Starting Life in CANADA - Tips & Stories

[northeast]

here's a list of job openings sa canada. mga POEA accredited agencies ang mga nagpo-post ng job opening sa workabroad.ph, walang placement fee.

http://www.workabroad.ph/list_specific_jobs.php?by_what=country&id=962

[annerella]

we're planning to migrate in canada. hubby is already a pr, currently staying here in the philippines for about 6 months.  anyone out there who knows the process/requirements needed when filing for an application while the sponsor is out of canada? we're a family of 3, my husband, i, and our 6 month old daughter.

is it advisable to make this particular move, moving to canada, with the economic downfall and all?

thanks in advance!

[allredndizzy]

^If you don't mind taking odd jobs or those not in your current field while still starting out, it's okay but if not better wait for the recession to be over 'coz even canadians are having a hard time getting and keeping their job. There's no security of tenure here. Even if you've been in the company for 10 or 20 years, you can still get laid-off and oftentimes you'll know it's your last day on the day itself. Anyway, your husband is already a permanent resident so he probably has an idea on as to how you are going to live here. Discuss with yourselves the pros and cons. 

[crimsoncheeks]

^I agree with this. Wala masyadong hope for anything right now due to the recession.

[piggyxoxo]

^ i think that you should wait until things get better. They're talking about decreasing the number of immigrants that they take in due to the recession. It's still in the works so nothing is certain yet. The only sector that seems untouched is IT and health care.  My account (as a recruiter) has taken a big hit and I've recently received a new account in health care that I hope will be promising. I don't think that this recession will be too long, 2 years tops!

[annerella]

To those who replied, a big thanks.

I really don't mind taking odd jobs, since I know I would start from scratch once I get there due to their policies.  My husband's first job when he got there last year was a Museum Janitor, then Grill Man of a fastfood chain, then a Security Officer in Vancouver Airport, to think he's a very good Programmer (modesty aside). There's nothing to be ashamed of, ika nga, as long as legal yung work.

My hubby's going back to [textspeak!] last quarter of this year, sunod nalang kami siguro when things get better, hopefully.

[che78]

^ i think that you should wait until things get better. They're talking about decreasing the number of immigrants that they take in due to the recession. It's still in the works so nothing is certain yet. The only sector that seems untouched is IT and health care.  My account (as a recruiter) has taken a big hit and I've recently received a new account in health care that I hope will be promising. I don't think that this recession will be too long, 2 years tops!

sis piggy, im just a newbie here...where are you in canada? When u say health care it includes the caregiving field, right? Do you work as a full time recruiter in a certain agency? At present,im here in israel now working as a caregiver for elderly care & im planning to move-on to canada as soon as possible if given a chance. Can you please give me some ideas and can u recommend me your agency...Hope to hear from you soon,thanks & God bless!

[piggyxoxo]

^Hi! I live in Toronto. I am too sure about the care giver/psw program but it's something that my agency does not handle. You might want to look into the care giver program (if you have not already done so) if this is is something that you might want to do. I mostly deal with medical admins and I will start recruiting for doctors and nurses if things go well. Feel free to send me a pm once you're here.

Best of luck to you!

[che78]

sis piggy,thanks for the reply...yap,hope to be there soon too thru LICP,if God's will. what are the qualification/requirements in applying as a nurse over there,i have some cousins who wants to go there too...thanks once again

[piggyxoxo]

^ university/college degree from a Canadian Institution.

[che78]

thanks for the reply sis

[ongcats]

Hi!

Am a newbie here and it's my first time to post. Anyway, finally got approved after almost 4 years of waiting. We (hubby, I and 15mos old daughter) will be leaving this July 7 for Richmond Vancouver. Any GT's there? BAdly needed friends. Ask ko lang for tips like is it better to send some items like play pen, high chairs, clothes etc via sea ship or just purchase it there? Ok ba ang richmond vancouver?

[chinita8]

Hi!

