Starting Life in CANADA 2: Tips and Stories

[freeswan]

joining this topic as i am helping my brother. we are in a predicament and i am helping him out lang. here's the situation: my brother is a nurse for 6 years now. his wife became a  nurse 2 years ago but worked as a med rep for a year and just last week, she started to work as a nurse na talaga in a government hospital. they have one 3 year old son. now, my brother wants to leave the country and migrate and work as a nurse. kasi naman sayang yung skills nila ng wife niya if hindi magamit. my brother hasn't taken another ielts exam  yet. he failed in writing on his first exam. na trauma ata.

now, i want him to apply to Australia. I've lived in Australia and on the process of migrating na rin. I have lots of nurse friends in Australia and so far, it's really been good for them. maayos ang pamumuhay and very well compensated. now, i want my brother to migrate there. he just needs to attend the bridging school though which will run for 13 weeks. kaso, he could not be assessed kasi wala siyang ielts. he's trying to avoid ielts kasi parang scared na siya. he tried applying jobs in middle east pero malas ata siya dun kasi laging nagkakaaberya with the agency or sometimes the employer pa. now, he wants to go to canada. kasi he attended an orientation daw and had been assessed and they were told no need to take ielts and study french because lagpas lagpas na daw sila ng wife niya sa points. but what i understood sa scheme ng canada is that they are open for immigrants but don't guarantee employment. i have a friend din kasi, waited for more than 2 years bago nakaalis and malaking pera ang nagastos and when she got there, medyo matagal siya nakahanap ng work. she's a nurse by the way. now i'm not even sure if she's a nurse there kasi as far as i know, you also need to study in order to become a nurse in canada. so tama ba ang pagkakaintindi ko that these agencies in manila will  help you become a permanent resident but will not guarantee that your work will be the same as what you have right now? so there will be chances that my brother won't be practicing as a nurse there unless he studies and passes the exam? kasi if that's the case, I will push him to go to Australia na lang kasi mas mabilis yung processing nila and they are really in demand of nurses in all states. sa top occupation list kasi ng canada, wala dun ang nurses eh. hope someone can shed light to this.

[castledoll]

^ be careful, sis. I read on fb I think last month ata yun with the same scheme, mapapaalis ng agency sa Pinas pero not guaranteed na magkaka work dito. Yung nabasa ko sa fb, napaalis nga sila ng Pinas pero MOST of them, 1 year/2 years na wala pa work. At tsaka baket PR ang status agad? Ang alam ko magiging PR ka lang if someone (a family member) sponsors you. I know there's another way na ma-PR ka agad but I think the processing is longer. Your brother needs to have proof na they can live comfortably here in Canada if they want to leave their lives behind in Pinas. Sa mga PR kasi na kakilala ng family namen, na-petition sila kaya when they came here, landed immigrant (PR) na sila. others naman naka working visa tapos tsaka pa lang na-PR. And ngayon, yung show money hinde na katulad before na pwede ka umutang sa bangko and kapag naka alis ka, the bank can take the money away again. kelangan ngayon may activity na talaga sa bank account na consistent na may napasok na pera, at may withdrawals. and each family member, kelangan ma- prove na meron sila pera. Sa case ng brother mo na may maliit na anak, he need to have proof na kaya nya buhayin yung anak nya dito. Yung isang family friend, I think tig P60,000 yung mga bata (1,500$).

If I am not mistaken, '08/'09 pa prerequisite na yung ielts and bridging program. Yung mga kakilala kasi namen na bagong dating nung mga panahon na yun and yung mga dumarating ngayon, dumaan sa bridging and board exams. Yung iba, nagwu-work sa home care while asa bridging program. Kung experience ang pag-uusapan, tama yung agency na mas sanay sa stress & dami ng work loads ang mga Pinoy/Pinay nurses but the hospital setting here is different. They don't care kung si superman ka sa Pinas, you still have to do it their way.

If your brother really wants to live and work here, 1. wag siya mamili ng work. kasi madaming professionals dito that started from the bottom (again) and worked their way up. Yung kakilala ng parents namen, both of them are doctors sa Pinas but when they came here, nag janitor sila sa hospital and crew sa fast food while they were studying again. to make the story short, both of them are practicing doctors now. Yung lalake kasamahan ng parents ko sa hospital. yung babae, family doctor sa clinic. 2. pwede din naman siya mag work sa home care e while he is in the bridging program. Madami kame kakilala na ganyan. yung iba pumasa and asa hospital na. yung iba, bumagsak tapos nag retake tapos ngayon asa hospital na din.

