Gems from the old SBF Emigration Threads

[kakowi]

Australia - Purchase of Property

Question:

Recently, there was a lot of australia properties being marketed in singapore and the reception was rather good. I came across one seminar, conducted by an Aussie who claimed to own > 100 properties around asia. Through his talk, it seems so easy and cheap to buy and finance property in Melbourne while you continue to stay in Singapore, so as to enjoy the low interest rate.

What's your take, an apartment near the melbourne central station, 45.7 sqm @ A$350k. Is this cheap ?


Answer 1:

Pls be aware - you can resell only to aussie PR or citizens, not foreigners.
This is to control market prices and speculation.

as to whether is cheap, I don't know, but the inflow of immigrants to Melbourne is increasing, leasing at minimum 5-6% yeild is not a problem.

If you want to flip it before TOP, think twice, it takes some years to appreciate.

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Answer 2:


where is this place?

one of my ex-sg church friend collaborate with another 2 to invest in a house thru' those road show agency in sg. he bought a house for $320k back in 1997 at brown plains at brisbane.

now i realise that brown plains is sooooooooooooo damn far from the CBD and the price of that house at that time was only $150k!!

really, u have to do your own readups. dont let those road show property agents con u.

compare your house with those listed at www.realestate.com.au or www.domain.com.au


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Answer 3:

another point is, the prices in Melbourne inner city varies, although is not a very big city (u can walk from one side to another end within 30-40 mins), those apartments in Spencier street (next to Docklands) tend to be more highly priced. I'm not sure why, but Docklands is supposed to be the new Melbourne inner suburb under the government city reform project, and houses the Telstra Dome and home to many MNC head offices. Its residency expected to rise and many high rise projects have developed in this area in anticipating medium to long term appreciation. There's a big mall and Coles supermarket is located there.

Its best you find out exactly what is the exact address of the project, and find out the prices from the current market price of the property and compare if its worthy. Beware of the Sg interest rates, though is lower but any drastic exchange rate movement A$ vs S$ could put you in disadvantage as well.

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Answer 4:

Common sense, if such investment are cheap and attractive they don't have to market oversea.

You should know that alot of sweetener like guarantee rental income for a no. of years thereafter those body corporate fee will rocket up.

Local will not buy them if the yield is lower than fixed deposit interest.

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Answer 5:

Melbourne inner city is well served by trams so you don't neccessary get a unit next to Flinders train station. Flinders station is a landmark for people to meet and central station is a hectic station for commuters. Near to train station does not neccessary means is good as crime rate could be higher and drunkards/street beggars usually hang around there. Similiarity, u must be careful with drug activities and fights near to universities.

Some buyers may avoid these locations especially those with family would prefer a less rowdy location. If you are looking for capital gain, I suggest you find a street popular with working executives/yuppies. Docklands is worth to consider but many projects already been developed.

If you are renting it for long term, ask yourself if you want to rent the unit to students or working class. Students usually cannot afford expensive city living thus they would share the unit with their classmates thus packing themselves into one unit and make a hell mess out of it.

It is true the inflow immigrants to Melbourne is rising but not everyone wants to stay in city because of cost & social reason. I suggest you research more or the best, make a trip to Melbourne to find out more.

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Answer 6:

Personally, I do rent out property, but I would find a reliable agent to manage my property.

Some of these OZ-companies promoting property are known to fail expectations.

Don't use their spreadsheets, use yours - I try to work backwards - how much realistic rental income I can obtain, my expenses I incur, then I will have some idea of my profit based on the purchase price.

Also, we are facing recessionary pressure in OZ, so do tread carefully and make provisions.

I think the company will be desperate to sell, you may even get a discount on your purchase.

I am concerned about bad tenants trashing my investment property which I cannot recovered with the confiscated rental bond.

At the moment, If you are holding an OZ PR-type of visa, it may be better to put money in a high interest bearing term deposit. If you have a TFN, it is even better. somemore if you are in SG, your first $6k income from interest is tax-free.

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Answer 7:

Are you looking for rental yield/cashflow or are you looking for capital gains ? Let me quote you a similar example.. in share market, are you looking for dividend (regardless the share price) or are you looking for higher value of share price in the next 5-10yrs ?

The "cheap" definition is very subjective.. if the property is gona value at 1mil in the next 10yrs.. then YES it is cheap.. alternatively, 350k investment could fetch you a rental yield of 10%.. considered cheap ?

Have you included in your calculation on council/body corporate rates ? insurance, market rental etc..

A gentle warning.. properties deemed cheap and good will be snapped up by the locals and investors.. why do you think developers will spend $$$ fly overseas and hefty overseas advertisement for sale?

 

[kakowi]

Canada - Migration

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right></TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>http://www.the-happy-immigrant.com/index.html

Found this very valuable site for those planning to migrate there. Enjoy.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[kakowi]

From those who do not want Singaporeans to migrate to Australia - Part 3

Point by point reply by Aussie Pete in another thread to the points raised in post #14:


Dear Aussie Prick (aka shockshiot, busy123, redbullxxx, and all the new personalities that u're now posting as)... before I put you back on ignore (don't know what happened to my list to let u back in) - u've proven with your questions that u cannot possibly be an Aussie (and those words u use, and the way u use them - sod, bugger, etc etc - and the racist ones - it's laughable... no one talks like that down under - even racist aussies - u're embarrassing yourself, shockshit)... they are words from two generations ago - most of the questions you posed are just misinformed and stupid.

1) it's not additional - the decrease in levy for private heath cover is an incentive... the system is very affordable and very robust - just try and get seen by a doctor in the US without private cover - u will be shown the door as quickly as u entered. (stupid question)

2) see point 1 - as any (real) aussie can tell u, there are private hospitals and public ones... there are multi-bed rooms and single ones akin to hotel suites - it's up to the individual how much cover and service u want - mainstream aussies are happy just to settle with the public system. (another stupid question)

3) why do these private health coverages cost so much? (more stupid questions on private cover - are u a broker?)

