What I've Noticed to Entitled Immigrants in Canada

We've been here in Canada for the past five years (WOW! That was quick, time really flies!). The blessings that we had for the past years were awesome.  Our lifestyle had improved in terms of our family bonding, travelling together with my family to see the beautiful places in Quebec and Ontario, and having a chance to dine in fancy restaurants.

When staying in a country, like Canada, for a long period of time, we start to take things for granted.  Specially the provisions given to us by the government, people forget that these are not available in other countries.

I can still remember when I was applying for immigration to Canada. The frequent chat with my sister kept me motivated to hasten my application. She told me about the benefits that my nephew gets in terms of free education, free checkup, and free this and that.  The thought of having those benefits in Canada is unbelievable to me if I compare it with our previous situation.

As a backgrounder to those who haven't followed my journey, I came to Singapore as an overseas foreign worker, leaving my family behind in Philippines to have a better future for them. Then I applied for a permanent residency in Canada and became a citizen.  You can read my post about it in my BenAlagnam.com blog.

For the past years that I've been talking to older immigrants, some of them become entitled on what Canada had provided them, with lots of benefits. But they have many complaints about the system. These are the complaints.

• They start complaining of the school system, saying that it's not that great as compared to other countries or in Philippines.
• The doctor's visit takes a lot of time. 
• They need to work 2 or more jobs just to cope up with the bills.
• It's difficult to retire earlier than 65 years old because they can't save enough for that.
• The cost of living in Toronto is high.
• ...and there's a lot more.

Yes, they are correct in some sense. But, they forget where they came from and the situation they were in.  I know that they paid taxes, but note that they did the same to the government of the country of their origin. Have they enjoyed the same benefits?

They might have immigrated in Canada for the same reason as mine, which is the lack of benefits I get from my tax contributions. Never mind about the service of the government as compared to Canada, which is way better.

This is what I can say to those complainers...

Education
Canada is one of the world's top performing education system in the world according to www.ncee.org.  It is also the 3rd in the Top 10 with the best education system in the world for 2019 according to Master and More.

If you are complaining about the education system, you must came from one of the top countries mentioned on those websites.

Doctor's Visit
Doctors visit takes a lot of time is apparent. But you can choose a different clinic if you need to. You are not obliged to stick to one clinic or doctor, you have the right to move to another location. 

Hospital emergencies are built for emergency situation only, that's why they're called emergency. So if it's not what the situation is, go to a clinic and have yourself checked for non-emergency purposes.

Working Double Jobs
Who says you have to work double jobs? If you are complaining that the rent is not enough, move to a cheaper place, a basement, apartment, or bedroom rental.

Having an expensive car is a choice. In Toronto, you can use the public transportation. Uber is an option but not a necessity. Buy an old car that only cost $2,000 dollars if you really need to and not brand new ones that costs $30,000 or more.

Cook your own food and do not buy in restaurants or fast food chains. There are grocery stores in Canada that are affordable and good quality.

Upgrade your education so you can be qualified for a better employment position. You may get a job in your field of expertise.

Can't Save Enough for Retirement
Well, if you did not follow on what I explained above, you end up with no savings.

You should save early for your retirement. Don't buy expensive or luxuries things if you haven't saved for your retirement.

Canada has a savings plan called RRSP, you have to use the benefits for that. Talk to a financial advisor. Compare banks with other investment institutions. There are many out there. That's what we did with our money. We know that we are going to get old and retire. It's given.

Cost of Living
So with other cities in the world. If you go to other major cities in first world countries, price of commodities, house rentals, and transportation are mostly similar. Cities grow as well as cost of living.

Have a humility to get a practical shelter and transportation and you end up having money to spend just enough not to complain.

So, guys! If you're new to Canada, don't end up to money debt trap. Research more on how to invest money in this country and talk to people who are professional and trustworthy financial advisors. 

Do not care about what your relatives or friends say about your situation. As long as you're happy, enjoying, and not complaining about the Canadian life, you're in the good place.

It's time to reset our minds.

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From Working in a Factory, Housewife, and in a Financial Industry in Canada

Author: Net

They say if it's your destiny, no one can take it away from you and that it will be given to you at the right place and at the right time.

