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-- Thinking about coming to Canada from PHL...
Thinking about coming to Canada from PHL...
I have some questions relating to living in Canada, particularly in Toronto, Ontario and the Montreal, Quebec areas. First of all, I hope I posted this right, as I couldn't decide where to post it (either Southern ON or QC sub-forums), so I decided to post it in the Canada (general / id=57) forum [NOTE: I can't find it on the thread listing in there so, if it appears later, I apologise for posting it here. I can find my own post at the URL that loaded after I posted (http://www.tranceaddict.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=194876&forumid=57), however]. Before I posted here, I was in Google's Directory (http://directory.google.com), particularly under Regional - North America - Canada - Society and Culture - Immigration - Landing (and related topics) reading about some things related to immigrating and especially beginning a life in Canada. Now, on to the questions:
1. As a non-French speaker, am I expected to have a lot of difficulties in Montreal?
1a. Is Montreal a place where if you don't know French yet, don't even bother thinking about living there?
1b. If you _do_ know French but not the Canadian style, can you expect to run into mis-understandings similar to the differences between American and British English?
2. Are one of these integration help programmes like Sunny Newcomer Services (http://www.sunnynewcomer.com/) _really_ worth the money?
2a. If so, which would you, as native Canadians, recommend?
3. I currently attend college and plan to tranfer to the online programme prior my departure. They already told me there's no restrictions to residence country for their programme. My question is: Since I'm on financial aid (FAFSA, PHEAA, Stafford (I think)), will this be valid when I'm living outside the US?
I may be sounding paranoid here but, I guess it's because I've never lived abroad before and want to be amplely prepared. Thanks for whatever information you give me. I'm hoping for educated responses.
Re: Thinking about coming to Canada from PHL...
| quote: |
| Originally posted by ali92 3. I currently attend college and plan to tranfer to the online programme prior my departure. They already told me there's no restrictions to residence country for their programme. My question is: Since I'm on financial aid (FAFSA, PHEAA, Stafford (I think)), will this be valid when I'm living outside the US? |
1. Montreal the island is a hotbed of english people - as long as you don't leave the island you'll be good to go with english
1a. Again the island has a big english population - you wouldn't need to know french if you stay on the island - however you'd probably pick some up pretty quickly
1b. I don't know about people in quebec being snobby towards formal french speaking individuals. Most of the differences are in enunciation or little sayings more than anything. The opposite is not true however in france - people there were not impressed with the quebecois french they taught in school here in Canada.
2. No. Everything you can do yourself, and just takes a little time more than anything. If you have command of the english language you can deal with all aspects of gov't without a problem - so why pay money for someone to fill out a form for you?
3. This I don't know. I applied for aid when I got my UMich acceptance - but ended up going to UWO (which was covered by Canadian student loans) so I never looked into transferring or using the US aid funds to the Canadian instituion. I'd check with your loan providers to see if the have residence restrictions.
Ali92, the best thing to do is stay a whole week in the city and walk around to see how you fit in (do the same in Toronto)... you're not the first american or english canadian who (wants to) moved to Montreal.
you can survive easily in the downtown core and the west side of the city. But learning french is a big plus, don't kid yourself 
Best advice for getting in the country...
Get on a rusty boat in China and claim refugee status when you get to Vancouver. Sadly im not joking either. Ive dealt with the immigration system enough to understand what a shame it really is.
The best real advice i can offer is to apply through the province of quebec if you know french. They are much more effiencient and they know what they are looking for. The federal immigration system is a waste of time and money and they are incredibly rude. Youll see how much easier it is with the quebec system. The only thing is that all correspondance is in french and they expect you to stay in quebec. You legally dont have to of course but if you give them any indication that you plan to live somewhere else but quebec they wont accept you.
I have a friend who applied under both systems and got denied under the federal canadian system. She knows french, english, has a bachelor of education and 10 years experience as a teacher in a country where teachers are needed and they said no. Quebec was not only nice to her, but they welcomed her with open arms. She now has landed immigrant status and lives in Toronto.
i used to live close to philadelphia, in Lancaster, Amish town $$$
i still go there sometime
i think ull enjoy canada much more than philadelphia
actually if you request it, every paper and correspondance can be had in english for the quebec immigration system.
but the interview is conducted in french
| quote: |
| Originally posted by Jayx1 but the interview is conducted in french |
When was back then? im talking as current as last year.
1. As a non-French speaker, am I expected to have a lot of difficulties in Montreal?
1a. Is Montreal a place where if you don't know French yet, don't even bother thinking about living there?
>> you won't have any trouble living in montreal not knowing french very well. of course it is always welcomed if you do know the language, but the majority of the montreal population knows english. the only problem you may encounter is when applying for a job b/c most jobs require that you are bi-lingual. but if you're only going to study, you will be fine. besides, with just a little bit of effort, you will pick it up very quickly once you start living there!
>>what school are you thinking of transferring to?
1b. If you _do_ know French but not the Canadian style, can you expect to run into mis-understandings similar to the differences between American and British English?
>> yes and no. but if you are open-minded and try to assimilate and understand our culture, you will have no problems.
