Hello tinu and fellow Nigerians on this thread, I greet you all. I first want to thank tinu for this thread. Knowledge is power and the other thread was immensely useful while i was planning my immigration.
First I am a Pharmacist, so I can only speak with respect to pharmacy and probably give a few insight for doctors as well. Secondly, I am in Ontario and I can only speak about Ontario for now.
INITIAL EXPERIENCE
I landed in Canada in sept 2012 with my family and all i can say is 'thank you' to my Lord and savior who has sustained us and made this journey a pleasurable one for us.
I learnt a lot from the different threads and I would encourage anyone planning to immigrate to read through the different threads on the forum, not just the naija forum alone. there is a world of information out there that can make your integration and settlement a lot easier. For instance
I learnt about the difficulties of settling down from the forums and before leaving naija, my spouse and I agreed that he would keep his job in Nigeria. we reckoned that we would need the income to fund our resettlement and i can say that is one of the best decisions we have ever made. The POF we came with for a family of 5 ($29,000) finished within a 2 months. Canada is expensive i tell u. its been difficult living apart but it might have been even more difficult with little money and the kids being already used to a certain lifestyle. even then, the kids have had to make their own adjustments too. I have also heard of a family that saved enough to live comfortable for 1 year in canada and focused on their certification during that time. it all depends on your individual circumstance and what you wish to do
I would advice that you come with your Nigerian clothes. In our case we made the mistake of giving out all our clothing before coming (even new ones) and I had to go shopping for clothing for my kids here. That was an expensive venture. The clothes you wear in summer is same as what you wear in naija, no difference. the only clothes that are different are winter clothes. So pls keep your clothes. it would save you a lot of money. I would also advice bringing your pots from naija. I wish I had. I had to buy 1 pot here for $60 and tower is better (if you know what i mean, and it was even on sale
). the pots are not designed for our naija type of cooking ;D
When you 1st land, be friends with dollarama ;D, for petty things. I learnt this too late after wasting a lot of money at walmart. little drops of water make an ocean.
SETTLING DOWN
You must have a plan. in our case, I took a good look at the process of becoming a pharmacist in canada and the job prospects, the cost and work involved and decided that this is the path to follow. We decided that i would not work but would focus on passing the exams. that was another good decision. I was able to clear all the exams at the first sitting within 8 months of landing canada (it was HARD WORK). the pass rate for international pharmacists for these exams is 35%. I have now started my internships and I can clearly see why its difficult to pass the exams. you really work here, no monkeying around and when you finish an 8 hour shift in a pharmacy, you are completely fagged out, studying is the last thing on your mind. If your spouse earns enough to support you, i would highly recommend this route.
I have met and spoken with all manner and kinds of people from all races since landing in canada. From my experience I can tell you that there is a lot of thrash out there that people peddle as the truth. People tell you their experiences as the truth , and they try to convince you that yours has to be that way. this is a big lie but unfortunately many are falling for the lie and stunting their own progress here. What I would say is choose your friends in canada very wisely. Sift what you hear. Throw away every negative thrash you hear and focus on the good. Believe in yourself and in the goodness of the system and take time to read. Do your own research, Information is out there. If you cannot find it, call the agency involved and ask them directly. It would save you a ton of heartache and stress. In my own case, I was blessed to be surrounded by some good people who encouraged and gave their time for my sake. I am eternally grateful to them. I chose to associate with those who are standing and kept well away from those who have made it their duty to feed off the system. such mentality only keeps u at the bottom. The hand of the giver is always on top.
The govt of canada has also provided a lot of immigrant resources for free to help immigrants settle down faster. they are located in every locale. find one and use those resources as a spring board.
As per children (if you have) all canadian schools are good (canada's educational system is among top rated top in the world) but I have also come to learn here that some schools are more equal than others. Generally schools in more affluent neighborhoods are better equipped, with the support of the school council and I am seeing it play out with my kids. after their first school session and with better understanding of the school rating system, we moved to a more affluent neighborhood where the school with one of the highest rating is located. Comparing the schools, I see a lot of difference in the schools and in my kids. the new school has more equipments, IT facilities and the teaching style is more modern and IT based (futuristic). of course we also pay more (school council levies etc) but we console ourselves that this is the reason we came to canada. It all depends on what you want. Like I said at the begining, this is my experience.
From my doctor friends what i have learnt is that its difficult settling in ontario so most of them move to other provinces like saskachawan where its easier for them. i don't really understand these differences and a doctor may better shed light on this.
I hope this helps someone out there
I wish you all the best
