Anybody moving to Canada from Singapore here???

Hi John,

Save your bedsheets cos they are sized differently in Canada. As for jackets, bring the best though they dont last at all for Canadian winters. Those so called winter gear sold in Singapore will be totally 'obliterated' by the harsh winters. Once you arrive, get your winter clothings here. Best would be Canada Goose, followed by Patagonia, Columbia and North Face.

Cheers!

Thanks Squadron17 and appreciate your feedback.

Cheers

Thanks again Bro for your advise!

Cheeers!

Hi there,

Unless your moving expense is being paid by your employer, I really don't think it's a good idea to bring the things via forwarder. Most of the stuff back home, you can get it here (unless really special item that only available in Asia). Be very careful bringing electronic as its different voltage here compare to Asia (110 vs 220-240)

I brought only my (precious) bicycle and leave everything behind...and it paid off for me as I moved around 3 province during 2013.

Good luck with the movers though.

@squadron17 - I would say Canada goose is overpriced and I ended up choosing North face.

Cheers

Hi Grace,

Just to comment about your sister (nurse profession). As I previously worked with Alberta Health Services, I think she need to get herself license to practice as a nurse in Canada before she can work here.

Previously from Singapore, I came here to Canada (migrated) in 2013. One of the hurdle to land a job here is that you must have a Canadian qualification. Even if you got it, that does not mean you can easily get a job in Canada. I obtained a Canadian accounting qualification in 2012 and it took me 6 months to get a job (not a survival job).

Phillip will be able to advise more as he is "senior" in this forum.

Cheers

Thanks Boedihendra for your advise. This is personal move thus, i need to assess on the freight charges and if needed we might reduce our stuff.
How's MTB bike price over there compared to SG? Am planning to ship my bike too if the price is right otherwise i will sell here & buy a new one there.

Cheers!

I am finishing my bachelors soon in newfoundland with a good gpa in statistics. Im wondering should i move on immediately to masters in better unis in ontario then work in canada or shd i start working first then do my masters? The economy right now does not seem to bode well, more so for international graduates. In addition, just wondering if inland spousal sponsorship is faster than applying PR through provincial nominee considering that i would have graduated with canadian education and the other half has stable income?

Canada Goose is pricey but the quality is there. Design wise is so-so. We had gotten all the major brands mentioned and as such are able to make comparisons. And knowing the harsh winters in AB...

P/S: I brought both my Bromptons with me too!

For me, my bike is the precious thing, so what I did was I boxed it up (the bike shop can do this) and check in as sports equipment when I travel by plane. I bought a bike bag later on in Canada, so travelling between province is a breeze now (i just dismantle the bike by myself and put in my bike bag). It will be again check in as sports equipment - oversized baggage.

In terms price, I am a roadie so i don't know much about MTB. But when you already got your "customized" bike, why would you leave it and buy a new one? check in your bike cost only $100 through air line...

I always believe in professional recognition (CPA, CIA, CGA, CA) rather than academic (MBA, Phd and so on) irrespective of the economic situation.

But as a new immigrant, the challenge is to get the job as per what our education (not survival). So if I were in your shoes, I will try to get a job and do the study later (some company do sponsor/pay their employee for an advancement)

Cheers

Noted and thanks again bro!

Cheers

Hi everyone,

Halim here. Its great to find discussion regarding migration here.

I am planning to migrate to Canada after I complete my degree in Human Resource next year. Bringing my wife and another bunch of friends there in search of a better, meaningful life. Meaning, to take a slower pace, a step back and not being stressful all the time thinking about "What if..." and bringing the worries of work back home.

Before I found this blog, I was going through the channels in youtube. Some were good opinions, some were discouraging and some videos really got me back to my seat like for example, a person with a degree is driving a truck?

I heard and viewed some opinions on the cost of living in Canada which is better than Singapore.
- In terms of the price of a hdb, I can get 2 storey house there.
- With the price of a car here, I can get a cheaper car there.
- The government sponsors education till a certain level, especially for kids.
- Medical expenses are covered; to a certain degree.
- When unemployed, the government gives money.
I wonder if all these are true.

What are the ways to ensure that migration to Canada is a good idea? What are the pull and push factors? Any discrimination towards Asians? Job security?

I seek help from everyone in here to tell me the pros and cons of migration there. I am open to all opinions and advice that you will give.

