Team-BHP > Shifting gears


Reply
  Search this Thread
1,075,523 views
Old 31st January 2020, 13:19   #1456
Senior - BHPian
 
vibbs's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: SG
Posts: 1,125
Thanked: 2,297 Times
Re: Emigrating to a Foreign Land!

Quote:
Originally Posted by civic-sense View Post
Did you get a Singapore PR or just find a job in Singapore? Does Singapore have a points based immigration system?
I dont think Singapore has a point system. Infact it's not very transparent. They don't specify the reason for rejecting a PR application and from what I hear nowadays it's really tough to get a PR.
In my case, I just applied for an internal job posting. I am not a PR, but I am in a permanent role with the Singapore group company. My EP will be renewed every 2 years by the company.
I am conflicted about making Singapore my home considering the difficulties in getting a PR, but I have the option of applying internally to a lot of other countries across the world.

Quote:
Originally Posted by xcentrk View Post

2. I have a daughter, and not to generalize but women safety in this part of the country is better(where I live), but it is still a possibility and this puts a lot of pressure. I have seen enough shit to lose the confidence in our system and I cannot live in a constant fear of safety of women in my family.
This was one of the main reasons for me to make this move. All patriotic feelings aside, this one point is always on the back of mind. I still will be back in India, but if I have a say in the matter, it will be after my daughter is on her own.
vibbs is offline  
Old 31st January 2020, 14:07   #1457
BHPian
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 455
Thanked: 908 Times
Re: Emigrating to a Foreign Land!

Is there a step by step detailed process on how to acquire Canadian PR ? I know that we can do everything ourselves but want to see if there is a definitive guide out there. I ready information that I need to get many things done before I even begin the process of applying for PR. Like getting education evaluation done which requires sending transcripts from college and university, giving IELTS and after I have its score and the education accreditation (from WES?) then only I can start my process of application of PR.
raksrules is offline  
Old 31st January 2020, 22:43   #1458
BHPian
 
centaur's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: --
Posts: 897
Thanked: 1,169 Times
Re: Emigrating to a Foreign Land!

Quote:
Originally Posted by landcruiser123 View Post
If you're well connected, you'll get treated like a prince by the best doctors at the hospitals.
Would beg to differ here. Indian healthcare system is way better than UK and Canada irrespective of you being well connected. Yes, being well connected might get you the specific doctor you want or the specific hospital you want but doesnt being connected would not mean you will not get attended either. We undermine the healthcare in India to a great extent IMHO

Quote:
Originally Posted by xcentrk View Post

From what I gather here and what I dig on reddit and other places, I have list down the major expenses.
Rent - 2500
Health Insurance - 200
Groceries/Eating Out - 800
Transportation & Other charges - 700 (without Car)

Total - 4200
Ontario covers your health after 3 months and in states like Quebec, it is covered from day one but be informed dental and vision are not covered by the government plan. Also in most cases, employers provide you with insurance which covers dental and vision too. SO if you look at it, you dont really need any insurance as long as you are employed and it is needed only for dental/vision otherwise. As for transportation, it would depend on how far is the commute. Some places the commute is charged at CAD 3.10 for 2 hours and that is generally enough to get you to work. Also the rent you have considered may or may not include the utilities like hydro, gas etc. SO that may come in additionally. However it may come in cheaper too if you are fine with a 1 bedroom apartment instead of a 2 bedroom one. SO you may be able to save a few bucks here and there.

Quote:
Originally Posted by xcentrk View Post
So on average if I get 6000+CAD post-taxes, I can only save a max of 1500CAD per month. Except a measly home loan of 22k EMI here, I don't have any major commitments. So do you guys think average of 1500 CAD/month would be a better savings?
CAD 6000 post taxes should be a good salary to start with. Remember, the more you earn, the more taxes you pay and hence it doesn't really mean higher income=higher savings in Canada. As for 1500 being a good savings or not would depend on your goals really.

Quote:
Originally Posted by xcentrk View Post
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 constant reminder that one bad night can ruin my life.
2. I have a daughter, and not to generalize but women safety in this part of the country is better(where I live), but it is still a possibility and this puts a lot of pressure. I have seen enough shit to lose the confidence in our system and I cannot live in a constant fear of safety of women in my family.
3. Peace of mind. Work here is demanding, and work culture in, well, not good. The amount of stress it puts on me is unbearable and I am already started facing some health issues. The company which I'm talking about has relaxing work culture and a well funded/settled product based company.
4. If things progress good in Canada, I may very well settled down there for good.
Just for the points above alone, Canada is a better option IMHO but there are other trade offs posted by me and others in the thread. So if you can live with those trade offs, I guess you have the decision made for you.
centaur is offline  
Old 31st January 2020, 22:59   #1459
Senior - BHPian
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 1,133
Thanked: 1,891 Times

CAD 6000 post tax in Canada would mean your salary should be in the $125 k range. I am telling you this from first hand knowledge. Taxes etc would be in the ballpark of almost 40% of your package.

