[LTAutoMad]

Originally Posted by xcentrk

Thanks for everyone for their resourceful replies.

From what I gather here and what I dig on reddit and other places, I have list down the major expenses.
Rent - 2500
.................................................. ...................................

But before you help me out with my dilemma, this is where I am right now.
1. I have had enough of things that I face everyday? Fear for life, safety and .................................................. ...................................
Now I feel that I need to surround myself with people who respect privacy, helping others when in pain and some basic human courtesy. And I believe if I get such environment in Canada, there is a good chance that I may get settled down.

xcentrk, Sorry to hear about your loss, which is the worst nightmare of every parent.

You have already made the biggest change - quitting your job & freelancing! That too very successfully by getting back to the salary levels of your previous job. What ties down many people are a well-paying job and the (rightful) fear of quitting it all and restarting life from scratch in another country, where they may very well struggle for a long time.

You have a job to go to, which makes all the difference. Even if things don't work out, you can come back to your freelancing in India.

But, as many other have pointed out, if you go to a developed country (especially welfare states like Canada, Australia, Nordic countries etc.) just to make money, you will be sorely disappointed.

For starters, Income Tax would be 30-40% and the cost of living very high (as even the most unskilled workers get a good wage) - the money for a universally good standard of living & healthcare for all has to come from somewhere and shows in the cost of goods & especially services. Private insurance, childcare costs etc. are very high. In Australia, it is not worth for a mother (typically, not being sexist!) to be working if she has two children in full-time childcare as most of her after-tax salary would go into childcare! I don't know about Canada, but utility charges in Australia are among the most expensive in the world, in spite of Australia being a net exporter of natural gas. Australia exports natural gas to Japan, where it's retail price is far less than what Aussie pay for it back home for their heating & cooking needs!

See this as an opportunity to experience a different country / culture / life. If you like it, you can continue there. I would suggest applying for a Permanent Residency asap - then you are not tied to your employer and your wife can also work (which is essential if you want to live there comfortably / buy a house in the future).

I have come across many city-dwelling continental Europeans who don't own a car, but managing without a car would be almost impossible in car-centric countries like Canada, Aus, US etc. unless you manage to get an apartment very close to your work. But, then how will you cope with the Canadian winters?

Do get a realistic estimate of all the costs vs. your AFTER TAX salary and then you can make the call. On a purely monetary basis, I doubt if you would leave India, but there are many other compelling reasons that you have pointed out. All the best!

[xcentrk]

Originally Posted by LTAutoMad

....
I have come across many city-dwelling continental Europeans who don't own a car, but managing without a car would be almost impossible in car-centric countries like Canada, Aus, US etc. unless you manage to get an apartment very close to your work. But, then how will you cope with the Canadian winters?

Thanks for detailed info.

Can you explain the above statement(highlighted)?

Originally Posted by LTAutoMad

Do get a realistic estimate of all the costs vs. your AFTER TAX salary and then you can make the call. On a purely monetary basis, I doubt if you would leave India, but there are many other compelling reasons that you have pointed out. All the best!

Monetary reason is just one among many but having a good lifestyle is the major reason behind this push. Let's see how things pan out after my discussion with the company!

[hothatchaway]

This is regarding the PR process for Canada, which province is currently giving out nominations under the Express entry process? Each province has its own criteria and not all are online/offer express entry. I am talking about the PNP or the provincial nomination program.

The overall CRS for the federal EE seems to be inching up and not all can make the cut off.

Which is the recommended agency for degree evaluation (ECA) WES seems to have a dim view of Master's degree earned in India.

[LTAutoMad]

Originally Posted by xcentrk

Thanks for detailed info.

Can you explain the above statement(highlighted)?

I have come across many IT professionals (with young families) sent to Australia by their Indian companies on assignments who manage without a car. It is possible here in this sunny country, but you still need to have workplace, rented apartment, child's school, shopping centre etc. aligned. Otherwise, you could spend hours on travel. Taking Uber quite frequently will negate any savings from not having a car.

I would have thought it will be much more difficult for a family to manage everything by walking, bus etc. during the severe Canadian winters with large snowfalls.

[akhil994]

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

This is regarding the PR process for Canada, which province is currently giving out nominations under the Express entry process? Each province has its own criteria and not all are online/offer express entry. I am talking about the PNP or the provincial nomination program.

The overall CRS for the federal EE seems to be inching up and not all can make the cut off.

Which is the recommended agency for degree evaluation (ECA) WES seems to have a dim view of Master's degree earned in India.

The first thing that you should do is get your documents evaluated, since that is the process which takes the most time. IQAS is not accepting applications till May 19, 2020 and WES is very iffy when it comes to Indian Master's degree. I think you can choose from either ICAS or CES

The most crucial point is that you create your profile and get into the Federal Express Entry pool as soon as possible. The provinces send out invites all throughout the year and you never know when you might get one.

Post that you can also look at applying for certain provinces, like Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan (SINP has become one of the most open PNPs after nearly including all job codes (NOC Codes) in their Occupation in Demand List).

All the best for this long and arduous journey in case you do plan to take this journey on. (Coming from someone who is on the last leg of the journey himself )

[KL01toKA03]

Originally Posted by akhil994

All the best for this long and arduous journey in case you do plan to take this journey on. (Coming from someone who is on the last leg of the journey himself )

Is there any place where I can read about the Canadian immigration process, so that I am armed with all the information before I take the plunge?

