Hi! I’m Zenia, a Canadian citizen of Indian origin who immigrated here almost 6 years ago. In India - I am a minority, belonging to the Christian/Catholic community (with possible Portuguese ancestral roots.)
Why am I bringing this up? It adds perspective to all the views I want to express about the big fat ‘Canadian’ dream.
In the last couple of years, I’ve noticed a recurring topic of conversation with newly minted immigrants (mainly from India) about how Canada is ‘not the place to make money’
I would sincerely like to understand - who led you to believe it ever was!?
Let’s get real for a second here - Canada is not Dubai.
You move to the Middle East to pad your bank account and live larger than life.
If you believed that about the Great White North - you’ve simply been misled.
Here’s where I think research plays a pivotal role. When you make a life-altering decision to move to a new country, you’ve got to assess key factors which include, but are not restricted to - the cost of accommodation, ease of transportation, the average income for your field of work, healthcare, the education system, access to childcare.
While everyone’s journey is different, establishing this baseline would help you evaluate if your plan to move is a viable one. The fundamental question you ask yourself is - why are YOU moving?
You’d be surprised how many answers are a version of - because everyone else was, getting in is easier than the US or AUS, my parents told me it was a good idea because someone they know has a nephew who resides there and he’s doing well. (definition of well = unknown)
I cannot fathom how a huge life decision like this is based on superficial research and half-truth conversations or the want to do what’s trending right now.
Staying true to the fabric of Life & Lemonade, I want to address this through personal experience, while acknowledging my privilege.
When I immigrated nearly 6 years ago, my now husband had already been here 4 years (as a student first and then on a work permit) While he was my main source of information, I reached out to several other contacts (shoutout to you all for the help!) who’d lived here for varying lengths of time to access mainly what the living and employment situation looked like.
My ‘Why’ was crystal clear - (a) Jo & I wanted to settle down together (b) as a minority in India, the political scenario there was/is unfavourable for a minority in the long run. Jo has family here & they were brutally honest about the work you’d need to put in as an immigrant and the effort you have to put in to assimilate.
I’ve tried to share this same advice and a high level of honesty with people who have asked me about my life here. I don’t know if this is perceived any other way than it was intended. But I worked two jobs at one point to secure my financial independence here, along with a lot of explaining why I speak such good English.
Getting into this country is relatively easier than any other place in the world right now, but that is not a reflection of what life’s like here.
Is the healthcare system messed up? yes, the pandemic brought it to its knees, but if you looked into this anywhere in the world, it’s a version of the same story. If you want to understand the true benefit of free healthcare - talk to someone who has had cancer treatments or heart attacks taken care of and they will tell you how the nurses are angels.
Real estate is a mess. Interest Rates are soaring. - talk to a current homeowner about this. they will give you more valuable insight.
Colleges are taking advantage of international students. But the only way for you to understand this is to contact a current student. If you don’t know one, tap into the vast network of aunties and their nephews in India, to truly understand this. Facebook groups do a GREAT job of telling you as it is.
Schools are mostly liberal in their teachings, ask a parent with a kid in school to understand how different this experience will be from your home country.
Taxes are very real here. But so are their benefits (mostly!)
All this goes to say, don’t base an entire move on the advice of an individual who moved here 10 - 15 years ago OR an AGENT. The former moved when this was a completely different country and the latter is a little more interested in commission than you. You need to understand this country post-pandemic and more importantly you need to figure out why you want to leave your home country.
Now, it’s crucial you understand this is written by an individual belonging to a minority group in India, and if you think that doesn’t make a huge difference in perspective - you need a reality check.
Every one of us will have a unique reason we moved here and chose to stay. In this age of misinformation, be weary of who your sources are and, stop treating this country as a golden goose, at best it’s a S!U*%# Canadian goose.
Now, I am NOT an expert on the matter or someone with extensive knowledge in immigration law, but I am not a bullshitter.
I’m not trying to discourage anyone from coming here, all I’m saying is be honest with yourself, have an emergency fund (don’t be afraid to use it), and most importantly - do your research!
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