From Chutney to Maple syrup....our move to Canada.: 2012

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Shipping to Canada!

Hi hope everyone out there is having a great December so far! The weather has been fantastic to say the least..Dec 4th and 14C outside this morning.

I get so many letters from readers asking how they can get their things shipped to Canada. Have come across a company that is very personal, will give you a free quote and ship your things from anywhere to Canada! Shipping 2 Canada will take care of all your shipping needs. Go ahead and check out their website for more details.

http://www.shipping2canada.com/

Here is a little about them:
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Shipping2Canada.com will find you the lowest quote on shipping your items to or from Canada. This site should be found as a service to those wishing to make the move to the Great White North and for those leaving Canada to head overseas. The site helps people save time trying to find a low priced shipping quote and removes one of the stresses involved with partaking in such a move.

Save time and money.

Shipping2Canada.com only works with reliable, dependable, reputable, and fully bonded moving and shipping companies.

A complete resource when moving to or from Canada.

Shipping2Canada.com provides the most thorough, easy to use shipping to Canada resource center on the Internet when moving to or from Canada. Whether you are looking to save time and money with our services or get information and support on the moving process from our vast array of resources, Shipping2Canada.com is the site for you.

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Happy Shipping!

Monday, May 7, 2012

Latest on Immigration and immigrant statistics

Hi

The Globe and Mail has declared the month of May - 'The Immigrant Answer' and will be writing relevant articles on anything to do with immigration and immigrants who have landed in Canada and what life is like. Hopefully by the end of the month, lots of eyes will be opened on the hardships immigrants initially face and what can be done about easing a new immigrant into living and working in Canada.

Please check this link:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/time-to-lead/rethinking-immigration-the-case-for-the-400000-solution/article2421322/?utm_campaign=immigrant+answer&utm_medium=Print+and+interactive&utm_source=The+Globe+and+Mail

Very insightful and will give you an idea of what is reality here in Canada.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Tips on writing a great resume for Canadian employers

Check this link for how to write a great resume before you start job hunting. Good luck to you!!

http://www.canadavisa.com/canadian-employment-resume.html

Canadian Salary Calculator

Okay...so many questions answered with this one simple link. I get hundreds of emails every month, asking about Canadian salaries. Well, here is a link that answers your questions. In case you are stuck for postal codes to different locations, just Google the name of a store, for example Walmart and see if it has an address in the location you are looking for a job. Just copy that same postal code down and use it to do a salary check for that area.

Link to salary calculator:

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-salary-wizard.html

IELTS PRACTICE TESTS LINK

Here is the link to practicing for your IELTS (International English Language Training System). Good luck!!

http://www.canadavisa.com/ielts/free-practice-tests.html

Try looking for a job before moving to Canada

Check this Government link on searching for job opportunities before you leave your Country for Canada..................good luck!!

http://www.canadavisa.com/career_zone/canadian-immigration-job-search.htm

latest from the Immigration minister of Canada

The Canadian Press

Date: Wednesday Mar. 28, 2012 2:51 PM ET

OTTAWA — Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is proposing rule changes that would assess and verify the education credentials of some immigrants even before they arrive in Canada.
The new requirement would mean that applicants seeking to come in under the federal skilled workers program would have a sense before they arrive whether they'll be able to get work in their field.
The question of how to assess foreign schooling and training has long been a contentious issue in immigration policy.
Kenney says the early examination of credentials will give skilled workers a comparison with Canadian standards and an understanding of how Canadian employers will judge their education and training.
It will also help weed out people whose credentials aren't up to snuff.
Immigration Canada says the change is part of an effort to address the problem of immigrants who come to Canada, but cannot find work in their chosen field.
The department stresses, though, that this early assessment won't mean assured employment, nor will it guarantee that an immigrant will be allowed to practice in a regulated occupation, such as medicine.
Applicants seeking to enter such a profession would have to have their bona fides assessed in greater depth by professional regulatory bodies in the provinces.
The government has a review office which studies the foreign credential problem and suggests ways of assessing foreign training and expertise and bridging gaps with Canadian requirements.
For years there have been anecdotal complaints about foreign PhDs reduced to driving taxis because their diplomas either aren't recognized or aren't considered to meet Canadian standards.
Kenney said the pre-arrival assessment is intended to help those people.
"We're saying: truth in advertising. Don't bother coming to Canada if you don't have at least an even shot at having your education and your skills recognized," he told reporters.
"And I think we're doing those people a favour and we're doing Canada a favour. There's no shortage of people who want to migrate here. Let's invite those who have the best chance of success."

And another article from the Vancouver Sun:

OTTAWA — In an effort to address issues surrounding foreign credential recognition, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has proposed a plan to assess skilled workers before they arrive in Canada.

For instance, immigrants applying to come to Canada as federal skilled workers would have their education credentials verified by a third party.

If adopted, the plan would give newcomers a sense of how their credentials stack up against someone with a similar Canadian education. It's also expected any new policy would screen out those who don't have adequate levels of education.

Kenney ultimately hopes it will address the problem of immigrants arriving in Canada only to discover they can't work in their respective field.

"Our government is building an immigration system that is focused on economic growth and ensuring that all Canadians, including immigrants are able to contribute to their maximum capacity," Kenney said Wednesday. "By having their foreign education credentials assessed before their arrival to Canada, foreign skilled workers will have a better sense of how their credentials fit into the Canadian labour market and will be able to contribute their full skill set to the economy more quickly."

The pre-arrival assessment does not guarantee the applicant will find work in Canada commensurate with their skills, nor does it guarantee they'd become licensed in their field.