This is what exactly happened to us.  The moment my husband applied as immigrant years ago (we were only a couple back then), to what our "set-up" now as a family.

When he applied and was denied twice, I felt his sadness and dismay for this is his dream country, to raise our kids.  But I told him  that there's a reason for everything and maybe it's not yet our time or it's not the place for us.  Then years passed, he worked as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) in Singapore, which made him grew apart from me and our children.

Then one day he said,
"I will try it again for the last time.  If this still doesn't work, then I'll give up and plan our lives in Philippines."

"Ok, if that's what you want, I'll support you on that," I replied.

"But don't let your hopes up. I don't want you to feel the same frustration, keep it light, ok?" I added with encouragement.

The Update
Then the news came that he needed to submit certain requirements.  Good thing, he had kept all those documents intact.

Everything else followed, the next thing we knew was we're already packing our trip here in Canada.

Once we're here, we had all the basic requirements needed to settle in - applying the Permanent Residence card, Social Insurance Number (SIN), Health Card, bank accounts and sending my eldest son to school.

We were very eager to have our jobs here.  They say it's very easy to find a job in Toronto if you are not picky.

True enough, my husband got his job 5 days after landing and mine followed after few days.  Though my first job was sort of a seasonal job,  I got laid-off after working for 1 month. but after a week of "rest" , I got another job that is quite promising.

Got a Promising Job
Another good news came but with a catch in the end...

My husband got a new job that required him to travel out of town every month.  So the problem was who will take care of the kids when he's away and I have to work in the afternoon until nighttime.

We weighed things up, listed down all the pros and cons and ended up me having a new job...a housewife.

Our New Setup
Sacrifices were needed. The main reason why we're here is for our kids.  So they are our top priority.  And besides, how can you get a baby-sitter to stay until midnight 5 times a week? And my youngest son is the clingy one.  He might be crying the whole night until I reach home from work.

We were receiving the child benefits from the government and it's over C$300/month.  Not bad at all, it's as if I'm also working with the benefit to bond with my kids. They can eat fresh from the stove and not heated from the microwave.

Before
- Ate Ana sends and pick up our sons to and from school, which we pay C$15/week.
- Food was heated by microwave.
- Bond with kids only during weekends
- Quality time was only on weekends
- No time to teach my son on his assignments
- No time to attend my son's school seminars and activities

After
- Send my sons to school everyday
- Newly cooked meal
- Bond with kids everyday
- Quality time with husband everyday except when he's out of Ontario to work.
- Teaching my eldest on his school works
- Attend seminars given by the school

We stayed this way partly until now while having a business as a Financial Coach.

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Job and Business Options in Ontario Canada

Having a job right after landing is an immigrant primary goal.  It will provide constant cash flow to the family.  Incoming bills like groceries, telephone, apartment rentals, and etc. It’ll be taken care of.

Unfortunately, some newcomers can't find jobs immediately and may result in anxiety and depression.  This is unhealthy for the whole family.  It will cause chaos and eventually leads to the couple's breakup.

This post is to give you insights on how to begin your healthy financial life in Canada.  Here are the options to do that.

Small factories on my way home from work.

Agency Jobs 

Assuming you haven't found any job at the first 3 days.  Go ahead and accept the offer from job agencies.  Even if the pay is minimum, grab it! 

You need to have an employer who will provide you a letter of reference.  It is mostly required in renting an apartment.  Some agencies pay workers in Cash or in Checks, I suggest to get the latter.  Checks come with payslips, which is good as an employment record and can later be used for other purposes.

It’s good to have a salary; minimum is good, while waiting for the perfect job.

Working as an assembler in a faucet company made me confident and motivated in living a new life in Canada.  It somehow removed a bit of my qualms.  Knowing that my family have a constant cash flow, I could sleep well at night.

Part-time jobs are always available in Toronto.  You can work in pizza chains such as this.

Part-time Jobs

If you are now working on a full-time job but the pay is scarce, get a part-time job.  It will provide you an additional income. 

Although part-time jobs help you provide food on the plate, it consumes your quality time with your family.  But with a proper time management with your wife and kids, everything will be in place.

I have a friend who has two jobs working 12 hours a day, one 8-hr full-time job in a factory and 4 hours in Walmart.  Others work for 16 hours per day. Yes, it's unbelievable, but it exists.

