₦airaland Forum

sleekchic:
Thanks for your comments. I asked this because I got a lil scared when a friend over there was telling me how some white people won't want to sit beside you on the bus. I mean, it's fine if they don't want to sit beside me because I'm black as long as it doesn't turn to anything violent. They can keep standing.

Thanks again. I feel a little better. I think I shouldn't pay any mind to it so that it won't be all I see when I get there.

Perhaps your friend smelled ? I use to do this to people a lot when I used public transport. When you start getting passed on for jobs or promotions while in the job, you'll wish a white person not sitting beside you would be the most racism you'll experience here.

czaratwork:
Naija wey we dey do overtime without pay we still dey get time greet neighbour. here 8hrs is 8hrs yet no time. wetin you dey pursue wey you dey always dey busy?

Toto.

czaratwork:
my sister the thing tire me for this country o. nothing like make i go greet my neighbour here o. i dey miss naija. i think a good number of people here have cars so no need to walk.

You get job ? Why u wan greet your neighbour all the time ?

coolhayor:
Thanks boss. Looking at settling down my family in Hamilton but targeting jobs in Toronto and GTA. I dont know if people do dis seeing that it is about 1hour 20 mins of driving.

Comments are welcome from all

People do but your quality of life will suffer. You'll always be in traffic, fuel cost, wear and tear on the car, etc. Furthest I'd stay out of Toronto would be in Mississauga.

salford1:
There are professional jobs in saskatchewan. Not as much as bigger cities though, but lots of government jobs as most businesses here are handled by gov..mobile phone, car insurance, water, electricity e.t.c
It would be best to carry out a research on indeed to check job availability in your field.

Cost of a 2bedroom varies usually depending on how new the apartment is, if utilities are included or not and depending on location in the city for condos, budget $850 to $1200. Townhouse, $1200 to $1500. Basement, $750 to $950. These estimates are for saskatoon/regina. It is cheaper in other smaller cities. There are exceptions though in case the price of oil picks up, cost of renting would shoot up in small oil cities costing more than living in Regina or Saskatoon. Sask has the next largest oil reserve in Canada after Alberta. Agriculture is also big here, so the province weathered the oil glut better than Alberta

Your naija licence would last only 3 months i believe after which you have to get a sask license. It is easier to get license in sask and insurance is cheaper. Subsidized by gov. They also dont have a driving test to progress from basic license to advance.

It is easy to settle just as other province.

So with a naija license, with 2 plus years of experience, you can trade your naija license for a full sask one ?

gracelevel:
@Maternal
please help confirm why it is often not used though? since its makes integration easier .Or is it paid for? and expensive

Maybe I should explain myself better. The gov't of Canada is bringing people (usually young) in for a reason. That is to get in the labor market which is seeing a massive influx of retirement. Furthermore, the taxes these new young immigrants are paying, will help pay the pension/benefits owned to these retirees. In short, immigrants are brought here to pay taxes and contribute to the economy, while if you're an immigrant from let say naija, you don't mind that since your quality of life and prosperity has improved significantly. It's a win/win situation for both parties. So my point is, the federal gov't does not want people to be at home sitting down doing nothing. They want newcomers to be like freeradical if possible. That is to have a job and be self sufficient within a month after arrival. Freeradical is now an official tax payer. That's what they want.

To make this possible the government has spent millions on tools to help integrate newcomers. These services are free. For example you have social workers that help you make resumes. Access to free computer, internet, printing, etc to print your resumes. They may also have knowledge of where and when a job fair will be taken place, and so forth. They usually have inside info a newcomer wouldn't. Whatever questions you have they'll help you. And if they can't help you, they'll direct you to the person,agency, or department which can. Freeradical said: "So, we decided to join a couple of newcomer services notably- WCI (welcome centre for Immigrants) and ERIEC." I would suggest Freeradical to post the information for these newcomer services. If someone is not landing in Edmonton, I'm sure if they call these services, and they can give them the number to whichever city they'll be landing in. Personally if I'm a new immigrant, after I land and get my essential documents like SIN number, health card, etc, I'm going straight to these centers. I would suggest if anyone knows of any other integration agencies to post them as well.




http://wciedmonton.ca/

http://eriec.ca/


For people landing in Ontario

http://costi.org/programs/program_details.php?stype_id=0&program_id=211

TEECANN:
Bro @maternal,

Please what's the reason behind your statement at the bolded above? Just curious to learn.