Last edited by Traveler : 31st January 2020 at 23:01.
Traveler is offline  
Old 31st January 2020, 23:15   #1460
BHPian
 
mohit's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Toronto / Kurukshetra
Posts: 677
Thanked: 168 Times
Re: Emigrating to a Foreign Land!

Quote:
Originally Posted by xcentrk View Post
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
Health Insurance - 200
Groceries/Eating Out - 800
Transportation & Other charges - 700 (without Car)

Total - 4200

...
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.
That estimate overall is decent. The individual areas will go up or down but the total is pretty good for three people.

Even here, the place where you live will decide how much interference you get. If you live in the midst of a group of Indian families, things will be the same as back home but if you live in a more mixed community, people don't interfere with your life.
mohit is offline  
Old 1st February 2020, 06:29   #1461
Senior - BHPian
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 2,983
Thanked: 6,852 Times
Re: Emigrating to a Foreign Land!

Quote:
Originally Posted by aadya View Post
Not a right perception. Have a friendly neighbourhood Physician/Pediatrician as a regular family doctor and get specialist referral through them. They will take care of your lack of connections. Political and money connection....
Quote:
Originally Posted by centaur View Post
Yes, being well connected might get you the specific doctor you want or the specific hospital you want but doesnt being connected would not mean you will not get attended either.
Note: I'm not politically connected to anyone. My family was lucky to have a friend (and a neighbor) who was the director at a hospital near IIMB. In 2016, my dad had an emergency and had to be taken from the cricket field to the ER. A quick phone call from one of the players to the neighbor ensured everything moved fast on a Sunday and we supposedly had the best cardiologists attending to him in no time. Everything went well and he was discharged quickly.

Also, we feel the expense was significantly lesser than what it was for my uncle. Debatable, I've heard that some doctors rip you off by ordering a battery of unnecessary tests. (Besides commissions, it is a mentality that probably comes from the USA where the risk of lawsuits are high)
landcruiser123 is offline  
Old 1st February 2020, 07:11   #1462
Senior - BHPian
 
vibbs's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: SG
Posts: 1,125
Thanked: 2,297 Times
Re: Emigrating to a Foreign Land!

Quote:
Originally Posted by centaur View Post
Would beg to differ here. Indian healthcare system is way better than UK and Canada irrespective of you being well connected. Yes, being well connected might get you the specific doctor you want or the specific hospital you want but doesnt being connected would not mean you will not get attended either. We undermine the healthcare in India to a great extent IMHO

u.
Curious to know what makes you say so. I don't have first hand experience of healthcare systems in UK and Canada. Though they are not the best in the world, WHO places them way higher than India in their ranking of healthcare systems.
Even here in Singapore, I can see Indians having similar opinion whereas Singapore has among the best health care systems as per WHO.

I feel this feeling is stemmed by the practise that is standardised in these places. Like visit a GP first for specialist referrals etc whereas in India you can walk into any specialist for even normal ailments and this to us comes across as being very convenient.

But I could be wrong. I would just want to know what makes people think we have better health Care system than these places.
vibbs is offline  
Old 1st February 2020, 09:30   #1463
BHPian
 
Samir Taheer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: London & Pune
Posts: 459
Thanked: 278 Times
Re: Emigrating to a Foreign Land!

Quote:
Originally Posted by xcentrk View Post
Thanks for everyone for their resourceful replies.
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 constant reminder that one bad night can ruin my life.
2. I have a daughter, and not to generalize but women safety in this part of the country is better(where I live), but it is still a possibility and this puts a lot of pressure. I have seen enough shit to lose the confidence in our system and I cannot live in a constant fear of safety of women in my family.
3. Peace of mind. Work here is demanding, and work culture in, well, not good. The amount of stress it puts on me is unbearable and I am already started facing some health issues. The company which I'm talking about has relaxing work culture and a well funded/settled product based company.
4. If things progress good in Canada, I may very well settled down there for good.

I But being with my family is not enough as I realize it was the environment that is toxic. No one puts you in their shoe before they ask or say something. All they can think of is about themselves. We always think about others before we utter a word as we believe it might hurt them and expected the same but boy, oh boy. It was proved wrong by almost everyone.

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.
Hey, Firstly, sorry for the loss. I know it can be hard.

Honestly, if the salary package works out (and even if it doesn't fully), I think you should jump at the opportunity to move. If nothing else, at-least you would have experienced living in another country, made friends outside of your comfort zone and get some relief from the toxicity that is obviously getting to you.