4) depending on the ailment, waiting is not always necessary - 'elective' surgery (stuff that's not life threatening or debilitating) will generally require a waiting list (on public cover)... emergency treatment in public hospitals is always available and can be very efficient and is often world class. I can attest to this myself from personal experience. (The 'waiting' times in public hospitals are often the point of attack from opposition govt and always taken out of context.. this has been going on from both sides for donkey's years - are u right winged??)

5) A new young car buyer can get a small brand new vehicle on the road for less than A$15K (inc. registration and insurance)... what make of car can u buy in the US for A$5K? - unless you're a high-end car buyer, prices of cars are not an issue down under (especially compared to Shanghai or Singapore where u also battle with COE and the like)...

6) Price of oil fluctuates and is a global commodity - unless the govt subsidises it, there's little difference. It varies from state to state in the US, and is price-controlled by the Govt in Oz.

7) why is food so much higher in australia than the US? - as a regular traveller to the US, I can tell u definitevely - this is a completely false statement. What food? Where?

8) how come the US has so many cheap houses and prices are falling when the opposite is true of australia?... u seen the housing market down under recently - there are many house/land (large properties) less than A$200K (even as low as A$150K) in the suburbs of Brisbane... u want to live in the heart of Sydney, expect to pay substantially more - it's like the difference between Yishun and Orchard Road... anyone that just watches median prices blindly to judge the market is a fool.

9) Strange question - u've never heard of 'negative gearing'? - oh, forgot - u're not really an aussie

10) how come labor/services is 300% higher in australia than th US? Which commodity? Most professional services are substantially higher in the US. As a commodity sourcing professional for labour globally, I can state this also for a fact... no need to try and compare just a handful of industries, it will never make sense and does not compare apples with apples...

11) how come 2.5 million people applied to become citizens in the US last year when Australia only saw a small increase? - Can u provide more data? Absolute numbers to not make valid sense - must be stated as a % of population... once again, apples with oranges here.

12) how come there is a 10% GST in australia when the GST in the US is much lower, and several states have no tax at all!!... GST brought Australia's national deficit back into the black - how much does the US owe again?? Hmmm???

13) how come wages in australia are not as high as the US? - Anyone starting in a new job in the US, will often not be eligible for any annual leave... after one or two years, the employee might be lucky to be eligible for 4 days... after 30 years, lucky to be more than 2 weeks depedning on the employer... expect to start work (especially in northern states) at 5 or 6am and finish late in the afternoon... expect to spend up to 30 to 40% of your wage on health cover (or just die in your own home)... once again, bit comparing apples with apples... when I loved in the US, I made sure it was on an expat package - Australia is truly the lucky country when it comes to working conditions.

14) how come 30-40% of your income is required to pay a housing loan in australia? This is again taken out of context... many Aussies are paying as low as 15% of their salary - depends on so many factors - household income, age of the borrower, price of the home... u cannot rely on median numbers, it does not tell the whole story, and the data is warped by the high income earners. Right-wing propoganda again.

15) how come it takes 104K to pay for a 431K home in australia? - see above... right wing crap... reported in one of your (shockshiot) posts some time ago from a propoganda-driven (coalition) news source.

16) how come variable interest rates on property have exceeded 10% in australia when the US is less than half?... as any aussie knows, interest rate fluctuations have always occurred - what goes up must come down... I remember early 90's when I was paying 17%... I also remember when I was paying 5%... stupid, stupid, stupid question for anyone with half a brain...

17) how come the planning councils in america are efficient and release land for development at a timely pace when the opposite is true in australia... NOW U HAVE TO BE JOKING RIGHT?? efficient in the US?... our company waited for almost a DECADE!!!!

18) how come there is a "good" housing crisis in america and a "bad" housing crisis in australia?... prices are low (and decrfeasing further), govt is assisting... it's a home buyers' dream right now - what makes u personally distinguish between good and bad? (media again?? - get offline for a while and visit the real world) - that's more the appropriate question.

19) how come airfares from australia are so high? why is it australians pay as much to fly 8 hours as americans pay to fly 18 hours?... shop around... u can get cheap flights with the right carriers... have u ever even been to the US and flown domestically - always over-booked, delayed and many many more chaotic problems... does nothing for the blood pressure when u have important meetings to get to.

20) why are clothes costs so high in australia? why is it the americans sell themselves timberland shoes for $30 and charge australians $200 for the same product?... buy local, pay less (idiot)...

Putting you and all your IDs back on block now, u absolute loser!!! Wasted enough of my time on ridiculous questions - you really have no idea... but u still keep spouting this CRAP... look in your own backyard first.

 

[kakowi]

Canada - Immigration

I have been residing in Canada for the past 3 years since March 2005.
I think I have personally heard and seen enough of immigrant failures. While the federal and provincial politicians are still fighting and outdoing each other, let me say that the stories listed in this site is happening every moment. But my take is that - for every failures, let not forget that there are also successes.

In Canada, professional jobs are regulated by the law. These federal law has been there for a long time - since the second world war !
You cannot call your self an Engineer, an Accountant, a Geologist etc... unless you have you degress certified by the provincial and federal society and you have passed an ethics exam.

In Canada, if you have immigrated with a fake university degrees, you will never last or go anywhere.

I would like to comment on China immigrants to Canada - majority of them are hampered by their lacked of spoken and written English. Majority of them cannot conduct even a decent interview. Even if you were a professional in China, it would be hard to get a decent paying jobs. A lot of them have "attitude" problem - about "saving face" and thinking too highly of themselves.