Thanks.

The gov't of Canada spends millions of dollars each year to help bridge immigrants into the system so they can become successful. A good amount don't use it. A lot don't even take sound advice from knowledgeable people on the ground.

freeradical:
Wow...that's a lot of reading up to catch up with the thread. Its been like I went into a coma and just got out . Well its not easy settling into life in Edmonton with a spouse and two kids all younger than three. To live up to the purpose of this thread, I will share our experiences so far. This is so as to give those still planning to make the jump a fair sense of what to expect once they land here so they can make more informed decisions.

So we landed on Oct 7th and spent the first one month with our hosts in their town home. This may not be the most comfortable arrangement but i decided to tow this path because I had no experience whatsoever living outside Nigeria. Neither does my spouse. So I needed to understudy people a bit so as to avoid making costly blunders and it did work well for us. Before we left for our own apartment, we got to complete all my post arrival activities like SIN, Alberta health etc under the tutelage of our well experienced host. We got to start learning the Bus and train transit system so we could go out by ourselves without getting lost. We also made good use of our hosts' home wifi to search for apartments and apply for jobs. We also got to learn some of their routines and home management techniques which we have imbibed or plan to in their near future.

We moved out to our own apartment exactly a month after landing. We got a good deal because we had ample time to search for an apartment. We took a 2 bedroom that has free internet and cable TV, one free energized parking, free heat and water for $853/month. Our place is also very close to the Train station and Bus terminal so I always plan my trips from there. Moving in was stressful because of the luggages and kids so i hired uber cabs for it.

Job Search- Now this is where every aspiring canadian have fears. So here is how its been for us so far. I started applying for a job as soon as a got COPR (No time ). Got my first interview call a week after landing and I was excited. The excitement was in the end short-lived by the time I went for the interview. I had not mastered the transit system well at the time so I arrive 19mins later than I was scheduled. The security guy refused to allow me in because I was late. After that I wasn't getting any response for all the other applications I was sending. I wondered why I was busy shooting blanks. I thought maybe I wasnt doing something right. So, we decided to join a couple of newcomer services notably- WCI (welcome centre for Immigrants) and ERIEC. We attended a couple of informational sessions with them and utilized their career services like resume building and preparation for interviews. I am a brewer by profession in Nigeria while my wife has only her cloth-making business she operated but we both had to adapt our resumes to suit the canadian work environment. I see a lot of people asking for one guy's resume but it wont do you any good copy-pasting someone's resume. What will make your resume sell well is if you write it yourself because only you know your story. Just avail yourself to these free employment services and you will be fine.
So after we had tweaked our resumes we started getting calls for interviews. I got one immediately from a microbrewery in Edmonton and I had a drilling panel interview with them afterwards. They gave me a couple of paid trial shifts and later asked me to await a final decision on my job offer. In the same time I got called for another interview with the biggest brewer in Canada but for a temporary position (to last for 9 months) which I honored. That happened to be the easiest interview in my life...they just wanted to know what made me apply for such a job I was way more qualified for an I told them I wanted the opportunity to join their team.
A week later I was given both job offers and after careful consultations and considerations I picked the big brewery over the microbrewery. By Gods grace after clearing the background check I will be starting work on 2nd January. We are still expecting something for wifey but for now she engages with part time employment from a local employment agency.

So there you have it. There are jobs in Canada but its not offered on a platter for anybody. You must be ready to convince potential employers that it is you that they need to hire. First way is to attract them with an eye-catching resume laden with your skills and achievements in the past. Blow your trumpet well but be honest. Do not claim what you do not have. Be adventurous and apply different strategies to your job search( the microbrewery offer I got were not even hiring, I merely sent an unsolicited application to them and I got an interview). Then above all believe/trust in God who made it even possible for you to be a legal resident of Canada. He wont lead you here only to leave you hanging without work. Despite that he wont come and do for you what you have to do for yourself. So work hard and pray hard and the sky will be our starting point in Canada.

