I'm going to try to get through this without using the words "so fucking stupid". I will try. I may not succeed. Okay. Deep breath.
As I read the news this week about 257,515 people migrating to Canada in 2012, I had a chill running down my spine as I considered the fate of these immigrants who would have to start their job hunt the very next day of their arrival. Their imported money would soon run out and if they have to survive in this country, they will have to get a job quickly.
Well, yeah, isn't that what people do when they want/need a job and they don't have one? Look for one ASAP? How long would these same people last without a job or any sort of income in their home country? Surely they could not live on their friends/family forever.
Personally speaking, my family had a great life in Dubai. We managed to get a good education for our kids. My husband and I had satisfying jobs and a good bank balance thanks to our tax-free salaries.Then suddenly, this Canada bug bit us as we did not want to return to India after working for about two decades in Dubai.
United Arab Emirates GDP per capita: $48,158
Canadian GDP per capita: $51.989
To be honest, Canadian GDP/capita is higher than I thought it was, but nevertheless, the difference of a couple thousand/a couple percentage points is pretty inconsequential. Except for the fact that you're moving to a brand new place, you're uprooting your family, you probably have far fewer connections, so you have to make it on your own.
And you think to yourself, "I deserve the same standard of living soon after I move?" Really? REALLY?
Also, surpriiiiise, Canada doesn't have tax-free salaries either. (as far as I'm aware)
Canadian GDP per capita: $51.989
To be honest, Canadian GDP/capita is higher than I thought it was, but nevertheless, the difference of a couple thousand/a couple percentage points is pretty inconsequential. Except for the fact that you're moving to a brand new place, you're uprooting your family, you probably have far fewer connections, so you have to make it on your own.
And you think to yourself, "I deserve the same standard of living soon after I move?" Really? REALLY?
Also, surpriiiiise, Canada doesn't have tax-free salaries either. (as far as I'm aware)
So we decided to apply for immigration to Canada. After a few years of waiting, we got our PR Cards. When we told our friends that we are going to settle in Canada, many of them warned us. They narrated horrific tales of new immigrants in Canada. They warned us that highly skilled and experienced people, who have worked in managerial positions in Dubai or India, are working as cab drivers or factory workers in Canada. We were also told that even if you did get a job, you will have to work much below your professional rank, which will deeply hurt your ego and self esteem.
You move to a new system, you start from the bottom. It's like if you were studying art your whole life, and you've become an accomplished museum curator or something, but suddenly you want to get into aerospace engineering. They aren't just going to be like "here have this managerial position where you oversee rocket launching", you're going to have to go through school, training, entry level jobs, and advance from there.
"Well what if I was in the same field?" you may ask. Perhaps then it's more like switching between two related disciplines, like Math and Computer Science. The system is different. The language is different. There are different customs. Being qualified in one likely makes you well-qualified for the other, but not everything translates directly. Put another way, if I were an employer, why would I take someone who may have a strong basis in logic and theory over someone trained in a system I'm familiar with who can code what I tell them to?
My inherent bias towards CS as a career is showing. Oops.
"Well what if I was in the same field?" you may ask. Perhaps then it's more like switching between two related disciplines, like Math and Computer Science. The system is different. The language is different. There are different customs. Being qualified in one likely makes you well-qualified for the other, but not everything translates directly. Put another way, if I were an employer, why would I take someone who may have a strong basis in logic and theory over someone trained in a system I'm familiar with who can code what I tell them to?
My inherent bias towards CS as a career is showing. Oops.
...
So in April 2009, we left Dubai and landed in Toronto to start a new life, against the wishes of these family friends. We were in a hurry to get back into our former profession. But it took me more than a couple of years to get a teaching license. Then I spent more money on upgrading my qualifications and membership fees. Then I had to do a lot of volunteer work as I waited and waited for a school job. But nothing happened.So here is my story: even after spending four years in Canada and upgrading my skills and using up all our savings, I am still without a job. Actually, this IS the story of thousands of fellow immigrants.
I must concede that the scrutiny given to the credential of immigrants is a bit unfair. Someone who has had a masters' degree in another country, for example, shouldn't have to start from scratch at a minimum-wage job in retail.
I'll address the not having an education-related job in the next bit, but the fact that you are without a job at all is BY YOUR OWN CHOOSING. YOU think a minimum-wage job is beneath you. You would rather have no job at all than a job that you feel contempt or disgust towards. THAT IS YOUR OWN FAULT, AND NO ONE ELSE'S. If, however, you had done your best to get any job at all and still came up empty-handed because no Tim Horton's will take you because you're an immigrant, then there's a problem. Obviously. But based on how many Timmy's I've eaten at (way, waaay too fucking many) I strongly doubt that's the case.
