From the eyes of a newly-landed immigrant: Abet Alberto

This is my second month here (March 2007) in the winter season of Canada. It is also my second transfer of residence due to work requirements. April 2007, my entire family is joining me and it is imperative that we live near where my work is, i.e., Mississauga.

Hey, guys there are a lot of work here! I have landed on my 2nd job and I am now looking for a 3rd one. I am not trained to work for only 40 hours a week. I can work more than that, probably, another 20-30 hours a week.

Luckily, I was hired by a new American Company as Project Coordinator since last Feb 5 (the first National Franchise in Canada owned by Italians) which is based in Mississauga.

Tips to my colleagues: make a resume that fits the Canadian mindset and preferences. As much as possible, refer to the National Occupational Classification.

So, what does immigrating to Canada means to me?

It is a tough decision but a worthy one. There are a lot of opportunities as long as you are willing, able and competitive in the Canadian workforce. Definitely, you need to forget your present status in your home country. After all, you can create a new career here in Canada.

It means having a good proficiency in English.

It means being able to be computer literate.

It means creating a bigger network for you to easily adapt.

It means being competitive to get higher rewards later.

It means reading more, researching more and asking more.

It means giving up your Filipino style of driving style.

It means saving enough money that you can bring to Canada.

It means learning to be independent the minute you land here.

It means living in a negative 20 to 30 centigrade during winter.

It means having no nanny or household help, although you can still live comfortably.

It means accepting the joy of being a stranger in a foreign land.

It means that spending less than half an hour of your salary for your gasoline expenses in a day.

It means being able to eat anything that you want without suffering your budget.. After all, a good meal here is less than an hour's pay.

It means realizing that we can help more Filipinos if we stay here.

It means upgrading your skills and learning that you can switch careers at any age.

It means being able to study by taking out a government loan and paying later.

It means learning how to fill up your gasoline tank.

It means giving up on your SMS, after all, phone calls are cheaper.

The list is too long to elaborate; you must come here to know it by yourself. To those who are willing... WELCOME to Canada.

During his interview, Abet Alberto was assessed under NOC 2231 - Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians.[Gateway to Canada]

Bonding and togetherness: formula for survival

It all started with an aspiration to be able to give her children a better shot of experiencing better opportunities. With this, Yolly thought that a viable way to do this is to try living in another country that will give her children better education and better life, eventually. It was at this juncture that she went around the town until she bumped into a seminar being conducted by CIC.

After contemplating on the thought of settling in Canada, Yolly finally decided that the only way to realize this dream is to work on it. Hence, she filed her application in 2001 with the Canadian Embassy.

Considering her professional experience and education, she believes that she can make it in Canada. But along the way, there were a lot of stumbling blocks. She never realized that she would face so many interrogations from the Visa Officer particularly in the case of her husband. Her husband’s absence caused a lot of complications on their application to the extent that it almost caused the end of fulfilling her dream.

Two years after leaving the country, Yolly has finally settled into their newly-bought unit for her three children. Even if it would mean spending most of her income, she believes that living in Canada has opened a new chapter in her life and that of her children. Though there is the absence of a man in their family, she feels complete considering that her children have already adjusted to their new lifestyle. They have each other, after all.

Even though she missed Philippines due to her loved ones, she would never exchange it for anything else. With her kids around her, she finds no time to experience homesickness. “As of now, we are happy and we have no time to experience homesick dahil kasama ko naman po mga kids ko, kahit kmi lang dito e masaya naman po,” she relates.

Now, she is enjoying her job QA Coordinator in a food company at CS14.50/hr. She is blessed to be able to find a job that is in line with her work experience and learning new stuff such as labeling requirement, allergen and nutritional information on food.[Gateway to Canada]

It was a risk worth playing

CANADA is a wonderful place to live, a lot of benefits for its citizens and residents. All you have to do is to work hard to acquire these benefits. This is the story of 35-year old graduate of Hotel and Restaurant Management who ventured in this wonderful place to live in.

"I was delighted when I received the letter. It was from the Canadian Embassy. Finally, we are immigrating to Canada! After four years of waiting, our application is approved," Anna Solitario shares in her email message.

March 16, 2005 was a day of rejoicing for her and her family. Anna's dream of going to Canada is finally unfolding from the minute they passed the interview.

Until now she could still remember the questions tossed by Ms. Griffin, her Visa Officer. First, she asked about her job experience, as well as her husband's work. Lastly, she asked about their settlement fund. Anna narrates, "I told her that we have a buyer for our car, aside from the separation pay that I will be receiving from my company to prove that I have sufficient funds to settle in Canada."

With the support of CIC, her dream of landing in Canada last March 25, 2006 became a reality.
At present, she's working at A&W located at Eaton Center, the biggest shopping mall in Toronto. Her daughter, Angela, is studying in a Catholic School. "She loves Canada and doesn't want to come back to the Philippines," she proudly shares.

Now, they are living in the country that will give Angela and her husband Ron, a chance to live better and a secured future. Though at first, she had difficulty living in a different culture, in a different environment, she is confident that somehow her sacrifices would fade out. After all, the eagerness of giving her family the best for their future supersedes whatever homesickness, risks and disappointments she may encounter.

She has taken risk at playing a game of chance --- a game where she does not even know if she will survive. Eventually, she knows that she will come out as a winner as she continues walking towards the right path to a pasture filled with fruits of their dream.