I didn't really need help with respect to the application process as I followed all the rules by the letter and had a pretty clear cut case. My process closely followed the norms. BG change after a few months. PPR slightly before the onset of the seventh month in Oct-16. Sent passports to the High Commission and received it back within a week. Booked my tickets and landed in Canada in Nov-16. Had an address in hand at the airport so applied for PR Card then and there only. The process was slow due to Christmas. Received a mail in January asking for fresh photographs. Received the PR Card in early Feb.

Canada
I am fortunate enough to have a family in Canada. I have a brother and a close uncle living in Canada for quite some time now.
Landed in mid Nov-16. Having slogged for 3+ years at my previous corporate finance job, I decided to chill for a good period of time. There's little hiring in December anyways. Really enjoyed my time. It was cold, but it was fun. Everything clad in white is a sight for the eyes which haven't witnessed snow in their life. With good gear, it's much easier to tolerate. Snowball fights as a grown man are even more fun...you miss less shots. I explored the beauty of the country side, the tall buildings of downtown Toronto and the history that the small towns have to offer. My vacation was fun but hardly did I know that it'd get stretched longer than I had initially thought.

Come 2017 and I started looking for work. I have a commerce degree with an MBA. I have also passed all three levels of the CFA exam. A year or two ago, my brother had shown my resume to a few people and everyone was of the opinion that I'd get a job fairly easy. Boy oh boy. I took it easy at first. Applying to a few jobs, relaxing for the rest of the day and spending time with the family. Slowly it dawned on me that it'd require much more effort than what I was putting in. I went gungho and started applying to a LOT of jobs everyday. But I'd only apply to the ones which were as per my skill level and interested me. I got a few phone calls from the HR. I blew a few. I aced a few. An even fewer interviews. I blew a few. I aced an even fewer. The absence of Canadian experience or qualification definitely hurt my chances to say the least. An Indian name didn't really help much either. But I'm a hard worker. I don't give up easily.

Fast forward to today. I have a job. My work closely resembles to what I was doing in India. The pay is nice. The commute is okay. The work is good. I'm happy.

The Reality
How do I find Canada? Amazing.
Is it easy to come from a foreign country and settle down? Not as easy as you think.
But I just made it sound like it's not a lot of trouble? Yeah, but chances are, you're not as fortunate as me.

I have my family here which is very supportive. Not even once they pushed me for a job which I didn't like or pressured me to start work at any time. There were days during my job hunt when I would be at an all time low, having blown up my few opportunities and having nothing else in hand. There were extended periods of time when I would just keep applying and not get any other response except the "We picked some other candidate. Yo". But I'm a hard worker. I don't give up easily. I kept applying.

I've figured that it's a numbers game. I applied to more than 500 jobs. and mind you, only the jobs that interested me and were a good match for my skillset. I received a phone call from around ten employers. A face to face interview with five and a job offer from one. You can do the percentages.

The Journey
People asked me if I was crazy to leave an amazing job in my hometown to move to a totally new country. They'd ask me if I had weighed in everything correctly before taking the risk. I don't consider myself to be super smart but I know that I'm hard working. I knew what I was risking and was aware of the fact that I had a supporting family in Canada. There were a multitude of reasons why I wanted to leave India and I'm not going to dwell upon them. The reasons are different for everyone. But when I'm asked the reason why I moved to Canada? For a better future for my family.

Every country has it's own set of problems. You just have to see what is important for you and take a decision. You have all the resources and the time to take an informed decision. There are a lot of times in life when you know things are not going to be easy and that you'd have to work hard for them. Chances are, even after putting in your 100%, things don't work in your favor. But that doesn't mean you stop trying. You put in your 110% and you make them work. That's how we progress.