I didn’t try to do part time jobs in Walmart or Tim’s.  Time with my kids is limited because I have to take care of them after work.  That’s my part-time job, really.

Business 

How good it is to have your own business in Canada.  You will handle your own time.  You are your own boss. 

Having a business in Canada requires a lot of cash.  There’s an option to borrow money from the bank. For newcomers, no assets or credit history, it’s difficult to get a loan. 

How much do you need? 

Well, depending on the business, you may need a minimum of $50,000 to a million.   You also need to have a feasibility study in order to measure a viable business.  Considering hiring employees? It’s pricy.

If you have the capital as a newcomer, then go ahead build your business.  You can start any business you want.  Start with low initial capital and expand sooner as you get the feel of it.

I was really thinking about it and back when I was in the Philippines.  I have experienced in doing business back then and so was hoping to build one in Canada.  Due to a hefty amount of money involved, I decided to look for other options.

Independent Business in Financial Services

This option is applicable for full-time and part-time workers.  It gives you freedom to do it your way. The reason why it’s called independent is because of doing it without a boss. The opportunity to earn more than the corporate salary is staggering.

Even if you’re working from 9am to 5pm, you still can do the business part-time.  As you grow the business, it will eventually overcome your full-time job salary and eventually quit the job.

Unlike having a business with a high cost of initial capital, this business doesn’t need a lot.  You can start by licensing in the financial regulators and buying office equipments. Being one of the most regulated industry in Canada, which is investments and life protection, it requires you to be licensed in order for you to sell the products.

I was very lucky to have been involved in this business.  It was introduced to me a week after we landed on 2014.  I gained a lot of knowledge regarding financial matters and I‘ve seen the whole picture of Canadian investments.  Net and I are doing this business until now and both are licensed to sell these financial products in Ontario.  

You can email me if you’re interested in this kind of business.

What option to keep?

Whatever you choose in these four types of income opportunity, the most important thing is being happy doing it.  If you’re not, grab another one.

You’re the only one who can control your own destiny wherever you are in Canada. 

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Job Websites in Canada for New Immigrants

In the first few weeks upon landing in Canada, we need to process a lot of documents like SIN, CCTB, etc...We also need to find a place to stay temporarily that is near a school, community center, and stores.  Another important part of the process is to find a job.

As a newcomer, you have a little idea of where to look for a job.  The first thing you'll do is to surf the internet and find the job websites.

In Canada, job applicants rarely go find a job by walk-in, it is mostly online.  During winter, going physically to an employer's office is really difficult.  It consumes time, money and effort.

To help fellow immigrants find a job in Canada, I listed down some of the job websites available.  This way, you just send your resume online.  Though you need to create a resume beforehand.

List of Job Websites in Canada

1. Beyond (http://www.beyond.com)

2. Indeed (http://ca.indeed.com)

3. Job Rapido (http://ca.jobrapido.com/)

4. Job Bank (http://www.jobbank.gc.ca)

5. Career Builder (http://www.careerbuilder.com)

6. Job Diagnosis (http://ca.jobdiagnosis.com)

7. Zip Recruiter (https://www.ziprecruiter.com/)

8. Canadian Job Force (http://canadianjobforce.com)

9. IT Jobs (http://www.itjobs.ca/)

10. IT World Canada (http://jobs.itworldcanada.com)

Now that you have the tools to find a job.  Run your fingers in your keyboard and create your Canadian resume.

Please leave a comment if you find a job on one of these sites.

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My Longest Resignation Notice in Singapore

I really hate goodbyes!

Few months ago, when I was in Singapore, a meeting was held at the General Manager's office, together with the Director of the company.  Three of us were inside a closed door meeting.  I was clueless of what they'll be discussing with me then.

There were lots of thoughts and that includes finding out that I blog sometimes during my working hours.  But I was wrong.

I also thought that they will fire me because the company was not making money. But, based on the load that I got that year, it couldn't be possible.

What Was Discussed During the Meeting?
The moment of truth came when I was told to take a seat in front of the General Manager, and the Director was sitting 2 meters away from me.

As they opened their mouth to say the first words, my heartbeat was in full capacity, with a 220/110 blood pressure (like a power supply, haha).

