Starting Life in CANADA - Tips & Stories

[roxykarlo]

sis paloma, congrats!

[Princess Anne]

congratulations sis paloma!

jhandee, i hope magkaron na ng work si dad mo, I feel for him, kahit part time na lang siguro sha. Nong nagvisit din dad ko dito, inip na inip sha kasi sanay sila sa pilipinas na may ginagawa. Naka-petition na sila, but he's scared na pagpunta nya dito manghina sha

[jhandee]

Sis sa Calgary sila , oo nga sana magkawork na talaga father ko, hindi naman sya inu obliga ng elder sister ko kaso makulit naiinip sya , dati kasing seaman yun , sanay sa madaming work, kaya ngayon nahihirapan ng walang ginagawa . Lagi ko nga pinag pipray yun

[remmusandevol]

Hi mga sis,
I'm planning to apply as skilled worker/immigrant in Canada but I don't have time to process the papers by myself puro overtime kasi ako. Pasok ako sa work super early then i'll go home late in the evening  Baka meron kayo alam na legit agencies here in the Philippines na hindi mukhang pera hehe. Thank you mga sis.

[OD]

Ive suddenly become grateful and abhorrent of this thread in equal proportions. Thankful coz Ive picked up a lot of ideas specifically with pointers on the job hunting journey. But also, Im harboring a great degree of animosity upon learning the harsh reality of how extremely difficult it is to land a job only because Im wary of how the scenario will be for my brother and his family of 3 kids come end of winter by next year. I feel very much worried abt the kids and how they will take the daily household trouble if ever their parents would remain jobless for months. Kahit ba may monthly allowances yun kids, it shld still be viewed as a zone of least comfort.

Wala ba mga sis option to get into a business venture or perhaps collaborate with  fellow pinoy/s for an enterprise, eventhough startup lang? May restrictions ba ang government for immigrants when it comes to operating a business, be it product or service-oriented? Will it be such a tedious undertaking for one to even consider? Thanks to everyone's honest-to-goodness feeds

[tabbru]

^ Sa tingin ko sis hindi pa adviseable magstart ng business ang new immigrants. In the first place, nangangapa ka pa nga lang sa bagong lipunang pinuntahan mo, ni hindi ka pa familiar sa tax system, etc. so paano ka magstart ng negosyo? Pati ang market hindi mo pa alam masyado.

Ideal na maging employee muna para rin mafamiliarize sa labor system nila. Important din kasi na constant ang dating ng pera dahil nga sa mga bills na babayaran. Pwede na lang sigurong rumaket raket, like luto ng pinoy food then sell, pero kailangan malawak na rin ang network mo nun para ka makabenta.

[paloma]

sisses roxy & princess: salamat ng madami mga sis!

sis jhandee: yup pagpray natin na makakuha na work si sis mo and si dad mo kahit part time na madali lang para di din sya masyado mapagkd. Gobless you and your fam sis!

Sis od: +1 ako sa opinion ni sis tabru, parang di ganon kadali na magventure ka kagad sa business eh. maganda siguro sis habang naghahanap sila nun job na same ng field nila sa pinas, apply nadin sila sa survival jobs. basta wag lang choosy, im sure makakahanap sila. although aminado ako nung una hirap na hirap din ako matawagan at mainterview kahit sa blue collar jobs na inapplyan ko. pero dasal at tyaga lang sis.

di ako sure sa suggestion ko kung tama paki correct na lang mga sis na matagal na sa canada, parang mas ok sis Od na hindi sila sakto maglaland ng winter. kasi baka magulat ang katawan kasi super lamig. kasi kami nagland, sept which is fall pa. gusto ko din sana january pero ayaw ng sister ko kasi winter na nun baka daw pagka land naman magulat katawan at di agad makaadjust sa lamig. tsaka parang hirap maghanap work sis at mag apply pag winter, lalo pag commute. Godbless sis!

