Starting Life in CANADA - Tips & Stories

[allredndizzy]

^sis newbie pa kase status mo (wala ka pang 50 posts) kaya yung mga pm sayo sa email mo marereceive.... dun sa email mo na ginamit para makapagregister dito. 

[momniloisse]

Hello mga sis! I just arrived here in Winnipeg a month ago. Super lamig pero nakaka-adjust na din kahit papano. I got a job as a tech support in Convergys here. So far, ok naman. Madami kaming pinoy na first job ang call center. Kaya hindi masyadong nakakailang. Good thing din, friendly ang mga canadian and ibang race na kasama namin dito. Hindi ganun ka-strict ang requirements sa application and paid training din. Ok na sya for a canadian work experience.  

sis, nanjan ka na ba sa canada when you applied for work in Convergys? or did you apply when you were still here in the Philippines?

[Owanju]

hi sis ysangaby! sa britsh embassy b kumuha ng exam hubby mo? san sya nag review? madali lang daw ba exam? bkit ka mauuna pumunta sa canada hindi ba sabay application nyo? sorry ha dami kong tanong, wala nman kc kming kilala pag punta nmin dun wlang relatives or as in closed friend, tlagang kmi lang. kya mejo nakakatakot kc start from scratch kming dalawa.. kumusta nman yun dba?

Hi! I'm from Ottawa and we just landed last August. About IELTS, sabi ni hubby madali lang daw and there's really no right or wrong answer lalo na pag sa oral test (di sya nag review).  It's really about expressing yourself in english.  before kasi hindi required ang IELTS pero yung communication ang nagiging barrier ng mga immigrant pagdating dito kaya hayun bumenta naman ang mga review center for IELTS
we also came from middle east (Qatar), civil eng si hubby although hindi nya linya ang napasukan nya eh medyo related na rin as building maintenance and rental rep naman ako for building apartments.  he's planning to upgrade himself come spring time kasi right now is work ang aming priority dahil may property kaming binabayaran sa Pinas. although may option for new immigrant to study full time sagot ng govt, yun nga lang money ang kailangan namin or else made-deplete ang aming savings.
anyway to cut it short, here's my story. very supportive ang govt sa new immigrant, marami silang program and it's all free.  I have an 8 and 3 year old son, on day one, covered agad sila ng child tax and universal tax benefit (the latter is applicable for 6 and below).  also, I'm receiving a full daycare subsidy for my youngest since working na nga kami but we got it while we are still job hunting and then irere-assess na lang nila yun next year kung full subsidy pa rin or we have to pay a percentage depending on our total HH income. so far happy naman yung 2 kids ko, mabilis kasi mag adjust ang mga bata. on our part naman, di rin kami nahirapan kasi back in Qatar we are an active member of CFC and before coming here we were integrated na, so pagdating namin dito may welcoming committee na rin . In conclusion, hehe kung di ka maluho you'll survive here and and if you're thinking of long term plan and your kid's future dito ka na talaga. but to be honest i really miss my lifestyle in Qatar lalo nung boxing day waaahhh! pag nagcoconvert kami ng purchases namin in riyals kasi matagal kami don, sasabihin ko kay hubby, uy bilin natin ito mura lang, sasabihin naman niya mura nga yung sweldo naman din eh mura compared sa sweldo sa middle east. pero syempre we're just starting and i'm keeping a positive attitude that someday thru hardwork and prayers eh ma-establsih rin kami dito.  marami nga nagsasabi na we're really lucky kasi mas madami na matagal na dito pero survival jobs pa rin sila at nagdo-double job pa rin. I guess prayer lang talaga ang katapat ng lahat.

[ysangaby]

^correct! nakaka inspired naman ang story mo.

[angelofmine]

thank you Owanju npaka inspiring ng story mo. hope mag meet tyo someday pag nanjan n kmi sa canada.. and hopefully may GT group from canada na din from that time. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY

[chockulit]

@Owanju:  Gaano kayo katagal bago na-approve?  Excited tuloy ako na sumunod na, inspiring naman ang kwento mo...

