Dual Citizenship / NS Obligations / HDB Flats and Migration

[scroobal]

Re: Recent Immigrants to Canada compared to the old days

Both Charlie and you have been sensational in the way that you shared your personal journeys to a new land. Clearly there were obstacles and challenges and very daunting ones at that.

I do remember Asychee seeking advice prior to his journey in SBF.

Kudos to both of you and many thanks.

Thank you for sharing your experience, it has been a great encouragement to me. I believe in painting the true picture rather than to sugar coat anything. As migration is not for the weak willed and unprepared. I believe the best way for success would be to gather as much info as possible and act on it. Our experiences has more of the sweet than sour moments but when i look back the last 3 years.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and samsters that immigrate ahead of me. It is your sharing of experiences i managed to avoid some mine field and navigate smoothly for the last 3 years.

 

[Charlie9]

Making Others Feel Welcomed (Caring and Compassionate)

Both Charlie and you have been sensational in the way that you shared your personal journeys to a new land. Clearly there were obstacles and challenges and very daunting ones at that.

I do remember Asychee seeking advice prior to his journey in SBF.

Kudos to both of you and many thanks.

FOR DISCUSSIONS ONLY AND ENCOURAGEMENT

With Brother [scroobal]'s encouragement, and notwithstanding (perhaps, I would say, regardless of the) there is some prejudice and discrimination, I will post the following to encourage potential Singaporean emigrants, that there are caring and compassionate Canadians.

Since my landlady's family taught me how to polka and waltz (from the days of 1981), I love to polka.
During my younger days when there was the 10-day annual Metro Toronto International Caravan during the third week of June, I would try to visit as many of 40+ pavilions (different ethnic groups such as Germans at one of their clubs, Japanese at the Japanese Cultural Centre, Jews at their Jewish Community Centre, Koreans, Austrians at the Edelwiess Club, Ukrainians from different regions at different church halls, Ukrainian National Federation, Ukrainian Cultural Centre, and St. Volodymyr Centre, etc. showcase their cuisine at reasonable prices, arts and crafts, culture, music, song and dance), but return to several pavilions in the evening to dance.
As I suggested to one of my classmates who visited Toronto during his break from a Masters program, the girls from the dance groups rarely refuse to dance with the visitors, and the princess at each pavilion is almost always obligated to dance with us in between shows. However, it is more difficult to find girls to dance in the evening after the last show. A few of my Ukrainian, Polish, Austrian, Latvian aquaintances would drag their dancers (now no longer in costumes, but most of them are too young, and it is unreasonable to ask them for more than one dance) to dance with me.
In June 1990, I was in my fourth year as a seminar leader at the ICAO's annual four-week post-grad School of Accountancy, but I continue to attend at the various pavilions during Caravan. [At that time, I considered applying for the grant for Ph.D. students, but although I enjoyed teaching post-grad students, I believe that I am neither bright enough nor academically inclined to be an asst professor].
On June 19, 1990, about 6 to 7 girls rejected me at Kiev (at the Ukrainian National Federation's hall), when I approached and asked them, individually to dance. I sat with two Ukrainian brothers at a table.
Then there was a tall green eye slim, shapely and busty [36-23-35 and 5 ft 7+ inch, because after a few consecutive evenings of dancing, I was intrigued and did measure her with a tape] studious looking [soon to graduate from university] blonde who came from two tables behind me to ask me to dance. She wondered why a Chinese looking guy would be dancing at a Ukrainian Hall because she apparently saw me on some other evening. She said that she pity me being rejected by several girls and if she dances with me a few times, others would know that I could polka, and hopefully will not be afraid or will not discriminate. After a few dances, I asked for her phone number and told her that I would phone tomorrow for the next evening's dance (different band).
A few days later, she said that she gave me her phone number not expecting me to call her. I phoned her, and fortunately, she did agree to more days of dancing.
As she had a boyfriend at that time, and as I have expressed my interest or desire to have an Ukrainian embroidered shirt or "cerochka", she even spent a princely sum of more than C$100.00 in 1990 (more so for a university student with student loans to repay) to purchase a cerochka for me. She said: "I know how much you would treasure a cerochka, and if you cannot have me, you have my cerochka." I was moved to tears, because that is how Ukrainian tradition, songs and dances have indicated such heart breaking romantic gestures in the Ukrainian villages.
This tall green eye blonde Ukrainian is my caring, loving and lovely spouse and dedicated mother of our four beautiful children (everyone of them has different colour hair and different shades of eye colour. The child with the lightest hair, has the darkest eyes, not as dark as mine.)

