http://www.canadiandesi.ca/read.php?TID=8144#45402

Shankaracharya, I am quite surprised to know that you managed to save $18,000 in 18 months working at $8 and $12/hour staying with family and renting. How did you do it?

1. You have not stated what does your wife do.
2. Do you work regular 40 hours a week or is it with plenty of overtime?
3. Does the saving include the settlement funds that you brought from India?

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We did not touch our savings. We also did not spend the childrens CCTB, which we have invested every month with the governments 20%, and we also caught up the past year in terms of investments(which we can go back upto 1998). Rightly as you have pointed out, my wife also works and makes around $8 per hour on a 40 hour week. We are still renting, not gotten into mortgage, no fancy furnitures, no week ends at restaurant(if there is any urge we go to the international food court at the intersection of Hurantorio & Dundas). Long distance calls are limited. We have been very thoughtful & careful on our expenditure. Till to date we have been in basements at around $700 per month. Luckily I have a good CPA friend who guided me on a good mutual fund on aggressive mode, for us to earn very good returns. We are also spending $50 per month on Life-Term insurance for $250,000 each.

Whenever we get opportunities for overtime and holiday work we do not miss it.

Based on my personal experience and also feed back from many of my friends, I would suggest any new immigrant not to invest in any long terms asset building excercise in this country until they process their passport. As I find that the single investment that holds back people, and does not let them venture out and take risks is their housing mortgage.

Like Moore's law in semi conductor chips, I would like to propose a law which is as follows:
\"The larger house(mortgage) you acquire, lesser will be the time you would spend in that residence\".

I do hope many of my other real esate agent desis on canadian desi will not be offended by my views.

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Speech by Thomas Friedman of The New York Times....

"When we were young kids growing up in America, we were told to eat our
vegetables at dinner and not leave them. Mothers said, 'think of the
starving children in India and finish the dinner.' And now I tell my
children: 'Finish your maths homework. Think of the children in India
who would make you starve, if you don't.'"

Shankaracharya,
If you are a PHD from a top notch US school couldnt you directly go to US - why take this circular route. You would till have friends.collegues/advisors from your acedemic field who could have helped you. You could have gone to US on tourist visa and found something. If not at a Univ you could have definitely got a teaching job at a Community College. Why go through Canada.
Also why did you not think of getting a high school or community college teachers job in Canada. I am sure it would have paid better than $ 8 per hr

There is a joke in the academic circle(s) in USA. That is "Hundreds of years ago, Slaves came to USA from Africa on chains through boats, Now a days slaves come to USA as H-1B, F-1 and J-1 visa holders".

I still have a valid B-1 visa. A community college pays around USD 35,000 PA in USA. Even now my peers, advisors want me to start with them. But I want to process my Canadian Passport before doing anything else.

Yes you are totally right that the other option is a LOT better than $8. But " a bird on hand is worth two in the bush".

I had the option of going to USA in 2003 on a H-1B. When you are on a H-1B, for some reasons you get laid off or lose your job you have to get back to India. While it takes around 4.5 years to get a green card and another 5 years to get a US passport, I'll get a Canadian passport in about 3.5 years. I plan to shift to USA either on a H-1B or TN visa and work there. If I lose my job, I can head back to Canada, reapply and interview with a prospective employer in a short notice. While sitting in India this opportunity would not exist.

Also if you live on the US border, you can commute to work and still maintain your health benefits in Canada.

Please see the way immigration treats you in the Indian or other foreign countries while entering with an Indian passport versus a foreing passport.

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Speech by Thomas Friedman of The New York Times....

"When we were young kids growing up in America, we were told to eat our
vegetables at dinner and not leave them. Mothers said, 'think of the
starving children in India and finish the dinner.' And now I tell my
children: 'Finish your maths homework. Think of the children in India
who would make you starve, if you don't.'"

I back shankaracharya decision. Wait ofr 3.5 years is worth compare to pressure of H1 visa.

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Check for pervert's database here http://www.perverted-justice.com

Quote:

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Orginally posted by Charlie

I back shankaracharya decision. Wait ofr 3.5 years is worth compare to pressure of H1 visa.

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Chandresh

Advice is free – lessons I charge for!!

Originally posted by Shankaracharya

Quote:

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I still remember when I wrote my first e-mail to this website about 2 1/2 years ago from Chennai, so many people wrote to me that \\\"Arre Doctor Saab, Idhar Mazdoori Kaam karne key liye math avo !\\\". While Chandresh responded that it takes time for one to settle down, while he was very happy to see his children grow gloriously here. I have also seen the same happen to me. Both my children are having a fun time,

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Chandresh

Advice is free – lessons I charge for!!