# Moving to Canada



## canadaexpat (Aug 27, 2010)

I am originally from Pakistan and have been living in Singapore for the past 2 years. I love the small and peaceful city of Singapore but i'm experiencing great difficulty in my job search here. I have a BBA from a prestigious university in Pakistan and have a CFA qualification as well. My husband and I also managed to obtain Singapore PR a few months after we moved here. But whenever I go for interviews here, my Pakistani origin creates a problem even though I speak and dress smartly and don't look like a traditional/conservative person at all. I secured a contract position earlier but the contract was not in extended in 2009 since the world had still not recovered from the GFC. I have been jobless since the past 10 months. I'm getting fed up of the situation here and am immensely appalled at the ignorance of banking professionals in Singapore when it comes to international qualifications like CFA. My husband is also a Pakistani and he is doing better since he graduated in Singapore, yet he tells me that he faced a similar plight in many of his interviews here despite graduating from Singapore. Singapore is an expensive city and it is very difficult for us to save without me working. That's the reason we have decided to move to Canada and some of our friends located in Toronto have assured us employers will not be as biased in Canada.

But before moving, I want to ascertain a few things:

1. Are my qualifications enough to secure me a decent job in the banking/financial sector? or do I need to complete another degree from Singapore just to prove to employers that I am not a dumb graduate from Pakistan. We plan to move after a few months when the global financial scenario is better (hopefully).

2. What are the living costs for a family of 3? We plan to have a baby in 2 years, so how much would an average lifestyle cost there? (like renting a 3-4 bdrm, apartment, food, monthly transport costs if we purchase a car, etc)

3. Which cities in Canada do not get snowfall or very little snowfall? Both my husband and I fall sick in extreme cold weather.


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## telcoman (Feb 11, 2010)

I can't answer your employment question, the snowfall question is easy. Vancouver & Victoria.

Expect to pay $1200-$1800 a month in rent for a place big enough for 4. Cheaper the further out from downtown you go. Get a second hand car to start.


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## PacificRimFTW (Sep 1, 2010)

I don't know, Van Island got dumped on the last few winters. Can't really rule out snow anywhere in Canada. Last winter, many of my daughter's soccer games were cancelled in Vancouver from snow on the turf. It gets cold here too, maybe not like the prairies, but it's not Hawaii on the west coast in the winter!


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