Hi Everyone;

This is for everyone coming to, or considering coming to Canada. Why not choose British Columbia? I have recently moved to Vancouver in BC, and it is so nice here, I wish I had come here straight from Nigeria all these years ago. I have been here many times, but living here is not bad. I hope other Nairalanders in BC will agree.
A few things to consider:

i) The weather compared to eastern and northern Canada is AWESOME! I am told that in the past 10 years, that they have only had snow in the winters in the past 2 years, and that while that of 2008 was heavy, 2009 did not last at all. They said prior to that, there was little or no snow at all. The summers they say can get as warm as 34 Celsius.

ii) The taxes are the third lowest in Canada

iii) There are not as many Nigerians here as in Toronto. That can be a pro or a con depending on your viewpoint, but there are enough for you to integrate and have a blast if you choose, and when you need me time, you can just go underground (psst, for palicious reasons and aduroism, I heard that 95% dey get am, shh )

iv) Like many other places in Canada, it has many borders with the U.S, which can be a very useful thing if you like shopping like I do. The one closest to me is the Peace Arch border in Surrey, which takes you into WA, then OR and CA; western U.S.A

v) The people are not bad. For the oyinbos, racism is everywhere in the diaspora, but the one here is covered by that fake little smile, you know the one I mean,  but there some genuinely nice people, and the Nigerians are mostly warm and friendly.


There are many more things, but this is where I went as part of my research when I was planning my move here. You will find it helpful. http://www.welcomebc.ca/en/immigration/index.html

I think Nigerians generally go to Toronto because it is what is familiar and comfortable, and also maybe because they don't know too much about BC. I didn't myself when I came.
Vancouver and Lower Mainland BC is quite nice, has nice cities like Burnaby, Surrey, New Westminster, Coquitlam, White Rock e.t.c

I plan to have a fun summer with the kids Deo Volere. Why don't you join us?

Oh, and if you have questions, please ask, and I will try to answer. If I don't know the answer, I will try to find out,


HAPPY CANADA DAY.

[size=5pt]Disclaimer: I have not been compensated in any way to say this. These are just my thoughts. Thank you.[/size]

Your points are just about the weather,Every body travelling as different objectives,for most Nigerians is about money ,education,passport candian,women,job,so tell us about this things,dont mislead people,do you know how many people will make a decision from your post,abeg forget about weather.some Nigerians are in minus 47 in russia and reading your post,some are in afganistan,norway.

.

Ola abeg read the post now, before you accuse me of misleading anyone. Nobody paid me anything, so haba? I provided a link with a lot of info that would have answered some of your questions. Anyway, in response to a few of them:

Regarding papers, I will take them from different angles, but long and short is, once your leg don enter here, unless you commit a crime, you are almost guaranteed to stay.

If you come as a student, under the new immigration initiative, after school you can apply to stay See this link http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/cec/index.asp. You will get your residency, and soon after you will start to travel BLUE, as travelling GREEN as we all know can be hazardous to your health.

If you come as a worker, same applies as above.

If you are coming in with your resident permit, then you are golden, and we just talk about work and settling (below)

If you come as a visitor, first you fit begin extend, after two extensions, if you see person wey go give you work and sponsor you, you can change to work permit, or you fit marry their pickin, or if you plan to chop aduro, then that`s also a possibility.

If you just waka come, oh well then you have no option but aduro, and you will have to have your story and all documents prepared and very strong before you go raise hand. You cannot change your story halfway through. Like I said earlier, almost everyone dey get am.

School wise, there are many schools, with fees comparable to most places in Canada. Schools for children boku in every city. For e.g, my kids are in French Immersion, which means that they are instructed solely in French, and learn English in the community, thus affording them the opportunity of having two primary languages.


