As the post title, my intention will be to provide you information related to How to Live in Canada. I’ve been living here since 2003 and a lot of things have changed. However, I think that I can help you go through your dream of living in Canada as an immigrant.
My dream started back in 2000 when I finished my undergraduate degree and when I was looking for universities to my Master’s degree abroad. That’s how everything starts.
If you have the same dream, or if you’re also living here let’s talk about.
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Cassandra Jennings 10.24.07 at 7:35 pm
Hi,
My dream started in March 2007 and I am still dreaming it has been the hardest time in my life. I have been look for a job for the last seven months without any sign of hope it is driving we nuts.
Gean Oliveira 10.25.07 at 10:59 am
Hi Cassandra, I know how you feel. Where are you right now? Maybe I can help you.
OLASUPO 11.07.07 at 11:25 am
i want to come to canada and study, i’ve finished my national doploma here in nigeria and wish to come and continue my education there. i will be most glad if you can link to a certain university there.
Gean Oliveira 11.10.07 at 11:09 pm
Hi Olasupo,
What you can do is try to find a university to study. We have a lot of options here. I’d say you should go to http://www.studyincanada.com and start your research. From there you can specify the course, the region, city, university, etc.
Annie M. 11.18.07 at 12:06 pm
Hello everyone! I’m glad I found this place. I am Peruvian and right now I’m studying International Business in the US. My English is good and I am studying French. It’s always been my dream to move to Canada, find a job and stay there after I get my diploma. I’ll have to go back to Peru in 3 years and there’s no much I can do over there. So I’m hoping to be able to move there even if I have no work experience. I really wish for this dream to come true and I hope I can have the opportunity to do it though I’m very scared of failing because I probably won’t have any job experience. What can you recommend me?
Gean Oliveira 11.20.07 at 10:32 am
Hi Annie,
I’d say as you’re in the United States right know is to look for a job while you’re there. A lot of companies have offices here. I’d check if there’s any opportunities for you in Canada. Here when you’re studying in a college or university (for example), you can also work for a company after completing the course. Normally it is one year contract with a company in your field. After that or even during the year you can apply as an immigrant, too.
Check http://www.cic.gc.ca and look for studying in Canada or work visa.
Miriam 12.20.07 at 8:56 am
Hi !!!
I’m mexican and i have dreamed to travel to Canada since i was 17, now i’m 23yo but i still haven’t had the oportunity. By now, i’m in halfway of my Master’s degree but it seems that i still need a job to get some experience to try to work and live in Canada, at least that’s what i think because i don’t cover the total of points in the assessments.
I wish you could give me some tips to improve my oportunities.
And thanks for sharing your experiences.
Gean Oliveira 12.26.07 at 8:27 pm
Hi Miriam, you’re right. The advice I could give you is have a job in your field and then get some experience as you need. If you do not have enough points, that’s the way you will gain them. You still have a lot of time to prepare yourself to come and live in Canada. If it is possible, why not come to Canada and learn by yourself how things are here?
vadim.nekhaj 01.03.08 at 5:13 am
Hi Miriam,
If I were you, I would get some experience in the place where you live and during this time keep constantly developing international skills, and skills that are valuable in Canada.
Recently I’ve looked over the jobs in Canada and its requirements and decided to archive the level they require here so that I would be a valuable specialist there.
vadim.nekhaj 01.03.08 at 5:17 am
Gean,
I’ve got some tiny questions for you
How do you think is it real to find a job while being here?
May be you are in touch with someone who has such an experience?
josephine 02.07.08 at 9:50 am
I AM A FRENCH CITIZEN LIVING IN THE USA, I WOULD LIKE TO GO TO CANADA TO LIVE AND STUDY BUT I ONLY HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.
WHAT SHOULD I DO?
yana 02.14.08 at 11:01 am
hello .. i need help! what i need to do to get to canada i am 19 years old and living in israel .. its really important for me please answer me exactly
thank you
Gean Oliveira 02.15.08 at 9:13 am
Josephine: You can come to Canada and study in an university or a college, if you want. Every institution has their own rules. Please take a look at http://www.studyincanada.com for more information.
Yana: It depends what you want to do in Canada. Take a look on my previous posts and also check the http://www.cic.gc.ca website.
anna 02.19.08 at 8:44 am
hello! i am 21 years old and i working and living in israel. i dont study now becouse i need to work to save money for my living in canada i mean that i want move to canada and i want to study there and have there my own family. i have nobody who i know in canada even friends but i heard about canada from people, websites and etc…
my question is if i can move to canada to live there all my life , married there ,work and study in canada (i want to be a nurse in hospital) so can i???