That would require a more in-depth assessment by a professional regulatory body in the jurisdiction in which they intend to settle.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Types of Houses

Have been getting a lot of emails recently on the different types of housing available in Canada and what the different terms like, 'basement apartment' and 'semi-detached' mean.

Well, at first we were totally confused too. So here is an explanation of sorts....I think there is an old post on this too...but anyway...will write about it again.

First you have the 'Detached House'. This is a house that is completely separate from the other homes around and has no common wall. You have space on all sides, your own little lawn in front with a driveway and garage, and a lawn behind with some walking space on the two sides. Don't be fooled though. Just because a house is detached, it doesn't mean that it is bigger than the semi-detached or townhouse. Always check the square footage of the actual living space and not just the lot size. (Plot size)

This is a detached house

This house has the top floor, ground floor and the basement which is the floor below ground. All houses have basements unless specified. The basement is where most homes have their washer/dryer unit, the hot water unit and heating unit. Some families rent out their basement as an added form of income. You should check your area for permits regarding this.

The semi-detached home is basically two houses together with a common wall in-between. Normally these are slightly cheaper than the detached homes, but it really depends on the amenities, square footage, location and upgrades for the final pricing.

Here you notice that the two garage doors are painted differently and each house has a door number on top with the front door on each side of the garage. The back will have two separate lawns, but the front driveways are together and the owners park their cars on their own driveway without bothering the neighbor.

Next you have a 'Townhouse'. Townhouses are rows of houses together. Normally these houses are priced cheaper than the semi-detached and the detached homes. Some Townhouses are built in communities with common playgrounds and swimming pools. For this a 'fee' may have to be paid every month by all owners for the upkeep of the common facilities.

These are Town houses. Each door that you see is a separate house with one garage parking and one driveway parking. There are no spaces in between the houses, unless you are on one of the ends and normally those homes have the advantage of having a side lawn and of course may be a little more expensive than the other homes in the same row.

IMPORTANT: When it comes to Townhouses, there are two kinds. Condominium and Freehold.

Condominium is where one owns the interior of the unit, and also a specified share of the undivided interest of the remainder of the building and land known as common elements. There is normally an association that is paid a fee by all owners of the condominium town houses, which goes for amenities like snow removal, replacing of roofs and re-painting of garage doors. Check the fine print as each Condominium will differ. These homes are often referred to as Condos.

Freehold is where you exclusively own the dwelling and land and pay no fees for any amenities. As an owner, you take care of your house like a semi-detached or detached home owner.

Basement Apartments (normally on rent. You cannot buy a separate basement apartment as the space belongs to the owner of the entire house) are normally rented out by home owners who need the added income or have no use for the added space in their home, like an elderly couple who have adult children who now live elsewhere. These are rented out to families on budgets, new immigrants and college students who share these rental spaces.

This is a basement space. The way it will look and how many bedrooms etc it will have completely depends on the home owner and how they have planned their basement. Most have a separate door leading from the side of the main house to the basement downstairs. Normally the rent includes electricity, water and gas. Some owners provide cable t.v as well. You should also have a space on the driveway to park your car included in the rent.

Apartments in Canada refer to the buildings with a number of floors and units on each floor that are rented out. A Superintendent normally manages the building for the owner or owners. These are normally one bedroom or two bedroom.

Condominiums also refer to units in a building that are owned by you which you in turn can rent out if you want. These are either one, two or three bedrooms although commonly condos and apartments are one or two bedroom.

High rises are normally buildings with 6 or more floors and have elevators. Building with less than 6 floors may be called Low rises, and they may or may not have elevators. There will often be a common fee that is paid by all owners (and sometimes tenants if it is not included in the rent) to pay for the upkeep of common areas and facilities. Some condos or apartment buildings have tennis courts, a gym, party room and/or pool.

These are condos / apartments in Toronto

A Duplex refers to a home that has two different living spaces, normally one on top of the other. A Triplex refers to a home that is divided into three separate living units. Can be a detached, semi or Townhouse..where they owner may live in one section.

Hope this helps you understand the Canadian housing terms to some extent. Thanks for reading!!!!

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Interesting article on why Indians make good immigrants

Check out this link for this article:

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/sep2006/sb20060913_157784.htm

New immigration laws regarding spousal sponsorship to Canada

For the latest on the new laws regarding spousal sponsorship to Canada check out this link:

http://www.canadavisa.com/news/latest.html

This link also gives you important information on jobs and education in various areas of Canada

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Panorama India 2012 Republic Day

Every year, Panorama India celebrates India's Republic day (usually the Sunday on or after the 26th of Jan) at the Pearson Convention Centre in Brampton. These pictures speak for themselves. From the empty hall in the beginning, to the different dance troupes from each Indian state posing for pictures to full capacity crowds by mid-morning.

Moving to Canada as an Indian? It is functions like these that bridge the gap between the two countries. They also have the Canadian-Indian Idol finals where the audience gets to vote for the winner, painting competitions and magic show for kids, food stalls, jewellery and other stalls with interesting things for sale and of course..loud Indian music!!

For more on this wonderful organization, check out their website:

http://www.panoramaindia.org/ourobjective.html

These pictures were taken by me this January. Enjoy :)

Before the crowds..................

One of the Dance troupes posing for photos

Preeti Saran, Consul General of India in Toronto

The gorgeous ladies of Kerala before their stage performance.

I loved the costumes...especially the colours.

Girls of Tamil Nadu

Boys of Punjab

Full capacity crowd enjoying their day out to celebrate the Republic Day of India

Winter 2012

My daughter returning her shopping cart to the designated area in light snow.

Snow all over my windshield

Driving in the snow is not easy....one has to get used to slippery conditions, white outs (where you can hardly see anything, like driving in thick fog)and slow moving traffic.