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Blog 5 - Should you migrate to Canada if your life in your country is already good?

This will be a very contentious topic. I’m not here to argue but to share my own views and hoping my views will enlighten you. 

Before I migrated to Canada, I was working in a bank as loan staff in the Philippines for 7 years, I was still single and just completed my MBA from the University of City Of Manila. I can say I have a good and stable job and well educated in my own country. 

I decided to migrate to Canada to start a family and hoping for a brighter future for my children and because of the health care system. I accepted the fact that if I migrated to Canada, my banking career will be gone and all my educational attainments will not be recognized. All of these were explained during the orientation for immigrants.

I know everyone has their own reasons why they migrated to a different country and I will not be able to cover every reason. 

In the Philippines "colonial mentality" very prevalent. It's a mentality of some Filipinos where other nations are superior and this leads us to a notion that life somewhere else, like in Canada is perfect or better. I can somehow say this mentality is diminishing gradually.

In my opinion, if your life is already good in your country, don’t migrate to Canada anymore. What I mean by good is you have a stable and established job, you own a house, you can send your kids to school and afford necessities in life. 

The health care system in Canada is unbeatable but if you can afford health insurance to mitigate unexpected medical expenses, this should help you somehow. Even though there is health care in Canada, it is not perfect. There some patients waiting for surgeries for a long time now. Of course, if your medical condition is life-threatening, you will get the immediate medical condition.

Health care in Canada is not really free. For example in British Columbia, you have to pay health premiums. 

By all means, I’m not discouraging you to migrate to Canada or somewhere else. Life in Canada is different compared to the Philippines. It’s hard to explain but I’m pretty sure a lot of immigrants like me who have been living in Canada for a decade or more can relate to me. In this day and age, Google can be handy in doing research on a certain country before migrating.

People think it’s easier to find a job in Canada. No, it’s not. If you are a newcomer, chances are you might end up with a minimum wage job no matter what is your prior professional experience. By no means I'm not disparaging minimum wage earners. 

But if you finished your degree in Canada such as a doctor, lawyer, engineer, nurse, you name it, you will have a much better salary. 

Also, a lot of immigrants and their kids became successful in life and career.

One thing that I really learn to dislike in Canada is the winter. I know if you came from a tropical country where it is pretty much summer all year round, winter is very fun. But trust me after a couple of years, you will not like it too. 

Also, I find food in Canada expensive compare to the Philippines. Most of the foods in Canada that you will buy from the grocery are mostly frozen, preserved, or processed. There are fresh fruits and vegetables but mostly they are imported from Mexico.

One thing that I really realized in Canada is it is heavily regulated by laws. I remember when I was a kid in the Philippines, I just burn dry leaves in our backyard. In Canada, you have to buy a special bag and either you dump the leaves at a depot or wait for it to be picked up by the garbage collector. During summer, if the grass grew on your lawn substantially (I forgot the specific height), the city can fine you for not mowing your lawn. 

The truth is that not every country is perfect.  There will always something that you will dislike and you will learn to live with it. Don't expect life is perfect in Canada. There are a lot of things to consider. 

For me, the most important is you have family, friends and you're happy and content. 

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