I lived in the UK for 13 years and moved back to India in 2013 after my father passed away. Honestly, we'll move back at some point, once we sort out issues here (which are taking longer than I anticipated).

Don't worry about health care, etc its a breeze. There is absolutely no point comparing UK/Canadian medical systems to our Indian system - if you were to weigh up the pros and cons, it would probably average out!

If you go with an open mind - I think the likely hood of you settling down there are quite high!
Samir Taheer is offline  
Old 1st February 2020, 09:39   #1464
Distinguished - BHPian
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Delhi-NCR
Posts: 4,042
Thanked: 63,675 Times
Re: Emigrating to a Foreign Land!

Quote:
Originally Posted by xcentrk View Post
Thanks for everyone for their resourceful replies.
Very sorry to hear about your loss. Few things can ever be worse. You may want to, in the privacy of your heart and family, introspect whether you need to exit the current difficult phase you are going through or do you want to migrate because migrating is the thing you want to do. If you are going through a bad patch in life that may last a few months or a couple of years then look for other solutions too both within the family and your career and on the outside. If you are under high stress migration for the first 12 months will only add to that stress. Sorry if I end up sounding preachy, that is not my intention. All the best with your endeavours.
V.Narayan is offline  
Old 1st February 2020, 15:58   #1465
BHPian
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Cotton City
Posts: 129
Thanked: 736 Times
Re: Emigrating to a Foreign Land!

Quote:
Originally Posted by centaur View Post
....
CAD 6000 post taxes should be a good salary to start with. Remember, the more you earn, the more taxes you pay and hence it doesn't really mean higher income=higher savings in Canada. As for 1500 being a good savings or not would depend on your goals really.
.....
Just for the points above alone, Canada is a better option IMHO but there are other trade offs posted by me and others in the thread. So if you can live with those trade offs, I guess you have the decision made for you.
Thanks for clearing about the insurance part. That's something to note when I have a discussion with employer.

My goals are simple. Just save up. I don't have any huge commitment here in India except a Home Loan of 15L and since my dad is earning, that wouldn't be a problem. But as of now, I am paying the EMI and I intend to continue pay of close early if I can.

So my goal is to just save up as much as I can. Whether or not I will make a move back to India is 50-50 chance. But as I mentioned if things work out better, I may very well get settled down.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Traveler View Post
CAD 6000 post tax in Canada would mean your salary should be in the $125 k range. I am telling you this from first hand knowledge. Taxes etc would be in the ballpark of almost 40% of your package.
Wow! I put the 6000 CAD post tax assuming an annual earning of around 100k. But 125k! Poof! I need to keep this in mind and better check it out with employees who work there. Thanks for the info!

Quote:
Originally Posted by mohit View Post
That estimate overall is decent. The individual areas will go up or down but the total is pretty good for three people.

Even here, the place where you live will decide how much interference you get. If you live in the midst of a group of Indian families, things will be the same as back home but if you live in a more mixed community, people don't interfere with your life.
I'm not bothered about interaction with people but their interference in our life decisions. So as long as they don't handhold me to my life path I will be fine. Thanks for clearing that up!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Samir Taheer View Post
........If you go with an open mind - I think the likely hood of you settling down there are quite high!
That's what I'm hoping for!

Quote:
Originally Posted by V.Narayan View Post
Very sorry to hear about your loss. Few things can ever be worse. You may want to, in the privacy of your heart and family, introspect whether you need to exit the current difficult phase you are going through or do you want to migrate because migrating is the thing you want to do. If you are going through a bad patch in life that may last a few months or a couple of years then look for other solutions too both within the family and your career and on the outside. If you are under high stress migration for the first 12 months will only add to that stress. Sorry if I end up sounding preachy, that is not my intention. All the best with your endeavours.
Not at all preachy! I understand your thoughts and I blame myself for leaving some part out in original post.

I always wanted to work/move in english speaking country, especially Canada/Australia. Even tried to do my MS there, but things didn't work out back then(around 2004-2005). Since then I tried to get into companies which will provide onsite opportunities but no luck. In fact, even in 2018, I was attending interviews and Europe region and even got an offer but my first kid's medical condition made me stay back.

But now, without even trying, I was welcomed with an opportunity which I always wanted. Couple that with things happening to me, I felt this will be a great decision. I'm a person who always wanted to lead a decent life and give better life for my family. This is why I'm deciding to move and I can understand the kind of stress it would put for the first few months. I had a hard time when I first started working in Malaysia for a year. But this time it's different. Why? Because I plan to move with my wife and daughter, as soon as I settle in. Except couple of known issues, I don't see any major problems with this move.