[jhandee]

thanks sis, yung sister ko nagka work na sa walmart muna , very first job nya yun sa buong buhay nya  sabi ko tyagain nya muna , kakastart lang nya, at makakakita din sya ng work na maganda

[sarsingkit]

i have to agree with sis @paloma re arriving on winter time. yung wala pang yelo and hirap na maglakad ng matagal sa labas, paano pa yung may yelo. people may have access to help from relatives pero iba pa rin yung you explore the place by yourself commuting, walking around etc. plus i know it may be weird to some of us na pinoy pero depressing na ang ibang bansa, depressing pa daw ang snow kasi hindi lively and place. its my first winter so ill check kung anong mafefeel ko. hehe.

i have a friend, couple sila, they were so excited to go to Canada. so nung dumating ang visa ng January, nagland na sila ng February. so when lonliness kicks in of not having a job yet and missing families plus sobrang lamig, naiyak sya at ayun, nagyelo and teardrops. gusto nya daw lalo maiyak pero pinigil na lang nya. haha

[lonelymiss28]

^natawa naman ako sa nag-yelo teardrop.
- yan ang concern ko na makuha ni bro yung visa nya na malamig na dito.

[imcutechinita]

hello po sa lahat sa inyo na nagshare ng kani-kanilang experiences and stories dito...gusto ko lang po magtanong if may mga mairerecommend ba kayong mga agencies na nag-aayos ng application to canada aside from mercan...may mga nakapagtry na po ba sa inyo sa HRPC?  may maiishare ba kayong feedback regarding them?  or baka may maiirecommend po kayo na ibang agencies... and ano po ba ang acceptable level of income para makasurvive sa canada if ikaw ang magbabayad sa rent ng apartment + food + other miscellaneous expenses...any tips na rin po regarding transportation...
salamat po sa tulong at sa advices...

[Asdmhee]

Good evening mga sis. Question lang po. My bf currently working in canada. He applied as a kitchen helper. 2months palang sya sa december. We were planning sana to get married next year kaso natatakot sya umuwi hangat hindi pa siya PR. So he suggested na ako nalang pumunta dun while waiting na makapag apply sya as PR. Gaano po ba katagal mag apply ng PR kung nasa Edmonton Alberta po sya. Accounting po kasi ang work ko dito although nakapag aral naman ako ng mga short courses like housekeeping and food and beverage kaso hirap po ako makapag apply dito kasi nga yung majority ng working experiences ko are not related to the jobs na in demand sa canada. Patulong naman po kung anong maganda gawin sa situation namin para makapunta ako doon. thanks

[showermist]

^He's under low skilled worker. Hindi sigurado if he'll be approved to apply for a permanent residence. That only depends sa mismong manager kung pipirma sya. This is not to disappoint you---mas malaki yung chances na hindi sya maapprove compare sa maapprove.

 Since April 1, 2011, all temporary foreign workers can only stay/work in Canada for a maximum of four years. After that, kailangan na nilang bumalik where they originate. Makakabalik lang sila ng Canada to work after a certain number of years sa pinagmulan nilang bansa--four years yata.

Bago sya makapag apply ng PR, dapat makakumpleto sya ng 2 years. Ke nasa Alberta sya o nasa Toronto o nasa Vancouver sya, pare pareho lang ang processing time dahil iisa langnaman ang immigration ng Canada. UNLESS, may problema ang papel, the immigration will forward the application to the local office for further investigation.

Now, pag nakapasa na sya  ng PR application, the process will take 32 months as of this writing bago lumabas ang landing.

The easiest solution para magkasama kayo: mag apply ka na rin as temporary foreign worker, mag apply as provincial nominee, mag apply as an immigrant (which by the way takes 5 years).

Yung pagiging accountant mo lalo hindi mo naman nagamit eh walang silbi dito if you're going to use that to find work. There are a lot of poeple here na may Canadian experience. mas ipa-prioritize nila ang mga tao dito over you.

