₦airaland Forum

Canadianfly:
All my Canadian employment letters have the term bi-weekly on them. Could do you a snapshot, but I risk disclosing the organization coz of the paper used. I have never come across an employment agreement with "bi-monthly" written on the contract. Not that it doesn't exist, but to the best of my knowledge, you'll be usually told bi-weekly. Because payroll is processed EVERY TWO WEEKS, every other Friday not twice in a month.

I think the more appropriate term is Semi-Monthly = two times a month.

Organizations typically pay employees weekly (52 times a year), bi-weekly (26 times a year), semi-monthly (24 times a year) or monthly (12 times a year). These are common practices.

salford1:
It's not compulsory, but it's kind of a norm/courtsey and popular. I have do not tip for an hairdo, except a particular time when my kid gave the barber a tough time, but I have always tipped at a restaurant and in cabs. This is what keeps alot if waiters/waitress on the job. They usually make more on tips than their hourly wage. Infact an engineer I worked with still does table waiting on weekends cos of tips! Waiting at tables helped her with cost of schooling, and she is still waiting at tables for extra income

At restaurants, pos terminals have programmed tip options usually starting at 15%. I have also been to other restaurants where tips were not optional but compulsory e.g. fine dining ones.

Most restaurants will charge a "compulsory tip" if your party is greater than a certain number (usually 8-10).

Beeea:
Personally, I would consider transit time to work in choosing where to live. The LRT runs north to south from Clareview to Century Park so if you work downtown or along that route, I would consider somewhere close to LRT stations. I am kind of hesitant to mention any particular area as there is this debate about the north end of the city versus the south being the best, but my advice is find what works for you and your family. There is the North East, north west, Southeast, southwest and downtown.

For shopping, you should be able to find stores or strip malls within 15 minutes from anywhere if you live in the north. I'm not sure about the south.

For hospitals, when sick, people generally visit family doctors who have offices all over the place, sometimes only about 5 minutes drive from each other and only go to the emergency room for emergencies. Hospitals are usually for 'serious cases'.

@Winter
For folks that are single with a job downtown, it makes sense to live downtown Edmonton. However, I will not recommend downtown Edmonton for families.

Just as Beeea said, there are typically grocery stores and parks close to most subdivisions. For someone coming into Edmonton (less mobile), it might make sense to live a few blocks from the Clairview (North) - Century Park (South) LRT. Homes in the North are generally cheaper than the South; although, the South is preferred to the North, there are good neighborhoods all around. In my opinion, it really comes down to preference and lifestyle.

I hope this helps.

Ehrnie:
Hi! Please does anyone have contact details of a tax expert I can speak to Re: Income tax enquiries/filing? Preferably someone who has been tried & trusted.

Eagerly await your responses. Many thanks....

Corporate tax or Personal tax?

@freeradical, congratulations. Always glad to hear success stories. Keep up the good work and continue to work hard. You can never stop learning and developing yourself.

maternal:
Entitlement is not exclusive to race, but white use more social services than minorities, despite usually being better sound economically. That says something. No ?

I do not debate conjectures. Provide the studies/facts (per capita usage) and we can have a reasonable discussion.

Regardless, the unemployment rate calculation does not consider folks that are not in the job market. So, I'm not sure where this is going.

maternal:
I hope you're not in naija saying 6 percent is high ? I don't think any country has a 0 percent unemployment rate. Any way a lot of the white Canadians feel entitled and would only take certain jobs. Furthermore, the native Canadian are not always motivated to work as well. Then you have people who are disabled and not able to work, etc. When you take many things into consideration, that 6 percent may be skewed. Lastly, not all 36 million people are of working age.

This is wrong on so many levels.

Two Points:
- Entitlement is not exclusive to Caucasians. Furthermore, the calculation for the unemployment rate typically excludes people that are not looking for jobs.
- There are several reasons that contribute to unemployment in Canada including (but not limited to) government policies, job seasonality (which affects thousands of Canadians) and obviously the recent oil price crash (which has slowed down the economy especially in the West).

