Immigrating to Canada? Prepare for Change
A Simple Guide with Invaluable Insights and Advice for Prospective Canadian Immigrants
by
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Change Starts Pre-departure Leaving your home country to settle in a foreign country is life-altering. Life started changing even before we gathered our belongings and left home. We had to resign our jobs which were pretty decent by Jamaican standards – I was a Researcher at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Jamaica and my wife – a Social Worker with the Ministry of Health working with people living with HIV/AIDS. We had to sell what we could and get to packing what we could carry in order to decrease the expenses once we moved. This was a great deal of work and absolutely tiring, but Canada beckoned. God, knowing our plans even before we did, would have seen our future and set up some help for us before we even knew it. One warm Kingston evening, my neighbor – Mr. Wood and I got to talking across the fence and I decided to share with him that my wife and I were moving to Canada. He was pleasantly surprised and shared with me that he had a long-time friend living there and asked where in Canada I was going. I told him Kelowna in British Columbia, he then paused and said he was sure that’s where his friend was and he would call to ascertain their location. He said if that’s where they were, they would be more than happy to help us. Well, as it turned out, that’s where his friends were living and he set us up with them and they agreed to receive us once we arrived! Hooked up from heaven! Having someone receive you when you first arrive in Canada is a huge advantage and stress reliever as you will have much needed help to make the transition smoother and get the most important things, such as a bank account and your Social Insurance Number (SIN) sorted out asap. It is also a tremendous help to have somewhere to stay for your first few days or weeks as you search for a suitable apartment to rent. This will also significantly minimize or at best, remove expenses related to accommodation at a hotel or motel and even food. So, before you travel, it is a good thing to check in with family, friends, neighbors and even coworkers, to see if they know someone living in the city you are moving to and make that connection. Never underestimate the power of networking; trust me, it makes a significant difference.
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About the Book
Many people look to North America, usually the United States for better opportunities, but a growing number of foreigners are looking to Canada for their “big break”. Canada presents opportunities to try new things, establish businesses and lay a solid foundation for families. Many immigrants however, are not well informed and hence ill-prepared for life in Canada especially during the early stages of transition and settlement. Immigrants often arrive in Canada with expectations of grandeur which are usually far from the realities of settling down and becoming grounded. In this book the author, an immigrant, presents some simple guidelines and gives practical advice to help the wayfaring immigrant to better prepare for making “the big move” to Canada.
About the Author
Derville is a Researcher, Writer, Linguist and internationally experienced Administrative Professional who has worked for the Jamaican, South Korean and Canadian governments in various administrative roles. He speaks four languages, namely, English, Korean, Spanish and French and is a published socio-political writer with numerous topical articles published in Jamaica’s major newspapers – The Gleaner and The Observer since 2013. He became a Global Korea Scholar in 2008 after being awarded a Korean Government Scholarship to pursue graduate studies in the Republic of Korea. In 2008 he completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Science (Business Minor) at Northern Caribbean University, Jamaica and in 2011 an MBA in International Business at Woosuk University, Republic of Korea. His experience in Canada as an immigrant and working for the Provincial Government of British Columbia through their employment program (WorkBC), has given him first-hand, invaluable insights and knowledge which are shared in this book.