Thank you in advance.

let me answer some of your queries, benefits apply to PR and citizens

- In terms of the price of a hdb, I can get 2 storey house there.
It depends on where you are thinking of heading, prices in vancouver and toronto are pretty high. I'm in calgary so you may check out www.calgaryrealestate.pro for the prices of properties here.


- With the price of a car here, I can get a cheaper car there.
Yup no COE. no road tax. insurance is high even if you are experienced driver in singapore. around $2500-$3000 per year. This will go down with your canadian driving experience and clean record. petrol is hovering at around $1/litres here.

- The government sponsors education till a certain level, especially for kids.
Public schools are free, not much homework, the children dont even need to bring pencil case to school because it is all provided for. Free education till high school

- Medical expenses are covered; to a certain degree.
Healthcare is free. Medicine is not so got to pay. However a big bulk is covered by your company work benefits
dental is not but is covered by your employer benefits

- When unemployed, the government gives money.
They call it "EI" or employment insurance. You will need to work for a minimum number of hours before you are entitle EI. You get 55% of your pay for a maximum of 6months. During this period you are not suppose to leave the country and should be active in job finding

Canadians are generally pretty polite and nice and depending on which part of canada you are thinking of heading, there might be more asians than you think.

I just moved here to Calgary. If you need any more info, feel free to pm me.

gracelooyt wrote:

Hello everyone!

I was referred to this forum from HWZ after I'd posted about studying in Canada. To be honest, I did not read the full 5 page of threads, only the latest page, so please forgive me if what I share/ask seemed repetitive!

My twin sister and I are looking to work and study in Canada. She would like to continue her practice as a nurse, while I do my degree in International Development Studies. We will then do the swap later to ease the financial constraint. I am currently choosing and sizing down my universities options based on locations and my chances of getting in. My sister would not be able to work at provinces that requires bilingualism in English and French, so that had to be part of my consideration in university choices.

We had approached AIMS for migration consultation and they mentioned that my sister could migrate to Canada (the only country) with her diploma in nursing. We are meeting up with them to see where this leads to! I've read on the forum here that applying on own or through agent takes about the same processing time; 1.may I know what is the estimated processing time now? The thread I read was dated in 2010 - 2012, so I'm wondering if it's the same?

2. Two of my university choices are located in Halifax; so what's Halifax like really? I noted that philipyeo's location is tagged at Halifax, would be great to hear your input!

Truth be told, I've never been to Canada. But if the plan is pulling through, we'll make the recce trip to Canada in May 2016. We are both excited, but also scared at the same time. We have though through this decision countless time and decided to live by Mark Twain's quote "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do."

We would love to hear first hand from people who have been there and done that. If you would, please share with us how you'd felt when you:
-first made the decision to move
-breaking the news to family
-first landed in Canada

Alright, that's all for now. I'm sure I've got more questions, taking it slow.

Hi guys,

Thank you for some of your replies, it really helped in making decision and offered assurance! I've just met with an migration agent here in Singapore and it would cost about 10,200SGD if the whole PR application pulls through. It seems to be cheaper to go through the PR process then to go as an international student to Canada. According to the points system, I'm just about 400 points without offer of arranged employment or name in a nomination certificate. According to the agent, there's chances of getting the PR status, but agent being agent, I guess they would always paint a better picture.

What are your thoughts? Should I go ahead with the PR application to ease my university tuition fees? If so, would you suggest I do it on my own or with the help of the agent?

wow didn't realise it costs so much with an immigration agent.

Cost of us doing it ourselves

Application: C$1100 for both of us and then RPRF C$490, other amount spent will be going down to the law firm and get the certificates notorised which costs something like $500 or lesser

if you are applying in Singapore, do expect to wait a tad longer as the canada office in Singapore is also serving people from malaysia, vietnam, thailand, india etc, by doing through the agent doesn't make the process faster

Processing time will be as follows:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/

I think they might be loosening up immigration rules/programs now with the handsome incoming pm, but we shall wait and see. They promise doubling up the number for parents/grandparents and 25,000 syrian refugees by end of this year.

feel free to pm if you have any queries

Hi Grace,

May I know the name of the (immigration) agent?OCSC?

In my humble opinion, you don't actually need an immigration agent. It's pretty straight forward actually. You only need to read and fulfill the requirements (its all described in the website).