Negotiate:
Another vital question please.

Landed peeps, is there really anything wrong with basement appartments?

I see that they are sometimes cheaper, however, a number of persons pass on them.

What could be wrong?

Every basement apartment is different; however, here are some concerns:
- They are usually colder (hot air rises); so for someone coming from Nigeria, ensure the heating system works well.
- Natural Light: A few of them do not have adequate windows. Some people do not mind that, others appreciate that. Some of these suites are typically dark so you need the light on most of the time.
- Layout: Sometimes, the layout is weird simply because some of these suites were not properly planned out. So, some suites are less desirable.
- Illegal: Some of these suites are illegal; landlords renovate them without getting the required permits/meeting code. For example, to meet code, rooms must have windows; some do not. On the flip side, some landlords renovate these suites (and meet every building code) without going through the "redtape" to evade taxes. They collect rent (cash) and they do not declare the additional revenue to the government. Again, this does not apply to all suites. There are several legal suites as well.
- Demand: Obviously, demand for basement suites are lower; so the rental costs are relatively lower. This may not be true in a town with students.

I hope this helps.

Ogundre:
Hello People,

Please for those that have landed and carried USD cash I have a question; Please did your bank accept the USD when u opened an account, if yes. What rate did they convert your USD to CAD. Otherwise what is the best way to convert your USD to CAD when one lands, I know say them no get black market like Naija �.

All Canadian banks accept USD. I suggest you do the USD/CAD conversion in Canada. The rates are not fixed; they fluctuate/float.

This is not even worth discussing. Take the offer. When you get your Canadian papers, then you can figure out the more appropriate route. September is a long time.

Liquid2Metal:
Please I need urgent advice on the subject above. I just received an email from Diamond bank asking me to report to their head quarter in Abuja for a 3weeks graduate trainee program prior to posting. From what i heard, their probation period last for six weeks, of which you be paid 80k and after you have been confirmed, you will received 240k as monthly salary.

Normally, I ought to be excited considering the fact that I have followed up with this job for the past two years and it has finally arrived and also my present job pays a little less than 100k monthly, which is enough incentive for me accept the offer but I'm not.

Why? I have plans of travelling to Canada with my wife and daughter hopefully by September, for a masters degree program with the aim of settling their afterwards. By God's grace we have been able to save some money for the trip and my tuition fees, and my wife is very passionate about leaving this country. She fears if I take up the banking job, I'll not have enough time to follow up with the travel arrangements and also we might tamper with our savings, in the course of relocation since we stay in Port Harcourt for which I agree.

Please guys what do you think, is 240k a month salary worth jeopardizing my travel plans? I have till tomorrow to reply the bank.

justwise:
Forum rules are for adults and it needs to be implemented.

Sure, however, that's not mutually exclusive to the point I made above.

I obviously cannot tell you how to moderate; I am only trying to provide a different perspective. There is always room for improvement.

justwise:
Yes its based on contributions and content when those contributions are made openly here and not in private, how will you have content if its not available here or anywhere online?

Its not about people sending pm to each other, the issue here is about an individual who constantly asking people to pm him for an answer to a question asked openly here. If you can't give that answer in here then there is something fishy about your intention.

How will i ban people for sending pm? Has anybody here complained that i banned him/her for sending pm?

Without knowing the details, I am not sure you want to police adults. People have choices; so allow them to make decisions. Encourage contributors to be transparent instead. If someone requests a PM, the other individual still needs to make that judgement to send the PM/continue the conversation.

Negotiate:
Hello guys,

I see quite a lot of us are going to Cana in order to get white colar jobs.

Hardly anyone here talking about being a skilled professional in one niche or another.

Nobody talking about opening a salon, a workshop, a fashion house to sew aso ebis which I'm sure many of us will still want to rock at events, tech outlet, e.t.c.

Is it that we all want to be employees, or is it more expensive to own your own business?

Can we look at this angle and see if there are hot skills some of us can learn while awaiting ITA and PPR?

Welding, plumbing, barbing, sewing, hair dressing, gardening, wood work?