Am a newbie here and it's my first time to post. Anyway, finally got approved after almost 4 years of waiting. We (hubby, I and 15mos old daughter) will be leaving this July 7 for Richmond Vancouver. Any GT's there? BAdly needed friends. Ask ko lang for tips like is it better to send some items like play pen, high chairs, clothes etc via sea ship or just purchase it there? Ok ba ang richmond vancouver?

hi sis! good luck on your migration. i hope you dont mind me asking you what kind of application did you have? is it FSW or family petition or company sponsorship, etc.?

you mentioned 4 years of waiting, was it really 4 years that was written in your letter from the embassy? diba it's written in the letter that we receive from the embassy how many months (yrs) are we to wait? yung sa inyo ba was on time or you waited more than what the letter indicated?

we also have an FSW application and the letter we received from the embassy indicated that we are to wait for 60 months (5 yrs) and we're halfway done. Yung sa inyo, on time ba dumating ang visa approval as compared to what was written in your embassy letter?
 

[crazy_krizsa]

Hi po mga Sis. Me and my BF are also planning to migrate in Canada. Just a question lang, is it advisable to get married here so our status will be married na? since mas priority nila yung mga Family Status? We already have plans to get married pero kung mas malaki yung chances of married people, mamadaliin na namin yung kasal namin.

TYA!

[akthung]

My friend's aunt was fortunate enough to get a very good job sa isang malaking corporation within 1 year, this job is inline with her previous career in the Philippines....kahit hindi pa siya nakapasa ng board exam sa Canada. ang sabi ng Boss niya..basta ipasa lang daw niya. ang ganda di ba?

unfortunately, yung anak niya, medyo nagkakalat at that time.

isang common daw na trait among migrants, whether in canada, US, australia etc

is yung parang Ibon na nakawala at yumayabang pa raw. mas humble pa raw yung mga batang pinanganak na mismo roon.

since she couldn't control her son, she had to resign. never na siyang nakahanap ng Job natumbasan or nalagpasan yung Job na yun....not even close.

sayang...

[allredndizzy]

curious lang, bakit kailangan nyang magresign porket yumabang yung anak nya or napariwara? Kase mahirap nga ang buhay dito... kailangan lagi kang may work.

[ravenkate]

Hi, sisses!

Sali na din ako sa thread na 'to.  I was in GT for several years, pero since busy sa school, medyo na-lessen yung GT activities ko.  Anyway, thanks to everyone who posts on this thread.  Super-helpful.

Medyo kakaiba yung situation ko.  I'm here in the US working...pero my husband is Canadian.  Makakakuha ako ng PR through him.  Kaso, since ang work ko is dito sa US, super tagal ko bago makakuha ng Canadian citizenship.    Did  you know of anyone who has applied for Canadian citizenship kahit under the 1,095 days requirement?  Sabi sa CIC website (http://www.cic.gc.ca/EnGLish/citizenship/become-eligibility.asp#status), people who don't fulfill this requirement has to go before a citizenship judge...meron ba kayong kakilala who has experienced this?

Thanks, sisses!

[chazin_dawn]

^ I'll see if I can find someone from the Filipinos I know na wala pang 3 years nakapag-apply ng citizenship. Dahil hindi naman ako nagbabasa sa cic.gc.ca website about that, I haven't heard of anyone applied before they hit their 1095 day period.