It will surely end in praise for all of us!

lol naija people and God. But congrats I'm happy to hear stories like this. Not to take anything away from you, because you literally planned your arrival perfectly and put the effort in, but it has more to do with where you decided to land more than anything. You've proven what I've been telling people all this time. Stay away from expensive/ over-saturated Toronto if you can. Come to Alberta. Far less competition, cheaper cost of living/housing, lower taxes, and a better economy. In over a month you have your own place (853 for 2 bedrooms with heat,internet, etc is dirt cheap in Canada), a job, etc. I love how you didn't have a big head and used the resources provided by the government for new arrivals. Such as resume building and so forth. Most importantly, you now have Canadian experience on your resume. More doors will surely be opening, it'll only get better. Your method should be used as a template for new arrivals. Again Congrats.

salford1:
I agree with everything up here except "Canada being having more opportunies than the US". No country in the world compares to the US interms of oportunity...career wise and jobs.

From observation of things going on around me, good jobs are hard to get in Canada. No need in sugar coating the situation on ground. I would like to add that networking is very very important in Canada. It was one of the culture shock I experienced and still experiencing when I moved from the UK to Canada. In Nigeria, they call it man-know-man. In Canada, it is called networking. Alot of good jobs are kept within circles of friends and family. It's a small country (population wise) so they have to watch out for each other. There are exceptions though. e.g Good preparation and timing - booming economy, Gods favour, luck, IT gurus, jobs in very large organization (few in Canada), or you have some rare special skills that are had to find. I did not know anyone in the first two good jobs I worked, but with Gods favour I got in. I realised that my competitors for these jobs always had friends/families inside. The last small team I worked with had a father & son, boyfriend & girlfriend, a retirees son, one whose wife works in HR. lol. This is an organization of around 5000 people. When you move around the same organization but different department, you would find similar set up.

The Indians are catching up fast and beating the Canadians to their game. The last meeting I went for had 3 indian engineers hosting the meeting. They could barely speak english, but they all have similar last names meaning they are likely from the same area in india. I am guessing the hiring manager for that dept is from the same community in india. Every single job my madam had and still currently holding (even though healthcare, and one of the so called demand field) was through networking with fellow naijas in the same field.

So my people, let us try and network as much as possible. Try to build relationship with people in your chosen field. A recommendation from them can get you a good job. To build your network, try bridging programs, co-op programs in schools, linkedin, churches, mosques, temples, events e.t.c
As Nigerians, let us help each other if we can. If and when we get to a position of authority in Canada, let us help our brothers and sisters out. Also, if you believe in Yahwah, Allah or your local God, pray before going for that interview so that God can touch the heart of that subtle racist that might want to be in your way or make him/her fall sick on the day of the interview. Ask for God's favour to go with you.

Every developing country has a "networking" system. Especially in the private sector, where you can't tell a company who to hire and who not too. I've got good jobs very easily in Canada. Because like you said; good timing, booming economy, and God's blessing is how most gets in without knowing anyone. At least the government at the provincial and federal level, knows and is aggressively attempting to end the networking system here.

vcole:
Also it's not just about migration. I always ask some people who are firm believers in cleaving means clinging aka gum gum �� this question. If you and your spouse are together for 10yrs and then you get a job as the UN sec gen and your spouse is in a high management role or a lucrative business owner elsewhere. Would you turn down the sec gen position or would you expect your spouse to resign or close up their business to move around the world with you? Distance in any relationship isn't easy but for some people (read as military lol!) It is inevitable. I think the most important thing is for a couple to know and understand the uniqueness of their relationship and decide if distance is an option and if the timing for said to occur is right and most importantly what the long term plan is.
Anyone female or male who claims distance as the reason for infidelity know that in their heart of hearts they were already cheating or considering it and opportunity just simply presented itself.

See Pastor. Bros, this isn't a Genevieve Nnaji chick flick Nollywood movie, where there's a script and the couple ends up happily ever after. This is real life. Temptation is real. 50 percent of marriages ends in divorce. Are you telling me these people knew in their hearts they were already getting divorced before they married ? Abeg lets talk true talk on this matter.

