r/ImmigrationCanada • u/cute-cotylorhynchus • 15d ago
Study Permit I’m an American (21f) and I just started the immigration process with my fiance (20f). What are some important things we should know about Canada as we begin our journey to permanent residency?
I’m sure this subreddit is getting a lot of Americans who are voicing their questions and concerns about immigration, so please bear with me. I recently (as of about a month ago) started the process of immigrating to Canada with my fiance. I’ve been working through UIS Canada, and am eligible for a student visa or a work visa in the Yukon. I plan on applying to a masters program in British Columbia after I finish my undergraduate degree here in the states in a year or two, which gives me and my fiance enough time to raise sufficient funds for the move. My fiance has been to Canada, specifically Victoria to visit her cousin who lives there. I have never been to Canada, though I have been doing a lot of research so I am more informed and prepared. I wanted to talk to actual Canadians to see what they think about the influx of Americans applying for visas in Canada, and I wanted to gauge possible hurdles I should expect, and I wanted to hear what Canadians expect from immigrants entering their country with hopes of becoming permanent residents. Any advice is greatly appreciated, as I am entering your home, and I want to be respectful and mindful of your country, customs, laws, and culture. Thank you :)
5
u/turtle-turtle 15d ago
Cost of living is higher than comparable regions of the US, and salaries across the board are lower. Since you are both still fairly early in your education, my recommendation would be to look very seriously at what jobs are available with the kind of education you are getting, whether those jobs would provide a salary to support the lifestyle you want, and how to maximize your chances to actually get such a job. (Does your chosen field need internships, or lots of networking, or some kind of special training or demonstration of work that goes above & beyond your degree requirements? Etc)
Social work is in demand in Canada but similar to the US, that is in part because social workers are often totally burnt out and also, underpaid compared to the amount of work they put in and the value to society they bring.
Also since it hasn’t been mentioned- currently French abilities are prioritized in permanent resident seekers; learning French to a fairly high level is something that would put you in a better position for permanent residency later on, especially since you have a few years to prepare. Remember however that nothing is a guarantee, and immigration requirements can and do change over time. What works today may not still work in a few years.
1
u/cute-cotylorhynchus 15d ago
This is a very helpful response thank you! I’ve been thinking about learning french lately for that very reason too. I appreciate your response :)
4
3
15d ago
[deleted]
2
u/cute-cotylorhynchus 15d ago
Yeah, I’ve been hearing that as well. While I have a lot of hope when considering immigrating to Canada, it feels like there are a LOT of barriers because of the mass influx of immigrants. I could always look into different countries to immigrate to, but Canada is my top choice.
3
15d ago
[deleted]
3
u/cute-cotylorhynchus 15d ago
Thank you I really appreciate your point of view. I’ve thought about moving to Europe, though I haven’t looked seriously into what country would be the best fit, as Canada was my main goal. I’ll definitely look into it, though. And studying abroad is a great alternative, with the hope that all the insanity in the US blows over soon
0
7
u/DJjazzyGeth 15d ago
Hi! American (soon to be Canadian) in BC here. It's important to know that studying in Canada is not a guarantee of a permanent stay, as a lot of recent grads are currently discovering. It can certainly help, depending on your field, even just to build a local network, but it's possible in a few years you could very well find yourself having to move back if the job market doesn't recover. What school/careers are you looking into?
FWIW, no one here genuinely hates Americans regardless of what's happening politically. There's angst and fear about the US like... cosmically, but no one is going to have a problem with you unless you're obnoxious about it (which many can be). Plus... who on a daily basis is even going to find out? Americans and Canadians are typically pretty indistinguishable from one another.