There are jobs here, especially if you are a professsional, although like in so many other places, you may need to upgrade, or to start at a lower level to get `Canadian Experience` Nurses have no problems the world over, here is no exception.
For those with only secondary education, or non professionals, or just for starters while you explore other options, there are many avenues to take: for e.g a laboratory assistant course is 6months and about $9000 The starting pay is $17per hr. Many newcomers, because they are in a hurry take the care aide route. That is about 12000 for a 6mth course, pay starts at $18per hr. If you choose the Licensed Practical Nurse LPN option its $12-14000 in public schols, and twice that in private schools for a 1 year course, and the pay is from $28 per hr. You will get a job straight from school. Bus drivers start from $26 per hr, mechanics and plumbers are in high demand, and God knows that if you are in home construction, like a carpenter or a stucco worker ,a painter or things like that, you better start coming today, because BC belongs to you.
For students wanting a parttime job for e.g, or just as a basic basic starting point, you can be a security guard. You WILL get a job for sure, you will likely receive on the job training, if not, the course is two weeks long, and you will likely start at $10-12 per hr.

People with their own businesses do very well because the tax system favors you better than the paid worker as you are allowed to claim this and that.

Healthcare is awesome. Everyone pays basic health insurance monthly, or your job might pay it, or if you are low income, the government will pay it, or subsidize it. You can then go to the doctors and hospitals for nothing and majority of procedures are covered. My friends mom has had two knee replacement surgeries since she got her papers 2 yrs ago. She came as a visitor by the way.

Bobs I know nothing about women, since I am a woman myself, but from what I can see, the boys are not doing badly; even the married badboys (ugh!) There are also many good women here who are looking for good men (excludes self )

Further questions ??

I have posted a detailed answer twice now in response to Ola above. May I ask Mr Moderator why they have been deleted please?


Ola abeg read the post now, before you accuse me of misleading anyone. Nobody paid me anything, so haba? I provided a link with a lot of info that would have answered some of your questions. Anyway, in response to a few of them:

Regarding papers, I will take them from different angles, but long and short is, once your leg don enter here, unless you commit a crime, you are almost guaranteed to stay.

If you come as a student, under the new immigration initiative, after school you can apply to stay See this link http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/cec/index.asp. You will get your residency, and soon after you will start to travel BLUE, as travelling GREEN as we all know can be hazardous to your health.

If you come as a worker, same applies as above.

If you are coming in with your resident permit, then you are golden, and we just talk about work and settling (below)

If you come as a visitor, first you fit begin extend, after two extensions, if you see person wey go give you work and sponsor you, you can change to work permit, or you fit marry their pickin, or if you plan to chop aduro, then that`s also a possibility.

If you just waka come, oh well then you have no option but aduro, and you will have to have your story and all documents prepared and very strong before you go raise hand. You cannot change your story halfway through. Like I said earlier, almost everyone dey get am.

School wise, there are many schools, with fees comparable to most places in Canada. Schools for children boku in every city. For e.g, my kids are in French Immersion, which means that they are instructed solely in French, and learn English in the community, thus affording them the opportunity of having two primary languages.


There are jobs here, especially if you are a professsional, although like in so many other places, you may need to upgrade, or to start at a lower level to get `Canadian Experience` Nurses have no problems the world over, here is no exception.
For those with only secondary education, or non professionals, or just for starters while you explore other options, there are many avenues to take: for e.g a laboratory assistant course is 6months and about $9000 The starting pay is $17per hr. Many newcomers, because they are in a hurry take the care aide route. That is about 12000 for a 6mth course, pay starts at $18per hr. If you choose the Licensed Practical Nurse LPN option its $12-14000 in public schols, and twice that in private schools for a 1 year course, and the pay is from $28 per hr. You will get a job straight from school. Bus drivers start from $26 per hr, mechanics and plumbers are in high demand, and God knows that if you are in home construction, like a carpenter or a stucco worker ,a painter or things like that, you better start coming today, because BC belongs to you.
For students wanting a parttime job for e.g, or just as a basic basic starting point, you can be a security guard. You WILL get a job for sure, you will likely receive on the job training, if not, the course is two weeks long, and you will likely start at $10-12 per hr.

People with their own businesses do very well because the tax system favors you better than the paid worker as you are allowed to claim this and that.

Healthcare is awesome. Everyone pays basic health insurance monthly, or your job might pay it, or if you are low income, the government will pay it, or subsidize it. You can then go to the doctors and hospitals for nothing and majority of procedures are covered. My friends mom has had two knee replacement surgeries since she got her papers 2 yrs ago. She came as a visitor by the way.