I'll address the not having an education-related job in the next bit, but the fact that you are without a job at all is BY YOUR OWN CHOOSING. YOU think a minimum-wage job is beneath you. You would rather have no job at all than a job that you feel contempt or disgust towards. THAT IS YOUR OWN FAULT, AND NO ONE ELSE'S. If, however, you had done your best to get any job at all and still came up empty-handed because no Tim Horton's will take you because you're an immigrant, then there's a problem. Obviously. But based on how many Timmy's I've eaten at (way, waaay too fucking many) I strongly doubt that's the case.
School boards are on perpetual strike. Teachers are being laid off. It is a very frightening situation for teachers. But the school boards keep training more and more teachers and making money!Most of these teachers are jobless or they are doing jobs that pay them peanuts and kill their self-esteem.
WELCOME TO THE NORTH AMERICAN EDUCATION SYSTEM! How may we help you? I can't help but notice, however, that
1) You have friends who have immigrant friends in Canada, who must know what the educational system is like, and
2) IT'S 2009. TWO THOUSAND FUCKING NINE. Have you, perchance, heard of this great wonder called the internet? I am highly, highly doubtful that as a seemingly middle-class family living in Dubai you don't have sufficient access to the internet. Not bothering to seek information relevant to your success is stupid, short-sighted, and ENTIRELY your fault.
1) You have friends who have immigrant friends in Canada, who must know what the educational system is like, and
2) IT'S 2009. TWO THOUSAND FUCKING NINE. Have you, perchance, heard of this great wonder called the internet? I am highly, highly doubtful that as a seemingly middle-class family living in Dubai you don't have sufficient access to the internet. Not bothering to seek information relevant to your success is stupid, short-sighted, and ENTIRELY your fault.
My husband, who had three decades of work experience in construction in Dubai, was reduced to doing odd jobs which are not even worth mentioning.Chasing this so-called Canadian dream, we have ended up using all our savings. We have already spent a couple of hundred thousand dollars to live a descent life, so that we will not lose the will to survive in this struggling country with no job prospects.
... wait. HOLD UP. This article was posted in 2012, so it's been three years and A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS? When my parents immigrated to Canada about 12 years ago they had maybe two thirds of a couple hundred thousand... chinese yuan. Back when the conversion rate was something like 7 yuan to 1 CAD. That's what, maybe 30 grand in total savings?
To reference Confessions of a Shopaholic, to alleviate money troubles, you either 'cut back' or 'make more money'. Clearly you opted to do neither of those.
Let's do some back of the napkin calculations here. I have no idea how many kids are involved, so obviously this changes dramatically if it's 13 instead of 3, but let's go with 2 kids. (2.36 rounded down, from CIA world factbook, children born/woman 2014 estimate) The bare minimum you'd need would be a 1bd+den. If there are different gendered children involved, someone could sleep in the living room. And don't you dare suggest it'd be 'uncomfortable' or 'unseemingly' to sleep in the living room because just having a roof over your head is a privilege for a lot of people. A quick scroll through kijiji shows that you can rent one for 1500$, which is a generous overestimate. 3 years' rent? $54000. Let's say you also need to get around using the TTC (if you have a car... *deep breaths* BITCH ARE YOU FOR REAL YOU DON'T NEED A CAR WTF ASDFJKL;), which I agree is prohibitively and stupidly expensive. For the kids, $1000 will get them about 900 tickets each over 3 years. For the adults, about $10000 for monthly passes over 3 years. This actually makes me quite sad, because frankly it seems an absurd amount to pay for public transportation, but we're still nowhere near A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. (Rounding up, we're at about $70000). I'm just going to handwave and say that $30000 covers food and miscellaneous fees. I mean, if this guy can live on $36 a month...
I've been pretty generous in all my estimates, and frankly all of that will allow for comfortable lower middle class living. It's not ideal by any means, but neither is spending all your savings without having a job.
"But what about the children? Surely as parents we should spoil them with all the wonders and riches of-" NO. What's worse - not giving them that brand spankin' new iPod or finding out too soon that you're out of money and they have to move yet again because their parents are irresponsible?
To reference Confessions of a Shopaholic, to alleviate money troubles, you either 'cut back' or 'make more money'. Clearly you opted to do neither of those.
