Visas & Advice Detail
Preparing for emigration
Mike Wilson, who moved to Nova Scotia with his wife Orla in May last year says that if you do as much preparation as possible it’s surprising how quickly the time passes
Wilson advises that "The time can be spent, in part, formulating your plans and becoming as well prepared as possible. View the wait as a period in which you and your family can plan for your new life."
Firstly, you can explore the issue of exactly where you are going to settle and what you hope to achieve through emigrating. Wilson suggests that you ask yourself the following questions: "Have you decided on the province which is right for your family? Have you looked at alternative possibilities that fit your future lifestyle preferences? Why are you moving to Canada and what do you want when you get there? Is family important to you, and how easy would it be for them to come out and see you, for example? Is work available?" With so many aspects to research, making a list with target completion dates for each will help you stay on track and break the four-year stretch down into much more manageable, goal-orientated bursts. Secondly, you can pay attention to the details.
Says Claire Bolgil, "We're looking into the important things, which are often in danger of being left to the last minute, such as opening bank accounts, finding out about buying and insuring a car, etcetera. We're very keen to get a Canadian bank account sorted out as soon as possible because although we have an excellent credit rating here in the UK, this unfortunately doesn't carry over to Canada. The sooner we open a bank account and start building up a credit history the better." Wilson agrees, adding that you should "plan for probable expenses: shipping, flights and initial working capital when you first arrive".
Even if you think you are doing too much research, those who have travelled the arduous emigration trail already would reply that there really is no such thing. Richard Wood, who moved to Alberta with wife Vicky and son Owen in July 2005, reveals that they were "of the opinion that we had over-researched most things, but on arrival found this not to be the case, as you can never do enough research". The Woods are strong advocates of the Internet as being a great starting point. "We found this an invaluable tool and couldn't have imagined being without it. For example, we downloaded the driving book from the Alberta government website to familiarise ourselves with road signs and rules of the road. This was very useful as we learnt things like being able to turn right on a red light." But the Woods didn't begin and end the research on the Internet, as Richard explains: "We telephoned Canada to follow up our internet research. Here we made our connections for insurance, banking and car hire. We also sounded out the potential client base for our new business, which is getting up and running."
It's also important to go one step further than researching how it feels to live in Canada by visiting the country on a research trip. After all, there's nothing like first-hand experience to open your eyes to what you're getting yourself into. In fact, many successful migrants have told us that staying with a British family which has already settled in Canada can be invaluable as they pass on the fruits of their emigration experiences. Besides staying with a British family, as well as visiting schools and checking out the property market – both essential undertakings, actually visiting Canada can be a significant step to speeding up your emigration.
For example, you could research and visit potential employers, and indeed the PNP of the province in question. After all, an offer of a permanent job – supported by an Arranged Employment Offer (AEO) through Service Canada – or a provincial nomination could slice three of the four years off your wait for a visa. It doesn't matter if you've already applied for a Skilled Worker visa, a PNP nomination will enable you to jump into the priority processing queue, and in practice an AEO will help you do the same. Indeed, you could even find yourself working in Canada for a year or two on a temporary work visa. Yes, this can certainly cause its own set of problems, but it does provide a unique 'try before you buy' opportunity to experience living in Canada without having committed to it lock, stock and removals container. And even if you don't get a job, once again the research will prove to be invaluable in the long run. For example, it may reveal that your trade is licensed in your province of choice. If so, this is something you can be getting on with while you wait, as is ensuring that your qualifications are recognised in Canada. Once again, the sooner you find this out, the more time you have to do something about it. You can focus on more general career-orientated goals, too. Says Wilson: "It may be worth considering your personal development in preparation for your move. Update your CV and look at what is required for you to fulfil your chosen career/business choices. Make this valuable time work for you."
And this doesn't have to be the only type of personal development you take on. If you're concerned about your points score being too close to 67 for comfort, especially if there's something about your application that could fall short of the required standard, you could take French lessons to boost your score. And should you decide in the meantime that Quebec is actually where you'd like to live, you'll be one step closer to becoming bilingual. At this point it's worth noting that the CHC is currently processing 80 per cent of Skilled Worker applications for Quebec's immigration system in just 11 months. Another means of development was undertaken by Judith and Philip Round, who moved to Vancouver Island early last year. Both in their 50s and concerned that the medicals might find something untoward, the Rounds threw themselves into six months of fitness training – and passed their medicals without a hitch. Despite the fact that they had 'only' a 15-month wait for their application to be processed, the Rounds visited Canada for research purposes three times during this period, as Judith told us last July: "We saw our chosen destination in rain, fog, snow and ice, and not juts under the blue skies and during the warm days of summer."
This way at least you can be certain that you have a balanced perspective on the climate and weather-related challenges awaiting you in your chosen destination, not just a view through sunglasses.
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