So what's the takeaway?
  • The lack of Canadian credentials/ experience severely hurts your chances. Having passed CFA exams helped me a lot. I believe it was the only reason I received the 10 phone calls. It really helps to get Canadian credentials as soon as you put your foot here. Further explanation below.
  • I scored an 8 on IELTS. I've watched English soaps and listened to Eminem all my life. And yet, there are times when I've to request people to repeat themselves. It's really important that you are proficient both in listening and speaking English. It's going to make and break everything for you. From your daily conversations to the interviews. Speak slow and speak clear. Also, accent training helps a lot. Youtube my friend.
  • Be prepared to work hard once you get here. If you're financially strong, good for you. Don't worry too much about the money and invest the time in getting Canadian credentials and searching for a job. If you're not, you've got to grab whatever comes at you. The thing that I love about Canada, there's no big or small work. It's just work. You're respected and treated like a human being no matter what you do.
  • The weather is bad. But it's not the end. 30 Mil people live here. You have to invest in the right gear. A good winter jacket costs a lot but think of it as an investment as it's going to last you a while. Also, snow boots, gloves and a hat. Heck, I used to put on winter gear and spend hours building snow-forts in -15 C.
  • Be prepared to work hard. Very hard.

A few tips for the credentials
Chartered Accountants and people interested in accounting. -> http://www.cpaontario.ca
Lawyers -> http://flsc.ca/
Teachers -> https://www.oct.ca/
People interested in Banking -> https://www.ific.ca/en/ & https://www.csi.ca/student/en_ca/courses/csi/csc.xhtml
People interested in Insurance -> https://www.ifse.ca/courselist/life-license-qualification-program-llqp/

The above links have information about credentials required for certain jobs. I'd be best if you search for the profiles you like on https://www.indeed.ca/ and see the kind of credentials the employers require.
Having credentials helps in the sense that the employer at least knows that you are willing to put in work and learn about the culture, taxation and the systems of the new country.

I can go on and on about a lot of stuff but it'd just be adding to the length of this page. If you have any questions, let me know. I'd be happy to answer.
 

shilpi

Full Member
Nov 26, 2013
42
10
Visa Office......
new delhi
NOC Code......
1112
App. Filed.......
17-04-2017
AOR Received.
17-04-2017
Med's Done....
18-06-2017
Passport Req..
15-07-2017
VISA ISSUED...
01-08-2017
I've been a long time lurker of this forum. I don't post often but do have a habit of checking out threads quietly. Figured I should contribute by sharing my experience in Canada.

Back Home
I'm from India. In mid 20s. Did well academically. MBA from a top 10 school. Amazing job right out of college that paid well. 15ish Lacs/annum if you're curious. Two years later, I'm working as a manager with a 50% bump in salary. Lived at home with parents so didn't even have to pay rent. To summarize it, I was doing well. Very well.

Express Entry and PR
I had been in the pool since Jan-15 when Express Entry started. Got my three years of experience and got an invite in early 2016. I started browsing the forums after almost four months of getting my AOR. I didn't really need help with respect to the application process as I followed all the rules by the letter and had a pretty clear cut case. My process closely followed the norms. BG change after a few months. PPR slightly before the onset of the seventh month in Oct-16. Sent passports to the High Commission and received it back within a week. Booked my tickets and landed in Canada in Nov-16. Had an address in hand at the airport so applied for PR Card then and there only. The process was slow due to Christmas. Received a mail in January asking for fresh photographs. Received the PR Card in early Feb.

Canada
I am fortunate enough to have a family in Canada. I have a brother and a close uncle living in Canada for quite some time now.
Landed in mid Nov-16. Having slogged for 3+ years at my previous corporate finance job, I decided to chill for a good period of time. There's little hiring in December anyways. Really enjoyed my time. It was cold, but it was fun. Everything clad in white is a sight for the eyes which haven't witnessed snow in their life. With good gear, it's much easier to tolerate. Snowball fights as a grown man are even more fun...you miss less shots. I explored the beauty of the country side, the tall buildings of downtown Toronto and the history that the small towns have to offer. My vacation was fun but hardly did I know that it'd get stretched longer than I had initially thought.

Come 2017 and I started looking for work. I have a commerce degree with an MBA. I have also passed all three levels of the CFA exam. A year or two ago, my brother had shown my resume to a few people and everyone was of the opinion that I'd get a job fairly easy. Boy oh boy. I took it easy at first. Applying to a few jobs, relaxing for the rest of the day and spending time with the family. Slowly it dawned on me that it'd require much more effort than what I was putting in. I went gungho and started applying to a LOT of jobs everyday. But I'd only apply to the ones which were as per my skill level and interested me. I got a few phone calls from the HR. I blew a few. I aced a few. An even fewer interviews. I blew a few. I aced an even fewer. The absence of Canadian experience or qualification definitely hurt my chances to say the least. An Indian name didn't really help much either. But I'm a hard worker. I don't give up easily.

