Many of us are planning to immigrate to various destinations; some are opting for Canada while some others are for Australia and may be some others for other countries. No matter which country we choose, have we ever asked the question if immigration suitable for us? I am sure many of us but there might be some people who want to immigrate just because they heard others are living happily as immigrants. And also when we see several tourist destinations through television, facebook- at that moment we decide, wow! I wish I could be there! But is it really for you? The very purpose of my this writing is not to demean or demotivate anyone, but to alert you to make sure that you are aware of some issues while you are taking one of the most important decisions of your life. First of all let me figure out some major points why people want to immigrate:
– To have a better standard of life
– Financially secured future
– To offer more opportunities to children
– For educational purposes
– To seek superior health care
– Unstable political reasons
– To escape from conflict or violence
– Just because! (No specific reason)
So, once you have identified your reason(s) and decided you will carry on with this immigration path, next step is to figure out the challenges that you may face if you get your immigration status. Let me jot down some of the challenges and explain briefly:
– High cost of living: Sometimes we share with out near and dear ones how much we are earning, but we also need to know how much we are spending as well. For example: I am paying approximately CAD 50 to pay my phone bill which is more than BDT 3K, monthly transportation pass is CAD 150 which is approximately BDT 10K. Do you spend this amount of money for public transportation in Bangladesh and the answer is simply “NO”. However, certainly there are differences between the services, no doubt about it. And last but not the least, housing rent is freaking expensive and it is applicable for Toronto, Sydney, London & so on. In Toronto you need to pay around BDT 60K – 70K for a single bed rood apartment (600-700 sft). These are just the few examples I have provided herewith. Same goes for almost everything.
– No kith & kin: Most of us do not have our relatives in abroad. So make sure if you can lead your life without them. Sometimes the scenario can turn out to be very pathetic. One of my Bangladeshi class mates has come to Canada 6 months ago and unfortunately his father expired very recently. Due to various unavoidable circumstances he was not able to go to Bangladesh to see his father’s face! And trust me, it can happen with anyone.
– Weather: The most buzzing word in Canada. Think of if you can survive in an environment similar to refrigerator! Yes, I am not kidding. Temperature is very harsh in this part of the world during the winter season and you need to decide if you can cope up with it or not.
– Language barriers: Please, please do not think of moving to an English speaking nation without having proficiency in it. Think of a people who come to Bangladesh and cannot speak Bengali properly. Same goes for people who come to a foreign country without knowing their language properly. You do not need to change your accent but you need to have a better fluency, writing and understanding capacity. You might get an survival job but getting a white collar job without grasping language efficiency is close to impossible.
– Finding employment: Mama, chacha works here in Canada more than that works in Bangladesh! 80% of jobs in Canada are not advertised and they are recruited internally. So when someone is working efficiently and s/he recommends someone, employer gives more preference to that candidate because if the referred people do not do well, they can charge the existing employee. You might think that you do not have mama, chacha but you have to create mama, chacha here through networking and through your communication skills. LinkedIn is a very popular and strong tool here. Through LinkedIn people invite other people to have a cup of coffee. You have to knock many people, surely not all of them will not response. Even if some people responses, that is good to go. Meet with them and if they like you, they will introduce you to their own networking group and this way it goes. Remember one thing, you need one lucky person at the end who can help you in getting the desired job.
– High Tax: Tax bracket is very high here and in all jobs they will pay you after deducting tax and other admissible charges.
– Cultural differences: We all know this one. But just to give you an example, you will have no leave on the day of Eid or Puja and you might have to work if you do not get a leave!
– Racism: Yes, it exists! No matter how much they try to conceal it, even then it exists. But depends to what extent and how you are going to affect by it. But please accept; it exists.
– No helping hands: Yes no maid servant! All you need to do is by you and by your associated family member(s). So be aware if you are too dependent on them.
This is neither a comprehensive list nor can anyone make it because challenges varies from person to person. I just tried to figure out some common challenges an immigrant might face. Never ever take your immigration decision just because that someone is living happily as an immigrant. Remember, that person’s scenario might not be the same as yours. Every person has unique strengths and weaknesses. So figure out your strengths and if you think that you can handle the above issues with your strengths – then do it, otherwise please don’t. To let you know, you can have a better life from your existing position than the person who is living as an immigrant and leading a shabby life. Do not force someone to take a decision because when that person does not get success, he or she is going to say to you, “It is you who forced me to come, not me”. I wish everyone a happy journey (whatever journey you want to go for)!
Courtesy:
Canada Migration from Bangladesh 