Our China lady who claimed she cannot find herself a "suitable" mechanical engineering job, please look at it with a "pinch of salt". I don't want to elaborate too much on it. There are also other facts that were not told !
I can say that while she is doing her accounting course (like what MOST PRC chinese people are doing in Canada !), she has some received a good tax rebates and a hugh discount on her course fee. This the PAP government will never let Singaporean have ! She cannot complain. Why doesn't she goes back to China ? SHe is "sucking up" on the Canadian welfare system for "low income" people like her and also she will loose face to her relatives back home if she goes back.

I like the Iranian pharmacist. He is soldering on. This is the type of people that will succeed in life, and not "whining". IF he claimed he is that capable, he will make it and pass his exams within 4 years. He is actually doing it for his children to have a better life rather than living in his homeland with a mad President bent on having nuclear weapons.

Finally everything in life, there are risk. There is no such thing as "free lunches". Unfortunately, that also includes immigration to Australia, New Zealand, UK etc...


You come with your eyes open. You are suppose to MAKE SURE that your qualifications are accredited.


What I can comment is that success and failure depends on YOU - yourself ! Do not let all these horror stories to stop your dreams to migrate out of Singapore.

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is canada going into an economic downturn? a recession?

If you are in Ontario & Quebec, you will already feel the impact. Manufacturing jobs are disappearing every month and will never come back. The property market is weakening. And people are generally more cautious with their spending now.

By the way, the global economy is slowing down to some extent ...don't believe all the prognosis that the emerging economies are detached from the ups and downs of the US economy. When US consumers reduce their spending, who are the factories of the emerging economies producing for?

Are there any bright spots such as the resources-mining intensive regions/province?

British Columbia, Alberta and Sasketchewan are booming. Jobs are in abundant there. If I were to choose, I would head to Sasketchewan.

Next to it is Manitoba, which is a very stable economy with little ups and downs and cost of living is relatively lower.

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You will always have some racists who will feel threatened by newcomers but there are laws to level the field. If you've been to Canada then you'd know thers plenty of 'new' Canadians or second generation Canadians. Even the long time citizens are very tolerant of 'new' citizens because they have't forgotten why their ancestors moved to Canada.


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Canada got strong Canadian dollar because there is worldwide demand for their agriculture & commodity.

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Here's what those people highligted should have done:

1) Spend time and money acquiring local qualifications that is in demand eg environmental masters degree, or certifications in areas of demand

2) Brush up on their English skills, talk without accents so they can sound like locals

3) Move to provinces with booming economies knowing what skills are in demand there eg British Columbia require trades people in plumbing, hvac, electricians. Be prepared to acquire certifications in these trades too. Usually a full year of training in a College and then 5 years as apprentice before becoming a qualified trades person. Alberta is another province booming because of oil.

Here's what I know because I work as a Facilities Manager in BC: if you have a degree in engineering and am willing to spend 6 years training in a field, get a trades certification. Which is one year of school and 5 years as an apprentice. After that you can command $30/hour. As an apprentice, maybe $20/hr. However I suspect after the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010, trades may be not so in demand. Construction would have dwindled.

Or do what I did: get a Masters in the engineering field you are in. Bottomline is spend time and money acquiring Canadian certifications.


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Fees quite reasonable lah. Lots of courses available. If you are looking at Alberta can look up NAIT(Northern Alberta Instituite of Technology) which us in Edmonton or SAIT(Southern Alberta Inst of Tech) which is in Calgary.

Can also buy a business like a 7-11.

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All is not lost for those without degrees. I never had a degree before I arrived, yet I've done as well if not better than those who came with degrees. I took advantage of the government's employment equity policy and preferred status for visible minorities. I moved along rather quickly, making full use of my strengths and trying to improve on my weaknesses. Among my peers at work, I had an ex-S'porean who got her CA from England, others who were CGAs or nearly qualified CGA's. Now I even have someone with a graduate degree reporting to me. Not trying to blow my own trumpet but just saying to those without degrees, this is a land of opportunities.

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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=msgtxt>For those who don't mind a little inconveniemce they can work in Fort Macmurray in Alta & make $50 am hour, thats about $100,000 per year. Not too bad for manual labour. Alta has good healthcare too.
</TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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here was a series of video footage of Ft. McMurray on yesterday's CNN.com. There's was a fellow being interviewed who said he makes over C$100,000 per year and he's only 23! S'poreans need to know that that kind of outdoor work usually requires physical strength and endurance and Alberta is very cold in the winter. How many S'poreans have what it takes to survive those conditions?

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Like U, i have no degree - "O" level only. i arrived in May 06, I planned to have a net worth of 1Mil by the time i get my Citizenship. So far still on track, now my net worth is 3/4 of the way.

In singapore, when i proposed anything - they look at what is my qualification here as long as the idea is sound and well thought out. The banks will approved u.

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There is also a hate site: www.notcanada.com

 

[kakowi]

General - Immigration

Reasons for Migration - so u noe which countries people prefer?

Push Factors
Not enough jobs
Few opportunities
"Primitive" conditions
Political fear
Poor medical care
Not being able to practice religion
Loss of wealth
Natural Disasters
Death threats
Slavery
Poor housing
Landlords
Bullying
Poor chances of finding courtship

Pull Factors
Job opportunities
Better living conditions
Political and/or religious freedom
Enjoyment
Education
Better medical care
Security
Family links
Better chances of finding courtship


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_migration
http://www.nationmaster.com/country/sn-singapore/imm-immigration

 

[kakowi]

Canada - Immigration Part 2


HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Canada is a land of immigrants.