[littledaphne]

Hello,

I'm newbie here and i got interested to this topic as my hubby and I are planning to migrate to canada also by hiring a consultant.  I talked to lots of consultants and early this month, we are about to start our application but our consultant advised us that there was a new memo/rule regarding skills needed in canada, sad to say our profession are not in the list my experience in in HR and admin while my hubby is customer service.  I'm sad about this. Accdg to the consultant one way to to qualified for immigration will be through "arranged employment" but how.  I need your advise on what to do.  By the way I also want to verify if anyone knows my consultant "Atty. Hermenegildo Reyes" i'm just checking lang if in case. Di pa naman kami nagbabayad.

Thanks. 

[icegayle]

Happy New Year to all!

Im currently working in Bahrain, malapit na magexpire yun VISA ko by July 2009 and I don’t have plans to renew again. My option is to apply in Canada since I have a cousin there. Ano po ba ang pwede nyo isuggest para madali ako makarating sa Canada and work there also.

Thanks so much.

[hesaysim2sexy]

well, the fastest and easiest way to get here is through sponsorship by a family member from canada. that's how I got here in barely 6 months from the first day of my application with help of course from my husband in Canada through the Catholic Cross Cultural Services. This organization is from the government who helps new immigrants to find a job, basically in adjusting to Canada. They also help immigrants sponsor their family by helping them fill up application forms and other documents. And on ur end in the Philippines is to provide all the basic original docs and have ur medical exam taken and make sure you are in good health.

For a few months, me and my husband have been sending back and forth docs and complete them and submit them over to the embassy in makati. I wasn't called for a personal interview and a month after I sent over the last requirements (passport, etc) i got my visa. my husband had to pay $1500 in Canada for the sponsorship.

I did not leave right away for I miss my parents but u have to leave before the expiration date of ur visa which doesnt last very long. finally i left after 2 months of being granted the visa. it was sad but oh well.

i got in canada in nov 6 of '05 and got a job in dec 31'05. it is not easy finding a job in canada for you have to have accreditation of your diploma. im lucky enough my in laws were driving me to where i wanted to go and if you do not have anyone here or a car which is a necessity, you have to be familiar with the bus. i came here in winter so thats one problem too u have to face.

i would rather live there in the philippines because it is easy to get a job as long as you can speak fluent English and have a college/university diploma.

so think about it. it's a big risk. really big.

[pauie8]

Hello mga sis. Pasali po.


Pwede po ba kayong mag recommend ng Legit na Agency? Mahirap na kasi na kung saan saang ads lang. Daming scammers kasi ngayon. 

[Owanju]

@Owanju:  Gaano kayo katagal bago na-approve?  Excited tuloy ako na sumunod na, inspiring naman ang kwento mo...

hi chockulit, it took us 5 years kasi sa pinas ang application namin.  April 2003 namin nareceive yung AOR tapos around july 2007 naghingi ng ng update tapos november medical na kami, february 2008 visa na. yung visa valid sya one year from the date of your medical. tapos we decided to go last august. thru EVP nga pala kami.

[chuzzle]

sisses, doon sa application form...important ba yung national occupational statistics number?

[paula17]

Hello mga sis. Pasali po.


Pwede po ba kayong mag recommend ng Legit na Agency? Mahirap na kasi na kung saan saang ads lang. Daming scammers kasi ngayon. 

energy manpower is a legit one. madami ako kilala dun sila galing.

[iluvcheesecake]

Hello sisses!

Pasali... has anyone here gone through student visa application?? How much would it cost? show money and all? thanks!

