MummyJaygirls:
We used Ethiopia airline, Flight was scheduled for 1.10pm out of naija. We left the house at 8.30am and got there in good time, we had 11 check in bags (paid for 1 extra bag), 5 hand luggages, 2 laptop bags and 3 children trolley bags, hehehe, me sef tire for the load(family of 5).

All our bags were 30kg except 1 which was 20kg cos customs removed my palm oil (nonsense) my palm kernel and coconut oil made it thru, (maybe cos they were in smaller bottles)

Flight was on time, children were excited to be moving to a country with snow and made out plans of how they would play in d snow (too much cartoon) lol. Inflight entertainment was ok, food (rice) was saltless but we chop am like that, before hunger go kill purzon above sea level.

We got to Ethiopia on time, waited like for 2-3 hours before proceeding to Dublin (they changed crew and some other “minene” we didn’t leave d plane) after like 40 minutes we were off again to Toronto, got there in good time but the queue at d airport for all d registration (stamping of copr and getting of sin) made us miss our connecting flight to Edmonton but we were fixed for the next one and the attendant was nice to check in all our hand luggages (free at last)

Flight from Toronto to Edmonton is 4-5 hours inside one country.
I had read someone’s post somewhere where he/she said no free food on air Canada so I wasn’t expecting anything as I no get money to buy, I positioned myself well to sleep then someone tapped me and asked what I’d like to eat, first thing I said was I don’t want to buy, (I no Dey for gbese o) then she said, your ticket comes with a meal, o boy see as I asked for big sandwich, hehehe.

We got to Toronto, went to baggage pickup and only 4 made the trip with us, we went to complain and our details was taken and told they would give us a call when they arrive, all bags came in later that night.

I noticed one of my bags had been opened and a nylon containing detergent was torn open, I guess they thought it was hard drugs (so those of u planning to transport those things be careful o, dem go catch u)

We arrived the day snow decided to start falling again. As at today it’s -29

We got home to already cooked food, yippie!!!

All in all the journey was ok, the children behaved themselves especially my 2 year old that I was really concerned about.

This is the end of my story, thank you.

Congrats on your landing. I am landing in a few days myself via Ethiopian airline and I get a few questions.
I have been struggling to keep my bags to 23kgso imagine my shock when I saw your 30kg! How much did you pay for the extra baggage and did you pay at the airport? Also what documents were requested for at the Poe?

[quote author=eclectic139 post=63237583]Hello Everyone.

I'm currently looking for flights, please any pointers on good search engines to get the best rates will be very appreciated.

[/b] Try skyscanner. It will show you the flight prices for the whole month. Ethiopian is always the cheapest!

Also is it only at the airport i can apply for my SIN number? If i arrive at 4pm will i still meet the officials processing the SIN number?

[b] You should still be able to do your SIN at the airport so far you land on a week day

Has any one flown with Ethiopian airline? How was your trip? Did you need a transit visa for the layover in Dublin?

[b][/b] You don’t need transit visa for Dublin. They are only stopping to refuel.

dammysanmi:

Landing Tori
Got to MMA around 10am Tue 4th Dec.
Carrier : Ethiopian Airways.
Had 6 bags (check in) and 3 carry ons, 2 laptop bags. Home measured weights WRONG so we racked off extra 28kg which we had to 'settle' $100 for �(the attendant said the rate $260 for 23kg) but the carry ons were ok once they were under 10kg.
Our beloved immigration in Lagos have a way of separating the 'daddy' from the family to 'shake body'. I kept on telling them its not Christmas yet �.
Elderly people and families with kids were given preference to board first @ MMA and Addis Ababa.
Wifi was poor as expected at ADD, but instagram, FB chat were enough to connect/update family on movt. Flight from Addis Ababa to Dublin (fuel stop and cabin crew change) then YYZ was smooth, food was ok except for the 'rice' monotony.
Landed at YYZ on Dec 5 around 8.10am (wet and cold)
Quite a lengthy walk to immigration, was asked for details indicated on the declaration form (given onboard) about food and how much i am bringing to Canada, and i responded telling them how much i had in cash over 10,000CAD, the lady says fine and doesnt bug me about the 'balance amount' for POF, she signs the COPRs and takes a copy. She asks about my Canadian address and phone no and briefs me about the waiting period for the PR and health card.

Next we proceed for SIN, then retrieve baggage (porters offer to help out at a price when you have bags larger than the size the smaller free trolleys can contain) before approaching Customs.

Lady asks if i have food, i say pepper only (last minute acquisition) and I tell her i have cargoed some food items. Then she asks for goods accompanying and to follow. She asks if i am a chef or something cos of the value indicated on food items in 'goods to follow', she records the serial nos of my laptops and IPad and gives me a small green card(proof i exported them ). She asks me to add a price of the laptops/iPad to that of 'goods accompanying'.
She stamps/signs "goods to follow" sheet, taps her computer, opens a file with my docs and hands back my docs/passports to me and says 'WELCOME to Canada'. She escorts us to the exit door and wishes us well.