Here's my story naman coming here. I hope kahit papaano may matutulong. I don't know much of the application process because I am a dependent of my dad. From what I remember, my Dad submitted an application last 2002 - inutusan n'ya ako idrop off yung application sa may BPI sa Makati. Dun yung drop off center at that time. Dahil sa sobrang inip ni erpat dahil hindi tumatawag ang Embassy (akala n'ya kasi mabilis lang, parang nag-apply lang ng trabaho) nag-apply na s'ya for Saudi Arabia. Anyway, so 2004, my mom got a call from the Canadian Embassy and we are requested for an interview. At the time of the invitation, my dad was in Saudi Arabia. After that phone call, I believe tinawagan ni ermat si erpat at sinabi ang good news. I think my dad called the Embassy to schedule an interview. So 2005, ayun na at nagka-schedule na kami ng interview. Ako (21 at that time), my mom and dad and my brother (19 at that time) went to the interview sa RCBC plaza. Mas maraming questions kay erpat. Ang tinanong lang sa akin nun 'where are you working?' and sa brother ko naman 'are you studying?' LOL. Akala ko pa naman nun magno-nose bleed ako sa English. October 2005, nagpaschedule na kami ng medical sa Makati. Grabe ang tagal ng medical. Almost whole day kami sa clinic. Hindi ko matandaan yung name basta sa Makati malapit sa Makati Med kasi pinalakad kami papunta dun para mag-Xray. Si erpat after ng interview bumalik sa Saudi Arabia at dun na s'ya nagpamedical. April 2006, bumili na ng ticket si ermat 52K at that time through China Airlines. June 2006, umuwi na si erpat sa Pinas from Saudi Arabia at ako naman dahil mapilit at ayaw pa noon umalis, July na nakapagresign. August 5, 2006 yan ang date na nakarating kami sa Vancouver. Ang tagal nung interview sa immigration. Nakatulog pa nga ako sa office sa katagalan. Wala kaming relatives dito sa Surrey (suburb of Vancouver). With the help of my Dad's friend kinuha n'ya kami ng apartment and school for my three brothers. Madali kaming nakapagsettle through my Dad's friend. At that time 900 yata yung bayad namin for a 3-bedroom apartment. Nagtaas na ngayon and the price is not even worth it for the location. Although malapit sa school and sa mall, delikado naman ang surroundings. It took me a month before I found a job, NCO was the first company I worked for as a Technical Support Representative (same job sa Pinas, call center). After a year, dahil sawa na ako sa call center na trabaho, nagquit ako. 3 weeks akong bum hehe. Through CNC Global now Sapphire Canada I was hired as a graphic artist for PNI and until now ito ang work ko. However, eto na naman ako at gusto magpalit ng career. so I am enrolling myself this September at Douglas College (Training certificate for Tourism). Masaya na ako dito pero syempre nami-miss ko pa rin ang friends ko sa Pinas. Iba kasi sa Pinas eh. Dito bihira maka-gimmick.

sis ongcats, malapit lang ako sa Richmond. Masasabi ko lang puro Chinese dun.

[chazin_dawn]

isang common daw na trait among migrants, whether in canada, US, australia etc

is yung parang Ibon na nakawala at yumayabang pa raw. mas humble pa raw yung mga batang pinanganak na mismo roon.

IMO, nasa sinasamahan naman yan ng bata. Dito sa Vancouver, maraming mga bata dito na mayayabang. It doesn't matter kung dito na lumaki, pinanganak or nakapag-aral dito. Pero it's true na sobra ang peer pressure. Almost everyday ko sinasabihan yung 14 year old brother ko na wag masyadong magsasasama sa barkada (yung barkada kasi nahuli nun may dalang knife sa school, grade 7 pa lang sila nun). Minsa nakakasawa na rin pagsabihan kasi parang hindi nakikinig

[galbi]

Hi, everyone. I'm a newbie here. I'd just like to share our experience about the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program.

Madali lang pala sa nominee program basta you have a relative in Canada who's willing to vouch for you. Iba ito sa sponsorship kasi you have to have documented experience and skills in your intended occupation as in the FSW category. Our complete application package was received in Canada in March '08 and the Letter of Approval arrived in March '09. Wala pang cash out until you qualify as a nominee of a province of your choice and where your relative lives.

After receiving the approval letter, the next step is the application for permanent residence visa through the Canadian Embassy in Manila. Upon submission of your application, you have to pay for the visa processing fees. We're 4 in the family, so we had to pay 56k. For the Right of Permanent Residence Fee, we had to pay another 39k.

We're now waiting for acknowledgment of receipt (of our docs and payment) from the embassy and our file number. Ang problem ko, binayaran ko agad yung RPRF. Hindi kaya bumalik ang papers namin dahil doon?