Immigration – How to Research and Plan Your Immigration
Probably the most important and possibly the most difficult question to answer is “is this the right thing to do?” This of course is the question that only YOU can answer and it depends a lot on your family. If he is single, then there are his parents, siblings, and other close family and friends that he may miss and need to be informed about. If you’re married (or separated) with a family, then it’s a totally different scenario. If your children are old enough to understand, then they should be fully informed and you should listen to them. Both partners must be 100% committed to the idea: a half-hearted attempt or a negative attitude will make the transition even more difficult.
This is a deeply personal topic and we experience it first hand. Before having children, we had visited Canada and I wanted to; my wife wasn’t sure and she didn’t want to leave her parents. About 3 years later, after another visit to a different part of the country, everything changed, we had a son and the town we visited was everything we had dreamed of raising our children. The lifestyle available was far superior to the way we lived and was within the reach of ordinary people. My wife came back to the UK and announced that she was 100% behind a move and we got the ball rolling right away. The rest they say is history!
So once everyone agrees, you’ve passed the first step. The real “fun” starts here!
You should consider your options very carefully: what class of Visa do you qualify to apply for, and if there is more than one that fits, which one is best for you? In Canada there are 6 standard visa classes and then a separate 7th class if you are applying to live in Quebec. The 6 main types of visa are administered by the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), which was established in 1994 to handle all Citizenship and Immigration procedures. Québec has its own immigration system!
Read each of the visa types and discuss them in great detail; always be cautious and conservative in evaluating your case. I was applying for the skilled worker class under the old system (70 points; the latest system is a passing grade of 67) and I assumed with my wife’s sister living in Canada (married to a Canadian) I would get an extra 5 points and bring my total to 74. After several months of guessing, I checked and found that I would not be eligible for the points and therefore failed to hit the passing mark. We then hired Kerry Martin of Access Migration to act on our behalf and eventually she secured permanent residency for us.
The Skilled Worker class is by far the most popular application option and currently takes 18-24 months for applications to be processed. (This is always changing, so check www.forupdates.) The CIC site has a great self-assessment tool for you to use – if you pass easily, you shouldn’t have a problem with the application. If you do not reach the passing grade or are close / do not want to do it on your own; then I would recommend hiring an immigration professional (attorney or consultant). Make sure they are registered with the CSIC AND in good standing before hiring someone to represent you. Both Kerry Martin and Phil Mooney offer free advice without obligation and are qualified consultants registered with the CSIC. Kerry can only represent UK citizens and Phil offers his services to clients around the world.
If you are short on points, there are several ways to earn more: learning a second language (English or French) is possibly the fastest method. Gaining work experience will take the right number of years, as will any educational upgrading you may need. Definitely do not submit your application until it is complete and review it several times to avoid submitting an application with errors. They will most likely meet and then delay your application while they are resolved. Always provide EVERYTHING you are asked to provide and, to be honest, try to provide more: additional evidence of work history, personal references, other qualifications or skills. Giving too much information shouldn’t affect the application, not enough definitely will! !
Ok, you’ve chosen the visa, compiled the application and submitted it, what’s next? Well, depending on the type of visa you have applied for, you can check the CIC website for approximate processing times and see how long you have to wait. This time could be several years, so you can spend it very proactively and improve your chances of a successful resettlement.
If your educational levels need a boost, you could complete some pretty high level courses in 2 years. The main problem is that whatever course you do, make sure you can transfer to Canada. Most likely, the process will be long and it will not work. The best option would be to enroll in Internet courses with Canadian universities; then the resulting rating is Canadian.
Another option is to learn new skills (typing, welding, electrical, auto maintenance) most of the skilled trades are in very short supply in Canada and even if it’s not your chosen career they pay well and would give you a great start in the workforce. Canadian. It’s always easier to find the career you want in a high-paying job. It is highly unlikely that your trade skills will transfer directly into the Canadian system, as there are separate licensing/legislative agencies for most trades in each province, so you will need to retrain and/or take exams before to be allowed to work in that profession. .
A big step forward is to identify the area you want to establish yourself in, and then match your skills (and those of your partners) to see if someone in the local industry is likely to hire you. You can easily research any of the local businesses by using the yellow pages (link), the city/town chamber of commerce and major job search sites and see who is within traveling distance and if they are likely to are hiring. If your dream area doesn’t have the industry that applies to your skills, is there something you can offer the companies that are there, or do you need to change your plans and move to where the work is?
To be honest, we moved to the area of our dreams and now I have a long commute to work; this becomes a problem in the winter and provides a longer work day. Would you change it? No, but I think a lot of other people would.
This is all under YOUR control before you move and be warned be prepared as they say. It’s always better to know what’s coming, if your qualifications transfer (you have to retrain) there will be a chance to work in your chosen profession. Etc. so you can plan it. Once you’ve moved in, you’ll be at the mercy of the local job market and if your settlement funds dwindle as fast as ours, panic is bound to set in!
Another vital aspect of your move is budgeting: chances are you’ll sell most of your possessions and move in with your life savings. Choose a conservative exchange rate to calculate your settlement funds, and be sure to account for all moving expenses (legal fees for buying/selling the home, shipping/storage, house deposits, replacement of sold for moving, flights, hotels). , pet shipping costs, rented accommodation, insurance.)
This is where your research will pay additional dividends. If you know the area you want to settle in, housing costs, local taxes, who the most likely employers are, and how much they pay, then you can forecast your budget fairly accurately. The following table shows our average monthly expenses for a 1,800 square foot single family home:
Life insurance ($250,000 for each parent) = $60
Pet insurance (for one dog) = $30
Local taxes (approx. 1% of the value of the house) = $215
Cellular (family plan 2 phones) = $55
Local city bill (water, recycling, sawing) = $65
Gas (heat + hot water) = $75
Electric (energy and kitchen) = $70
Home phone (long distance + features) = $80
Cable TV and high speed internet = $110.00
Monthly Total = $760.00
Then add your mortgage/rent (allow $1,000 for a single family home) and living costs (a family of four, about $250 a week) and it soon adds up. Canada Pension Plan, EI and federal/provincial taxes will be deducted from your salary along with any provincial healthcare premium that may apply. The total deductions will be around 45% of your salary (depending on the province you move to), so always keep that in mind. This is a conservative estimate with everything rounded up, but it’s an honest picture of the level of spending you can expect to see. Add in activity costs if you have kids – hockey equipment is expensive and season ice fees are typically over $500.00 and you see the picture.
This is an illustration based on our experience and will be different for each area. Trust me, the effort involved with this research will pay off and then some!
You can find more detailed information and links to great resources at http://www.onestopimmigration-canada.com/immigration.html