To my surprise, they informed me about their plan to help me bring my family (wife and 2 sons) in Singapore and will help me get the Permanent Residence status and added that they want me to stay with them forever.

By the way, just in case you haven't read some of my posts, I was holding a Singapore Employment Pass (EP) that time, but was degraded to SPass later on 2013, as a foreign worker.

The plan was to increase my salary to meet the criteria for the PR status and I can now sponsor my family to stay in Singapore as dependents.  The salary will also cover the cost of renting a house in a HDB residential building.

After they've finished laying their cards on the table, I started to explain my plan for my family.

What Was My Plan?
They were looking at me with excitement, while waiting for my response.  Although the offer is too great to resist, my facial expression hasn't change a bit.  I started to open my mouth and this is what I told them...

"Thank you for the trust that you've given me for the past years of my stay here in XXXXX Pte. Ltd.. Your plans are overwhelming.

But, I regret to inform you that I am planning to immigrate to Canada..."

I can see the change of mood on their faces.  They were so surprised to hear those words from me.  I have not mentioned anything about Canada since the start of my employment with them.

 "...You see, I was working here in Singapore and I tried to apply for my Permanent Residence here, but with no luck, the government rejected my application and even degraded my Work Pass from EPass to SPass.  So, what's next?

 I love working here, you can see that I stayed and sacrificed for X years leaving my wife and kids in Philippines. 

It came to a point that I decided to be with them for the rest of my life..."

They nodded, while I was explaining to them my part, a gesture that they'd fully understood my situation.  I don't know what they felt during that time but I assume that they are crying deep inside.

So, I continued...

"...I really appreciate your plans for me,  you are like my second family and you have treated me well, like a brother, but I have to follow my heart.  I don't want to have a life, like this, forever. 

Without a stable status in this country, not knowing when the government will change their rules for foreign workers, is not for a lifetime goal for me.   

We're not getting any younger here.

In addition to that, it was my longtime dream to go to Canada and have a new life there together with my family.  I started sending my application, few years back, trying my luck.

Now, I'm in the process of getting our Medical Examination done and in a few weeks or months, I'll be able to get my Immigration Visa." 

I can see their worried faces while listening to my drama. They were still speechless...

"I'm not sure if  Canada will give us an Immigraton Visa.  If it's fine with you, your plan of having me get a Singapore PR will be my second option.  That means, if my application with Canada will fail, we'll go on with your plan.

But, the 3rd option is to go back to Philippines if your plan also fails.  I will not stay here in Singapore as a foreign worker until the end of the year.  "

They looked at each other with their signs of agreement.

"It would be unfair for you if I won't lay out my plans.  This is the good opportunity for me to inform you that this is my last year of working with you. I don't want to leave your company without a fully trained replacement.

Please find a new guy so I can train him as soon as I can.

I will stay here until he's competent to do the job and until the year ends..." 

At that moment, I had just given them the longest resignation notice in my life...

Working with them for the past few years was rewarding.  I gained a lot of knowledge with regards to my field of expertise and those were the things that I'm grateful to have them as my employer.

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How to Know Your NOC Code and Filling up the Work Experience Form?

I have received few inquiries from my email Subscribers. One of which is about this problem, and it's time to clarify the issue.  Here are their messages...

"..my job positions are not exactly matched stated but the job description as I believe are all the same. One of example is System Administrator and my current position is Systems Engineer. There was no indicated main duties on the website but in general, the main duties of Systems Engineer covers with System Administrator description. I have a lot of positions where the job descriptions are covered on the list in NOC but the titles are not match.

Do you think the Canada Visa office would recognized that? Most of my COE has no job description included and even in contract letter has not stated as well..." - J.C. (please let me know if you want your name divulged)

______________________________________________ 

"...im still confused. what will i write on the IMM0008 (E Schedule 3) work experience part:
From To Occupation NOC Years of Experience Main DutiesAsst. Res. Engineer 2131
Should i write my current job position under the Occupation Part or the equivalent based based on job duties?..." - M.A. (please let me know if you want your name divulged)

The advice and tips that I will provide you is based on my experience when I applied for the Federal Skilled Worker Canada.  I recommend that you seek second or third opinions to other advisers or agents as well.