[yani090479]

hi! makikisali sana....kanina lang, i talked to a friend working in Canada and I was asking for her help...kaso sabi niya yung opening nila more on low level of job daw...meaning hindi office related like house keeping sa hotel, etc. then sabi niya 2 years contract, after that pwede ko na kunin asawa and anak ko...on the other hand, i was thinking of applying as an immigrant kaso 5yrs pa...ah maganda lang nun sama sama kami...kasi honestly, hindi ko rin alam kung kaya ko iwan ang anak ko who's now 3 years old...i even asked her kung okay lang and that i promised her that we'll talk everyday using webcam, pero nag cry siya...si papa nalang daw niya...husband ko kasi weak sa ganyan, lalo na malayo sa amin...i need your advice...ano ba okay? kc kung tatanggapin ko yung work...or wait for 5 years nalang...natatakot din me kung kakayanin ko yung lungkot...please help...

Yani

[elle16]

hi,
we are planning to try it out sa canada. can anyone refer any employment agency? thanks

[northeast]

^http://www.mercanrecruit.com/

[FickleMinded]

hi! makikisali sana....kanina lang, i talked to a friend working in Canada and I was asking for her help...kaso sabi niya yung opening nila more on low level of job daw...meaning hindi office related like house keeping sa hotel, etc. then sabi niya 2 years contract, after that pwede ko na kunin asawa and anak ko...on the other hand, i was thinking of applying as an immigrant kaso 5yrs pa...ah maganda lang nun sama sama kami...kasi honestly, hindi ko rin alam kung kaya ko iwan ang anak ko who's now 3 years old...i even asked her kung okay lang and that i promised her that we'll talk everyday using webcam, pero nag cry siya...si papa nalang daw niya...husband ko kasi weak sa ganyan, lalo na malayo sa amin...i need your advice...ano ba okay? kc kung tatanggapin ko yung work...or wait for 5 years nalang...natatakot din me kung kakayanin ko yung lungkot...please help...

Yani

if i were you, kung medyo stable pa naman kayo jan, i'll opt the 5 years na lang, kasi kawawa ang anak mo at kawawa ka rin, i know technology can keep you guys together, but nothing beat the real thing.
in two years time,daming pwedeng mangyari sa anak mo, ( i mean it in a postive way) can you imagine na wala ka with all the milestone, sobrang hirap noon, ako nga lang 1 year lang kami nalayo kay hubby (umuwi kami ng pinas for 1 1/2 year), eksakto naman na parang development year iyon ng bunso ko, naaawa ako sa anak ko,kasi minsan niloloko sya na wala daw sya daddy, eh samantalang two yrs old pa lang yun ha, how much more yan anak mo, babae pa man din at may isip na.hindi nya maiintindihan ang reason mo,basta ang alam nya, iniwan mo sya.

[FickleMinded]

Hello mga sis. Pasali po.


Pwede po ba kayong mag recommend ng Legit na Agency? Mahirap na kasi na kung saan saang ads lang. Daming scammers kasi ngayon. 

punta ka ng POEA, sila na mismo magbibgay sa iyo ng agency, for sure legal iyon ,kasi karamihan ng bigay nila eh salary deduct.

[yani090479]

if i were you, kung medyo stable pa naman kayo jan, i'll opt the 5 years na lang, kasi kawawa ang anak mo at kawawa ka rin, i know technology can keep you guys together, but nothing beat the real thing.
in two years time,daming pwedeng mangyari sa anak mo, ( i mean it in a postive way) can you imagine na wala ka with all the milestone, sobrang hirap noon, ako nga lang 1 year lang kami nalayo kay hubby (umuwi kami ng pinas for 1 1/2 year), eksakto naman na parang development year iyon ng bunso ko, naaawa ako sa anak ko,kasi minsan niloloko sya na wala daw sya daddy, eh samantalang two yrs old pa lang yun ha, how much more yan anak mo, babae pa man din at may isip na.hindi nya maiintindihan ang reason mo,basta ang alam nya, iniwan mo sya.

naku sis, thanks sa advice. sabi nga ni hubby tsaka nalang daw pag malaki na anak namin...yung maiintindihan na nya..,kaya naisip ko 5 yrs waiting is okay at least magkakasama kami hanggat kaya pa...hayz...bahala na si God sa amin...

Yani