And another prerequisite kasi they have to have at least 2 years hospital experience. 15 years ago sa mom ko e ayan na yung requirement e hanggang sa mga bagong dating ngayon.

[cartman]

Pag hindi ako naging successful sa Australia dream ko dito na ako mag aaply sa Canada. need to back read pa.hehe

[eischied_21]

Hi everyone, around how much kaya yun tuition fee if you will study there good for 1 or 2 years to be eligible na makapagapply ng post study work permit. Meron kaya dito nagtake via student route then nakaland ng job after studying then naging PR na. Thanks.

[stylista]

Hi everyone, around how much kaya yun tuition fee if you will study there good for 1 or 2 years to be eligible na makapagapply ng post study work permit. Meron kaya dito nagtake via student route then nakaland ng job after studying then naging PR na. Thanks.

It depends on which province you are settling in.

[marge070407]

Hi guys! Saan ba mura bumili ng furnitures and appliances sa vancouver? Mga how much kaya ang rent for a couple ng apartment?

[castledoll]

^ magtingin ka lagi ng flyers. I know living in [textspeak!] is expensive. My best friend who now lives in [textspeak!], the one bedroom basement suite that they're renting is (if I remember it right) $1,400. Another friend with a roommate, they pay $1,000 each a month just for the rent alone.

[marge070407]

thanks sis! ang hirap humanap sa 1k
na budget hehe

[eischied_21]

^^ curious lang, is that $1400 for one bedroom only and not the entire apartment? wow ang mahal pala kahit flatting lang.

[stylista]

JYSK is cheap. Im pretty sure meron din liquidation store in Vancouver. You dont have to pay the whole price anyway. Merong store that allows you to pay on a monthly basis like The Brick, Sears, Leon's, etc.

[stylista]

^^ curious lang, is that $1400 for one bedroom only and not the entire apartment? wow ang mahal pala kahit flatting lang.

It depends on every city/province. In Edmonton, I used to pay 900 for one bedroom. The size is decent for 2 people. Keep in mind though that rent goes up every year. Meron ding places that offers rent-to-own houses. Some people offers their basement to be rented. I also tried to live on a basement suite. Basta maraming option other than apartment.

[castledoll]

^^ curious lang, is that $1400 for one bedroom only and not the entire apartment? wow ang mahal pala kahit flatting lang.

in Vancouver, na may kamahalan talaga, mura na daw yung $1,400/mo e. and they have the whole basement. 1 bedroom, 1 bath, may sariling entrance. the works, parang apartment na din. yun lang e asa basement sila. they owners of the house and their kids live upstairs. pero meron naman lock yung stairs paakyat dun sa main house kaya hinde din basta basta makakababa yung mga asa taas.

[eischied_21]

Thanks mga sisses..Ganun pala ang range ng flatting dyan around 800-1500. Pero ang mahal nga.

[kvandenhaak]

^^ curious lang, is that $1400 for one bedroom only and not the entire apartment? wow ang mahal pala kahit flatting lang.

I'm only paying $925 for a two bedroom apartment here in Edmonton. The rent includes heat, water and parking. The caretakers are very nice, too!

[mrsB]

I'm only paying $925 for a two bedroom apartment here in Edmonton. The rent includes heat, water and parking. The caretakers are very nice, too!

Wow! Sobrang mura ito, sis! 

[sarsingkit]

My friend from burnaby, paid 290k for a 2br condo while here in manitoba, our 250k is a 3br house with double car garage. Masaya sana magmove in vancouver pero realstate is just a pain to pay.

[kvandenhaak]

^Ang mura pala ng bahay sa Manitoba. Mahal kasi dito sa Alberta ng bahay.

[lonelymiss28]

depende talaga sa province. dito sa mumunti naming bayan sa new brunswick, bahay namin $280K, 4br double car garage na rin.

at may makukuha kang 65K lang o di ba?

[sarsingkit]

We got our house 1 year ago. Yung neighbor naming just sold their house, nabenta na nya ng 300k so medyo mahal na rin pala. Pero mas mura na rin compared to others. Sobrang lamig lang talaga pag winter.

[joanniekiko]

hi! mga sis, ask ko lang about IELTS band score para sa FSW? took mine last january 2014., ano ang required bandscore? thanks.