Job Position or Title Explained
In every country, they have their own job titles which they think will easily attract the job seekers or also known as talents.

Like in Canada, a person who goes out and meet customers, repair the machines at the customer's site is called the JourneyMan.  While if you do this kind of job in Singapore, you can be called as a Service Engineer or Service Technician.  Doing this same kind of  job in Philippines is a Technician.

"a person who goes out and meet customers, repair the machines at the customer's site"

Canada - Journeyman
Singapore - Service Technician or Service Engineer
Philippines - Technician

As you can see, they are all doing the same kind of job, but they are tagged differently.  They differ in their job titles because of the terms used and according to the country's history.

Another example is the AutoCad Draftsmen and the AutoCad Draughtsman.  These two jobs have a similar job descriptions, but they have different job titles. This is because,

Draftsmen - American English
Draughtsman - British English

Job titling almost has the same concept of marketing, which you have to create the best name of the brand, in this case is the job, making it more locally recognizable and egoistically appealing.

Who doesn't want to have a job of cleaning floors with a namecard description of "Floor Manager"?

Same job, different titles.

What is NOC in Canada?
In the Federal Skilled Worker Program in Canada, we can encounter this name NOC or the National Occupational Classification.

According to the the Employment and Social Development in Canada (ESDC),

"The National Occupational Classification (NOC), provides a standardized language for describing the work performed by Canadians in the labour market. It gives statisticians, labour market analysts, career counselors, employers and individual job seekers a consistent way to collect data and describe and understand the nature of work." -ESDC 

To ease up the confusion of job titles and descriptions, Canada had created a standard and listed it in the NOC with versions on year 2006 and 2011.

At the NOC, each job title has its own code, depending on the skill level, and it is classified and described in accordance with the standard.

How To Determine the Equivalent NOC 2011 Code?
The NOC 2011 occupation code is important when applying for the FSW Canada program.  It is the first factor that determines the eligibility of an applicant.  The applicant's occupation should be included at the 50 eligible occupations list.

But how do you know if your current or previous job is included in the list?

To have a complete NOC 2011 equivalency of your current or previous occupation, you need to provide an evidence such as a complete Certificate of Employment (COE) indicating the job description of your occupation and other details as required by the FSW Canada.

Check out the complete requirements at the STEP3 - Document Checklist (IMM5612) item #12

Now, this is the tricky part wherein you need to compare the job description of your occupation, that was written at your COE, with the occupation at the NOC 2011.

Let's take Equipment Engineer as our sample occupation .  This job title is totally out of the NOC 2011 list, but we can find a code for this and it takes time and effort.

Given that the following details were written at the COE:

Equipment EngineerAugust 2010 - August 2014

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Write equipment handling specifications, technical reports, capacity computations, maintenance manual specifications, and maintenance schedules.
• Conduct design reviews, inspection, and evaluates the performance equipment.
• Troubleshoot machine using technical software.
• Read and interpret electrical diagram.
• Responsible for the layout preparation, scheduling, mobilization and installation of machines for production use.

We will visit the NOC 2011 Website and select the Classification structure menu (see photo below).  Then choose the classification that you think has the greatest similarity with the Equipment Engineering job and its corresponding responsibilities. 

So, we will choose #7 (see the photo and click to visit the site)

The Skill Type 7 will have a long list of occupational codes.  Scan through each occupation and find the closest match, and that is NOC 7242 (Industrial Electrician) with responsibilities that are similar with that of an Equipment Engineer.

7242 Industrial ElectriciansIndustrial electricians install, maintain, test, troubleshoot and repair industrial electrical equipment and associated electrical and electronic controls

Now, we can therefore state that the equivalent NOC of Equipment Engineer is NOC 7242 Industrial Electrician.

How to Fill Up the Form with the NOC Code?
Alright, we have now the NOC equivalent code.  Go to the application form IMM008 Schedule 3 Economic Classes - Federal Skilled Worker, item #12 - Work Experience

If you have another occupation and declared as your Primary, e.g. NOC 2241- Electrical and electronics Engineering Technologists and Technician , it should be in included in the 50 eligible occupations and meet the criteria for FSW Canada. 