 

[scroobal]

Re: Recent Immigrants to Canada compared to the old days

Thought Process for Migrating

Thought I will share some opinions for those seeking greener pastures.

1) Don't procrastinate and apply quickly. The final decision to actually migrate can be done after the approval is received. Usually up to 5 years is given before the approval expires. It pointless delving into personal issues if the approval is not at hand. People have delayed applying until regulations that are not favourable have come into force or property prices in the destination countries have risen.

2) Your biggest challenge will come from your spouse and immediate family members. It is usually fear driven or a sense of insecurity. It stems from perceptions such as lack of jobs, discrimination or inability to adapt. Do remember who the actual natives of these countries except for UK are. You have every right to share the pie.

3) Don't waste your time with relatives or close friends. Unless they are giving your family money to spend for the rest of your lives in Singapore, they should have little bearing in the decision process. Remember you are leaving for a developed or advanced countries and not some undeveloped nation. I have heard so many stories of relatives (biggest culprits) and friends with bullshit stories and their own agenda to last me a life time. When you finally migrate, these are the people who will suddenly seek your help to migrate themselves.

4) The traditional countries such as US, UK, Canada, NZ and OZ have a long history of migration and therefore have long experience dealing with migrants and potential migrants. As a matter of practice, they do not entertain job seekers until they have approved PR and have actually moved to the destination country. In the past, they have been disappointed with people seeking job but faling to move when the job is given citing family issues for not moving. The moment they see contact no.s and addresses that are foreign, they will throw it aside. Only when acute shortages occur such as the need for civil engineers, nurses etc, will they entertain you.

5) Don't be choosy and don't be impatient. Give yourself 2 years. Pick up something to pay the bills and then diligently seek out opportunitites. Singaporeans have a proven track record in these countries because of early pioneering Singaporeans so the reputation is there.

6) Don't forget there are support in terms of medical and welfare benefits unlike Singapore where you have to lose your dignity and seek help from the PAP. In these countries, the benefits are well defined and transparent and found in the website.

7) Remember your kids will be the biggest beneficiary of you taking the risk.

 

[Charlie9]

Re: Recent Immigrants to Canada compared to the old days

Thought Process for Migrating

Thought I will share some opinions for those seeking greener pastures.

1) Don't procrastinate and apply quickly. The final decision to actually migrate can be done after the approval is received. Usually up to 5 years is given before the approval expires. It pointless delving into personal issues if the approval is not at hand. People have delayed applying until regulations that are not favourable have come into force or property prices in the destination countries have risen.

2) Your biggest challenge will come from your spouse and immediate family members. It is usually fear driven or a sense of insecurity. It stems from perceptions such as lack of jobs, discrimination or inability to adapt. Do remember who the actual natives of these countries except for UK are. You have every right to share the pie.

3) Don't waste your time with relatives or close friends. Unless they are giving your family money to spend for the rest of your lives in Singapore, they should have little bearing in the decision process. Remember you are leaving for a developed or advanced countries and not some undeveloped nation. I have heard so many stories of relatives (biggest culprits) and friends with bullshit stories and their own agenda to last me a life time. When you finally migrate, these are the people who will suddenly seek your help to migrate themselves.

4) The traditional countries such as US, UK, Canada, NZ and OZ have a long history of migration and therefore have long experience dealing with migrants and potential migrants. As a matter of practice, they do not entertain job seekers until they have approved PR and have actually moved to the destination country. In the past, they have been disappointed with people seeking job but faling to move when the job is given citing family issues for not moving. The moment they see contact no.s and addresses that are foreign, they will throw it aside. Only when acute shortages occur such as the need for civil engineers, nurses etc, will they entertain you.

5) Don't be choosy and don't be impatient. Give yourself 2 years. Pick up something to pay the bills and then diligently seek out opportunitites. Singaporeans have a proven track record in these countries because of early pioneering Singaporeans so the reputation is there.

6) Don't forget there are support in terms of medical and welfare benefits unlike Singapore where you have to lose your dignity and seek help from the PAP. In these countries, the benefits are well defined and transparent and found in the website.