Fast forward to today. I have a job. My work closely resembles to what I was doing in India. The pay is nice. The commute is okay. The work is good. I'm happy.

The Reality
How do I find Canada? Amazing.
Is it easy to come from a foreign country and settle down? Not as easy as you think.
But I just made it sound like it's not a lot of trouble? Yeah, but chances are, you're not as fortunate as me.

I have my family here which is very supportive. Not even once they pushed me for a job which I didn't like or pressured me to start work at any time. There were days during my job hunt when I would be at an all time low, having blown up my few opportunities and having nothing else in hand. There were extended periods of time when I would just keep applying and not get any other response except the "We picked some other candidate. Yo". But I'm a hard worker. I don't give up easily. I kept applying.

I've figured that it's a numbers game. I applied to more than 500 jobs. and mind you, only the jobs that interested me and were a good match for my skillset. I received a phone call from around ten employers. A face to face interview with five and a job offer from one. You can do the percentages.

The Journey
People asked me if I was crazy to leave an amazing job in my hometown to move to a totally new country. They'd ask me if I had weighed in everything correctly before taking the risk. I don't consider myself to be super smart but I know that I'm hard working. I knew what I was risking and was aware of the fact that I had a supporting family in Canada. There were a multitude of reasons why I wanted to leave India and I'm not going to dwell upon them. The reasons are different for everyone. But when I'm asked the reason why I moved to Canada? For a better future for my family.

Every country has it's own set of problems. You just have to see what is important for you and take a decision. You have all the resources and the time to take an informed decision. There are a lot of times in life when you know things are not going to be easy and that you'd have to work hard for them. Chances are, even after putting in your 100%, things don't work in your favor. But that doesn't mean you stop trying. You put in your 110% and you make them work. That's how we progress.

So what's the takeaway?
  • The lack of Canadian credentials/ experience severely hurts your chances. Having passed CFA exams helped me a lot. I believe it was the only reason I received the 10 phone calls. It really helps to get Canadian credentials as soon as you put your foot here. Further explanation below.
  • I scored an 8 on IELTS. I've watched English soaps and listened to Eminem all my life. And yet, there are times when I've to request people to repeat themselves. It's really important that you are proficient both in listening and speaking English. It's going to make and break everything for you. From your daily conversations to the interviews. Speak slow and speak clear. Also, accent training helps a lot. Youtube my friend.
  • Be prepared to work hard once you get here. If you're financially strong, good for you. Don't worry too much about the money and invest the time in getting Canadian credentials and searching for a job. If you're not, you've got to grab whatever comes at you. The thing that I love about Canada, there's no big or small work. It's just work. You're respected and treated like a human being no matter what you do.
  • The weather is bad. But it's not the end. 30 Mil people live here. You have to invest in the right gear. A good winter jacket costs a lot but think of it as an investment as it's going to last you a while. Also, snow boots, gloves and a hat. Heck, I used to put on winter gear and spend hours building snow-forts in -15 C.
  • Be prepared to work hard. Very hard.

A few tips for the credentials
Chartered Accountants and people interested in accounting. -> http://www.cpaontario.ca
Lawyers -> http://flsc.ca/
Teachers -> https://www.oct.ca/
People interested in Banking -> https://www.ific.ca/en/ & https://www.csi.ca/student/en_ca/courses/csi/csc.xhtml
People interested in Insurance -> https://www.ifse.ca/courselist/life-license-qualification-program-llqp/

The above links have information about credentials required for certain jobs. I'd be best if you search for the profiles you like on https://www.indeed.ca/ and see the kind of credentials the employers require.
Having credentials helps in the sense that the employer at least knows that you are willing to put in work and learn about the culture, taxation and the systems of the new country.