Aren't these good viable options?

Good points. I have raised this issue a few times. These are viable options. Unfortunately, the Nigerian environment does not reward these skilled trades. In fact, there are no formal programs that validate or develop these skills in Nigeria. As a result, most people that immigrate from Nigeria under the skilled programs are university graduates. On the flip side, some of these grads end up in the trades if they are unable to make the required adjustments with their university degrees.

[quote author=yettyopy post=63855765][/quote]Comprehensive or liability?

If your vehicle is not brand new/high-end, you might want to consider liability.

Also, you can try belairdirect, the personal, coorperators; i believe these companies have programs for new drivers. You can get their quotes online.

You should fix this issue before you apply.

Thetherapist:
Good morning house and compliment of the season to us all. A quick question please. Can one get into the EE pool and end up getting a PR with a wrong date of birth on international passport without issues. Correct date of birth is 1983. This is the year of birth in all documents excluding international passport that has 1981 (travelled to the UK with same passport) getting to change the year of birth with Nigeria immigration proved abortive.

Would it be cool getting into the pool with this year of birth since all other document has a valid year of birth except the passport or would still have to get the year of birth changed. Thanks

einsteino:
M.Eng and M.Sc could mean the same thing and different things, depending on the school. so its best you use "course-based/non-thesis" and "thesis/research" masters degree to help us know exactly what you are talking about.

To the matter at hand, there are no hard rules to these things, I know of a number of first class that was bounced by low rated schools like MUN, and ended up getting admitted by a higher rated school like U of A.

all you need to be eligible for admission is a 2:1, but as we already discussed, even a first class wouldnt guarantee you an admission... and this is applicable to not just UBC alone.

a number of factors determine your chances.. for some schools, the main hurdle is your ability to get a professor willing to be your supervisor in your thesis based program.. some would even say if they have no funding for you, you wouldnt be admitted as they dont allow one to self sponsor in their thesis masters program. then of course other things like Statement of intent, strong academic references and having publications in renonwed journals(few naija students have this). so a school may pick a 2:1 student over a first class student as a result of the above.

I no more have the flare for a thesis based program, and even then, non-thesis masters typically doesnt have the aforementioned hurdles/prerequisite. often times, a CV, and professional reference is all that you would need for non thesis. cutting out the tedious work of mailing and calling professors you have never met, in a bid to show them why you would be a plus to their research team, so as to get them to agree to be your supervisor.

you have to decide what your interest is, research or professional work? co-op is usually found in course-based/non-thesis program. I wouldnt advise you apply to a school solely because you think it would be easier to land their admission... instead apply to multiple schools, perhaps your choice school and a backup school.

I'm sorry but there is nothing like a low or high rated institution. Who is doing the rating?

When an accredited program is offered by an institution, it is a valid program. End of story.

justwise:
What is the purpose of asking someone to contact you or asking someone for contact details?

Justwise, I think you folks need to be a little careful with subjective interpretations. While the intent is to drive/maintain traffic on this site, the value of this site solely depends on its contributors and content. Alot of valued contributors volunteer their time and knowledge.

Asking someone to contact you is not a reason to ban anyone in an open forum. What is the point of the PM function? I'd rather you encourage sharing openly than a ban unless you are Buhari.

Just my two cents.

yettyopy:
Good evening House,

Please I need recommendations for cheap auto insurance. I got my g2 in oct 2017 and the insurance rate I am getting from brokers is quite expensive. Any suggestions??

What are you getting? What is reasonable to you? Your insurance quote depends on a number of factors including your driving experience, vehicle model and city/province.

If you are a costco member, you can explore the insurance company on the costco website.

Adeneyagrofeeds:
Good evening house!
Please I need your help. I have a changed plan on my trip. I cancelled the hotel reservation I used for my visa and the reason being that my travel plan changed and also got a better offer in another hotel.
Now my questions, I hope there won't be any issue at Canada POE concerning these? And also I planned paying my hotel fee over there

You should have no issue. Itineraries change every time and hotels do not work with immigration officers.