7) Remember your kids will be the biggest beneficiary of you taking the risk.

Allow me to add to [scroobal]'s suggestions.

(I) Whatever you do, apply as soon as possible. I recall a young SG medical doctor with a spouse and two very young children. During one of our visits to SG, our family met him for dinner, and based on our discussions with him and his spouse, we encouraged him to apply to Australia and Canada. I believe that he and his family landed in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

(II) A long time ago, my mother indicated that I would be better off in Canada (may be not financially better, but a better quality of life).

(III) One of classmates from school in SG, chatised me after I posted at our school alumni website re: any individual wish to emigrate to Canada? He alleged that I have ulterior motive(s), that I was unpatriotic, etc. Until I was released from my reservist obligations when I turned 50, I believe that one of the reasons, amongst others, that I continued to renew my exit permit all those years, was that I would be ready to return to the SAF, if it needed an out of date older (re: tactics, strategy, training, weapons and armour) reservist officer like me.

(IV) In Toronto, you probably can hear a significant number of the languages spoken in the world, and you can see immigrants with various skin, hair and eye colour (natural colour). However, that does not mean that all of them progress at the same rate.

(V) If you have the core skills, willing to learn and work hard (and smart), determined and not proud to do any work to get your feet wet, you will survive. Recently, I met a Filipino cleaner at the gym where I worked out. He worked in SG for numerous years, got married, had two children in SG, rising as a labourer or general worker to supervisor. But he indicated that inspite of his continuing application for PR in SG, the govt rejected him. Eventually, he decided to emigrate from SG to Canada.

(VI) The welfare and free medicare for those on welfare are sufficient to help a family survive on basic shelter and food. There are food banks too. There is employment benefits for those unemployed, but you must have worked a minimum number of hours to qualify.

(VII) I believe that the generations before me, and probably the present and future generations immigrate to Canada to try to ensure that their children and children's children will have a better life. For those who are still doubtful, I wished my parents immigrated to Canada. Individuals from other countries may not succeed, but Singaporeans are different. Give yourself some credit. Be more confident.

Just to recall the motto(s) from various SG institutions:
ACS: The Best is Yet to Be. [I am not from ACS, but from a poor boys school]
Outward Bound School: To Serve, to Strive but not to Yield. [I did attend OBS at Pulau Ubin at age 17]
SAFTÏ: Towards Excellence
SAF Commando Battalion: Who Dares, Wins. (I believe that after my NS days, it has been changed to "For Honour and Glory")

 

[Lion_Barbell]

Re: Recent Immigrants to Canada compared to the old days

Would like to find out if I have a house in canada, would it make my PR application easier?

 

[Asychee]

Re: Recent Immigrants to Canada compared to the old days

Thought Process for Migrating

Thought I will share some opinions for those seeking greener pastures.

1) Don't procrastinate and apply quickly. The final decision to actually migrate can be done after the approval is received. Usually up to 5 years is given before the approval expires. It pointless delving into personal issues if the approval is not at hand. People have delayed applying until regulations that are not favourable have come into force or property prices in the destination countries have risen.

After apply, dont just sit there and wait, be proactive - research on my new destination country. Everything from medical, school, housing law, especially real estate envirnoment. You will be surprised that the local will not spin the story when there know that you are pretty well versed. I have hosted 5 family - i would say, they did not do enough of research and every whatever advised is given. Think thru it, dont follow blindly. When i landed in Edmonton, i was hosted by a fellow samster who is a insurance agent (he has an ulterior motives - make me buy insurance and his 19 years old leaking Benz). If i was not well versed in it, i would have brought a policy that is not suitable for me and stuck with some body's junk.

2) Your biggest challenge will come from your spouse and immediate family members. It is usually fear driven or a sense of insecurity. It stems from perceptions such as lack of jobs, discrimination or inability to adapt. Do remember who the actual natives of these countries except for UK are. You have every right to share the pie.

Agreed, the chicken little will even do research on your behalf and show you website like Notcanada.com. While i appreciate the care and concern - it's just better that you qualified the person that gives you the advice before committing.

3) Don't waste your time with relatives or close friends. Unless they are giving your family money to spend for the rest of your lives in Singapore, they should have little bearing in the decision process. Remember you are leaving for a developed or advanced countries and not some undeveloped nation. I have heard so many stories of relatives (biggest culprits) and friends with bullshit stories and their own agenda to last me a life time. When you finally migrate, these are the people who will suddenly seek your help to migrate themselves.