Welcome Halim (Selamat bergabung di milis ini)

What exactly did you meant by “bring another bunch of friends”?

To answer your question(s) : "What are the ways to ensure that migration to Canada is a good idea? What are the pull and push factors? Any discrimination towards Asians? Job security?"

Please see my thoughts and Philipyeo -> shared on Aug 20, 2014
Please see philipyeo thoughts -> shared Aug 29, 2014
Please see skuadron17 thoughts -> shared Mar 14, 2015
Please see Philipyeo thoughts -> shared Mar 15, 2015

Hi Kaisin,

Thank you for the prompt reply to my queries.

Looks like Calgary is a great place to stay. Something like CBD area.

However, deep inside me there are still doubts that I want to clarify before I make a concrete decision as I don't want to regret later on. Will post more queries later on.

Hi Hendra,

Terima kasih ya kerana sudi menyambut saya dilaman ini.

A bunch of friends means I have some friends who are having the same mindset (due to the same reason as me) in migrating to Canada BUT all pressure is on me as I am the one who is making the decision based on concrete proof that we all will be able to carry on with out lives there. From accommodation to work to mode of transport and everything else will be under my care. That is why I was looking high and low for blogs and forum and thank God I found you guys here.

Its been days now since I have sleepless nights thinking and weighing the possibilities of migrating to Canada. Let me look through and I shall post as many questions as I can to lessen my doubts.

Cheers!

don't think too much...just see if your qualification is in NOC list. If its there, then you can think forward (otherwise its a waste of energy)

cheers

Not a muslim here but thought u guys might like to know that you can get halal meat etc at the mainstream supermarket and there are mosque around. Anyway the mayor in Calgary is a muslim

Also, highlight to everyone moving over....you still need to go for driving test regardless of how long you have been driving in Singapore. Still need to take the theory exam and practical test. so do be prepared for that.

Marhalim, your friends need to do their own research also lah haha

boedihendra wrote:

Hi Grace,

May I know the name of the (immigration) agent?OCSC?

In my humble opinion, you don't actually need an immigration agent. It's pretty straight forward actually. You only need to read and fulfill the requirements (its all described in the website).

We went to AIMS. I was thinking of applying on my own too, just the trouble of getting documents certified by lawyers and filling up of forms.

Have anyone done PR on their own here?

If it's saving $8000, then I rather go through the trouble, even if it means sitting through a train breakdown

I did the application myself, u can just download the forms on the website.

kaisin wrote:

If it's saving $8000, then I rather go through the trouble, even if it means sitting through a train breakdown

I did the application myself, u can just download the forms on the website.

Did you do IELTS or TOFEL?

No I didn't

@Grace

A word of caution on doing it on your own. If you hit trouble mid way with your application (and mind you, trouble do happen with Canadian PR application), it takes a good Canadian Immigration lawyer to help you navigate through the murky waters of PR 'red-tape'. What kind of trouble you may ask? Sometimes you can be very careful but still the trouble is caused at the other end. It  has happened many times with the 'not-so-good' folks at CIC. I speak for myself having gone through doing it myself and then doing it with an immigration consultant.

So PR app is like a roll of a dice. You might be lucky enough some of the guys in this forum or may fall into a little bit of a hiccup like I did on my first application. Either ways, my word of advice is, if your application is not straight forward, then go with an immigration consultant. If it is straightforward, then DIY may be sensible.

Salam Sejahtera Halim,

I am planning to migrate to Canada after I complete my degree in Human Resource next year. Bringing my wife and another bunch of friends there in search of a better, meaningful life. Meaning, to take a slower pace, a step back and not being stressful all the time thinking about "What if..." and bringing the worries of work back home.

Good idea. Canada may offer this for you but do understand it depends on a combination of things - where you end up settling down, when you are coming and how patient you are, etc etc. Reality is that the journey it takes to get to that state is in itself an arduous one - so I'm not going to build this illusion for you that all is fine and you can be sure its smooth sailing, but as immigrant you'll take a good while to adjust yourself when coming here. Not to say the least - finding a job, finding a school for your kids, finding a place to live, adjusting with the climate, adjusting with the food and culture, etc etc. So its going be a bit a hassle in the beginning but with persistence, resilience and hard work, I am sure you can pull it through.

Before I found this blog, I was going through the channels in youtube. Some were good opinions, some were discouraging and some videos really got me back to my seat like for example, a person with a degree is driving a truck?

