How to be an immigrant?

[vijayjohn]

Vijay, do you think getting the paperwork done in India would be impossible without the knowledge of one of the local languages, or would English suffice?

I think English would be enough. I'm not sure it's even possible to do it in any language other than English or Hindi. Those are the only two languages I've ever seen on Indian passports (or even inside Indian planes lol).

[JackFrost]

That is, the less popular destinations are more likely to accept new applications. And that is Quebec.

I wouldn't exactly call it less popular when it settles between 20 to 25% of new PRs per year, which is around its portion of the national population. For example, it's popular among those from France, French Africa, Latin America, and Arab countries. Toronto tends to attract those from the Indian subcontinent. Vancouver tends to attract those from Asia. It's more like the Atlantic and western provinces (save Alberta) that are less popular.

When my family came to Canada, we applied through Quebec, but settled in Alberta - but that was some 17 years ago, 20 years if I include the time spent doing the long paperwork and waiting. I don't think that works anymore; you are more likely to be conditionally granted a permanent residency, and that condition is likely to include having to actually live and be productive in Quebec. And of course you'll have to know French.

Depends. Economic, yes, but the federal government also requires a fair knowledge of English or French to be eligible for its Express program (a new thing introduced by Harper and not applicable to Quebec). Family immigration and asylum applications still have no linguistic requirements.

Conditional? I don't think so really. Only the federal government can impose that (Quebec issues certificates, federal government issues PR visas/confirmations). It's true that Quebec and federal government require you to sign a document affirming your intention to live in Quebec, but Quebec and Canada have no mechanism to enforce that document on you. Prolly because it could be deemed as unconstitutional as PRs, like citizens, have an absolute right (=cannot be suspended by the notwithstanding clause) to enter and leave Canada as well as living anywhere in the country.

Furthermore, conditional PR is applicable on family immigration, not economic one. Well, was applicable because the federal government actually just eliminated it for all PRs.

Under the Conservatives/Republicans, a little harder.

No kidding. Harper nearly shat on and killed my PR project after ten years of waiting to see an open window for me to go through. As well as making me wait a few more years to have the citizenship by disregarding my time in Canada as temporary resident to be counted to the citizenship calculation. Thankfully, Trudeau just restored that part back to where it was.

If you're curious how I managed: I got my PR under this program. That program was a gift from heavens to me because instead of waiting several months to be issued an CSQ, they issued me it in a few weeks instead. It was the federal step that made me wait so long (a year and three months).

[voron]

Idk about the specifics, but I'd think India should be relatively easy.

I've read a bit about India's immigration policies, and it seems like they do require one of the standard reasons for obtaining the permit.

The standard reasons (generally over the world, not specifically for India) are:
studying
working
marriage
owing a property
investing (a significant amount, over $100,000) into the country's economics.

That is, you cannot just decide you want to go and go long term (with a reasonably small saving, like $5,000-$10,000). Turkey (and from what I've read seems like Lebanon too) do allow you that option.

[vijayjohn]

I see. Thanks!

[Iván]

At this moment Canada might be slightly easier than the US. The immigrant quota and the refusal rate fluctuate between governments, Canada and the US no exception. Under the Liberal/Democrats, a little easier. Under the Conservatives/Republicans, a little harder.

I don't know the details of the US immigration law, but in Canada, you can apply not only to the federal government, but also directly to the provincial government. That is, the less popular destinations are more likely to accept new applications. And that is Quebec.

When my family came to Canada, we applied through Quebec, but settled in Alberta - but that was some 17 years ago, 20 years if I include the time spent doing the long paperwork and waiting. I don't think that works anymore; you are more likely to be conditionally granted a permanent residency, and that condition is likely to include having to actually live and be productive in Quebec. And of course you'll have to know French.

If you bring money and intent to open a business, you're more likely to be accepted as you will produce jobs in Canada. If you are just bringing yourself and are looking for a job, Canada doesn't need one more person competing in the job market unless you're bringing highly in-demand skills. This is going to be the most difficult thing; you need to convince them that you're useful.

A friend of mine moved to Canada a few months ago and she only needed to prove she had enough money in her bank account in order to apply for her work permit. She just moved there after completing her associate's degree.

[vijayjohn]

A colleague of mine said her cousin moved to Canada with nothing but the clothes on his back and then started a successful business there and stuff, or something like that.

[JackFrost]

A friend of mine moved to Canada a few months ago and she only needed to prove she had enough money in her bank account in order to apply for her work permit. She just moved there after completing her associate's degree.

It has to be a holiday-work permit then. Normally to receive a permit, you must have a job waiting for you already, so in general, proving you have enough money in bank or from a financial sponsor such as a parent is not usual as you'd be surely making money anyway. Open work permits (opposed to closed ones that limit you to work for one employer only), they're pretty very limited to a few groups of people such as post-graduate students with Canadian degree and young people of selected nationalities for holiday-work (like the French). It's not really easy to get a work permit as you'd have a job already waiting for you there and your new employer has to go through steps with the labour board to prove why they cannot really hire a Canadian citizen/permanent resident instead (yes, Canadians can be that inward thinking).

[Sammy00]

From my experience, I can say that no matter what wonderful country you move to, you will still sometimes feel like a stranger there. I am happier in my home country.

[vijayjohn]

I'm definitely not happier here than I was in Taiwan.

[md0]

On that topic, I think that I have also progressed to a new stage in my immigration process. During 2019, I missed some aspects of being in Cyprus and I was happy to visit for holidays. When I visited again in 2020, I was still interested in all that was going on in Cyprus, but by day 3 I was already restless all the time and couldn't wait to be back in Germany. Finally, this year, I dreaded going back from the moment I booked my flight tickets and once I was there, everything felt wrong and strange. My main anxiety is not finding a reasonably-paid job soon after graduation, before my final savings run out, because I would be miserable if I have to go back.

I might be a stranger in Germany, although being in Berlin does soften that feeling a lot and also as my language skills are getting better the experience becomes smoother too, but I definitely felt like a special kind of stranger when I went back to Cyprus. Not sure how to put it to words, but it's that feeling of being destined to be where you don't fit in.