Bobs I know nothing about women, since I am a woman myself, but from what I can see, the boys are not doing badly; even the married badboys (ugh!) There are also many good women here who are looking for good men (excludes self )

Further questions ??

.

Lets talk.

I'm new in Canada (as a matter of fact 3 days old). I'm currently staying in a hotel in hamilton, Ontario. I just opened up my account with BMO and I am yet to get a phone. I have obtained fliers from Bell, Telus, Roger and Fido and i am considering my options.
I am not a student by the way. I am a Geological Engineering graduate from Ghana. I am here on a residency status. I heard that the jobs that best suit my discipline are in Calgari so I have made arrangments to travel up there to check out the place. I'm not here for vacation but for the money and the opportuinity. I saw your thread and it aroused my interest. So please share helpful tips on how to settle in nicely. Start from scratch like getting a mortgage for a house to getting a job at least for basic upkeep pending when I get a proffessional job. All the jobs I've looked at so far all require experience like Naija. O! I'm also thinking of doing my Msc while I'm here.

Holla baack. Nice thread by the way.

^^^^
Welcome to Canada, and Happy Canada day.

BMO is a good choice for a bank, because the offer the AirMiles Mastercard Credit Card, which can be very useful.

Two things you must keep in mind:

A) The money you brought must be considered as a fall back, and not a source of income at all at all!!!

B) Your Credit Rating is the most important thing in Canada, followed closely by your good name. Which means once you get settled, all your bills must be paid on time, and when you get a credit card, treat it like cash.

Now I have to ask if you are here by yourself or with the family? Do you want to be around Nigerians or not?

If you want to be around Nigerians, then the first thing is to look for a church in the yellow pages, just ask at the hotel lobby for one. Most of the churches will have the pastors name in the advertisement. Or just google the nearest RCCG to you, and there you will find of course Nigerians. I would go to the pastor if I were you, since you don't know who is in church.

If you are planning to go straight to Calgary, then you might decide to carry out these suggestions in Calgary.

Now, keep your docs as close to your person as possible.

Wherever you are moving to, your first thought must be where am I going to stay? If you are by yourself, you may want to first rent a basement Suite or an apartment, think one bedroom. Your best source for rentals is craigslist, or kijiji. Again google is your friend. Google craigslist plus the name of the city where you plan to stay. Rent is from month to month, and you only need to pay a damage deposit, which is usually half month rent, plus the current month rent.

If you haven't yet decided where you are going, I would look for a furnished apartment, where you can stay for about 2-3 weeks, and then go from there. The kitchen is usually included in these, so that you save on the hotel and hotel food bills.

Now until you have a fixed address, it will be hard to apply for your Permanent Resident Card, your SIN card, and even temporary health insurance, because those have to be sent somewhere, and you dont have that yet. YOUR FIRST THING TO DO is decide, where should I move to.

If you aremoving to Calgary right away, then look for a furnished rental and stay there for two weeks or so till you find your own place.
Regarding the cell phone, same kind of applies. As you haven't a fixed address yet, you might have to geta pay as you go which are damned expensive. Fido is quite good. I have Rogers myself, not that its better than Fido. I would stay away from Telus.

Just FYI, all landlines are unlimited calling to local phones, so calling for 2 mins is same cost as calling for 99mins. NEVER make a long distance call from a landline. Go to any African or Indian store, and buy a calling card. THe instructions are on the back of the card.

I don't know that BC is good for your particular profession, there are some jobs on www.jobbank.gc.ca just check BC to see if it is.
In the meantime you have to think about getting a starting job, just to get Canadian work on your resume you can probably plan to stay there for a max of 6 months; also think about volunteering once a week in a position in your field so that you see how things are done there.

I can't offer any more tips until you decide where to move to, so as to be more specific. Hope the above helps

I  really kind of want this to be about British Columbia, but since you are new, Of Course I will keep answering your questions.

Thanks and Happy Canada Day to you too dear.

And yeah I got the Air Miles thing on the Credit Card I applied for.