Gean Oliveira 02.22.08 at 2:30 pm
Hi Anna, yes you can. However, in order to move and live in Canada you need a visa. If you are planning to visit Canada you need a visitor’s visa. If you want to work and live in Canada you need a work visa, or a skilled work visa. All this information is available at the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.
anna 02.23.08 at 3:15 am
ok . so how i understand you even if i want to live in canada all my life , i need this visa.
well thank you very much you very help me.
oleg 03.01.08 at 2:26 pm
hello, my name is oleg. i am living in israel for 16 years and i have a family here in israel: 3 kids - the first kid is 6 years old , the second kid is 11 years old and the third kid is 16 years old, i am 39 years old and my wife 36 years old. i have some questions to you: i want to move to canada with all my family to live there for ever. but there is some things that bother me like , if i can move to canada with my family if there is any problems in my family situation ( i mean age of kids and etc…) . my second question is about the money, how much money i need to have when i move to canada .
thank you very much for your’e answer.
oleg
val levi 03.13.08 at 3:19 pm
Hi I live in Israel, I am a manager of a diamond factory and show room , I have manager experience and jewelry design but i have no deploma i am taught by family and working experince. my dream is to live in Canada, i love the cold weather and i have been in Canada many times for visits, I am married and have 2 boys 8 and 9 year old, we all speak english as a first language, our dream is to live in Canada. Can someone tell me if i have a chance without education skills. I only have a high school diploma.
Gean Oliveira 03.13.08 at 11:01 pm
Oleg: The age of your family is not problem. If you’re planning to immigrate to Canada as a skilled worker, you have to prove more money because of your kids/spouse. Other than that, no problems at all. Regarding the money you can check on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.
Val levi: Unfortunately, if you don’t have education degree it is more difficult immigrate to Canada as a skilled worker. However, you can try to find a company who is willing to offer you a work visa. It is not impossible at all. Another thing that you could do is come to Canada as a tourist, visit some of the companies in your field and then, present yourself as a possible candidate. As I said, it is not impossible. I wish you and your family good luck.
Lorna 04.02.08 at 12:41 pm
I would like live and work in Canada with my family. How can I about doing so.
Iman 04.10.08 at 6:05 pm
Hi Anna
My family and I reside in Georgia, but I’m originally from Michigan. I’ve lived across from Windsor for the majority of my life and I now want to move my family there. My issues at hand are I am finishing my BA degree, and I will have my AA this June 08. I have plenty of work experience. My husband is in the university to, but he has a DUI from 2001. I’m concerned as I have no record and I want to move to Toronto. He hasn’t been in any trouble since then and I need to know what it is we can do to live and work in Canada? Can you keep both citizenships(USA & Canadian) we are natural born citizens of the USA? Thank you for your Time.
Iman
Cyril 05.04.08 at 9:51 am
hi i’ am French Citicen and i would like to work in canada.but i understood to work in canada first i have to find work and my employer need to help me out. can i came to canda and find work and then apply it from canada?because i think its hard to find a employer in canda when im living in France.I NEED YOUR HELP AND ADVICE
THANKS A LOT FOR YOUR TIME!
Gean Oliveira 05.08.08 at 10:52 pm
Lorna: The first step is verify if you qualify to immigrate to Canada. I’ve explained before how you can do this, with the Skilled Worker Visa.
Iman: As far as I know, yes you can keep both citizenships. There are a lot of options, and as I said before you need to verify which one you’re interested. The most common visa is the Skilled Worker Visa. However, you should check the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website as well.
Cyril: Yes, you can come to Canada. As a French citizen I think that you don’t need a visa to come to Canada but you should check this information. Being a French citizen I think your destination will be the province of Quebec, as most people living there speaks French.
Carol 06.26.08 at 4:46 pm
Hi, I’m Carol. My husband and I want to go to Canada to live and work. But we are a little lost about the best way to achive our dream. We’re sending our résumés to different enterprises, if that doesn’t work we’re thinking about study something there. But our biggest question is, Can we apply for a permanent resident visa if we’re living in Canada as a student or if we have a job there? I’m asking that because If you have a work permit, that gives you the opportunity to live in Canada as long as you have a job, but if you lose the job you have to leave the country.
If we enter Canada because we found a job there, can we apply to immigration process through Skilled workers and professionals if we are in Canada already???
OOhh, we are so confused, we don’t know what the best way is, and we want to go there in 2009. Please, help us!!!!!!