A quick tip is to multiply the hourly wage by 2...that will give you an idea of the gross annual compensation for full time employment. Example, $15/he translates to roughly $30k a year. Similarly, $43/he translates to $86k a year.

TheCongo2:
Thanks for your feedback.
I was initially misled by einsteno calculation mistake when he came up with 165K per year as base salary ($43/hr) instead of 85K.
That is why I was so surprised. But 85K per year makes much sense. I dont make 100K though
I can still follow your advice

In any case, I had always dream of a master degree. That dream died as I got involved with more responsibilities. But I have resolved to resurrect it this year.

Merci beaucoup

Shine1177:
I intend to study Alternative Energy Technology at NAIT, a 2 year diploma course. What is the prospect of this in Alberta? I have a Master degree in Electrical Power Engineering but I want to switch to renewable.

Obviously, demand for renewable energy will continue to grow in the next few years.

However, I will like to caution everyone that certificates are good...the education is great but your success mostly depends on what you do with the education and certificates. Our Nigerian background often skews us towards school, school, school with the perspective of getting employed. I have hardly seen Nigerian immigrants talk about entrepreneurship....and I think that's an area with a lot of potential that Nigerian immigrants are missing out on.

That's great. However, one can never stop broadening his/her network...but that's my opinion.

TheCongo2:
How can u be sure I haven't done so? Been a French Canadian of congolese origin on Nairaland is an indication that I have broaden my network. I have been on so many forums but Nairaland is the best for me.

I have gained so much from Nairaland. By the way it will almost be 10 years that I am on Nairaland

TheCongo2:
$43/hr as a starting wage? I guess I should have gone for civil engineering instead of IT (Computer Science)

In any case, I am planning to go back to school for my Master degree in September 2018... this is after having a wife and 5 kids
I will definitely go for electrical or mechanical engineering. Been on this thread had given me the stamina to further my education.

I have say it a countless time that Nigerians are the most innovative people I have met. Thanks folks

You need to broaden your network.

Try the US or the Carribeans or South Africa. The reality though is that you can study medicine in Nigeria and still practice outside Nigeria...just that it is a longer route with a few more hurdles.

Infamous:
So i should just run away na. Maybe to another country with more medical schools. What are you suggesting? And where?

maternal:
The conditions is your salary. The government won't invite someone to migrate here then watch them fail. Makes no sense.

Okay.

I'm not sure I agree entirely with this post. There are obviously social programs and a decent safety net in Canada. However, access to these programs come with conditions.

maternal:
A lot of the fears newcomers have has no merits. That 6-9 month child will be treated as gold. The gov't will value that child more than anything. Your pikin is a future tax payer, his/her success is vital to Canada's future. Whatever you need, you'll get. That child will not lack anything. Don't have money for daycare ? The gov't will cover it. Healthcare covered, etc. Whatever you need. Canada invests in people, because they know they'll get that investment back 10 folds when the child is a future tax payer. Millions are spent on bridging programs for this exact reason. Come to Canada with the whole family, you will be fine. I'm not saying it won't be easy, but you won't be poor/Hungary living under the bridge. Congo and others have said the same thing. Newcomers shouldn't have any worry. A child lacking anything would be a disgrace to the federal government. People don't accept such here.

Medicine in Canada is publicly funded. This implies that the spots are limited since the government does not have unlimited resources and there are only a few medical schools in Canada. As a result, these spots are often reserved for Canadian residents. Some countries like Kingdom of Saudi Arabia "buy" spots so that they can send students to be trained. I hope this helps.

Infamous:
I have toured this thread and some others and I'm yet to see people applying for or studying medicine. Please if you're one or you know one, quote me. I'd like to make some enquiries.
Thanks.

The reality is that even a Canadian degree does not guarantee you anything. In my opinion, if anyone wants to go down the route of getting a degree, try get into a professional stream (accounting, IT, engineering, dentistry, etc) or a trade (pipefitting, plumbing, power line technician, etc).

salford1:
Nothing is guaranteed in life. Bridging programs though helps in learning alot about the canadian work culture, building resumes or building professional networks in your field, some would even send you to local college to obtain certificates that could be 8 months long free of charge plus stipends, much still depends on preparation, luck, favour or fate or whatever you want to call it.