Recently, I was in Quebec City (which is celebrating its 400th Anniversary this year), Quebec, and visited Orleans Island, where a significant majority of the residents are descendants from French immigrants have lived there since the 1600's. The last murder on the island was more than 300 years ago. One of the individuals (still fluently bilingual) I was chatting with is a 13th generation Canadian. Another individual whom I was chatting with, on the train back to Toronto, was born in France, moved to USA with his parents when he was about 5, but married a French Canadian, and is now a senior civil servant residing in Quebec City.

I love Quebec City.

.....


Is Quebec City very cold?

Quebec City is much colder than Toronto, because Quebec City is about 700 km NE of Toronto. Residents of Quebec City told me that their winter is colder, but the three-week Winter Carnival in February each year continues to attract numerous Canadians and foreigners.

Do the people speak English besides French?

The residents of Quebec City are predominantly French speaking, and the traffic signs are only in French (whereas in Ontario, there are many more bilingual signs). The residents of Montreal (in Quebec) and Ottawa (at the border of Ontario and Quebec) are more bilingual. I believe an individual who chooses to live in Quebec City, must be fluent in French to be effective and economically productive.

Got alot of Sinkies at Quebec City?

I am unable to answer this question, because I do not interact with any Singaporeans or former Singaporeans, whether at work, at play, or socially, professionally, religiously, perhaps, possibly because my spouse is not from Asia, and none of my family members are here.

 

[kakowi]

Canada - Immigration Part 3


I've been trying to hunt down forums of Australian (or even Singaporean or Malaysian) experience in Quebec (especifically Montreal) but it's been pretty hard. I am not sure whether there's such thing (or could it just be elusive? pls let me know) since Canada has never been a traditional migration destination for Australians. So imagine how happy I am to find someone like you in this forum.

First why am I interested in Montreal?

I am currently doing my internet research on Montreal/Quebec/Canada, while waiting for my Canadian PR to be approved, purpose of this is to enrol into HEC to do my MBA, 2010 intake. And after that I may stay (I hope) or take my career over to the States/Europe (France I hope) or back to Australia or Asia.

My background:

I am a Malaysian Australian who have been in Australia for nearly a decade and have worked/studied in Singapore. From Temasek JC, I went on to University of Melbourne to study accounting. After 3.5 yrs working as a big 4 Chartered Accountant (qualified) in Singapore/Sydney/Melbourne, I left the audit industry and have been working as a management consultant specialised in financial management in a large American-based multinational company, for over a year now. I would describe myself as a rather ambitious upper middle professional.

The thing which worries me is the experience of other immigrants to Canada, I've heard of scary story abt other upper middle professionals from Asian/South American countries who could not find jobs over in Canada and had to content with being taxi drivers or janitors (www.notcanada.com). I'm pretty sure prior to moving to Canada, they're too pretty ambitious well qualified professionals just like me, albeit from a different country.FYI, this issue is not uncommon in Australia too. Upon further research I found that, one of the main reasons quoted by Canadians employees is: unavailability of relevant local experience. IS THIS TRUE? I (along with 21mil Australians) would like to think that we're on par with Canada so do you think this will be a big issue for me to find a job over in Canada?

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Reply 1:

My cousin was married to an asian canadian(Toronto) sometime back, she enjoyed her life there, started her own business while recently her hubby moved to Spore to work while she still stay there. I don't know what's the reason but I guess there's better opportunities given to him in sg and being a FT he's welcome with open arms by our sg gov.

Unfortuantely the fact is being asian u can never do extremely well(eg. CEO / CIO / CFO level) in western countries but there are of course exceptions. Eg. the citigroup CEO is an indian-american (though he got a lot of bashing since taking up the position) and there are top executives (particularly in US) are asians too but having said that, they compete really hard and had to prove much much so more to secure a top position.

IF u are not aiming a high flyer job then asians can still do fairly well as a middle mgt or executive competing well with the locals, but u really need to socialise and gain attention since u are a minority. ( Incidently, Sg is a asian/chinese dominated but in most MNCS u can rarely find a true blue Sporean holding the top exec positions and even in mid-executive levels there are only 20-30% locals where the rest are dominated by westerners or even indians. local spore experience is not required and bringing any foreigners is as easy as drinking a coke - just show how thin the culture is in Spore). I can understand why in aus or canada, employers ask for local experience , especially if u are taking up team or line mgt responsbilites because they wouldn't want to take any risk and upset the team for bringing someone new to the country with no sensitiveness to the local culture.

Imagine if they open a can of worms(like Spore) what kind of work issues & stress would the local suffers? Today, Sporeans don't feel at home because generally they feel their hardwork are not recognised and FTs are treating them like dirt, and bringing someone (from their own country/ethic) less worthy to overtake their jobs. They are worse then 2nd class citizens.

I feel today aus is more open to other cultures esp the asians, esp her in Sydney, one in 5 person is born oversea. I spoke with recruiters here they also told me firms are generally more open to new migrants / foreigners as long they have the right skills and can do the job , compared 5 yrs or more ago.

U have done well enough to work for big accounting firms in aus , if u aspiration is to the US or Europe then why not ask for a internal transfer? I heard stories abt canada but sometimes u really need good contacts and a bit of luck so by no means every migrant will fail in canada. Good luck.

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TS to Reply 1:

I share your sentiments friend: Australia is so much opened to Asians nowadays - especially to Malaysian/Singaporeans because let's face it, they're one of the most common immigrant groups around and unlike other groups of Asians are not known to be as dubious. Secondly we ALL know that Australia has a love affair with Asia, whether it's for love, culture, language, or food. Look at Kevin Rudd ~ have you met any non-Asian leader who is as "Asian" as Ruddy? He's got a degree in Chinese, speaks Chinese fluently and his daughter Jessica is married to a Chinese boy!