Since NOC 7242 is a Skill Level B occupation, we can include this in the Work Experience.  Even though it has more than 4 years of experience, we can not make it as the primary because it's not included in the 50 eligible occupations list.

Take a look at the table below.

The space provided for the Main Duties is always not enough, you can write "Please refer to attached page" and create a document in A4 paper with the complete details of the duties.  Include it in this form as attachment.

Other Related Post:
Years of Work Experience, How to Compute?
Certificate of Employment or Letter of Reference for FSW Canada Concerns


Hope that this this post will help in your application. If you like this post or appreciate the author, please tick the LIKE button below.

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Years of Work Experience, How to Compute?

One of the eligibility factors for the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) in Canada 2014 is the Work Experience.  For some, it is a little bit confusing on how to define the number of years of work experience.

This is the frequently asked questions from my email Subscribers:

"What are the occupations that I should include in my years of work experience?"

What Are the Skill Levels 
In the application requirements, it states that your work experience for the past ten years should be in the Skill Type 0 , Skill Level A or B of the NOC 2011 list.

Here are the definition of each skills:

• Skill Type 0 - These are from the Management Occupations and starts with a code number "0"
• Skill Level A - Occupations that usually require university educations.
• Skills Level B -  These are the occupations that usually requires college education or apprenticeship training.

Don't worry, I have found an easy resource for you to verify your work experience.  It is the National Occupational Classification Matrix 2011.

This will be your guide to know whether your previous occupation can be included in the years of your work experience. Click the photo...

National Occupational Classification Matrix 2011

How To Compare Your Occupation with the NOC 2011?
This time, you've probably determined the NOC Code of your occupations that was at the NOC Matrix 2011.

Now, the next thing you do is to use that NOC code and verify if the main duties or also called as the Job Description (JD) at the NOC 2011 is the same with that of your current or previous occupations.


You can click on this link, NOC Quick Search, to visit the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada website.

At the bottom-left part of the site, you can find the Quick Search box.  Please see the reference photo below.

Source: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada 

Key in the NOC code and it will redirect to the list of the main duties of that particular code.

Example: I am an Engineer. If I had experienced working as a Librarian for a year, for the past 10 years of my working career, then I can include 1 year for my Work Experience because this job is at the Skill Level A, according to the NOC Matrix 2011.

The NOC code of Librarian is 5111.  I keyed in 5111 at the Quick Search box and it showed this. 

Then I need to provide the Certificate of Employment (COE), with the same main duties or JD, from my employer, as a proof of my work experience.

Since Librarians are not included in the 50 eligible occupations list, I cannot make it as my Primary eligible occupation.  It will just be supplementary for my years of Work Experience.

Years of Work Experience Computation?
Provided that all occupations had their corresponding COEs. You can list and compute for the number of years of work experience like this.

Primary Occupation:
NOC 2172 Data Base Analyst  - 2 years (included in 50 eligible occupations list)

NOC 2234 (skill level B) Construction Estimator - 11 months (Not included in the computation)
NOC 2234 (skill level B) Assistant Estimator - 4 years
NOC 7251 (skill level B) Plumber - 2 years
NOC 5111 (skill Level A) Librarian - 1 year
NOC 9526 (skill Level C) Mechanical Assembler - 2 years  (Not included in the computation)

Total Work Experience : 9 years

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For questions not related to this post, leave a comment at the ASK ME.

If you want to know more about my life in Singapore, visit my blog at BenAlagnam.com

How much you need to prepare for the applications, visit EXPENSES.

Check on what are the documents you need to prepare and more info on RESOURCES.

Reasons To Evaluate Our Credentials for Federal Skilled Worker Program in Canada 2014

In this video, it explains the importance of having our credentials assessed in a Canadian accredited institution like World Education Services (WES).

 WES evaluation is important if you will migrate to Canada, for the following reasons.

• Employment
• Higher or Continuing Education
• Licensure in regulated profession
• Apprenticeship
• Immigration

Watch the video for the complete details.
    

Log In to your WES Account

Which Province In Canada To Live and Settle?

There were questions in my email inbox that I need to address.  Many were asking about it and this is the perfect time to answer those queries.

I took one question from my Me Moving To Canada (MM2C) email subscriber.