Devon 07.09.08 at 11:43 am
Ok, I’m really completely lost, so any help would be grand, and I know I’m askign for a lot *blush*
I currently live in Tn - USA, I’ve meet someone that I’ve been talking to in a friendly way on line who lives in Ontario Canada, and I’m thinking of starting a relationship with him, but really I want to know what I’d be getting into if the relationship moved further to the point of living together…?wedding? And well I don’t want to ask my “friend” simply because I just don’t know if I could handle all the changes and don’t want to get his hopes up.
I don’t work and am raising a daughter on an inheritance. I don’t really know what I should ask to be honest.
I guess the first thing would be about visa’s or whatever they are called (yes I know I sound just about stupid, but I’m not even sure where my head is) Is there a site that can explain to me how I can get to live there without working or going to school?
Ok yes…this is going to sound really bad…but please remember I’m a American who has never even thought of stepping foot out of the US…How is shopping done there? *BLUSH* I mean here in the US we have wall-mart that supplies just about everything…I like the whole one stop shopping, it’s easier with a kid. Do you have that or is it like you have to go one place to get fruit and vegies and a bakery to get bread, and a butcher for meat and another store for cloths? (feeling really dumb)
Can you visit the US whenever you want or do you need papers?
How does school work? My daughter is under 10 so she has a lot of school left to go through.
Is it a huge change from the US to Canada?
Um, I’m sure there are other questions I should ask, but can’t think of them at the moment, I’m actually calling myself ten times a fool for even starting on this line of thought, but I know my “friend” would never live in the US, and I really like him…?love?
Any help you could give me would be great, and much appreciated. And if you think of anything else I should be thinking about just add it in, am welcoming of any info at all.
Gean Oliveira 07.22.08 at 11:26 pm
Carol, yes you can apply while you’re studying. I am assuming that you will be living here with a valid student/tourist visa.
Devon, if you’re living in the US, why don’t you come to Canada and visit him? You can see by yourself what he’s up to. Even before considering your move to Canada, I think it is a good idea just to spend some days and see what are your thoughts. In Canada we also have Wal-Mart. There’s an agreement between Canada and the US, you just need to show your passport at the border to enter Canada/US. Just try to relax and organize your mind. After all, it could be only a passion, right?
paul 08.20.08 at 7:22 pm
i need to get some infomation as for in my postion what options i can do i have been in calagry canada for 16 months now still as a vister my brother brought me over to live and work in his company through lawyers but thats all long story now which is to why i still am a vister. my visa runs out in feb 2009 and wndering what my options are as to staying and working here i have plumbing level 2 nvq in plumbing and warehpuse skills also but cannot find anone to hire for workpermit what am i to ever do as seems like eveyone else is getting it easy and am going round in circles thanks
Michael 09.04.08 at 3:09 pm
Hi,
I’m a 22 year old living in Ireland. I want to move to Canada soon and I realize that I will need either a skilled worker’s visa or a work permit.
I have three questions I was hoping you could answer for me as I have tried to find the answers to these and no one can seem to help me.
1) For the skilled worker’s visa assesment calculation, one of the categories is work experience. I have not worked a year continuously in full tie work as I was a student until recently. Would an aggregate total of all my work count as a year’s work experience?
2) For the work permit, how long does it usually take to obtain a work permit after you apply (with a job offer)? I’m plannig on travelling to Vancouver in November to look for a job but I would like to be able to tell my potential employer how long they would have to wait before I could start working.
3) I am currently on the wait list for a year work/travel visa to Canada. If I take this visa would I be able to extend my stay beyond a year if I was able to find work there?
Oh yeh, one last thing. Suppose I get a work permit or the travel/work one year visa, can I apply for an immigrant visa while I am in Canada currently using a different visa?
Thanks so much for your help
Gean Oliveira 09.26.08 at 2:45 pm
Paul: I’d say look for a job in your field and get your visa by your new employer.
Michel:
1 - I’d rather not give you an answer than give you something that I don’t know 100%. You
should check the Application processing times in Canada page.
2 - It takes less time than the skilled worker visa, as you already have a job offer. You
can check the wait times visiting the http://www.cic.gc.ca website.
3 - Yes, you can extend your visa in Canada. And yes, you can apply for a skilled worker visa if you’re in Canada.
I’d advise you to check the Canadian Experience Class visa. Check my website and look for more information about this visa class.