***Family is in Windsor with relatives. I'm exploring and getting OT at Toronto with a friend while i wait to receive my delayed cargo @ YYZ before i join them***

@Ballerz @czarat My FRSC letter is hanging at Abuja because i dont know who to ask for it from. Please a contact name/number is needed to retrieve it ejowo!

Everything about this flight with ethiopia sounds tedious lol

Blackbuddy:


Using the insurance companies here will be expensive for an immigrant especially considering the issue of lack of credit history when it comes to pricing. This tends to make the premiums quoted on the high side and for someone converting dollars to naira, you need all the savings you can find. This is why I mentioned reputable Nigerian insurance companies as I personally had good experiences with them before I left Nigeria but please go for what gives you comfort at the end of it all. Some Canadian companies you can Google in Ontario include Ontario Blue Cross, CAA Travel Insurance, Allianz and Sun Life which I currently use here through my employer.

Thanks for the options my people. I will check everything of course

Hope15:
Just got officially inducted to this thread! PPR tinz.
Weldone all

Congrats lol

Can anyone please recommend where I can get health insurance from Here to cover us for the first three months in Ontario? Ideas needed ASAP please!

See clean apartment

vieve111:
If anyone needs rent in Calgary.
I am looking for a Clean, Quiet Professional Roomate to share my lovely Furnitured 2 bedroom apartment with me located in SW calgary in the heart of downtown.
2 minutes walk to 8 str Ctrain Station.
$650
Fully Furnished Apartment
All Utilities are included plus wifi.
Other Amenities in the building are a well equipped gym+ indoor pool+games room.
Security/Damage Deposit (1 month Rent)
please contact me on yvv1234567@gmail.com or 4039073040

yokus:
Same situation here. Wish o could teleport some Calgary homes to Mississauga.
I also noticed that there are many more Options in Brampton compared to Mississauga
Check www.zolo.ca
I want to know how to get subsidy for daycare, two of my three kids are under 5
Cc @blackbuddy, @maternal

I have heard reservations about Brampton and yes they do have more options! I want to stay closer to the city tho! I also have 2 kids under 4. I have returned your mail I think! When are u landing?

Mire222:


Check rentfaster.ca and sushihomes. The rentfast and other few websites, you can uncheck the box for basements. My challenge is that when you do that, the listings become even shorter. Yet when I look at places like Calgary, I see soooo many nice places .But I'm pnp so I don't have an option of another province

I do check kijiji and rentfaster everyday. Once you remove basement you are left with high rise buildings. Very Very High Rise! It’s just hard to think of going into a basement in this cold weather urghhhh

Mire222:
Hello,

Please I need to know from those that have settled especially in Ontario( I'm looking at Mississauga ),honestly the options advertised for rent online seem very limited to me. Not much to choose from on a budget of 1500 for two bedrooms.

My questions are
1) is it possible that there are many more homes available for rent but they don't just have online presence?Maybe we would see nicer places/neighbourhoods/townhouses when we land .

2) Is 1500 too little for a decent apartment in a good neighbourhood in Mississauga?

3) would we use a real estate agent and are they paid agency fees

Please note that we are trying to avoid homes where we would share eg basements and apartments that have thin floors except if were on ground floor. We have very energetic kids and we wouldn't want to be a nuisance as per noise.

Thank you

These are my fears exactly. We are landing in a few weeks in Mississauga and all I can see are 2-bedrooms basements for 1000-1300. I also have energetic kids and I can’t even think. When I check places like Alberta and I see houses for the same price it’s hard to make a case for Ontario except you are fixed on working in the financial sector. Elders in the house please help a harried Mom on how to navigate this pressing matter!

WES accepts Statement of Result. I have not seen my Bachelors Certificate since I left school just my statement of result.

Bro, still counting on you. Just a gentle reminder. Thanks

koonlay5:
Why not apply for your certificate of good driving record before you leave. It will take about 5 working days to have it. I advise you travel with that also.

Don't worry about the permanent card, it would not be ready.

No, i am in LAgos

Rocorleone:
Are you in Abj?

bless you for this!

Blackbuddy:
Please see this article/opinion copied from Quora. It contains a lot of key points and nuggets about how to settle down professionally in Canada. Please note again, it was copied from Quora https://www.quora.com/Why-do-so-many-skilled-immigrants-complain-that-they-do-not-get-jobs-in-Canada

2 days ago, I attended Gateway 2017 in Markham, Ontario. It was a free conference for newcomers to Canada who were struggling to find work, giving them an opportunity to express their concerns, ask questions and networking with CEOs and other Canadian professionals.