"...as to which province you choose and the pros and cons, we will definitely appreciate to receive your inputs." - Faith

First of all,  I will be concentrating on the pros here, which I have some data to provide, because the disadvantages are relative depending on one's perspective.  

In considering the perfect place to settle down, we need to see the following criteria:

• Adaptability
• Employment opportunities
• Education of our children or future clans
• Health 

These criteria depend on our priorities in life so we need to weigh each factor.  We can have many on the list, but we need to take down the important ones.  Let's discuss it one by one.

Adaptability

At our first application, Canada gives points for our spouse's IELTS, having relatives in Canada, and work experience in Canada.  Let us focus more on relatives in Canada since for me, it is more important.

If we have a relative in Canada, we have a 99% chance to survive in that country.  Once we arrive at the airport, we can consider ourselves blind from the country's culture and environment because we were only relying on Google and advice from acquaintances.

This is where relatives plays an important role for our success in Canada.  They are our eyes, a reliable one, that had seen the beauty and the ugly side of Canada.  

Our relatives can orient us even before we arrive there, advice us what to bring or not, where to find a job and etc...

I have relatives in Canada, specifically in Toronto, such as my sister, cousins, aunt and uncle.  I thank God that I have them as my guide and support.  That is why I chose Toronto, Ontario as the place of destination.

This is the reason why Canada gives points for the Eligibility Factor - Adaptability.  

Employment Opportunity

Job opportunities are everywhere, it depends on your current status and your preferences.  This is one of the difficult topic to discuss because everyone has his own idealism.

Once we land in Canada, keep our Ego to the lowest level because we are only noobs (newbies or newcomer). 

Yes, I'm an Engineer in Philippines and also an Engineer working in Singapore, but I will always  remind myself to wake up, this is Canada.  It's a different country with a new set of rules.

As advised by my relatives, there are a lot of jobs waiting for me, BUT I should not choose first.  The industries there needs a Canadian Experience.  

How to get it? Apply as a newbie employee, such as survival jobs, and eventually look for a job that really fits you.

Maintain your cash flow first to sustain your monthly expenses while waiting for the right job.  If your lucky to get the perfect job once you arrive, please buy me a coffee. :D

To make sure of our employment, lets look at the statistics.

Source: http://www.esdc.gc.ca/

Based on the data above, unemployment decreased from 2012 to 2014.  This is a good indication that me and my wife can land a job, 90% chance, in Ontario.

If you want to find the employment statistics at your place of destination, please choose from this link:

Canada Labour Market Bulletins 

Education of Our Children or Future Clan

As we all know, Canada has one of the world's best education system.  

At a 2013 poll survey done by the New Jersey Minority Educational Development (NJMED), Canada ranked the 7th in the world.

There is no doubt that the future of our children will be brighter when they are studying in any province of Canada compared to other countries ranked 8th and above.

Looking at the provincial view inside Canada, which is the best place to have your children educated?

Let's take a look at the ratio of educators to students in each province compared in an 8-year gap (2000/2001 and 2008/2009).  This indicates how our children will be given the most attention in school.

Source: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/

Given with this data, Ontario is still considerable.

From the rankings, one of the Top 20 of World University Rankings 2013-2014 is in Ontario, the University of Toronto.

Health of Our Family

Health is one of the most important status in our family.  That is why we need to see which province is the best health care in terms of value-for-money.

Relative health-care value-for-money, according to the Fraser Institute (zero to 10, 10 being the best)

Quebec — 10
Ontario — 7.43
New Brunswick — 5.87
Nova Scotia — 4.73
B.C. — 4.12
Manitoba — 3.66
Alberta — 3.35
Saskatchewan — 1.17
P.E.I. — 0.48
Newfoundland and Labrador — 0
Source: National Post

Ontario is ranked the second for the best value-for-money in terms of healthcare in Canada.

The above reasons are just supplemental data for me to decide on Toronto as my place of destination.  

The most important factor for me is staying near with my relatives and family, given that being inside Canada itself is already the best place to live in, always at one of the Top of the World's Best.

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If you have any questions regarding this post, you can leave a comment below or email me at benalagnam@yahoo.com.

Important: Please read the DISCLAIMER Page

For questions not related to this post, leave a comment at the ASK ME.

If you want to know more about my life in Singapore, visit my blog at BenAlagnam.com

How much you need to prepare for the applications, visit EXPENSES.