Agreed, family members even send a relative over to verify your claims that the house you show them is your house and the rental properties that i have are mine. So be prepared

4) The traditional countries such as US, UK, Canada, NZ and OZ have a long history of migration and therefore have long experience dealing with migrants and potential migrants. As a matter of practice, they do not entertain job seekers until they have approved PR and have actually moved to the destination country. In the past, they have been disappointed with people seeking job but faling to move when the job is given citing family issues for not moving. The moment they see contact no.s and addresses that are foreign, they will throw it aside. Only when acute shortages occur such as the need for civil engineers, nurses etc, will they entertain you.

Agreed to a certain extent - you have to think out of the box. U can used a friend address, contact no. and readily return the call. If it is for the interview. Just tell them that you will be in there on a certain date. It also depends if the economy is in a recession or booming too

5) Don't be choosy and don't be impatient. Give yourself 2 years. Pick up something to pay the bills and then diligently seek out opportunitites. Singaporeans have a proven track record in these countries because of early pioneering Singaporeans so the reputation is there.

Everybody SWOT analysis is different, the clearer you are on what you want, the more research you do, you will find the best city or place to suit you. I intend to land in Vancouver or Toronto, after my research, i find that a middle size city is more suitable (i rather be a big fish in a pond then a small fish in the ocean). The will and determination of an immigrant can not be under estimated, the early vietnamese boat people in edmonton are doing very well despite of not even understanding or speaking english. You have to analyse and ask "Why"

6) Don't forget there are support in terms of medical and welfare benefits unlike Singapore where you have to lose your dignity and seek help from the PAP. In these countries, the benefits are well defined and transparent and found in the website.

Agreed

7) Remember your kids will be the biggest beneficiary of you taking the risk

It can also be a double edge sword, there are samster like "livingstone" that worry what will be come of his kids. Therefore my take is be relax, spend more time with your children and teach them guide them and nuture them to the best of their capability. I always tell my kids, it does not matters to me if they get the best in school. What matters to me is, did they do their best

.

Just wanted to add my $0.02.

 

[Asychee]

Re: Recent Immigrants to Canada compared to the old days

Would like to find out if I have a house in canada, would it make my PR application easier?

I bring in Foreign Workers to Alberta as part of my business. If you have the Foreign Worker status, it might - I know of a singaporean on work permit and have his apartment. The PR application is in process,when i spoke to him if he has any problems in renewing, so far they did not make it difficult as he can show them assets, bank statment etc.

I deal with Service Canada and other Immigration guys (employment agency owners, lawyers) regularly. There are many ways to become a PR - think out of the box. The current PR timeline is almost 5 years but the filipino are getting their PR in less than 3 years.

This is how they do it = they will work as a food counter attendant or hotel room attendant. After working for 9 months, their boss will sponsor them for AINP (Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program). Within 6 months, the received approval, their PR application will be fast track to 6-18 months. So far for the cases that i handle, my 1st batch of foreign workers are getting their PR soon in the next few months. When they get their PR, they will for sure be moving back to them original occupation, some are IT guys and others are engineers that used to work in middle east.

 

[ashjaw]

Re: Recent Immigrants to Canada compared to the old days

thanks everyone (Scroobal, Charlie9, Asychee ......etc) who has contributed to this thread. I truly believe that the information/experience/wisdom contributed by everyone here has made this the MOST valuable thread in this forum. I am very motivated by the stories you guys have related, really glad and grateful that I have the opportunity to learn from you. Cheers .

 

[Leongsam]

When it comes to emigration, Singaporeans tend to over-plan, over-research and go to extremes in trying to cover all bases.

I always tell my friends that if they've had enough of Sinkieland, JUST LEAVE!

When I left that sunny Island more than a decade and a half ago, I went through the paperwork, got my PR and left all within a space of 9 months.

I did no research, asked nobody for advice and had never set foot in the place I intended to settle down in to start off with. I have since moved 6 times as circumstances change. I have even changed countries for the time being.

When I got there I had to make it work so I sat down and learnt the ropes bit by bit. Nothing beats local knowledge and the only way to gain insight as to what's going on is to immerse oneself in the day to day life of the adopted homeland.