I got to see first hand the complaints of skilled immigrants who do not get jobs in Canada, and this is what I found.

#1 Misunderstanding what Canadian Experience means, and no one explaining what it really is

Almost everyone was talking about Canadian experience. They even had a panel discussion about it.

One woman from Nigeria came up to the mic and was angry at the Canadian system. You could hear it in her voice - “How can I get Canadian Experience if I don’t have a job? I have been looking for a job for 8 YEARS!”

After her rant about Canadian experience which went on for 10 minutes, I asked random people “Would you hire that person?” They all replied “No way in hell!”

A lot of people think that Canadian experience is about working in Canada. It is not! This is my personal definition of Canadian experience:

A hiring manager’s perception of your soft skills and knowledge of Canadian work culture.

Here is the strange part. A lot of people were saying they were getting calls for interviews, but it never converted to a job.

Think about it, if you got called for a job interview, the hiring manager already knows you have not worked in Canada from your resume. Why would he or she call you for the interview if it was a problem?

What most likely happened was that during the interview, you failed to demonstrate the soft skills that the job needs. Either your communication skills were bad, or you downplayed your accomplishments when asked to talk about your experience. Once recruiter told me that some people she interviews don’t even make eye contact when they speak.

At this stage in the interview, either Canadians are too polite, or they fear a discriminatory law suit, so they just tell “You don't have Canadian experience” or “You are over qualified”, when what they really mean is “Your English is poor” or “My team will have a hard time understanding your accent” or “Based on your stories it doesn't sound like you accomplished alot”.

I was on a panel discussion myself talking about my experience as a newcomer. A gentleman at the back of the room told me that whenever he goes into an interview, he is always told that he is “overqualified”.

I gave him advice on how to tackle an “overqualified” problem, but when he spoke to me I knew straight away what his problem was, but I was too embarrassed to tell him in front of the whole room.

Unfortunately, he did not privately speak to me after the talk, else I would have told him “Canadian recruiters are telling you’re overqualified because they are hesitant to tell you the real reason - it’s your English”. His English was so bad, I wonder how he ever managed to pass his IELTS.

I’m not saying this is the fault of the candidate. This behavior stems not from your experience but from the culture of the country you came from. Maybe English is not your first language, maybe in your culture you’re not allowed to talk highly of yourself and give all the glory to your bosses. Maybe it’s in your culture to remain silent and not make eye contact out of respect.

The bottom line is, you need to understand how Canadians think and what hiring managers and recruiters expectations are to get past the Canadian experience problem.

Unless you do the research, or ask the right people who aren't afraid to give you an honest answer, and most importantly upgrade your English language skills, skilled immigrants will continue to complain about not getting jobs.

#2 Not taking an active approach to your job search

This is how I personally had success in Canada, securing three job offers in two weeks.

If you just machine gun your generic resume to online jobs and rely on technology to do the rest you will be job searching for a long time.

Machines don't hire you. Humans do. So you have to demonstrate to the hiring manager that you are willing to work hard and think outside the box.

This is why I customize my resume and personalize my cover letter for every job application, and created my own personal website (connelvalentineresume.com) to stand out.

I used the same tactics when I applied for a mangers job within my company and I got the job again, so I'm confident it works.

As long as you're aware of the process, the expectations of the hiring manager and skills in resume and cover letter writing you can increase the chances of landing that job 10 fold.

#3 Not using publically available services

If it's free it's probably not worth it right? Not in Canada! If you want to see the Canadian tax dollars at work, make use of the public services that are available to you.

New immigrants do not use these services either because they are too proud or they do not feel it's worth it.

From this conference that I attended, where these companies that host these services were present, you will see the quality in what they provide.

They may not get you the perfect job, but will fit you into a well established company and then it's up to you to work your way up.

My cousin used Costi when she was trying to get back into finance and they placed her with a logistics company doing account receivables where she is now a full time employee after proving her worth and working hard.

I have personally hired and trust candidates from Npower Canada.

This conference that I attended, Gateway 2017, hosted by the York Region is an example of what Canada is prepared to do for it’s new immigrants - for FREE! It was held at Hilton hotel, hosted by a Canadian TV host, attended by the mayor of Markham and CEOs of companies in the York region.

Canada takes it’s free services very seriously.

#4 Not Canadianizing your resume

Someone at the conference mentioned that their resume was 6 pages long!

People think they can throw all their experiences up on a word document and mail blast it to every Canadian job board.

It's guaranteed failure.

People should seek professional help and to take it a step further, they should learn the methodology of Canadianizing your resume to suit the managers needs. A big part of this is knowing how to market your job experience in a way that pleases a Canadian hiring manager and recruiter.

