Thanks for your reply rsk. What you have said is what I have exactly done.
After all the dust and din has settled down, the skilled and talented youth of Gujarat and Punjab should understand what myself or others say in the columns is not so important, but the original news item. They should go over and over again on the news item and what the minister had spoken. If they carefully scrutinize the news item over and over again, they themselves will understand a lot. People who have already been there or presently living there fully know and understand what has been left out and what is reality. Some among them may obfuscate for reasons of being from vested interest groups. I do not know you (the people of Gujarat and Punjab) personally, it is your money and it is your wish to spend it the way you want. I absolutely have no interest in the way you spend your money, but that cannot be said all the others wanting you to come to Canada.
Regarding the monthly expenses, wish to further explain the following from 1st hand experience as of June 07.
The rent paid for an independent single room shared with 4 others in the townhouse was 400$ per month, the first and the last month to be paid in advance. The transport was only by Mississauga transit costing 23$ for the weekly pass. For 4 weeks this came to 92$. If we have to use other transits like TTC or Brampton, we have to pay for the tickets. In all we can assume this to be 100$ minimum.
Regarding food, I was strictest of vegetarian and the monthly rations bill came to approximately 150$. For people going there anew another 150$ needs to be set aside, if they want to network and treat friends and guests, but which unfortunately I could not afford. Now the total monthly budget adds up to 800$. The remaining 200$ is for any unforeseen and emergency expenses, like getting the equivalent of police clearance certificate for certain jobs (35$), breaking or losing our spectacles, winter gear etc. The above figures do not include tobacco or alcohol expenses, which people there are normally used to, but which consumption I didn’t have.

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Yes, one needs to know about expenses before move in. Here're mine before my wife joined me. So, here's the breakup of a single guy like me. Never liked Bollywood movies, so I never went out to watch movies. I love home food, so all the way I sticked to it. My rent was $450 (Shared house), food was $100, phone bill(local) $50, long distance to India $25-35, travelling (two zone bus pass in Vancouver) $95, emergency expenses about $150. I sticked to this for about 2.5 years and saved a ton. I stayed away from buying a Car, as public transit is excellent and I never had any problems with it. If you buy a car, then get ready to shed another about 300 bucks a month.

My advise to the single people (immigrants) living in Canada. Be disciplined to the way you spend money or there are numerous ways the market tries to grab every penny of your's hard earned money. Open a saving account and automate your pay check to the saving account and then transfer your monthly expenses to your chequing account. That's exactly I've been doing for the last two.half years. Trust me it works.

Thanks febpreet for your reply and useful tips for newcomers but forgive me for highlighting the -ve side also.
The talented and skilled brethren from Gujarat and Punjab must also be aware and be prepared for the following.
1) That at maximum 10$ an hour, they can make only 400$ a week. Of this 70$ will go as deductions for social security to be provided during later years by the government. Only 330$ will be your take home pay. If the government is really serious, they need not make this heavy deduction from new entrant meager wages but permit them to utilize it for learning car driving or any other useful course. Obviously they are not.
2) The wages are not paid at the end of the week on Friday, but only the next Friday because “it is Canada and always like that in Canada”.
3) One cannot be sure they are going to work for all 40 hours in a week. On an average it can be as low as 120 hours in 4 working weeks of total 40 x 4 = 160 hours. So their wages could be as low as 330 x 4 x 120/160 =990$.
4) This being the situation they cannot hope to make any remittances back home. After their expenses of almost 1000$ per month they will be able to save nothing. They may not be able to explain their situation to their family members back home for reasons of shyness and it is unlikely that they will believe him. This may create serious misunderstanding with other family members in that the person is not able to contribute financially for his sister’s wedding or his parent’s serious illness, though he is working and earning in Canada. These are serious lapses for us but may mean nothing for people living there.

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“Our population is declining; the birth rate is low. To keep our economy and industries going up, we need people.” Ms. Diane said.

It means in other words " we need more " BAKARA's" to slog in our factories( manufacturing industry is declining in Canada) at minimum wage( $ 8.00 per hr/ monthly$ 1280) so we can enjoy your fruits of labor. Thats why We get visa on Skilled LABOUR category"

If you are planning to leave your life and coming to Canada consider these points

1) even if your qualifications are recognized by immigration canada it will NOT be useful in real life and it takes long time to get them appraised here again. You will not find proper job unless you get new qualifications after landing here.

2) Same with your experience.

3) After landing there are many govt funded agencies to "HELP" you in job search but they are useless. They will ask you to go through some course in Resume writing
and Integrating with Canadian way of life so they can get more funding from Govt. Don't wast your time with them but start contacting potential employers on your own and be persistent.

4) The normal pay ( min wage) u get by working in factories through agencies hardly coves your monthly expense. Both husband and Wife MUST work to save money.

5) If your have permanent job in India do not Resign, take leave of absence so you can go back if things don't work out here.

Thanks for your input Chinai91. Just want to add that there are actually 1000s from India whose careers have gone down the drain by coming to Canada. They have just gulped the tragedy for the sake of their own family members living along with them or their friends and relatives here in India. This whole racket is for labor class people required to load and unload from trucks arriving in warehouses or manual jobs equivalent to that. If they can find MBAs shell out tens of thousands of dollars, falling head over heels to do the job, it is not their problem. It is our fate and our funeral.

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If your salary in India is below Rs 10,000 pm and if you think that you are going nowhere in your career, then probably this country may work for you.

Because if you are doing labour jobs in India.. you will not qualify to come here and in all probability will not be reading this either !! Unless you are coming here as a refugee etc...

This might work for people who have graduated with ITI or other diplomas and who cannot earn much in India.. they can have good life out here .. in terms of income, quality of life etc which probably they may not get in India.

The appropriate age to come here would be below 26/27. You can come here and then get ur education certified and if needed can study further.. the point is that you try to settle by 30. Age group above 35.. forget it !!... Very few people succeed in this age group unless the job skills meets the exact requirment out here..example IT field probably ..

Yes, those with really ...good qualifications / matching work exp get jobs eventually.... For others it is a waste of time / money and most importantly your life is screwed for good.

If you apply as a skilled worker.. then with education and about 4 years of work exp, you will be about 25.. this age is probably the best to try and make it work..

Another mistake people tend to do is buying a house / apt within 6 months of landing. Both husband and wife will work on $ 10 jobs.. and in the end they will work for mortgage. They will not take risk and most of them will probably be stuck with unrelated and low paying jobs. My advice would be :: Do not buy till you are sure and certainly not based on temp jobs etc.

lf you have a good job in India.. stay put there !!! Try not to waste your time in this immigration stuff.. and now a days it takes abt 4-5 yrs probably and then the time taken to settle here.. Nothing but PAIN ... you know where !



Good luck.. hopefully ?

Weldall