Also, since you are in the last leg of the journey, could you please pen down the process which you followed.

TIA

[akhil994]

Originally Posted by KL01toKA03

Is there any place where I can read about the Canadian immigration process, so that I am armed with all the information before I take the plunge?

Also, since you are in the last leg of the journey, could you please pen down the process which you followed.

TIA

You can read all about the Canadian Immigration process on canadavisa.com. It's a forum run by a Canadian law firm Campbell and Cohen.

I had planned to pen down my experience , once I receive my PR , which is still about 5 months away ( I have submitted post-ITA documents on 31st of January), but let me share my experience about the process until this point, maybe that can help people decide whether they want to go ahead with this process or not.

[KL01toKA03]

Originally Posted by akhil994

You can read all about the Canadian Immigration process on canadavisa.com. It's a forum run by a Canadian law firm Campbell and Cohen.

I had planned to pen down my experience , once I receive my PR , which is still about 5 months away ( I have submitted post-ITA documents on 31st of January), but let me share my experience about the process until this point, maybe that can help people decide whether they want to go ahead with this process or not.

Thank you. That should be very helpful.

Also, is the immigration process difficult without hiring an attorney? Either way, it would be of great help to understand the process which you followed.

[hothatchaway]

Originally Posted by KL01toKA03

Thank you. That should be very helpful.

Also, is the immigration process difficult without hiring an attorney? Either way, it would be of great help to understand the process which you followed.

As an applicant you don't need an attorney, an employer in Canada may need one if they want to fill a job vacancy in Canada with an international applicant (non citizen or PR)

The process, while time consuming and complicated, can be completed independently, without the help of an agent. Please refer to https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...te-canada.html which is the official IRCC website.

[jacobvarughese]

Originally Posted by KL01toKA03

Thank you. That should be very helpful.

Also, is the immigration process difficult without hiring an attorney? Either way, it would be of great help to understand the process which you followed.

Don’t spend a single dime on attorney or consultants- they’ll make you do the grunt work at the end of the day.

I did everything by myself all by reading the posts on canadavisa.com- Received my PR in 2 weeks from Trivandrum in late 2017(score was 444).

What’s most critical is landing a job post PR as I know several without appropriate jobs, and some even who has changed careers.

[KL01toKA03]

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

The process, while time consuming and complicated, can be completed independently, without the help of an agent.

Originally Posted by jacobvarughese

Don’t spend a single dime on attorney or consultants- they’ll make you do the grunt work at the end of the day.

Thank you. I will read more about the process and go without an agent.

[gopikb]

Dear all, my niece's husband has been offered a job in Abu Dhabi and the salary quoted is 120000 dirhams per year. They are still a young couple in late twenties and no kids. I am hearing that they will need to spend minimum of 4000 dirhams per month for accommodation only and another 2000 dirhams for the everyday living. The rest could be saved if they dont buy a 4-wheeler immediately. Can somebody who is familiar with that place comment if the given salary is sufficient to support a young couple in AbuDhabi?

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by gopikb

Dear all, my niece's husband has been offered a job in Abu Dhabi and the salary quoted is 120000 dirhams per year. They are still a young couple in late twenties and no kids. I am hearing that they will need to spend minimum of 4000 dirhams per month for accommodation only and another 2000 dirhams for the everyday living. The rest could be saved if they dont buy a 4-wheeler immediately. Can somebody who is familiar with that place comment if the given salary is sufficient to support a young couple in AbuDhabi?

Hi, even though I live in Dubai, I can provide a few general information since even I am living with my wife here and no kid.

In a nutshell, 120,000 AED per is sufficient for a young couple with no kids. I know of families living with a yearly salary of 90,000 AED per year.

Yes, he may not be able to have a lavish lifestyle but can easily make ends meet.

Considering his in-hand salary of 10,000 AED per month, the below will be his basic expenses.

Housing:
Studio - 2,500~3,000 AED a month (4,000 a month for 1 BHK)
Electricity and water bills - 600 AED a month
Wi-Fi and TV - 400 AED a month
Total - 4,000 AED a month

Other expenses:
Mobile connections (x 2) - 300 AED a month
Food - 1,000 AED a month
Others (Shopping) - 700 AED a month
Total - 2,000 AED a month

Car (if needed):
Budget Car - 500 AED a month
Fuel + Insurance + Toll - 500 AED a month
Total - 1,000 AED a month

With the above lifestyle, his total expenses should be around 7,000 AED a month and he should be able to save around 3,000 AED (55K INR) per month.

But the above is an ideal situation and in the real world, how much he actually ends up saving depends on how much he can avoid the glitz and glamour lifestyle here!

[gopikb]

Thank you so much Raj. This is great information. I will share it with my niece. We were totally blind as to whether to take offer or not. Your information is crucial in taking the decision. Thank you once again

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by gopikb

Thank you so much Raj. This is great information. I will share it with my niece. We were totally blind as to whether to take offer or not. Your information is crucial in taking the decision. Thank you once again

You can forward him the below links:

Housing search:
https://uae.dubizzle.com/
https://www.propertyfinder.ae/
https://www.justproperty.com/

Car Search:
https://uae.dubizzle.com/motors/
https://www.drivearabia.com/carprices/uae/

Mobile, Landline, TV & Wi-Fi:
https://www.du.ae/personal
https://www.etisalat.ae/en/index.jsp