"canadian-style" ... think about it - what is that anyways?
... when it comes down to it, - lesser on a generalized basis - canadians are all very friendly and always incredibly forthcoming and helpful. i've been a landed immigrant here as well, like so many others, since the mid 80's, and i have nothing but good things to say about this country. it's also what you make of it!
2. Are one of these integration help programmes like Sunny Newcomer Services (http://www.sunnynewcomer.com/) _really_ worth the money?
2a. If so, which would you, as native Canadians, recommend?
>>i've personally never heard of this service here in TO, but i would recommend to get in touch with an immigration lawyer or other NGO's that deal with immigration and getting settled. if you feel you need any guidance, PM me and i can give you some good contacts in both TO and Montreal, since i work in this field.
3. I currently attend college and plan to tranfer to the online programme prior my departure. They already told me there's no restrictions to residence country for their programme. My question is: Since I'm on financial aid (FAFSA, PHEAA, Stafford (I think)), will this be valid when I'm living outside the US?
>>you will have to find out this information in the US to see what exactly their policies are and then, of course also check with the financial aid offices here both in ontario and quebec b/c both provinces have different programs and guidelines.
...in the long run, and this could take a while, but when u do get ur immigration status you will be able to apply for financial aid in canada. but by that time you may already be done with your studies ...
>>also, please be aware that the immigration application process can be a tedious and a very long drawn-out course to take.
however, in the meantime, there is a better - a two-step path - you can take:
to secure your landed immigrant status in the short(er) haul, if i were you i would suggest to move to montreal and apply for quebec immigration first. (you will need to find out what their exact policies/ prerequisites are for US citizens applying for quebec immigration).
once you have established yourself there, including learning french (i believe, as long as you know the basics and can communicate somewhat; but it would be best to check what level of french is required to pass the test), it will be easier after a couple of years (- or maybe one year...) to apply for the actual canadian immigration status (ontario does not have this feature, nor do the other provinces).
there may be a couple of other paths you can scope out, which i am not too sure about at the moment - but to be sure i would contact an immigration lawyer, - but not just any, otherwise you might fall through the cracks and waster your time and money!
exactly for this reason and due to the vast amount of bogus immigration consultants in the past, - i should also let you know at this point that canada has just enforced a new law earlier this year in april, requiring for any immigration claim passing through the system to be administered by a registered immigration consultant. the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) http://www.irb-cisr.gc.ca will not take any claim into consideration unless it is handled by an immigration lawyer belonging to the Canadian Society for Immigration Consultants. http://www.csic-scci.ca
don't be 'paranoid' to ask any more questions. you are right to try to find out in advance what this country is all about and what your rights and responsibilities are!
to calm your nerves a little - don't be too afraid or worried, people will take care of you here! no matter how diffult it may look at the moment, once you arrive here, you will feel at home - whether it's TO or Montreal. believe me, i know and i've started a life in both cities over the last two years! ... that's what 'canadians' are known for!
if you need any other help and/ or want some contacts, please let me know!
Thanks for all that information. :-) You can keep it comin', as I'll check back often. Just to let you know though, I'm not changing colleges; I'm still going to be attending my US college, just changing the roster to online status so I can take the course(s) over Internet rather than going to the actual campus for classes. I'm pretty sure that FAFSA (US Free Application for Federal Student Aid, www.fafsa.ed.gov) and PHEAA (a Pennsylvania equivalent) (none of these need to be 'paid back' to anyone, as this aid's free) at least will still be able to cover me, as the college's main campus and financial centre is located here in US-PA-PHL.
To Jay, regarding the rusty boat, hilarious! LOL
Again, I greatly appreciate all of this information. I'll put it to good use. Keep it coming! 
Re: Re: Thinking about coming to Canada from PHL...
| quote: |
| Originally posted by crazedcanuck Well, you'd have to call your financial aid office, but I wouldn't identify yourself incase you don't like their answers... but financial aid is essentially a loan, so as long as you keep up your payments, I don't see a problem if the online course is located where you curently reside. There might be a problem if the $$$ is financing your Canada venture/education. Best of luck, come for the edible bacon panties, stay for the maple-syrup slip-n-slide park. |
Weather
BTW, what kind of weather am I looking at for average temperatures (C) of each season? I was thinking about coming there in the spring, which is when I've always believed was a good time to begin life changes.
The person before mentioned that you need an immigration lawyer to process your application. I believe that information is wrong. You can hand in the papers yourself and even calculate on the government's immigration website to see if you qualify. Immigration lawyers are useless unless you have highly unusual circumstances. They know it too. But that doesnt mean they wont try to make you beleive that you need them.
| quote: |
| Originally posted by Jayx1 The person before mentioned that you need an immigration lawyer to process your application. I believe that information is wrong. You can hand in the papers yourself and even calculate on the government's immigration website to see if you qualify. Immigration lawyers are useless unless you have highly unusual circumstances. They know it too. But that doesnt mean they wont try to make you beleive that you need them. |
|| this is going to be a little long, but it was a good life lesson I learned so I figure I should go through the processes for those who have forgotten or just curious about how the gears in my brain turn ||
Here is my theory on how I approach the more important issues in life, and thus achieve (relative) excellence in execution:
Preamble on what is an expert.