Thanks for the Tips, I sure will keep them in mind.

I am here by myself at the moment. My immediate younger sister would be joining me in a few months time.

Speaking of being around Nigerians, that would be nice although thats not my priority at the moment. Too bad I'm an Atheist so the church thing is a definite no, no for me. Especially RCCG.

I got the tip about Calgari from a family friend who is already there with his family at the moment. And I always carry my papers with me everywhere I go.

I was looking to buy a house (cos my family might be coming over later in the not too far future, but at the moment, I'm looking at a two bedroom flat, buy or rent).

I dont know anything bout the permanent resident card, but I have already applied for the social Insurance Number card, and it will be mailed to me in a few days time. (I used my kid sisters address since shes already in school here and has a place of residence here in hamilton).

I should be flying over to Calgari by monday, and I might prolly stay in a hotel still, but thats not the problem. I'm looking to get a house as fast as possible. I was wondering if I could get a line with my sisters address pending when I get my own place??

Thanks for the cellphone tips. I will surely keep ur advice in mind when making my pick. I already deleted Bell from my option cos so far they seemed the most expensive. Its surprising how different it is getting a cellphone here as compared to 9ja.

On the matter of getting a job, I'm hard working and would settle for any non-demeaning job that pays well pending when I can get something professional. I already have my resume prepped and would be forwarding them soonest.

Sorry I derailed your thread from the british columbia theme for which it was intended, but be rest assured that your advice has been very helpful. I hope I wouldnt be a bother to you as I would keep coming to you with questions as they arise. Until I settle in properly, I'll keep letting you in on my progress.

I would look into the BC thing and see if there might just be something for me there. Thanks a million. And Happy Canada Day once again. It feels good to be here. It sure is different from Paris (and its not just the language). lol

^^^^^
Ah good, you seem to be well on your way. Your family friend in Calgary will be a great source of information.
If your sister's address is a fixed one, then by all means, use it.
Your application for a Permanent Resident Card should be in the package you got when you "Landed" at the Airport.
There is no "Demeaning" Job.
You came from Paris? If you speak french, you might want to consider a job as a CSR Customer Service Rep with any of the phone companies.

Even if you plan to buy a house, you should start out by renting for at least three months, and make sure you have home owners insurance so that you have that history when you're buying your place. Good luck with everything.

@medlabgirl, Thanks for those informations. I would like to know if Canadian universities offer free tuition for Nigerians for their programmes just like that of sweden, poland. Also, my cousin here in Nigeria is very desperate to travel out of the country and is kinda obsessed to canada without knowing how to get there, what are his options? Are those canadian lottery stuff real? Anticipating your reply.

Medlabgirl,
I am interested in coming there. Please let's talk.mail me royalworld2001@yahoo.com

@medlabgirl, can i have your email, i sent a mail to the live.com address but failed to deliver. Mine is opadmj@yahoo.co.uk. Thanks.

Medlabgirl,
                U too much jaree,thanks alot your the info u have given us, British Columbia has consistently been ranked as the number one City  in the world to live in,as Stated by UN,  in the last 2 to 4yrs and i do not dout your post, 

            U said something that caught my attention, "once u are in,u are in",, i like those words,and i hv witnessed men go in and become voicemails there.So i would appreciate u find time to throw more light on Tourist visa thing and the extension palava,cos thats the fastest means of getting in  shd one decide to embark of the canadian jamboree.

Only last saturday 2  occupations (which are my area of  specialization and that of my younger brother) were removed frm the federal skilled thing,(e just b like say them dey whinch hunt us) living me with no choice than to get into canada via tourist visa

, pls send me a mail on mikkyangelo2@yahoo.com so we can discuss, (on phone and skype),Am currently in America(5weeks) on a tourist visa but found some intresting bizness here which i hv started.On the contrary i thnk i may feel more relaxed in canada doing same type of  bizness while am waitng to get a positive  response shd i go for a change of my immgration status." Canada is where my heart lies, cos its easier to bring my pple in once am settled,and settling is faster, I"LL EXPECT your MAIL

Opad there is absolutiy no free tuition fee for schools in Canada and Poland, u must drop something( serious cash), if u wanna get educated especially in canada.