It does happen although rare. You'd have to be willing to take some unconventional career moves when you land here. Take for instance like myself - back at home most of my peers would look up to working in MNCs like IBM, Microsoft, Blackberry etc. But over here it doesn't have to be that way. Infact the opposite may be true. You could work with a startup but have better pay and benefits. That all depends also on which industry you're in. For the folks that are driving trucks, they may have horrible command of the English language that would have been a huge factor in hampering their efforts to find a job.

I heard and viewed some opinions on the cost of living in Canada which is better than Singapore.
- In terms of the price of a hdb, I can get 2 storey house there.

As kaisin said, Vancouver and Toronto (downtown and inner suburbs) are way over priced. If you go to the outer rims of GTA, you probably have a chance. Personally I prefer smaller to mid sized cities. E.g. Ottawa, Winnipeg, Regina, Halifax. I enjoy the peacefulness and stress free commute to work. Less than hectic lifestyle and closeness to mother nature. Home prices are also way more affordable here. Winnipeg is extremely cheap. I am in Halifax and I bought my home for 360K. Its a semi-D but in the downtown area. I could have gotten a detached if I had gone to the suburbs but much prefer not to be driving a long distance to work. Plus most homes come in 3 stories (if you count the basement). Mine has the basement done up.

- With the price of a car here, I can get a cheaper car there.

Use kijiji, its Canada's preferred online classifieds. 2nd hand can be very affordable too. But watch out for rust because winters are harsh and the roads get salted a lot.

- The government sponsors education till a certain level, especially for kids.

Up to high school. Plus, as a PR or citizen, if you or your kids do a tertiary education, you'd be exempted from paying "differential fee" which can be quite substantial.

- Medical expenses are covered; to a certain degree.

Yes only for consultation. But medicine isn't. Though with the previous conservative government, there were talks of offering a free drug plan. Now that liberal's in the government, I am not sure how is that going to work.

- When unemployed, the government gives money.

EI - employment insurance. Only if you meet certain requirements. Plus if your wife worked (at least 6mths somewhat) and then have a baby,  you can also claim EI for 1 year to get a top-up for pay. So she can be on maternity and not worry too much about income.

Any discrimination towards Asians?

There will be sometimes and you can almost feel it. Because we're different. However I usually don't let it bother me. Sometimes its caused by jealousy. Sometimes its caused by them seeing that we are different. But also, if you go places where there are more Asians, then there is less of it. Setbacks of choosing a smaller city like Halifax as compared to Toronto.

Job security?

There is no such thing a job security these days.

Yup, done it by myself. Not only for Canada, but Australia' PR as well. Concept is all the same : you need to read (& understand) and fulfill the requirements.

So PR app is like a roll of a dice. You might be lucky enough some of the guys in this forum or may fall into a little bit of a hiccup like I did on my first application. Either ways, my word of advice is, if your application is not straight forward, then go with an immigration consultant. If it is straightforward, then DIY may be sensible.

I'm not too sure yet if my application will be a straight forward one. Firstly because my plan is to go there and do my degree, not work yet. Hence I'm not too sure how this will work out. The migration agent I spoke to said I could list it in my application that I have plans to study, which will help. So, doing it on my own now... not too sure how this can be done.

Coming to think of it, I have to pay an additional 8000sgd for the agent service and on top of that additional cost for all the ECAs fees, provincial application fees and what not. I would think engaging the friend you mentioned might make more sense.

First thing first, I'll need to complete my IELTS and ECA before I can set up an express entry profile with CIC.

It might be easier to get enroll, study first and then apply for pr when u graduate, inland application is much faster but you do need to get a job when U apply after graduation. Yup filling up form is tedious, but lots of guides online to help you and tell you what's next. If money is no issue, go for the agent. Save you time on scratching your head.

One Difference here is that you get more space to yourself. Population density here(including mountains lakes etc) is 3.06/sq km as compared to 7000/sq km in Singapore. Lines at the bank are obviously shorter, but prob take same amount of waiting time because they like to chitchat about everything. You get more value for money when you buy house or car as compared to Singapore

Philip>> you got pretty good deal on your house. You bought it long time ago?

