SHALL WE BEGIN ?

Hey Lovers, as some of you will agree, a major plot device most authors find appealing involves characters going to new places.

Here is why; when people move to a place new, there's lots of inherent drama (like dealing with depression, anxiety, financial issues, adjustment, finding potential happiness, career- changes, e.t.c) that they get to write about.

I am particularly drawn to these situations because in many cases, I am reminded of my own real-life move(s) and for some of you that are lovers of literature, I'll assume that you are too.

I promised myself that I was going to share my life experiences as a Nigerian girl who relocated to Canada in her mid-twenties because from past experiences, I have acted out some chapters of my life out based on what many people I look up to did and when i run into an error, i'm left in the loop because most of these role models only placed emphasis on the successes and not the journey . This is my attempt at doing things a little differently from the norm and sharing the wins, the struggles, the breakthroughs and also building a community of women supporting women. Oh! Men can definitely pick up some useful points as well.

*WINKS*

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I’m NGIC, 26 year old Nigerian female and I write this blog with the intention of making you aware of the "dos and don'ts", the "how tos" and the steps to help you make better decisions or at least learn from horrible ones made by others. Don’t worry, at the end of this post, you will enough information on ways to migrate to Canada, because i low-key know that's why some of you are here o.

By the way,I think it's note worthy to point out that I’ve made various attempts at making the perfect debut here, all of which ended up with me deleting and starting over.

But I've finally decided it’s time to post this.

What better day to start than on Canada Day and also in the month I moved to Canada , right?

Enough bants, let's answer the question that makes this post's title... “Yes. We shall.”

At the end of this post, you will have enough information on the legal ways you can migrate to Canada and how to get the important information you'll need because I low-key know that's why some of you are here.... So, stay with me.

When did I move to Canada?

I started my Canadian permanent resident application in 2014. I came in through the Federal Skilled Workers Program. I’ll like to point out that as opposed to many who were able to get their visa approved within a year, my status was updated and approved in the year 2017. That’s almost 3 years after i started the whole process.

One thing you’ll need the most before and when you start your Canadian PR application is “PATIENCE”.

No one told me this , so I’m telling you.

Just know that once you passed your IELTS and your points are up to the requirements, you will get it. It may take longer than you planned but eventually, it’ll happen.

After the first year went by and i didn't hear back from CIC (Canadian Immigration Commission), i gave up.

I started searching for a new job and planning on how to gain the skills i so badly wanted to outside Nigeria, in Nigeria. I started saving aggressively to get almost a million naira to enroll in a fashion school and eventually proceed to get a Masters in Business Administration.(I always knew I wanted to be a business mogul).

Getting my visa was one of the happiest moment of my life in 2017. I was elated. So yeah, I heard Canada is the land of opportunities and I, already tired of the limited ones, couldn't wait to exit Nigeria.

I had dreams about Canada: a place with free public health (to an extent), free education, great job opportunities, a thriving economy, 24 hours light, e.t.c... and on the 25th of July 2017, despite the fact that I missed my friends and family so so much, I was happy. I had hope. Immigration seemed to be the answer to my prayers, until I started facing some of the issues i stated in the first paragraph of this post.

Being able to share this journey with you makes me feel better about some of the difficulties I have faced and I’m still facing in Canada, so be sure to stay with me for more interesting updates.

This story don they long , but for everyone that has always wondered “How do I come to Canada?”

Here’s how:

1.Visitor Visa

This is one of the most difficult ways of coming to Canada.

And since you cannot work as a visitor, if your intention isn’t to visit or tour Canada, I will advise against this.

However, you can communicate with 'potential' employers about future work while visiting.

2. Express Entry Program

The Express Entry Program enables you to live and work in Canada as a Permanent Resident, and if within a 5 year period, you’ve been in Canada for 1095 days (3 years), you become eligible for citizenship.

The 3 major classes under this program are :

~ Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)

~ The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)

~ The Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

The program generally allows individual provinces & territories use the system to recruit suitable candidates as part of the Provincial Nominee Programs.

3. Sponsorship

This is for those who have family members in Canada. Has most countries allow, your family can sponsor you to Canada to join them on a permanent basis.

In other to do this, they must either be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident.

However, you can also be granted visa to join your partner if he/she is a student.

4. Canadian Investor Immigration

This is designed for high net worth individuals.

People who are richhhhhhh but need a new environment. The essence of this is to allow business men an women invest in an economy that works.

The program is divided into two :

~ The Quebec program

~ The Federal Investor Program

These two programs are similar and requires you to investment fund for a 5 year period. If successful, you can bring your family with you.

5. LMIA Work Visa

To be eligible for this , you need to first get a Canadian job offer, then proceed to apply for a work visa. based on that, you can immigrate to Canada.

Once you secure a Canadian job offer, have the employer apply for an LMIA through Service Canada on your behalf. Once the LMIA is approved , apply for a Work Permit.

6. Study Permit:

This is the easiest way of migrating to Canada when it comes to documentation and application. The only issue is the financial implications. Canada has one of the highEse international student fees especially if the student isn't on a scholarship. But If you can afford it, there is no better way to immigrate than through studying. Canada has some universities that are considered to be one of the bests in the world. Also after your education, you can apply for a work permit and proceed to get your Permanent Residency.

7. The Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP)

This is actually a very popular way to immigrate to Canada.

Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and others have their own immigration programs that often lead to a fast-track process.

Only that for this category your are required to reside in the respective province when you arrive in Canada.

For more information on the programs stated above, please visit https://www.canada.ca/en/services/immigration-citizenship.html

All information you need is on that page.

No offence to anyone who has approached me, but I find it quite annoying when people come asking for detailed explanation from me on immigration matters.

Knowing fully well say I no be lawyer.

If only we try to do in-depth research and get real information, then a lot of people will not get duped or scammed by agents promising unrealistic solutions at high costs.

Or better still, look for representatives If you can afford it. There are numerous law companies that offer immigration services. I used Topmarke Attorneys.

Heres their website : http://www.tpmattorneys.com/

There are also some of these representatives on Instagram.

1. @minashpro_immigration

2. @infoplacecanada

Phew! That took forever ! But I’m glad we finally got started on this.

Remember, you can build a better life for yourselves and your children. Just take that first step.

“We have created a society where individual rights and freedoms, compassion and diversity are core to our citizenship. But underlying that idea of Canada is the promise that we all have a chance to build a better life for ourselves and our children.”

Justin Trudeau