Go girl, nice and educating thread anyways :-d

@medlabgirl, thanks for this information but i will like you to put me through with somethings. kindly mail me on bunmiforever2002@yahoo.com.

say me hi to your family

@medlabgirl

I will be landing in August, got the Permanent Residency approved, what is the job prospect like for a Network cum System Administrator (IT)

@ Everyone asking me to email them, I really would rather try to answer questions on here, so that others may get answers as well, but you may email me: medlabgirl@live.com If your question is something that will benefit others, I will also address it on the forum.

hercules07:

@medlabgirl

I will be landing in August, got the Permanent Residency approved, what is the job prospect like for a Network come System Administrator (IT)

Quite good Hercules, like I said earlier, you may need to Up yourself to Canadian Standards if you are from outside North America. Where do you plan to go?

symbian03:

Go girl, nice and educating thread anyways :-d

Merci

mikkyangel:


i hv witnessed men go in and become voicemails there.

Only last saturday 2 occupations (which are my area of specialization and that of my younger brother) were removed frm the federal skilled thing,(e just b like say them dey whinch hunt us) living me with no choice than to get into canada via tourist visa

True things change quite a bit in the immigration systems of most developed countries as greater and greater number of people seek to come in, which is why I always advocate striking while the iron is hot.

@Opad, no like someone already said, there are no tuition free Universities in Canada. You sound young enough to get in through school. For most people, the finances of the whole venture is the main barrier. All things are possible, so keep working on it, and doing research, there are many ways to skin a cat.

Jeez thats two idiomatic statements in one post, I am becoming my father.

Every single city in Canada's great. I'm not quite sure what your motives are in starting this thread.

Yield:

Every single city in Canada's great. I'm not quite sure what your motives are in starting this thread.

Its such a shame that we must frequently run into people like you, otherwise this world would be one pleasant place. Why does there have to be a motive?? Can I not appreciate the beauty of a place and ask others to share in it??

People like you are sadsacks that can never find anything to be thankful for, and you have to attempt to spoil things for others; and a woman too! Men don suffer,to carry this kind thing put for house must be hell! FYI!, Not everyone is as evil minded as you, so please kindly do not judge by your gutter standards! Glad this is the net, and I don't actually have to be saddled with you. Pity the mother that failed to raise you right. Shior.

1. What is the job prospect?
2. What is the cost of living there?
3. What other opportunities are there compared to other provinces?

I think there is more to settlement than the weather and closeness to where to go and shop.

There are many more things, but this is where I went as part of my research when I was planning my move here. You will find it helpful. http://www.welcomebc.ca/en/immigration/index.html

I hope your three questions will be answered fully after you go through the link Brother Femi.

,

People like to make things extrordinarily difficult even when the are not. While I am not saying that its moimoi to come in and stay, I still say it's not as hard as people make things out to be.

Remember the junior world cup soccer of a few years back, say three years ago I think in Victoria B.C? well I met a few of the people who came as visitors. I ran into one of them today, and he recognised me. We ended up talking, and it turns out that most of them stayed. They all raised their hands. He actually said he is now bringing his wife and kids. He looked about 48yrs at least to me. So yes, if you plan your walk properly, you can almost always stay.

If you plan to come as a student, that will be your best bet, even for just a 1 yr course, especially if you're not appying from Nigeria (please not to discourage those who are), because as per the link I posted above students trained in Canada have aspecial program that allows them to stay here.

Medlabgirl:

Its such a shame that we must frequently run into people like you, otherwise this world would be one pleasant place. Why does there have to be a motive?? Can I not appreciate the beauty of a place and ask others to share in it??

People like you are sadsacks that can never find anything to be thankful for, and you have to attempt to spoil things for others; and a woman too! Men don suffer,to carry this kind thing put for house must be hell! FYI!, Not everyone is as evil minded as you, so please kindly do not judge by your gutter standards! Glad this is the net, and I don't actually have to be saddled with you. Pity the mother that failed to raise you right. Shior.