Comparisons between countries mean precious little in the grand scheme of things. For example, comparing Australia with Canada is an exercise in futility. The countries are HUGE! They stretch across time zones and climate bands. Australia ranges from tropical to temperate. Canada from temperate to freezing your butt off even in summer. Each state in either country has its own pros and cons. Each suburb has its own council policies. Each town has its own characteristics

My local council makes a far bigger difference to my life than the policies of the federal govt. My immediate neighbours have far more impact on my life than the psyche of the average native (if there is such a thing in the first place.)

I can assure each and every person reading this thread that there are places in Canada, Australia and NZ where the quality of life is 10x better than living in Singapore regardless of what you read in the press and find on the net. There are many suburbs in any of these countries which are twice the size of Singapore where crime is lower, the people are friendlier, overheads are cheaper and the weather is a lot nicer. Forget about press reports, doomsday proponents and what have you. Just go for it.

It's just a matter of getting there and then finding a place that suits you.

 

[po2wq]

... I did no research, asked nobody for advice and had never set foot in the place I intended to settle down in to start off with. I have since moved 6 times as circumstances change. I have even changed countries for the time being. ...

my downstairs kopitiam ah peks tel me ...

if u fail 2 plan, u plan 2 fail ...

 

[Leongsam]

Nobody can plan when they'll be born, where the birth will take place and who their parents are.

Life is all about making the best of what life throws at you and creating opportunities for yourself along the way.

On paper, Singapore's a GREAT place. Low crime, clean, green, efficient blah blah blah. This guy thinks it's the best place on the face of the earth. Any Sinkie who's PLANNING his emigration to the last detail would do well to include his motherland in the analysis. He'd probably end up staying put. Yet many want to leave. Why you may ask. The answer lies in the fact that there are many aspects in the "quality of life" equation that can't be measured by ranking, value, proximity, security and what have you.

The only way to find out what tickles your fancy is to give it a go. It's like taking a test drive. Looking at specs alone never reveals the whole story. The human brain doesn't work that way. Many subtle nuances come into play which determine what stimulates the "happiness" centre of the brain.

I'm not advocating zero planning before embarking upon a life changing endeavor. All I'm saying is that all the advanced planning in the world is not going to ensure a perfect existence upon arrival. In fact, too much planning leads to paralysis... an overload of information that numbs the brain and leads to the conclusion that it would be best to KIV ones plans till further data can be collected. After a few stalled attempts at emigration, circumstances change.. a new job... a bigger mortgage.. wife tells you she's pregnant again etc etc and ideas of emigrating fade away. They often resurface in later years when the drudgery of life in the red dot and the stress of a social system with no safety net come back to haunt the once "successful" sinkie. By that time, it is often too late. Age and health issues have taken their toll. That's probably what happened to the Kopi Tiam Ah Peks you consult regularly. That's why they're spending their twilight years wasting away in coffee shops.

My most successful projects have been those which didn't start off as commercial ventures at all. They came about from chasing an idea that suddenly came to me. When I worked towards turning that idea into reality, the financial rewards came along as a fringe benefit. There was no business plan at all... no excel spreadsheet projecting various scenarios.. no cash flow forecasts. Major problems cropped up along the way and there was no way I could have foreseen these issues beforehand. They were dealt with when they arose. Some weren't handled well.. some were solved brilliantly if I may say so. At the end of it all, the satisfaction came from achieving a goal and the journey towards the completion of one project lead to new opportunities arising in areas that I never envisioned.

The same goes with emigration. One destination often leads to the next. I started off on the West Coast of OZ and ended up on the East Coast. I then crossed the ditch and now spend most of my time in NZ. Every country has its gems. I have also found that most humans need to alternate between suburban and country living. It's good for the soul and ones sanity. There is no "one location meets all needs" utopia. Variety is the spice of life.

 

[88max]

The same goes with emigration. One destination often leads to the next. I started off on the West Coast of OZ and ended up on the East Coast. I then crossed the ditch and now spend most of my time in NZ. Every country has its gems. I have also found that most humans need to alternate between suburban and country living. It's good for the soul and ones sanity. There is no "one location meets all needs" utopia. Variety is the spice of life.

Well said.

I've the same sentiment as you. I end up in Thailand in my early days and now made up the decision to uproot my whole family here to stay.

The quality of life here is much more richer than back in sg.
People here are also riendly and helpful.