I can go on and on about a lot of stuff but it'd just be adding to the length of this page. If you have any questions, let me know. I'd be happy to answer.
Thanks for your input... I have filed and submitted my application in April 2017 and now waiting for CIC email to send passport for stamping. I have three questions:
1. How much time do you think this should ideally take?
2. I am anMBA, Mcom with 10 years of experience in equity research working in a renowned KPO for a Canadian bank outsourced research work. According to you what are the chances of getting similar jobs in Canada, i.e. in Investment banking research. Which City would to best to land?
3. Can you tell me few certifications that would help me get the desired job, as per my experience.
 

vishalg

Champion Member
Oct 14, 2015
1,115
185
NOC Code......
6221
Thanks for your input... I have filed and submitted my application in April 2017 and now waiting for CIC email to send passport for stamping. I have three questions:
1. How much time do you think this should ideally take?
Consider between 4 months - 6 months.
2. I am anMBA, Mcom with 10 years of experience in equity research working in a renowned KPO for a Canadian bank outsourced research work. According to you what are the chances of getting similar jobs in Canada, i.e. in Investment banking research. Which City would to best to land?
Check Ronak Gandhi's article on LinkedIn. He has shared his experience of finding job. He is from risk consulting background.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-i-learned-finding-job-newcomer-canada-ronak-gandhi-mba-b-tech?trk=v-feed&lipi=urn:li:page:d_flagship3_feed;Ti7WBNaVsQpxzl3EoE95yg==
Finance and IT sectors are more dominant in Toronto. Since you've already worked for Canadian companies ( at the back end) you can use this to your favour during interviews.

3. Can you tell me few certifications that would help me get the desired job, as per my experience.
Someone else can guide you on this
 
  • Like
Reactions: GargiS and Kat1986

shilpi

Full Member
Nov 26, 2013
42
10
Visa Office......
new delhi
NOC Code......
1112
App. Filed.......
17-04-2017
AOR Received.
17-04-2017
Med's Done....
18-06-2017
Passport Req..
15-07-2017
VISA ISSUED...
01-08-2017
Thanks a lot..
 

saggii666

Member
May 19, 2017
14
4
Hi friends, I am a new member & have been reading lot of posts off lately on this forum, thank you for all the insights.
From what I have read & understood so far, it is not going to be easy to settle & start from zero. But what i understand is the time of your entry is also a critical factor in your settling down process. My take away from all the online blogs - Hard work, perseverance & networking are the key factors which help you settle in Canada.
Post receiving ITA in Feb 2017, we (Me & my spouse) have submitted our docs along with PCC/Medical in March 2017. As per the lawyer tentative revert is expected by end of June or early July. We were planning to land in October so it gives us time to settle, before the winters. However due to some personal & work commitment it is not possible to land in October. Our plan was to explore (for a month or so) & meet people & know the place before starting to look for any job.

So would it be advisable to enter in December? From what i read - Mid December until January end its really freezing cold & most of the places are kind of shut. so the next best window is Feb & March, so not really able to make up my mind on this. Any suggest & advise guys

P.S>Planning to move to Toronto, as per the Jobs we are into. I am working as HR for MNC Bank & spouse is working for FMCG MNC in Market Research.
 

steaky

VIP Member
Nov 11, 2008
14,305
1,628
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Hi friends, I am a new member & have been reading lot of posts off lately on this forum, thank you for all the insights.
From what I have read & understood so far, it is not going to be easy to settle & start from zero. But what i understand is the time of your entry is also a critical factor in your settling down process. My take away from all the online blogs - Hard work, perseverance & networking are the key factors which help you settle in Canada.
Post receiving ITA in Feb 2017, we (Me & my spouse) have submitted our docs along with PCC/Medical in March 2017. As per the lawyer tentative revert is expected by end of June or early July. We were planning to land in October so it gives us time to settle, before the winters. However due to some personal & work commitment it is not possible to land in October. Our plan was to explore (for a month or so) & meet people & know the place before starting to look for any job.

So would it be advisable to enter in December? From what i read - Mid December until January end its really freezing cold & most of the places are kind of shut. so the next best window is Feb & March, so not really able to make up my mind on this. Any suggest & advise guys

P.S>Planning to move to Toronto, as per the Jobs we are into. I am working as HR for MNC Bank & spouse is working for FMCG MNC in Market Research.
Landing and settlement can be done separately. The weather in December is as harsh as in Feb / March. Land in October, return to your work and settle in April.