I was fortunate enough to benefit from Australia's openness (and let's not forget the tightness in the job market played a big role too) to Asians these last 5-6 yrs , since I first joined the workforce as a graduate.

However, I am aware that this kind of acceptance may not exist in other Western countries, hence my research on the similaries/difference btw Australia and Canada, especially the glass ceiling for minorities.

Just fyi, Asians (not incl South Asians) only make up 5% of the population here, but their presence in the corporate world is very obvious. We're definitely overrepresented in the corporate world (although under-represented on the radio or TV/cinema). I believe that there are lesser Asians in top management (as compared to middle/lower management) due to the fact that we (gen X/gen Y Asian Australians) are still working our way up the corporate ladder (and are still at middle management). We all know Asian influx into Australia only ballooned from the 80s/90s and it will take a while for that generation (abt 20-30yrs) to make their presence felt in upper management. Can't just expect them to appear as CEOs as soon as they arrive, fresh of the boat :-)

Anyway, to answer your question - why not internal transfer - it's because of my career aspirations which is to get into a pure strategy management consulting company (unfortunately IBM is not as strong in pure business strategy like Bain, BCG, etc) or investment banking/private equity. And the MBA is my stepping stone to attain that. Believe me, I have thought abt internal transfer to North America, but that will probably mean I need to stay in my current role with IBM for a while and will not help me achieve my goals faster.

So, if would be great help to me if anyone with experience in both countries (or close to, maybe friends in both countries) is able to enlighten me on whether Canadians are as accepting to Asians as Australians. Oh yea, and as recent as just a few yrs ago, Australian companies like to use the excuse "we need local experience" to reject or discount experience of those who're from non-Western countries. Doesn't appear to be a problem if the person's "local" experience is from US or UK.

 

[kakowi]

Canada - Weather

There are 4 seasons in Canada lah. In summer the temperatures can hit 30+ degrees, depending on which part of Canada you live in. If your home is not equipped with aircon, summer can be uncomfortably hot because homes are built to prevent heat loss e.g. double glaze windows.

In Toronto I remember not being able to sleep because of the heat indoors, but outside it was nice & windy.

Nice thing about Canada is there is less humidity. You don't have the sticky icky feeling that is common in Spore.

.....

Before I went to Canada I spoke to people who had studied in Canada. All of them spoke about the cold BUT no one mentioned the warm summers. I went there expecting the worst but was pleasantly suprised.

It depends on what you think is cold & where you stay in Canada. Used to know someone from Yellow Knife who found the winters in Edmonton "warm".

There is colder weather in fall, winter & autumn. I like fall & autumn but others like summer.

Winters in Calgary & Edmonton can be very bad with strong winds e.g -30s but there are breaks with temps from +1 degrees to -30s. You see winter is not always continuously cold, there are daily fluctuations in temperatures from +1 to -30s.

There is also dry cold & wet cold. Toronto may have milder winter temperatures but some may feel colder because of the wet cold. Toronto is built up so you can't slip in & out of heated buildings much like in & out of aircon buildings of Spore.

Winter is not so bad because there are bus shelters(glass enclosures). Some of the bus stops are heated in winter. Buses are heated & they run on schedule, so you can plan to be at a bus stop when they arrive.
Vancouver is everyones favourite because its very asian, mild temps, pretty,.. It rains more than it snows in winter.

If you can you should visit Canada & get a taste of the weather. Even if you migrate there you can always move about until you find a place thats suitable.

 

[kakowi]

Canada - Immigration Part 4

I believe that "worry" is an inappropriate to resolve matter(s).

Accordingly, you may wish to research or recce the place to resolve your concern(s).

Hearsay evidence is inadmissible, and may be irrelevant depending on the individual.

Based on my experience, the younger an individual emigrates, the easier it is to integrate into the new environment. I arrived after graduation from university.

I am unable to speculate as to why you would choose to emigrate to Canada, when you indicated that you wish to work and/or live in Europe.

It would appear that if your final destination is Europe, you might as well emigrate to Europe, based on my assumption that you are in your mid-20's to late 20's.

Although I have never worked at any Human Resources Dept., the media and the allegations of immigrants who are professionals prior to emigrating to Canada have indicated that a common reason for rejecting newly arrived immigrants is to allege that they do not have relevant Canadian experience, which I believe is relevant.

You may believe that Australians are on par with Canadians, but you have not indicated whether it is on par in terms of education standards, or other areas.

Whether or not I consider your lack of Canadian experience is a big issue for you is irrelevant and worth nothing, because I suggest that you take a trip to Montreal to investigate.

 

[kakowi]

Canada - Weather Part 2

My wife was born in Europe (tall and blonde). She has been here more than 20 years, and I have been here more than 25 years.

I am not fluent in French, but it has not been an issue for me in my profession because I practise in Toronto. I am unable to answer your question pertaining to the most challenging city in Canada.

Canada is generally cold (or very cold depending on your tolerance) in the winter, except for Victoria and Vancouver, and several areas in BC, and SW Ontario.

I dislike the hot and humid weather in the summer. I prefer spring and cool days (high of no more than 25 C) during the summer cold weather. Apparently due to "global warming", the weather is unpredictable, for example, certain winter days may be as warm as 15 C, and certain summer days could be cooler than 17 C.

.....

Someone taught me a way to remember the daylight savings time. "Spring" forward - add 1 hour. "Fall" back - minus 1 hour.

 

[kakowi]

Canada - Immigration Part 5

I have a friend who migrated to BC with his family.

They did that for the usual reason, but mostly for their kids.

They are professionals and were earning decent money in Singapore.

They pulled out all their CPF and bought a house out in the suburbs for under $200K.

This is over 10 years ago.

They than bought a used Merc. 190E because they could never afford the same car in S'pore.

They paid cash for everything.