 

[Asychee]

Nobody can plan when they'll be born, where the birth will take place and who their parents are.

Hi sam,

With all due respect to you. I am more in favour of research rather than just planning. When I am clear on my SWOT and the various scenrio, it makes my responds time way shorter and decisions better - Life is Dynamic. When i landed in here, i only had 2 weeks with a long list of things to achieve before i come back to CA permanently around 3 months later. If i just let it be or get led by the nose from realtors or "FRIEND" - i would have step on even more mine than i have the life to spare.

It is different culture here compared to sg. Anyway, if i wanna to spend the rest of my life in the destination country, would i not want to learn more about it? I credit the research that i did and opening my mouth to ask why - if not i would have fallen prey to a certain "X-singaporean" lurking around, offering to help and then sell you a insurance that is not suitable for me & his worthless piece of Junk benz that has no handle to open the passenger door and oil dripping from the engine of the car that he tried to sell to me at a high price.

 

[scroobal]

I don't think Sam was referring to the likes of you. He is also not asking people to blindly make the move. He is referring to the multitude of Singaporeans who overplan, ask too many questions and then convince themselves not to make the move.

I will relate an interesting story told to me about a chap who left a local Bank to migrate. When he was pursuing migration, he did not tell anyone at his workplace and no one ever raised the question. When he tendered his resignation and said that he was migrating to OZ, he was shocked by the response he got. Nearly everyone in the office contemplated migration and over 25% had approved PR papers that were either still valid or expired. Those that had the papers spoke to him confidentially.

To the last man, they considered him a hero as he was leaving with wife and kids with no job. He got a job 10 days after he landed. Its not a round number, its the exact number of days after landing. His furniture had yet to be released by OZ Customs. They now consider him "lucky".

Imagine people from less advanced countries with little education migrating to advanced countries but Singaporeans with good command of english, recognised educational qualifications still strutting and strumping to make the call.

Hi sam,

With all due respect to you. I am more in favour of research rather than just planning. When I am clear on my SWOT and the various scenrio, it makes my responds time way shorter and decisions better - Life is Dynamic. When i landed in here, i only had 2 weeks with a long list of things to achieve before i come back to CA permanently around 3 months later. If i just let it be or get led by the nose from realtors or "FRIEND" - i would have step on even more mine than i have the life to spare.

It is different culture here compared to sg. Anyway, if i wanna to spend the rest of my life in the destination country, would i not want to learn more about it? I credit the research that i did and opening my mouth to ask why - if not i would have fallen prey to a certain "X-singaporean" lurking around, offering to help and then sell you a insurance that is not suitable for me & his worthless piece of Junk benz that has no handle to open the passenger door and oil dripping from the engine of the car that he tried to sell to me at a high price.

 

[scroobal]

Great advice Sam. The thing that really gets me is that the destination countries for migration are advanced and developed from medicine, social and things that do have an impact such as discrmination. Its not that they are leaving for Thailand, India and China or deepest Africa where citizenship is not given, standards are lower than Singapore etc. Of course, they may be cheaper and there are business opportunities but the long term risk is higher.

When it comes to emigration, Singaporeans tend to over-plan, over-research and go to extremes in trying to cover all bases.

I always tell my friends that if they've had enough of Sinkieland, JUST LEAVE!

When I left that sunny Island more than a decade and a half ago, I went through the paperwork, got my PR and left all within a space of 9 months.

I did no research, asked nobody for advice and had never set foot in the place I intended to settle down in to start off with. I have since moved 6 times as circumstances change. I have even changed countries for the time being.

When I got there I had to make it work so I sat down and learnt the ropes bit by bit. Nothing beats local knowledge and the only way to gain insight as to what's going on is to immerse oneself in the day to day life of the adopted homeland.

Comparisons between countries mean precious little in the grand scheme of things. For example, comparing Australia with Canada is an exercise in futility. The countries are HUGE! They stretch across time zones and climate bands. Australia ranges from tropical to temperate. Canada from temperate to freezing your butt off even in summer. Each state in either country has its own pros and cons. Each suburb has its own council policies. Each town has its own characteristics

My local council makes a far bigger difference to my life than the policies of the federal govt. My immediate neighbours have far more impact on my life than the psyche of the average native (if there is such a thing in the first place.)