I think kaisin82 is right. It would be easier if you study for the relevant skills then apply for PR. Outland PR applications take very long to process. Even if you get PR from outland application, it isnt easy to work at the same level of work u are doing in SG I believe as they emphasize on canadian education/work exp
Take a look at some colleges/ cheap uni like Brandon university, Sheridan College, NSCC etc.
Dont forget that the Canadian job market is also saturated with international graduates... It is competitive so plan well and good luck

@Grace,

Both kaisin and faith have a point. My observation is that it is easier for one to enter Canada through study first. Now, the exceptions are for those with rare skillsets. However usually if one is that good, they'd probably be snapped up by the big brother next door - US.

Also don't look down at community colleges simply because it has the word college infront of it. There's a swing here to folks graduating from community colleges being more hireable than than those graduating from Universities. So think properly there. Btw uni's are so-overated!

kaisin wrote:

Philip>> you got pretty good deal on your house. You bought it long time ago?

@Kaisin,
I actually bought it last year. I am in Halifax. Home prices are definitely cheaper here. However as a rule of thumb, I usually bit closer to the downtown (preferably btw 10-15 min drives away)

philipyeo wrote:

@Grace,

Both kaisin and faith have a point. My observation is that it is easier for one to enter Canada through study first. Now, the exceptions are for those with rare skillsets. However usually if one is that good, they'd probably be snapped up by the big brother next door - US.

Also don't look down at community colleges simply because it has the word college infront of it. There's a swing here to folks graduating from community colleges being more hireable than than those graduating from Universities. So think properly there. Btw uni's are so-overated!

Yes, I agree unis are over-rated! But a lot of careers and career advancements would still prefer at least a bachelor as minimum requirement, as I see it in Singapore and the field of work I would like to continue in. I'd managed to get my current position now based on previous travelling experiences, if not I would have been turned away with just a diploma certificate

I am wondering if I'm able to apply for PR and student visa at the same time? Or could only do one at a time? Truth be told, one of the main push for a PR status is the subsidized tuition fees and health care benefits, would have help me save quite a bit through my 4-years course in Canada. I'm prepared to go in as international student in the first place, so just looking at options!

Hi Philip,

Thank you for the enlightenment.

Its a big WOW on how you explain it.

I still have a few questions on hand, still gathering some other questions for you and the rest to answer.

Cheers and have a nice day ahead!

gracelooyt wrote:

philipyeo wrote:

@Grace,

Both kaisin and faith have a point. My observation is that it is easier for one to enter Canada through study first. Now, the exceptions are for those with rare skillsets. However usually if one is that good, they'd probably be snapped up by the big brother next door - US.

Also don't look down at community colleges simply because it has the word college infront of it. There's a swing here to folks graduating from community colleges being more hireable than than those graduating from Universities. So think properly there. Btw uni's are so-overated!

Yes, I agree unis are over-rated! But a lot of careers and career advancements would still prefer at least a bachelor as minimum requirement, as I see it in Singapore and the field of work I would like to continue in. I'd managed to get my current position now based on previous travelling experiences, if not I would have been turned away with just a diploma certificate

I am wondering if I'm able to apply for PR and student visa at the same time? Or could only do one at a time? Truth be told, one of the main push for a PR status is the subsidized tuition fees and health care benefits, would have help me save quite a bit through my 4-years course in Canada. I'm prepared to go in as international student in the first place, so just looking at options!

No, i dont think u can submit a PR and student permit simultaneously. Tbh, PR status looks at the points that you clock in. So have a look at the forms and see how many points u clock in based on your occupation and the canadian equivalency of your education. and PR may take a few yrs, so if you dont mind the few years wait, then good. It is not that easy to get PR truth be told, some people wait for years.

Hi Philip,
I visited Halifax over the weekend and really think its a very nice city, comparable to Ottawa (maybe not as busy as Ottawa). I am considering Dalhousie University as one of my universities to apply for a MSc in Statistics after im done with my bachelors in nfld. Just wondering if you would know how the job market is like in Halifax , and in particular job market for statisicians, data analysts, data scientists, actuarial analyst?
I would also apply to Uni of Waterloo but understand that it is extremely competitive to get in so just trying to look around at some other universities that is in a good city with a decent statistics program + easy to get job/PR.  It would be greatly appreciated if u can provide some insights.

Probably the below link can help?

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/09/15 … 42292.html

Definitely applying to U of Toronto, U of Waterloo, but also looking at Umanitoba, Uottawa and Dal...
weighing which options give me better chances.