So, they had no debt, no mortgage, no car loan.

Medical taken care for free by the govt.

School fees and books free for their kids.

He went to take a course to be a real estate agent.

And the wife worked for Dairy Queen.

After a while, because she was reliable and efficient, was made a supervisor. Earning $20K plus a year.

Because they have almost no expenses, her salary was enough to support the family until the husband establish his career.

I would say they are a canadian success, because they are willing to start from almost nothing.

 

[kakowi]

Canada - Immigration Part 6

I find Canada is more welcoming of visible minorities ...multiculturalism is reflected in almost every facet of Canadian society, not limiting to food. To deal with the problem of immigrants struggling to land a job in their trained field, initiatives are there to assist, see example below.

http://www.ontarioimmigration.ca/English/how_work_mentor.asp

I don't think you will have a problem landing a job with the mgmt consulting firms or the accounting firms. If you don't get it, it is not because that you are a minority. These firms are skin color-blind.

 

[kakowi]

Canada - Immigration Part 7

I totally agree - while it may not be relevant to me, I am just trying to be a bit tad conservative and not over-estimate my chances.

In regards of integration, I agree too. I am in my mid-late 20s (right again, well done) and I have spent the last 11 years away from my parents and living in countries that are very foreign to me. Even tho I am not in my teens, I believe that I adapt really well (I've lived in 5 different cities/countries - Penang, Singapore, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney) and I believe I will be able to integrate relatively well in Montreal. Fyi, I am a true blue kampung boy from north Malaysia :-)
Europe may or may not be my final destination. I do not want to think of any final destination because I want to keep my options open. It could well be Canada, Europe (not UK!), Australia, Asia or back to Malaysia/Singapore. Emigration, to me, is never permanent. For example,

For now I plan to do my MBA at HEC (highest priority in medium term) and work for a least 2 yrs in Canada/US.

Australian education system (universities not business schools) are considered one of the best in the western world by many including THES. Top Australian universities (including University of Melbourne, where I graduated from) are consistently ranked pretty high (not top10 as it's always dominated by American unis) in their annual ranking. Based on the ranking for past few years, it would be safe to group McGill, Melbourne uni, ANU, NUS and even Ivy League's Cornell into the same category. So yea, I suspect Australia's education system is probably just as good as the Canadian education system.

Going to Canada - main reason being the MBA. Other than that it's mainly push factor really. Everything here is more expensive than north America. It's pretty well known that Americans like to bitch abt how expensive things are compared to "back home". I know because IBM has alot of Americans. Let's see a beamer 135 is abt $71K here while in Canada it's only $41K, my Mazda3 sp23 (top range) is $34K here while it's only $23K there. What else? Prius is $38K here only $30K there. I don't know how much lunch is there but my simple takeaway lunch consistently cost me $15 (meal+water). "I can't afford to buy a boat in Australia" says one of the IBM senior managers from LA. He used to have one in US before moving to Australia. Australians are made to pay circa $25 for US/CA$15 books, electronic goods are hands down more expensive than north America; we all know, most of us are internet/google users. FYI, CAD1 is abt AUD1.02 (check www.oanda.com). And best of all, "Australia's housing 'least affordable'" says The Australian (national newspaper) (http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21102103-25658,00.html) while Herald Sun (Melbourne newspaper) claims "It takes a bigger chunk of a worker's income to buy a house in Melbourne than it does in New York"

(http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23081867-662,00.html)

My take is - if you're not personally riding on the commodity boom/bonanza, you're getting f*cked if you continue to live in Australia.
Hey by the way, thanks for your insights, I take it that you've been in Canada for a long time now. What's your story?


......

Reply:

Thank you for telling me or us that you grew up in a kampung (when I was a child, I used to live near a kampung, and that is why I used to speak fluent Malay, without learning it as a second language at school, and I played sepak takraw up to university - inter varsity champions, but I am several levels below Khoo Yak Seng, a former tekong with the SG national team, who is equally good with left and right leg, although our team beat his Nantah team), and that you have lived in 5 major cities. May I offer an unsolicited suggestion: rolling stone gathers no moss; and the higher you fly, the harder you fall.

Based on your message / post, it would appear that your desired lifestyle and ownership of material, or possibly luxury non-essential major items, differs from mine. I have been working since graduation from university. Although we have four relatively young children for an individual as old as I am, our prudent lifestyle allows us to retire now, but I work two to three days to keep my brain active and professional skills. Besides, I am unable to determine the needs of our children as they grow up in this uncertain high income tax regime. Unlike many Canadian residents who spend all they earn, whatever they can charge on their credit cards, whatever they can borrow, we do not have any expectations gap, are not into owning fancy and/or luxury motor vehicles, although in the past, I did desire to buy a cottage. I submit that owning a cottage for three to four months of enjoyment does not make it a worthwhile investment after the change in income tax law which allowed each family unit one tax exempt principal real property.

One other unsolicited suggestion for you to consider: the personal income tax rates in Canada are relatively high, and at a lower taxable income than the USA. The cost of food may be cheaper for now, but it will increase soon. Having childfen, the number of children, and other lifestyle issues as well as the cost of maintaining a household is a personal choice.
Good health and good luck in your pursuit of an MBA, an appraent ambitious career and your dreams (I did intend to do a joint MBA/Ll B after my CA, but I went on to study, article and qualify as a Trustee in Bankruptcy). Never stop dreaming, but consider avoiding "keeping up with the Joneses."