Everything you said speaks volumes about you and absolutely nothing about me. I do hope you realize that.

Cheers.

^^^^^

I can see that you didn't read even the first paragraph before you started talking. I moved to BC recently, and that, since you must know, was from the East. Also, most of our vacations have been stay-cations, within Canada, which means three weeks a year, every year in a Canadian city; Ottawa, Victoria, Nanaimo,Edmonton, Calgary,name it! Please do not talk about things you know nothing about, Now that is what speaks VOLUMES about you.

@Medlabgirl

I am planning on going to Ottawa as I have family friends there, I will be going for some Cisco Bootcamp in Toronto as well to get me up to speed as I will be getting some Cisco Certifications

Medlabgirl's efforts and act of selflesness needs a lil bit of appreciation rather than insults and condemnation.
Ur thread is an 'Eye Opener' to many.
Nice one.

Yield:

Every single city in Canada's great. I'm not quite sure what your motives are in starting this thread.

The girl even put a disclaimer up about not being endorsed by anyone to put the post up. Why can't you see it for what it is?
A lady who is proud of her city or are you just an airhead like many on NL?

hercules07:

@Medlabgirl

I am planning on going to Ottawa as I have family friends there, I will be going for some Cisco Bootcamp in Toronto as well to get me up to speed as I will be getting some Cisco Certifications

I feel so happy for you as you begin your journey. I pray all goes well with you. I am glad you are on the upgrade track right away, it will do you well. Don't forget that this is a credit society, so like I said to Okija, start from day one to build and maintain a good credit rating. Also look out for the long distance snafu. Either sign up for a long distance plan like the one that Primus has, or just buy phone cards. Nobody advised most of us, so we learnt the hard way.

My daddy always said, Nnem, (he called me his mother) if your brother suffers along the same pathway that you have taken, then there is a curse on you, as you have seen the pitfalls on the way, and it is your duty to warn him.
May there be light on your pathway.



@Chika and Xreal, thanks so much. I just think that if you can contribute even a minute to making things easier for others, that you should.

Here in Canada, the Indians, and the Chinese are building empires, because they help and support each other. If we Nigerians, who I will always say, have some of the world's best brains can help each other just a little bit more, who knows what we can achieve?

Hi Medlabgirl,
I live in the US but y are really making me fall in love with canada.
i dont know muc abt the place but the things i have read makes me feel like i shld start making plans to come over.
So tell me any advantage of being in canada over US?
Again if i have degrees from US am i up to canada standards?

Lastly,my kid sister is a nurse in nigeria(nigeria trained) with 2 yrs experience and i am planning to apply for the canada immigration something for from here.
Can she fit in right away or will she have to upgrade too?Also wat steps shld i take,can i do the application from US?

ucheawesom:

Hi Medlabgirl,
I live in the US but y are really making me fall in love with canada.
i dont know so muc abt the place but the things i have read abt the place makes me feel like i shld start making plans to come over.
So tell any advantages of being in canada over US?
Agian if i have degrees from US can am i up to canada standards?

Lastly,my kid siter is a nurse in nigeria(nigeria trained) with 2 yrs experience and i am planning to apply for the canada immigration something for from here.
Can u she fit in right away or will she have to upgrade too?Also wat steps shld i take,can i do the application from US?

Thanks your Awesomeness; I am afraid that since I do not live in the US, I am unable to compare. I come into the US to shop, as the prices are competitive, and have never been in the US for longer than three weeks .

The people that I know who have moved here from the US have done so because they could not get their papers in the US, but did in Canada.

A lot of people, yours truly included consider Canada a bit saner for raising a family, but again its only a matter of choice. It is afterall God that protects us all.

If you have schooled in the US, your education is the same as for Canada, no further upgrades are usually required, except by choice. My friend who moved here from Texas and works in the same hospital region as I do got her  job and work permit before ever coming here. She got her residency last year.

Per your sister, nurses as you know are highly sought after by many countries. She would for sure need to write exams to get up to speed. Here is a website my friend recommended. I did not look through it however.
http://www.cna-nurses.ca/CNA/nursing/becoming/international/default_e.aspx

Take care.