Arielle:
You are so right. It would take massive commitment and super human discipline for the relationship to survive. I know a couple doing that and all is not really well with them. But going by the naija style of marriage, they're still together and that's what matters.
It sounds doable though, if the couple have a plan and a schedule from the onset and give themselves a limit for living apart. And adopt the 'don't ask don't tell' (and don't snoop) policy. Like someone said here, Canada is too cold. � And a lot of naija babes can be pretty determined. Young guy, banking or oil money, big empty house and no madam. Done deal!

When you adapt the don't ask, don't tell policy, then your marriage will almost be perfect. But that's usually a Nigerian marriage though. Very fake.

Bsbabe:
Are you the one in the marriage or is that your prayer for them? How can you state something so negative so categorically?

People make sacrifices for their families, especially their children on a daily basis and it is simply the business of the couple who have decided this is the personal sacrifice they will put in for their children. You do not know the foundation of their marriage and have no clue what they are about so to state categorically that their marriage will inevitably dissolve or to wish them such ill is just wicked and nasty.

No vex to the women on this thread. I never said I wish such on anyone's union. It was my opinion, and yes I've been in this exact position. I worked in the oilfields from 013 till 017, working in the north west while the family was in the east coast. I would fly back and forth once every month for a week. I know Nigerians like to put their heads in the sand and go with whatever fits their narrative even though deep down they know the truth. For example we praise the pastor when we really know he's a thief stealing church money while having sex with the church girls. We call our politrickians honorable when we know they're the cause of our issues while looting the country's money away. We call the girl who never attended class but somehow got an A smart, when we know she slept with the professor to get that A. We'll believe whatever fits our narrative. If any woman here wants to believe their young sexually active husband is not sampling another woman while he's away from her for some time "sacrificing" when conji hits, then that's fine. Whatever makes you sleep at time. A man is only as faithful as their options, and temptation dey. "All men aren't the same" until they get caught.

When I was away working on camp, there wasn't a single man who wasn't having affairs with another woman while "sacrificing" for their family. How long will a man masturbate when conji hits, before he goes out and starts looking for flesh? With young pretty unemployed females who's main source of income is by having "boyfriends", it's not hard to find flesh. Here in Canada, a man can literally order toto online. But you're right, some men have no choice as they may not have found a good job in the city they live in. And yes other problems can occur when he's in the house full time. I understand all that. But a man has needs. And his needs will be met regardless of whether it's his wife or not fulfilling those needs.

Just my opinions. Please ladies don't kill me.

salford1:
You are right. Migrating to Canada is costly. Alot of times, those making the move are usually the well settled and comfortable ones in naija.
Lots of family like that in Calgary...the husband would live kids and wife here and return to naija. There is a family I know living in Aspen Woods. Aspen is like the Ikoyi of Calgary. The husband bought a house in Aspen, left wife and kids in Calgary, then returned to naija to continue his work in the Oil industry. The wife does not even have to work as enough pepper dey flow in from naija. All kids attend private schools in Calgary too.

Just like the poster on page 149 that earns 2million naira after tax (circa $7k). Even by Canadian standard, that is a lot of money to earn after tax...I would really think hard to quit that kind of job in naija and pack up to Canada...lol.

People just want the best for their family aslong as they can afford the luxury.

I know a family like that. But the marriage will inevitably dissolve through the long distance relationship. Something would eventually have to give.

Beube:
Right now am not doing bad at all in terms of finance and thats why i have money to make this journey. What am worried about is the future, if my job ends in naija today to get another may be tough, gratuity, pension ,exposure in my field, better pay package, skill sets, health, and the likes thats what drives me. But when i hear when u get down to canada u are not likely to get a job, then when you get a job i leart u are not likely to be able to save up to $600 then am like whats so rosy over there if u cant get more box. Then i hear 90% of ur income is spent on bills. Then am like what of the projects i intend to do. Its tough to leave a known world to an unknown world. I earn above 200k in naija o

200k is about 700 Canadian dollars per month. Small boys here would laugh at that. As for the success you'd have here, I am not God. Are you afraid to compete ? Or do you expect to become Prime Minister the following day once you land ? Federal election is in 2 years. Come quick and campaign. Stop listening to people and do your own research as well. And if you're going to listen to people, listen to the success ones who are on the grind. Don't listen to bad belle people who couldn't make it. Lastly, if someone is spending 90% of their salary on bills, they're living above their means. But all these bills you keep on talking about. I guess gen, fuel, water, school fees, food, phone credit, etc is free abi ?