Let's do some back of the napkin calculations here. I have no idea how many kids are involved, so obviously this changes dramatically if it's 13 instead of 3, but let's go with 2 kids. (2.36 rounded down, from CIA world factbook, children born/woman 2014 estimate) The bare minimum you'd need would be a 1bd+den. If there are different gendered children involved, someone could sleep in the living room. And don't you dare suggest it'd be 'uncomfortable' or 'unseemingly' to sleep in the living room because just having a roof over your head is a privilege for a lot of people. A quick scroll through kijiji shows that you can rent one for 1500$, which is a generous overestimate. 3 years' rent? $54000. Let's say you also need to get around using the TTC (if you have a car... *deep breaths* BITCH ARE YOU FOR REAL YOU DON'T NEED A CAR WTF ASDFJKL;), which I agree is prohibitively and stupidly expensive. For the kids, $1000 will get them about 900 tickets each over 3 years. For the adults, about $10000 for monthly passes over 3 years. This actually makes me quite sad, because frankly it seems an absurd amount to pay for public transportation, but we're still nowhere near A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. (Rounding up, we're at about $70000). I'm just going to handwave and say that $30000 covers food and miscellaneous fees. I mean, if this guy can live on $36 a month...
I've been pretty generous in all my estimates, and frankly all of that will allow for comfortable lower middle class living. It's not ideal by any means, but neither is spending all your savings without having a job.
"But what about the children? Surely as parents we should spoil them with all the wonders and riches of-" NO. What's worse - not giving them that brand spankin' new iPod or finding out too soon that you're out of money and they have to move yet again because their parents are irresponsible?
Having spent almost all our life savings, we don’t know what to do next – whether to stay here or go back. Our life is in a limbo.
Could you, just maybe, get a job? *gasp*
My advice to people who are itching to migrate to Canada to give a better future to their children is this: Think hard before you take any decision and don’t fool yourself by painting a rosy picture in your head. You may end up working in factories, call centers, security agencies, Tim Horton’s or packing factories. You will lose your savings. Your will lose your morale and self-esteem. Tensions will destroy your marital and family life. Finally, if you are lucky enough, you may get an entry-level job and then pay someone else’s mortgage while living in their basement as you dream of buying your own little nest.
Oh no, you might end up doing 'lowly' labor in a foreign country instead of stuff you looove! Follow the immortal words of Steve Jobs, who suggests that you "do what you love, love what you do". What could be worse?
Uhh, starvation. Living in Somalia. Ebola. Lack of universal healthcare. The blistering heat (okay, some people might hate the cold more.) The devaluing of some work as 'lesser' because the worker does not enjoy is rude and condescending. As discussed extensively this article, the view that you should always "do what you love" and your life is somehow less complete otherwise dismisses how much labor goes into the success of cultural icons and brands. If working in factories, call centers, etc. is the worst part about immigration for you, immigration probably isn't for you.
Is it demoralizing to go from a skilled worker to an unskilled worker? Of course it is. Most people would prefer the former to the latter, and for good reason. But to have the attitude that the latter is so undesirable that you somehow deserve better reeks of entitlement.
Uhh, starvation. Living in Somalia. Ebola. Lack of universal healthcare. The blistering heat (okay, some people might hate the cold more.) The devaluing of some work as 'lesser' because the worker does not enjoy is rude and condescending. As discussed extensively this article, the view that you should always "do what you love" and your life is somehow less complete otherwise dismisses how much labor goes into the success of cultural icons and brands. If working in factories, call centers, etc. is the worst part about immigration for you, immigration probably isn't for you.
Is it demoralizing to go from a skilled worker to an unskilled worker? Of course it is. Most people would prefer the former to the latter, and for good reason. But to have the attitude that the latter is so undesirable that you somehow deserve better reeks of entitlement.
And buying your little nest in a hurry (with your saved money) could be your worst mistake, for God forbid if you are laid off, as it happened to my dear friend, who will pay the mortgage? Your house dream will collapse and you will be buried under it.
NO SHIT BUYING A HOUSE YOU CAN'T PAY FOR IS A BAD IDEA. I'M ONLY TWENTY AND I KNOW BETTER. HOW ARE YOU THIS FUCKING IRRESPONSIBLE?
And if you do get a job – which most probably you won’t enjoy doing, but you will do it anyways to survive and pay the mortgage – you will end up wasting the prime of your life paying back the mortgage. It is not worth it, believe me.
Our struggle for survival continues to this day. We don’t know when we will wind up this fruitless venture and head back to India. This is the story of many immigrants to Canada
That sucks. It really does. But because so much of it is due to your attitude, let me stand over hear and play for you a sad song on the world's tiniest violin.