 

[kakowi]

Canada - Immigration Part 8


I started with admiration with your background but as I read on, seems like u are after the high life (the luxury car, the yacht etc. ) and u feel that by moving to US u can achieve it it, thus, enrol in a MBA in Canada uni you could crossover to Europe or US for better opportunities.
However, I'm not convinced. The opportunity cost of spending 2 yrs in MBA (including living cost) would cost at least US$100k (just a arbitary number) , there's no gurantee u can switch career esp with no local experience. Crossover to US could be risky as it is very competitive there and many top notch business schools are in US. Europe is even more challenging if u don't have European Lang skills ( eg. German, French ) and they are even less open to asians ,they hv very strong union and labour law. U have ruled out UK but London is one of the top financial centre in the world, living cost is high but they do pay very well for investment bankers. Contract rates there is also much better then aus.

You use housing as a baseline to compare those with US. However, do u know the problem suffered by americans the last few years. They couldn't afford paying mortgages thus the credit crunch crisis. They overspent what they could not afford and living on credit. Don't read too much all these news, since u have been living in aus a while I thought u would have gained from the mining or property boom, no? The life at the other side of the world is not that rosy as u thought, retail pricing maybe cheaper but come at a price.

If u after better job opportunities in US then why not just enrol direct in a reputable US business schools or even even apply to IBM US directly as a stepping stone b4 u branch out to another career? I just don't see cost as a push factor will solve the problem by moving to US. Have u even considered work in middle east - no tax and little entertainment - u can save a lot? Or HK, one of the lowest tax country in asia and good work opportunities there as well.

.....

Reply:

High life? That'll be nice but seriously, I don't crave for it too much. My wife (and some friends) is convinced that if I get my butt over to Singapore or HK or even UK, I am able to score some really good gigs that pay some serious moolah, but here I am, in Australia, contented with driving my non-luxurious Mazda3 and regularly walking to the local bar/pub for drinks with friends. I don’t know, maybe it's very common for people to use Canada as a springboard to US; but for the people on this side of the world, it's rare to find anyone from Aus who actually goes to Canada, other than for skiing/snowboarding. Most who want to go to US or Europe would go directly, especially London (and mostly w/o jobs when they go over; they're THAT confident of landing jobs). I know - my ex-colleagues are from the Big4. US? There's the E3 visa (created 3 yrs ago), special visa for Australians (10,500 annually) so they don't have to compete with others to get the HIB visa (limit circa 65,000 yearly) (http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/05/11/1115585028662.html?from=top5). Furthermore, it would have been relatively easier (if I really want to go to the US) for me stay with IBM Business Consulting (honestly) and get a transfer over to US (esp LA) because the senior manager who I go fishing with is American and he personally knows the head of the IBM global consulting practice lead.

I hope all the above is proof enough (other than telling you that Canada's no stepping stone to US/EU), that I am not one of those people who, as Singaporeans put it – “die die” - must go to US/EU to work.

..

Actually the full cost for me is roughly $100K opportunity cost (for just a year) plus $60K MBA cost, for a year. That’s a lot of money to me so believe me when I say I’ve done A LOT of research, and I know not to underestimate the risks. Nothing is ever without risk. However, without risk, how is one going to succeed? I’ve taken quite a lot of risks (so far) to shape my career, and I have to say, it has paid off pretty well.
People who have done their research on business schools (and are not as superficial as some it’s-either-harvard-or-nothing “elitist” or elitist-wannabes) would know that graduating from the top-ranking (I won’t use “best” since “best” is a matter of perspective) business school may not be on everyone’s agenda; neither it guarantees that only the “best” people get in and graduates. Remember Jeff Skilling and Andrew Fastow of Enron? Product of Harvard and Kellogg business schools.

This good friend of mine (former doctor & extremely brilliant man) who works in Sydney with one of the 3 most prestigious management consulting company (could be mckinsey, bain or BCG – sorry trying to be abit discreet about his background) is not aiming to go to Harvard or Kellogg or MIT Sloan. I swear I heard him telling me that he’ll try to get into Kenan-Flagler (U North Carolina) or Haas (U California Berkley). Needless to say I was surprised, but he told me that, like me, it’s the other factors which interest him, not just “being in the best”. For him it’s purely the unique business program offered. Harvard (he will apply too) is only the third choice. As for me, I prefer HEC Montreal (McGill Desautels second choice) for numerous reasons, opportunity to learn French (albeit broken French, says non-Quebec French speakers), the snow (I own a snowboard and go snowboarding 2-3 times a year in Victoria), Canada’s safer than US (we all know that), HEC’s MBA program (1yr intensive, back-to-back, no semester break to minimise my opportunity cost i.e. not working), SAP certification upon graduation, and of course HEC is quite a well known business school in the French world.

FYI, Kenan-Flagler is #17, Hass #8 in BW’s top30 US MBA programs (let’s not get into the argument of which ranking system is better). HEC Montreal is in non-US top 10 MBA list which includes INSEAD. And McKinsey recruits from HEC Montreal too. Smart organisations know that they can’t just recruit from Harvard or Wharton, talented people could be everywhere.

I’ve well aware that UK pays really good, well more than what we get here, permanent or contract. Being from the Big4, 98% of Australian CA (and Australians) who choose to work overseas end up in UK. Heck, most of my ex-colleagues are there. Part of the Oz army. Some are contractors, some work in investment banking/corporate finance, some in accounting. It’s becoming a real cliché. Small number of us do not want to be “one of those people” and that’s why we don’t want to go to UK (obviously if a GREAT offer comes along but require us to work there, who are we say no?). Furthermore UK’s a playground for Aussies who want to go overseas but do not have a great appetite for risk-taking (same language, same kind of food (sorta), same stock/culture) - just not me.

..