Beube:
Please i want to ask a very funny question but i really desire to know the truth.
Is it worth coming to canada if u have a job in naija and earn average well
How easy is it to get a job in my field basic telecoms job,
How easy is it to settle.
Whats the best region to settle.
Will i get a better job path if i come.
Many questions on mind, because am almost giving up on this journey with the many stories of no jobs over there and u not been able to save anything from ur income. I heard u spend all ur salaries on bills. Please i want to know the crystal truth abeg

No sane person who's doing well in their country would even consider migrating. The fact you're thinking about migrating says a lot. Why not tell us what's disturbing you about naija then we can go from there. Help me help you.

Smile4mee01:
Hello everyone.

I am hoping to re locate to canada early 2018. Either as a student or PR. I am currently a banker in nigeria, 33 yrs , single , male, reasonably comfortable. I am not in a serious relationship but would love to be in one and hopefully get married soon. I am wondering if my decision to relocate would affect my prospects of being married soon. There is a female colleague of mine I have been thinking of, but don't want to commit to it then travel away. So i don't break anybody heart.

Please let me know your thought.

Plenty woman dey for Canada. In fact you'll forget about that colleague once you land. Focus on relocating here first, then worry about your love life. It's easier to get a woman than Canadian papers. In 2017 a responsible man shouldn't have woman problems. Plus having papers, your level don change. Finer babes in naija will want you sef.

erico2k2:
I think you need to take into account what he sends to 9ja as well.

That's a whole different matter. If his family is making him broke, why is he here blaming America? Furthermore as he returned to naija, his family automatically stopped asking him for money? He's talking nonsense.

timesup234:
so u dont pay income tax from ur salary?

That 17k would be taxes from your income tax along with government pension.

Qc1:
unsuspected expenses is not included.

My carpenter paid just N75k for his apartment yearly. Wait o, he goes 70 - 30 % with his wife on this.

should I continue?

This isn't a walt Disney movie where you write your own script. Unexpected expenses are part of life. A serious medical injury and your yearly budget could be wiped out. Again respect yourself. You're being unrealistic.

Qc1:
O ya,lets do the math. How much does average naija pay in bills per month?

Don't do this to yourself. Respect yourself. Unexpected expenses could eat up that 150k alone.

Qc1:
I'm not (@ the bold). Yes the government use the tax payers money wisely. I'm only trying to elaborate on the amount of money left in your pocket after paying those taxes. In other words I'm saying even though you make $60000 yearly you will be richer if you can make just $6k yearly in naija. Why? because of the obvious reasons.

You can't be serious. You'll be richer making 6k yearly in naija. Again are you serious ?

Qc1:
The guy is actually right. I've spent almost 25 years here and I can tell you that it's extremely tough to save $400 per month on a $55,000 annual salary, I'm not saying you can't but its very hard especially when when you're paying $1200/month for rent, $100/month for electric bills, $70 on phones, $250/month on car insurance, $250 on gas/month, $50 on cables/month maybe $400 or less/month on food the rest can't even be accounted for like credit cards bills, line of credit or over-draft, olosho etc.

The thing is, you pay up to $17000 in taxes alone from the $55,000 depending which states you reside, then if you owe back-taxes, IRS might garnished up to another 10% of whatever that is left after basic taxes and deductions. By the time you get your pay cheque in your account bi-weekly, you don't even have enough to cover your rent let alone to eat. This is why you have more than 10 time the number of homeless people in USA compare to Nigeria. I don't want to scare you but it is inevitable. Take the current US President for an example, he was once almost homeless too. (google it)

I[b][/b]t's not that you cant make big money, it's just that you can't save it (easily).