In my opinion, they are definetly worth it since it is at no cost to you. Some are even competitive to get on. e.g CCIS programs in Calgary. They could receive over 200 applications for 20 spots in some of their programs. You would go through series of tests and interviews.


Just like you, I know lots of people that still returned to schools after bridging programs. I also know some that returned to survival jobs after bridging programs, and I also know some that got good jobs after bridging programs. There are also some that never made use of them as well and still got good jobs.

To each his own. I personally prefer getting Canadian qualification if you have the time or money. A bridging program may not give you the highly coveted canadian education and some co-op programs could give up to 1 year of paid work experience.

amindondee:
Thanks. Visa expires first week of April. That is one year after medicals

Thanks for the response. Your timeline showed June 2017 for medicals, hence my curiosity.

Congratulations on the progress. Just curious, why would you want to immigrate in March? What's the urgency?

amindondee:
Application Timeline Update
Just to share experience for others to be positive minded especially London VO people

IELTS: 2nd Feb 2016 (LRWS 8.5, 7.5,7.5,7)
ECA (WES) Completed: 12th July 2016 (Masters & BSc.) - Although BSc not needed
EE Profile Created: 21st July 2016 - Overall Score = 454

Waited and waited!!!! and tried Provincial Nomination but no one wanted me

EE Score dropped to 449 after birthday (26th August 2016)
Was alsways oberserving the draw out comes and then suddenly observed the sharp drop in January 2017
ITA: 8th February 2017 Celebrated all night with my family
Document gathering became challenging, especially proof of funds as expenditure is always scattered from different accounts. My wife and I had already opened a joint account to safe up the money for this purpose there, but we had just embarked on an investment. So we started saving a fresh again into the account and transferring money from friends and family. Prepared land sale documents and deed of funds; wrote a LOE for my POF to explain all transactions in my account above the value of 250k following Vcole's advice; my LOE (POF) was 13 pages. did affidavit for 2 of the companies that have folded up now in respect of work reference. Did our medicals and finally made submission before 90 days was over. pwhew!!!

eAPR- AOR: 14th April 2017
Observed that I used the short form of my son's first name (Yoruba name) instead of the one written on the passport. I emailed the application center and was updated after a month.

Medical Passed: 16th June 2017
IP1: 16th June 2017

Stuck on IP1 for a month, then decided to email CIC for update. Emailed on 27th July 2017 and got the almighty automated reply that my application was sent to London VO. Kai, I just began to think all sorts - I schooled in London and was there for 2 years post study (I also did my wedding there). I had read different things about wrong NOC from marriage certificate and location of work and all etc.

Waited and waited and waited. Emailed London VO twice and no response. Since there was no response my wife decided to change her last name and get a new international passport. So, we did that and sent the new passport update to London VO
Ordered 1st GCMS notes from GETGCMS: 1st October 2017 (Notes received on 30th with all seeming to be in order)
Ordered 2nd GCMS notes from Myimmitracker: 18th October 2017

My wife's new passport got stolen so we had to do a new passport and then send another email to London VO (2nd Nov 2017). Trust me, me self tire
Emailed London VO again on the 14th November
IP2: 16th November 2017
PPR: 20th November 2017
DHL Delivery to Accra: 27th November 2017
Approved: 22nd December 2017


Total duration AOR-PPR: 220 days

Awaiting COPR

Arriving in March - Either Mississuaga or Ottawa. Currently undergoing some bridging programmes

Happy New Year to Everyone

What model ( year)?

What's your contact?

Anyone has an RX 350 in Lagos for sale? It has to be:
-2009 and up
- no accidents/salvage
- good working condition
- You should be ready to provide the VIN as I will not take a trip to see the vehicle without checking on the history
- Under N4 M

Looking to complete a transaction within 24 hrs.

If you have one for sale, pls leave your contact on this thread and I will contact you. Thanks