I’m not sure whether you know a lot abt the mining/property “boom” but it sounds like you’ve only been reading summaries of Australian news. Like all changes in the fundamentals of an economy, the property “boom” turns some into winners and leave some as losers. Winners are obviously the baby boomers who’ve been holding the properties for generations, the banks, the builders. Losers are GenYers and first home-owners. Let’s compare the interest component of the mortage, bank mortage interest in Australia is sitting around high 7% to high 9%. I admit that I don’t know how much people are charged in the US or Canada but I am willing to bet a lot of money that it doesn’t come close to that. How abt the property price component. I’ve told Charlie9 this before: “… "Australia's housing 'least affordable'" says The Australian (national newspaper) (http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21102103-25658,00.html) while Herald Sun (Melbourne newspaper) claims "It takes a bigger chunk of a worker's income to buy a house in Melbourne than it does in New York" (http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23081867-662,00.html)”. So as long as I avoid California, Hawaii, Vancouver, I think I should be okay (relatively speaking)

Mining boom? Bah. You only gain if you’re with the mining companies or one of the stockholders (and some small spillover to girls who serve miners in Kargoolie, and companies (banks, consultants, etc) serving BHP or Rio Tinto). Others who’re not riding the boom (I’d say at least 80% of Aussies) are paying the price – high inflation (common to booming economies), high property price and high interest (heartache to those with mortgage – RBA can’t lower it because overall the number still shows “positive GDP growth”. This despite, “SOUTH-EASTERN Australia is close to recession” as mentioned by The Age just a week ago (http://www.theage.com.au/national/boom-talk-followed-by-gloom-20080624-2w60.html?page=-1).

..

This part, I think I’ve responded earlier. And yea – I have considered Dubai. A friend of mine who works with the Melbourne Baker & Mckenzie (large US law firm) is moving to Dubai next week. Went to his farewell just a week ago. So it did cross my mind. Live a couple of years and then buy an house (cash) or pay off mortgage in Australia. Very attractive prospect but I value the quality of life too. Not saying it’s bad in Dubai but what I value (culture, snow, adventure) I do not wish to compromise, even if it means not earning as much as I could potentially make (but of course it has to be relatively well paying for me to afford the lifestyle I value)

 

[kakowi]

Canada - Applications for PR - Quotas and Backlogs

Canadian applications for PR in selected cities as of April 10, 2008:


Applications......Backlog.......Quota
Buffalo........... 38,420........ 25,140
Mexico City..... 3,351...........1,105
Sao Paulo....... 3,303...........1,355
Beijing........... 17,595..........3,815
Hong Kong.......45,348.........10,035
Islamabad........42,988..........3,600
Manila.............66,206.........11,920
New Delhi........145,556.........9,245
Singapore.........26,050.........3,240
London............101,312........12,800

Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada Statistics

 

[kakowi]

Canada - Applications for PR - Quotas and Backlogs

Backlog doesn't mean won't approve lah....takes longer time lor...

Many people not qualified also apply, that is the reason for the nos.

many will be rejected, so if you qualify, go ahead and apply yourself....

tell you a secret, very easy to approve.

One basic Uni Degree with few years work experience is good enough.

if you don't have Uni Degree, many years of work experience also helps!!

Do it before 40 years old, your chances of getting in is very high,

if not sell your HDB and get your CPF monies and invest in Canucks loh......How I know, I applied before lah...LOL..

Must wait for at least one year...and off you go to the Maple Country!!

Please dun act like a Sinkie when you are there....then you will feel at home...

one good thing about Canada is that there is a huge Chinese and Asian population with lotsa good eating places and grocery stores that will help you to overcome SGP food craze...LOL...

 

[kakowi]

Canada - Living There

I lived in B.C. for several years. Richmond in B.C. looks like a totally different country.

The road signs are in eng and chinese and most of the cops there are also asian. Incredible.

Theres also a large asian population in toronto. I lived in the us for over 7 years but I much prefer canada.

.....

Vancouver also probably has the mildest climate in the whole country.

 

[kakowi]

Canada - Immigration Question

Question:

Whats the best way to apply for canadian PR as a singaporean living in sg?

I was on their web site and qualify as skilled worker.

When my application is approved how much time do I have to be there physically before it expires?

And if I apply as a single now can I add another dependent after its been approved?

​

Answer:

If you qualify on the self-test on the website with a conservative estimate, ie., not giving yourself the top marks for each section, then all you need to do is put in an application.

You will have a year from the date of approval to land in Canada.

After that, you can leave and return again after 3 years as you need to maintain physical presence for 2 out of 5 years.

If you have no desire to move to Canada, why bother to go through this ardous process?

You can add members of your family to your application ...I am not sure if that would change your position in the queue.
​

 

[kakowi]

Canada - Living There

You may find the Canadian system a shock for you ...higher taxes and less gung ho than Americans. Canada is rather conservative in business, liberal in social realms and guarded in other areas.

 

[kakowi]

Canada - Medical Test

The medical examination is really more of a formality in my honest opinion.

It's done by 3 clinics(?) if I remember correctly.

They do blood tests to check if you have HIV, Hep B (I can't remember exactly). Urine test to screen for diabetes and renal problems.

I can hazard a guess that CIC would probably reject an application if they felt the principal applicant was someone who would be a burden to Canada society rather than being able to contribute.

Eg terminally ill cancer patients, chronic renal failure on dialysis, HIV positive etc.

I certainly don't think they would reject those who have well controlled diabetes or hypertension (but I am not sure about this).

As a doctor I'd say that it is very hard to look for a problem unless the patient tells me about it or a specific test is done to look for it.

Have you applied for Canadian PR? Got your medical examination forms? If you did then you'll have to land within a year of that examination date.

Let me know if you need help with the landing and follow through stuff eg SIN card application, Child Tax Benefits, Health Insurance, Driver's license, opening bank accounts (from Singapore) etc etc

(Note: this is an extracted post from the old sammyboy forum. Please do not pm me for help on the last paragraph. I am as innocent as you in such matters - kakowi)