Nigeria on the other hand, once you have a mindset of doing everything by yourself and ignore the government, that is just the beginning of wisdom. Naija is a shit- hole no doubt but it's also a country where you can bend the rules to your advantage. And for only that reason alone with determinations, the sky is not the limit but the beginning. I'm not here to preach, all you need is N500k.


Before you or anyone call me names, please click on my moniker and read some of my posts dated years back on this topic when I decided to relocate back to Nigeria.

Stay blessed!

What you forgot to mention is that 17k covers your basic needs. In Canada that 17k in taxes covers your medical, roads, schooling (not post secondary), police, etc. Not to mention you get a pension once retired (social security) and several safety net in case of jobless. Such as employment insurance, as you get a salary for 11 months if you get laid off. You're attempting to paint a picture like that 17k is just given to the government and we receive nothing back.

Now in naija by the time you pay for your kids school fees from elementary out of pocket, buy gen, buy fuel for Neppa, constantly change your shocks because of bad road, go get India visa, pay for the flight, then medical bills to get that surgery in Indiana, etc. How much you go save? Talk true my guy. "Poverty" in the West is laziness and living above your means. Don't get that confused.

vcole:
Thanks. Any pointers as to the common "incorrect things" that may cause a rejection? Will plan to spend 2-3 days though as I'll be coming from Calgary.

Just make sure all your documents are correct. Including the size of the passport photo.

vcole:
Hi y'all. Please I need to renew my Nigerian passport. I know I'll have to fill the app online and then go to Ottawa but does anyone know the turn around time? Would I get it the same day or would they send it to me? Would I need an agent to expedite the process? Cc: @blackbuddy, maternal et al

You should get it the same day IF you do EVERYTHING correctly. I saw people come from Alberta and their passport was rejected because they didn't follow proper instructions. I got mine the same day. Also I wouldn't trust the Nigerian gov to mail such an important document. Try come in the morning. The earlier the better.

Just to de-code the message


Crafty individual= 419 guys

Side business= Have another income for WHEN your employer doesn't pay you the salary owed to you.

Nigeria is not a place for people who wait for things to happen= The government is extremely corrupted and inefficient, you'll have to do literally everything yourself.

In conclusion, a shit show awaits your arrival.

BluFlyBoy:
I will stay in the states and I will try to re-file for permanent residence again. Hopefully I will be successful this time around.

You'll need to leave the U.S. Canada is your next best option.

40manlappy:
Please, can you tell us the areas that are considered safe in Ottawa?

cc: AZeD1, maziude

Ottawa is a safe city. Just avoid vanier, rideau street and some low income areas at night. You can have drug addicts around. And you never know what they'll do. But Ottawa as a whole is safe. Just mind yourself.

AngelicBeing:
Sorry if my choice of words come off to you as offensive, I am saying it the way it is, apart from the two guys l mentioned in my post, I can count the number of friends, classmates and few family friends who moved back to Nigeria and the system crippled them, Nigeria kills destiny, well, I have made my point, it is up to the Op to sieve through the advices given already, l have no apologies, Nigeria is a dead jungle Qed

I have numerous friends in the same situation. One even renounced her Canada permanent residency card, went back and is now asking me for "dollars". Don't feel sorry for them. Laugh at them. After laughing at them, I usually end with "next time respect yourself" then hang up.

AZeD1:
For those looking to move to Ottawa, Vanier is like the cheapest area. Checkout Eastwoord park Apartments

That area is infested with drug addicts and prostitution at night. If you mind yourself one will be fine. But it's cheap for a reason.

crazyinlove:
Hi guys,

I am planning to land next year. The initial plan was to land in Calgary, but I got in contact with a close from who is currently in Grande Prairie, Alberta.

Anyone has idea if its a good place to settle in.

thanks

It's a small oil town. Unless you have a job lined up, or some networking connections, I'd go to Calgary first.

Olushta:
What's the advantage of giving birth in either US/Canada?

In the US your child would be a U.S. citizen

In Canada your child would be a Canadian citizen