[lonelymiss28]

ano po ba ang acceptable level of income para makasurvive sa canada if ikaw ang magbabayad sa rent ng apartment + food + other miscellaneous expenses...any tips na rin po regarding transportation...
salamat po sa tulong at sa advices...

about sa income, depende san lugar ka...pag sa malalaking city like ontario, quebec [textspeak!], mahal ang rent pero pag nb, ns, pei...mura lang rent. so i would suggest mag research ka muna sang province mo gusto pumunta at kung magkano rent approximately. about sa transpo katulad din sa pinas, may bus, taxi, mrt (or something like it). although dito pwede ka kumuha ng trabnsfer ticket, lets say 2 bus ang sasakyan mo sa pupuntahan mo, isang beses ka lang magbabayad.

[showermist]

I arrived in Canada during the winter. I wasn't affected with the weather but I was affected with how only a few people ang nakikita ko sa labas. LOLS

Una kong tanong sa tiyahin ko noon, "Nasaan ang mga tao?!"


With regards to starting a business, you have to know the place, market's  supply and demand and what-not. You'll be surprise. Also, you have to know the tax system, legal sides, etc. Dito-- hindi gaya sa pinas na pwede kang magtayo ng sari sari store anytime you want.  It's not easy, but it is possible.

Any job in Canada, kahit pa stocker lang sa Walmart will be a good help. you need that Canadian experience na sinasabi nila para pansinin ng ibang employer ang resume mo.

Everyone needs to start somewhere.  I know someone na doktor sa Pinas nagtatrabaho lang sya as a sales associate sa Superstore. The HR asked her, "You are a doctor, gusto mo ba talagang maging sales associate?"  Ang sagot daw nya, "I can't use my degree here, I chose to be here, so I need to start somewhere. I need to have that first opportunity to enter the labour market blah blah blah."
 

It's not easy. Pero konting tiyaga lang may mararating din.

[showermist]

and ano po ba ang acceptable level of income para makasurvive sa canada if ikaw ang magbabayad sa rent ng apartment + food + other miscellaneous expenses...any tips na rin po regarding transportation...
salamat po sa tulong at sa advices...

i want to answer this too. if you come here sa westcoast (vancouver area)i'll give you a ball park figure for a single person:

one bedroom aparment  will cost you  $800 in the suburbs.
utilities (electric, cable, internet, phone) 150
transportation (i am assuming you will take the public transpo) 81-151
groceries 300-500

BUT: if you are here, you need to pay for medical insurance, extended health insurance if you want, some living expenses--syempre papasyal ka, kakain ka sa labas, bili ka ng damit at kung [textspeak!] ano pa, etc.

yan lang ang naiisip ko for now

[lonelymiss28]

new brunswick here: (dagdagan ko yung kay showermist para makita nyo yung difference between provinces).

family of 4.

apartment (2-3 bedroom): 400-600
our mortgage (4 bedroom): 800+ (sarili namin bahay).
cable, internet, phone: 112
transpo: 60 (car)
groceries: 400-500 (super cheap pa ako sa lagay na yan).
hydro (kuryente): 75-120 (summer), 300-380 (winter).

di pa kasama dyan ang insurance ng bahay, saka sasakyan at maintenance fee (both), and childcare.

[showermist]

^OMG, OMG!  As in $800 for a 4 bedroom house?! Natitempt na akong lumipat ng probinsya. Vancouver is getting pretty pretty expensive

Sis if you don't mind me asking, magkano ba ang minimum wage diyan sa NB?

[lonelymiss28]

LOL! sis, 15 to 20 mins kami sa town ah.
min here is 9.75 yata or 10.
bili lang namin sa bahay 9 yrs ago nasa 144k+tax. pero ngayon nasa 230+.
alam mo sis yung kaibigan ko nga nakabili ng bahay (3 bedrooms) sa mismong town nasa 65K lang medyo luma nga lang pero ok na rin.

alam mo sis, lahat ng pinoy dito na family nakakabili talaga ng sariling bahay at sasakyan  in about 3-5 yrs of staying here in canada, dahil makakaipon ka talaga lalo na kung di ka naman maluho pero syempre kung sanay ka sa city talagang mahirap kasi tahimik talaga dito saka konti lang tao at konti rin immigrants mostly puti.

[roxykarlo]

sis lonely and sis shower, sa alberta kaya, mahal ba apartment dun? any idea? thank you sa infos nyo mga sis, it really helps..