I can assure each and every person reading this thread that there are places in Canada, Australia and NZ where the quality of life is 10x better than living in Singapore regardless of what you read in the press and find on the net. There are many suburbs in any of these countries which are twice the size of Singapore where crime is lower, the people are friendlier, overheads are cheaper and the weather is a lot nicer. Forget about press reports, doomsday proponents and what have you. Just go for it.

It's just a matter of getting there and then finding a place that suits you.

 

[scroobal]

Those who are reading this, please contribute your stories, your journey without revealing your personal details. Everyone benefits. It can be little things and I append the list below

-enrolling kids in school,
-assimilation
-handling neighbours
-buying house
-food, cuisine, cravings
-regrets, nostalgia etc

 

[scroobal]

Re: Recent Immigrants to Canada compared to the old days

Short answer is no. Some Singaporeans actually bought houses in Perth, Brisbane with that believe. None of the core destination countries consider home ownership as a criterion. Business ownership is a different kettle of fish and comes under Investment category for migration. Involves big sums and designated industries. Have to check individual websites.

By the way, it about 25% cheaper to buy a house and land package in that country than buying from Singapore. The same goes for UK, Canada, OZ, NZ. The 2 year renatl is already built into the price and therefore does not reflect market.

Migrate first then buy a house, unless you have decided to migrate some years down the road and want the house to appreciate in value. Note, there are restriction on non citizens and non PR buying certain properties.

Would like to find out if I have a house in canada, would it make my PR application easier?

 

[scroobal]

Re: Making Others Feel Welcomed (Caring and Compassionate)

Wow Bro, straight out of a romantic novel. Good for you. When you retire, you got to write a book about your journet. It will be well received.

FOR DISCUSSIONS ONLY AND ENCOURAGEMENT

This tall green eye blonde Ukrainian is my caring, loving and lovely spouse and dedicated mother of our four beautiful children (everyone of them has different colour hair and different shades of eye colour. The child with the lightest hair, has the darkest eyes, not as dark as mine.)

 

[Leongsam]

-assimilation
-

Assimilation... haha... my favourite topic. :p In the good old Delphi coffee shop, I distinctly remember that there would be at least one person a month asking which suburb had a sizeable number of Singaporeans so that he felt "at home" upon arrival.

My answer was always the same. If he wanted to be surrounded by sinkies, the best place to live would be SINGAPORE! Why bother to emigrate?

However, my advice is probably out of date by now as Singaporeans will soon be a minority group in their own country.

 

[kiwibird7]

Those who are reading this, please contribute your stories, your journey without revealing your personal details. Everyone benefits. It can be little things and I append the list below

-enrolling kids in school,
-assimilation
-handling neighbours
-buying house
-food, cuisine, cravings
-regrets, nostalgia etc

SCHOOL:
Doesn't really matter; no point wasting money enrolling in private schools. Unlike Singapore, getting into Uni is NOT a problem, so no point fretting about which HIGH SCHOOL one studies in. If one's kids are DUMB, putting him in a good highly ranked school won't make any difference. The only thing to watch out for those with teenage daughters is they could get drunk, drugged, deflowered and made pregnant by some smooth talking ANGMOH boy driving a beat up cheap car (students can drive at age 15).

ASSIMILATION
No problem here; especially for those who go to Church, Temples, Mosques, Sports groups etc

NEIGHBOURS
Most neighbours are very friendly and helpful by nature in NZ. Those who choose the cheaper neighbourhoods have to worry about being next to a ganghouse, whorehouse, P Lab( Cottage industry) or Tinny (Cannabis House).

BUYING A HOUSE
Always have a property check done by a professional group (something like doing a VIACOM like inspection done for a house instead of a car) before purchase.

FOOD, CUISINE etc
Better make sure you are up to standard on cooking at home, eating out can be expensive if done on a daily basis. Asian groceries are easy to come by for almost all the necessary ingredients and condiments for Asian cooking be it Chinese, Indian, Thai, Korean, Vietnamese or Middle Eastern etc.

REGRETS, NOSTALGIA
Only regret was not having emigrated earlier. Nostalgia is IRRELEVANT as the OLD SINGAPORE haunts/places where one was born at(old KK is gone), lived at, studied at and recreation areas during one's childhood years have long gone. Even the good old hawker fares are no more, only franchised cheap imitations offered at sky high prices for nothing but crap