Check on what are the documents you need to prepare and more info on RESOURCES.

Certificate of Employment or Letter of Reference for FSW Canada Concerns

One of the requirements for FSW Canada application is to provide a Certificate of Employment or also called as Letter of Reference from your employer.

You need to provide all COEs from your employers for the last 10 years or from your 18th birthday (whichever is applicable).

What are the Problems When Getting a Certificate Of Employment?
1. The previous company was closed - The company had been closed and no longer in operation.  There is no way you can get a COE.

Suggestion: You can provide an affidavit from a lawyer stating that your previous company has already been closed and there is no way for you to contact the administration or Human Resources personnel handling the manpower records.  The letter should be notarized.

2. The Human Resource personnel will not provide customized format for COEs - Every company has its own rules regarding the format of the certificate.  Some HR personnel are too busy to attend to your request.  They don't want to create a new format just for you.

Suggestion: Create your own format in a Microsoft Word or any word processor with all the truthful details that is required by the CIC.  Then hand it over to the HR personnel inside the thumb drive or any other devices. Ask her if she can provide the COE with your format.  Don't forget to smile.  That is why you need to be friendly with the HR's.

3. The Human Resource personnel do not issue COE's - I am not sure of the legalities for companies that do not issue COE's.  If they really can not provide in spite of your persistence, then this is what I suggest.

Suggestion: Before you joined the company, you signed a contract to them, right?  Every month, you have your payslip with you.  And in Singapore, you have the In Principle Approval before you join the company.

These will be your proof that you are working with this company and you can insert a written letter addressed to Canada that your company does not provide COE's to their employers. 

4. The employer will only provide a standard format - These are usually multinational companies that has a large number of employees.  They can only give you a standard format.

Suggestion: You can combine the standard format COE and Suggestion #3.  Send this together with your application.

Details: 

Document 1. Create a COE like format but without the letterhead and with the complete details of your Job Description.  Let your supervisor or manager or the person higher than you, sign the document. The important thing is to show your Job Description there.

Document 2. Get a standard COE from your employer/HR.

Document 3. Make a letter explaining the reason why you can not provide a COE with the complete details as required by Canada.

Attach documents 1, 2 &3 together and include in your full application. 

My Experience in Securing the COE's
Based on my experience, I have done item #2 and 4.  I have worked for three companies and I have difficulties approaching them one by one.   You need to be persistent with a down-to-earth attitude.  Make a request with a kind approach and this will soften the HR personnel's heart.

This is true specially with my first employer.  It is a multinational company with over 1,000 employees.  I went straight to the HR Manager.

"Hi Ma'am, how are you?"I approached her with a smile.

"Fine, and you?" she replied.

"I have a very important request to ask you.", speaking closely next to her.  My eyes looks so sad like the Puss in Boots in Shrek.

I explained to her that I am planning to immigrate to Canada because the situation in the Philippines is not good (on 2002).  This is my opportunity to be in a better place with a greener pasture.  Then added that it would be for my future family.

"In order for me to apply, I need to request from you for a COE, but Canada has a required format so I typed it first in the MSWord, is it alright if you transfer it with the company letterhead?", showing him the disk (sorry this is still the year 2002).

After a week, she handed me the COE with her signature and I asked for her business card, which I attached with the letter.

The lesson here is that you need to be soft when talking with the HR.  Explain to them clearly what is your situation now and why are you migrating.  They will understand because they are only Humans.

Do you want a sample of the COE?
If you want to have a sample of the COE, Register to MM2C Community to download the document. Click the photo below.

Register to MM2C Community

SAMPLE Certificate of Employment - This is only a sample, do not copy and paste it as is.  This is only for your reference.  You change the format as necessary, the most important thing is that the details of the COE's are present .

The details like salary, company, and work descriptions inside the COE letter are all fictitious.

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If you have any questions regarding this post, you can leave a comment below or email me at benalagnam@yahoo.com.

For questions not related to this post, leave a comment at the ASK ME.

If you want to know more about my life in Singapore, visit my blog at BenAlagnam.com

How much you need to prepare for the applications, visit EXPENSES.

Check on what are the documents you need to prepare and more info on RESOURCES.