One of my favorite tools for doing a quality check on the resume is jobscan. This tool allows you to compare your uploaded resume to the copy pasted job description side by side and score it for compliance.

#5 Not using bridging services

During one of the breaks at the conference I walked up to table where three strangers were sat. I introduced myself and they turned out to be a nurse, a physician and a dentist.

To my relief, they were all already enrolled in a bridging program at York Univeristy, one of the most popular hosts of bridging programs.

But in most cases, I find that a lot of people don't utilize these services. I hear them say “I have over twenty years of experience, why should I go back to learning something I have been doing ?”

Look, I understand it's not easy to feel like you're going back to paying your dues in your career. But you are getting a fresh start in a new country.

It takes courage to leave your family and friends behind to move to a new country in hopes of a better life.

Well guess what - it takes courage to choose to take a step back in your career too.

When I applied for a job, I applied for a position that was two levels below the job I had in Dubai. But because I took an active approach to it, that job application revealed a hidden job that was one level higher and unadvertised, that the recruiter thought I was better suited for.

And two years later, after working my ass off on that job even though it was a lower position from before, and using the smarts and the experience and the work ethics I developed from my 12 year career prior to landing in Canada, I got a promotion back to my managers position.

If you have the humility to learn and the courage to temporarily refresh your career and the vision to get back the career you left behind, you will eventually start to see the hopes become reality.

An expert I follow say that it may take anywhere from 6–12 years in average for a Canadian newcomer to get back the quality of life you left behind. I'm on year 3.

Don't let pride delay the process.

To sum up…

Canada welcomes diversity in the workplace. That is what the Gateway 2017 conference was all about.

But what they did not mention, and this is my personal insight, is that one place where diversity is not accepted is the norms of business conduct.

Your diversity will be accepted from your fresh ideas, creative innovation and dynamic insights.

But when you communicate, when you lead teams, when you make presentations, when you attend meetings, when you make a sales pitch, when you care for patients, when you ask for a raise, when you work with your boss and every other aspect of business conduct you can think of, it's done one way - the Canadian way.

koonlay5:
Why not apply for your certificate of good driving record before you leave. It will take about 5 working days to have it. I advise you travel with that also.

Don't worry about the permanent card, it would not be ready.

How do i go about this? I asked the woman helping me and she said they don't do that anymore?

Good Morning House, I am a silent observer of this thread. I am due to Land in Toronto in December like a couple of guys here. Special S/O to ballerz, Salford, Mrs O and TheCongo y’all have been overwhelmingly helpful and I can’t state that enough.
Please I have a couple of questions!!!
My Naija License expired and I just renewed it but I only have the temporary one and I doubt if the permanent one will be ready before I leave. Will I be able to use the temporary one to start processing my DL over there.

All these coded estates around Lagos! Do your research well

tzetzefly:

Congrats....

Thank you.

Hi house,
I have been an avid reader but I never contributed. I applied for a tourist visa and took a lot of tips on here. I had my interview on the 9th and dressed sharply and formal with my I.D card on.
After all the protocols were duly observed. I was called to booth 2, which I did not pay any attention to all along. The interview took less than 4 minutes. She was a middle aged Caucasian.

Me: Good Morning (with a smile)
Interviewer: Morning (with a smile)

May I have your passport and application. I gave her.

Interviewer: Why do you intend to travel?
Me: For my vacation.

Interviewer: How long do you intend to spend?
Me: 21 days.

Interviewer: Are you married?
Me: No

Interviewer: Any Children?
Me: Not yet.

Interviewer: Where and who will you be staying with?
Me: Brooklyn NY. My aunt.

Interviewer: Where do you work?
Me: Lagos State Govt (She starts typing furiously) Bla bla bla

Interviewer: How much do you earn monthly?
Me: 224.... ( She looks up to the wall to check something)

Interviewer: Have you travelled out of the country before?
Me: Yes. United Kingdom

Interviewer: How many times?
Me: About 4

(She opens my passport and looks through it)

(She grabs a paper from her right side)

Interviewer: please pick up your visa on Tuesday. Have a nice day.
Me: Thank you. Have a nice day.

This was less than 5 minutes and none of my documents was requested for.
I was absolutely scared before I went up to her. I had analysed the available interviewers and it didn't look good until I was called to her. There were more immigrants visa been given than non- immigrants.
All I can say is
Dress your wage
Look her in her eyes
B confident and remember every single detail of what is on your form.
If possible travel to other places first.
A good income will aid you.

iamSi: Are u on BBM? Please add 287FB5F9

No am not. Do you have anything to offer?

I need a clean car. Preferably Toyota or Honda. I have a budget of 650,000. Please reply if you have anything in Lagos. Thanks.