Rose 11.01.08 at 8:39 am
Hi Dear
i’m so lucky because finally i found what i’m looking for … i used searching about informations on net but without result or convincing answears .
i am married to canadian citizen but i’m still living in morocco in this period anyway am 19 yrs student (third years = life science and earth especialist ) in college & i speak arabic -french -english , so i have to explain the moroccan system to help you to understand the equivalent in canadian education system.. ((in primary school we use to study 6 years & we got the diploma to go to high school ( 3 years) and then we got other certificat to go to college ( 3 years ) and in third year we get baccalaureat to go to university )). but the problem is that i’m gonna get immigration visa after 3 months which means that i’ll not complete the last year to get my scientific baccalaureat … so iam very confuse & affraid about my futur , i mean there is any chance to complete my study there without get diploma in college ? and i am able to chose any other programe like interiod design or General Business in private school for exemple ?
please brother help me
my regard
Rose
Bruna 11.02.08 at 7:23 pm
hello…i hope you could help.
I recently lived in the usa for 11 years almost my whole life im am now 19 and now i moved back to my home country Brazil in January 2008.To tell you the truth i don’t think i have a future here because english is my main language and i really dont know the portuguese very well and its not easy to learn and i dont want to start my life all over with the portuguese language i love my country but i got use to something else my whole life and it just been really hard for me here.I heard so many good thing about Canada that i want to move there as soon as i can i dont want to go to the usa because lets face it we really dont know whats gonna happen with that.Canada looks like to be friendly with immigration and those are the type of people that i want to be around and all around just a great country to live.So i was wondering if i could get some help on how to start a process if anything can be done so i could move to Canada? what i would need to do 1st?
thank you.. Bruna
Gean Oliveira 11.11.08 at 12:02 am
Rose: I’m not an expert in immigration. However, I’d recommend you talk with the university/college that you’re interested here. They’re able to give you an answer better than I do. Check http://www.studyincanada.com for a list of places that you might consider once you immigrate to Canada.
Bruna: I understand your situation and your friend is going to be the http://www.cic.gc.ca website. There you will find a lot of information about the different options available if you plan to live in Canada.
Chris 11.15.08 at 12:59 pm
Hi, I am an international student here in Canada taking practical nursing. Is it possible to apply for immigrant status even though I haven’t graduated yet. I was here in Canada for almost 2 years now. I almost finished with my second semester. In the Philippines, I finished university bachelor in Economics major in Finance and I have worked 8 months in the bank and another 8 months from a government financial institution as a Marketing Assistant and Account Ofiicer respectively. Please let me know on how can I become an immigrant as soon as possible?
Martie 11.16.08 at 9:52 pm
My friend and I are in the UK, and we are 16.
We want to move to Canada to study there. Our parents are fine about this, however they do not want to move.
Is it possible to immigrate at 16?
Gean Oliveira 11.18.08 at 8:37 am
Chris: Yes, it is possible. However, the first thing that you should consider is how many points you have. In the meantime, remember that if you don’t have enough points, you can continuous taking your nursing degree and at the end of the course chances are you will find a job in Canada. Please check the http://www.cic.gc.ca and look for the Skilled Worker and also the Student Visa.
Martie: That’s a good question but I think this is not possible. First of all, if you want to immigrate to Canada you have to check your points and of course as you don’t have any degree yet, any experience at all, it is almost impossible. However, that’s something that you can consider in the future, too.
marie 11.18.08 at 7:34 pm
hello, i am from Africa but living in the US for 5yrs. i cam here as a tourist and went to high school and i am currently in a community college. my question is. is it possible for me to finish my school in canada. i have the proof that my parents can pay all the livings and tuitions. do i need to go back to my country and get the student visa or i can just get it here. i have been to the canadian immigration sites but i want further information.
please help
thank you
Ross 11.19.08 at 5:00 am
hello.i am from England.iv visited canada so many times now with my antie & uncle living there & i
really want to try and work there for a year for the experience.iv looked at the
canadain websites and unsure what to go on.i wanna find a job when i get there
but looking at the few off the proggramms they say that i need a Documents relating to your trip such as an invitation from business of personal contacts in Canada, a letter from your employer, registration for a conference, your itinerary,to get a visa etc..do you have any idea what programme i need to related to.
Gean Oliveira 11.20.08 at 9:54 am
Marie: Yes, it is possible to finish your college in Canada. You need to decide where you want to live in Canada, then find the school that you’d like to study and apply for a student visa. All the steps you can find at http://www.studyincanada.com
Ross: What do you want to do in Canada? If it is to visit, I think you don’t need a visa to come to Canada. If you’re planning to work in Canada, you can come with a work visa (then you need to find a company what wants you) or with a skilled worker visa. All the information is available at http://www.cic.gc.ca (look for work permit visa and skilled worker visa).