(An expert is someone that through experience, knowledge growth, knowledge sharing and a complete and thorough understanding of his expertise. An expert is able to offer advice, methods, techniques to increase the likelihood of success in any venture (related to the expertise). An expert has mastered a �plan�, �process� or �idea� that produces consistent results (success) in the area of expertise.)
So, based on how I define experts, I came up with a few affirmations:
Affirmation that everybody is an expert it something.
(I know I am an expert at some things and I realize that I cannot be an expert in everything. I can be an expert at many things � but never everything)
An affirmation of my own abilities.
(I recognize quickly and deliberately the things that I am and expert in and not an expert in. I also continually review current expertise and stay aware of new possibilities/avenues of expertise)
An affirmation to personal growth.
(Of those things of which I am an expert, it is ensured that I remain at a high skill level by continuing to grow and expand my ream of knowledge and influence within my expertise � and also improve my knowledge through knowledge sharing in areas where I am not an expert)
An affirmation of surrounding myself with other experts.
(Being around people who are experts in areas I�m not will help me to learn and key in on the important concepts of their expertise [increase my knowledge] but also allow me to ask for assistance in dealing with issues outside my area of expertise).
Basic concept: team-up and surround yourself with people who excel in areas you don�t. It is an amazingly powerful way to be successful and satisfied with every aspect of life.
|| hope you enjoyed my little sermon for the day! 
ok, so now that I�ve got sore fingers from typing all that up onto my point ||
I've had to learn this lesson the hard way on a few big things that will hant me a long time. I thought I could do everything with perfection in execution. Well I can make perfection - but just not in everything...
I�ve personally used lawyers and accountants many times � and the outcome has been tremendously valuable (and most of the times it was just squak sessions, how to, what if, why so, etc).
MY ADVICE: Go see the lawyer to get the visa, landed immigrant details or citizenship details. They�re experts in immigration law and will make the process much easier. Even if it�s just for a few consultations (you do all the work, but bounce ideas back and forth) it will be well worth your time. Just ask for costs up front (a lawyer won�t be surprised by this, as they get asked it many, many times daily).
Best of luck mate! Let us know how it goes. And talk to Silke � she�s amazing.
Re: Weather
| quote: |
| Originally posted by ali92 BTW, what kind of weather am I looking at for average temperatures (C) of each season? I was thinking about coming there in the spring, which is when I've always believed was a good time to begin life changes. |
I don't know what you find in these crappy Cities. Toronto and Montreal are just spacious fields of lights and obnoxious TAs. Now Hamilton, that's the real deal. The city of education, personal growth, and some minor smogness in the air. Its a beautifull city here with beautiful people. In fact, I am beautiful. And you will be too if you came to Hamilton. There are numerous visual spectacles that you can never find anywhere else in Canada. FOr example. on certain nights, the city gives off a beautiful green and yellow glow in the sky. The amazing thing, its not the Street ligths that are making it. Some call it a wonder of Science, but some call it a miracle. Its also a very green city. And the downtown to be competed with. A wholesome balance of "fair and balance" city life. Here you do not have to worry about any health concerns due to the leading health experts coming out of the world wide renound McMaster University. You can be sure that your newly developed Asmtha will be in check in no time, mine is! As you can tell, its a very close and happy comunity. Now that Ms.Shilla cops is gone, we have a fair and balanced politicians who are true leaders, the Liberals. As a close community that we are, I am welcoming you ahead of time to this wonderful peaceful and relaxing life of Hamilton, Ontario!
- DiS , Currently residing in Hamilton, ON!
I just experienced this last year. I helped a friend get into the country. She did not need the expensive lawyers at all. Everything you need to know is on the internet and there are even support groups where you can ask advice from people who have experienced the system first hand. All free. Immigration lawyers basically tell you how to answer questions in the interview and fill out your papers for you. Thats it. All this can be obtained on the internet for free and the information is valid. I know because i did it myself with her and shes now in Canada.
Two more questions:
1. If I decided to study in a Canadian university (as in, transferring from my current US college to a Canadian university), how does the process work? What kind of requirements are there? Is financial aid available? What about services or accomodations (having a seat closest to the black/white board, permission to record lectures, etc.) for the visually impaired?
2. How's the employment market (particularly the entry-level sector) in Canada?
I greatly appreciate all that you say here and am actually looking forwards to seeing some of you someday... :-)
| quote: |
| Originally posted by ali92 What kind of requirements are there? Is financial aid available? What about services or accomodations (having a seat closest to the black/white board, permission to record lectures, etc.) for the visually impaired? |
| quote: |
| Originally posted by DiS Can't answer the rest, but to the question above it really depends as to which University you attend. Most of the times it is as to how early you will get to your lectures. Most of my classes are packed with people and the first 6 rows are made of the ....I won't say it..."the wall" of high atchievers. Most universitys have services that provide you with class notes. They always employ students to take notes in class and then submit the copies to the disability department. That's my effort, I hope it helps. |
Came across this link and remembered this thread:
An American's Guide to Canada
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