I know this is not an overnight process and it may very well take 6-9 months. And I hope I can convince my family about this and if things work out, it will not be me who want to settle but my wife & kid. Let's see how things turn out.

Thanks for your concern though!
xcentrk is offline  
Old 1st February 2020, 16:33   #1466
Senior - BHPian
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 1,133
Thanked: 1,891 Times

Car inusrance rates for a new driver in Canada and that too in the GTA are unbelievable. Budget for almost $2000 per year for your car insurance needs. Areas like Brampton and Mississauga are the worst in this regards.
Traveler is offline  
Old 2nd February 2020, 01:38   #1467
Newbie
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: bhubaneswar
Posts: 19
Thanked: 65 Times
Re: Emigrating to a Foreign Land!

Quote:
Originally Posted by raksrules View Post
Is there a step by step detailed process on how to acquire Canadian PR ? I know that we can do everything ourselves but want to see if there is a definitive guide out there. I ready information that I need to get many things done before I even begin the process of applying for PR. Like getting education evaluation done which requires sending transcripts from college and university, giving IELTS and after I have its score and the education accreditation (from WES?) then only I can start my process of application of PR.
Let me just break it down for you.
1. Check if you are eligible for express entry at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...igibility.html
2. Most likely you are, then you need to calculate your CRS score with this tool, https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigr...d/crs-tool.asp
3. You will get a score based on your profile, right now the draw's cut off is between 465-480, If your score is lower than you can try getting a higher IELTS score to improve it. If you have scored a CLB 9 in IELTS and yet score below the required range, then you should look at the PNP programs of various provinces, every province has different criteria and a simple google search with the province followed by PNP will give you the info.

The prerequisites required are:
1. Your degrees evaluation by WES, you need to create a profile and request your university to send the original transcripts to WES or other certified bodies for ECA (WES is the fastest though, got mine in a month)
2. IELTS ( General Module)
3. Work Experience letters from all your present and previous employers
4. Proof of Funds which is around 7 lacs per person and a bank statement stating that you had the amount in your account in the last 6 months, in case you don't have it you can get it from family as a gift deed.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Traveler View Post
Car inusrance rates for a new driver in Canada and that too in the GTA are unbelievable. Budget for almost $2000 per year for your car insurance needs. Areas like Brampton and Mississauga are the worst in this regards.
I think if you have the insurance reports from your home country, there can be some negotiations, other factors include taking a driving lesson before applying for a license, clubbing your home insurance with your car insurance and in most cases, your affiliations with some organizations ( especially universities) grant you a cheaper rate. Most of the areas with a higher Indian population do have an extremely high insurance rate, especially if you are buying an American muscle car.

Please do correct me if m wrong. All the information is collected from Reddit and from family and friends in Canada.
zehhatter is offline  
Old 2nd February 2020, 22:20   #1468
BHPian
 
centaur's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: --
Posts: 897
Thanked: 1,169 Times
Re: Emigrating to a Foreign Land!

Quote:
Originally Posted by vibbs View Post
Curious to know what makes you say so. I don't have first hand experience of healthcare systems in UK and Canada. Though they are not the best in the world, WHO places them way higher than India in their ranking of healthcare systems.
Even here in Singapore, I can see Indians having similar opinion whereas Singapore has among the best health care systems as per WHO.

I feel this feeling is stemmed by the practise that is standardised in these places. Like visit a GP first for specialist referrals etc whereas in India you can walk into any specialist for even normal ailments and this to us comes across as being very convenient.
The problem is not about having to visit the GP first and then being referred to a specialist but the GP actually willing to give a thought on the problem. I was in the UK and one day suddenly when i got up from the bed, I felt shooting pain in the back and collapsed on the floor as the pain was unbearable. Fortunately was able to get up and walk that day though I could still feel the pain. I started sleeping down from that day as I was not sure if the problem would worsen by sleeping on the mattress.

I called the GP that very day for an appointment but got an appointment after 5 days. When I went to the GP after 5 days, he never bothered to check the problem but instead asked me to take some pain killers. This was just a verbal dialogue and my repeated requests to atleast check me properly were not heeded to. Thankfully, I got better there but I had a similar problem when I was back in India 2 years later. This time it was way more worse as the problem had deteriorated. The problem was a bulging disc which had pinched my nerve and I was in the hospital for a week with the extent of having to do a surgery for the disc replacement. Thankfully I told the doctor that I would not go under the knife, especially for the spine, and was discharged when I was better. Had the GP in UK analysed and detected this situation then, it wouldn't have gotten worse like it did. Thankfully I got better care in terms of physiotherapy and regular follow ups that I was able to get the situation under control.

Another friend of mine who was in UK with me also had a similar issue with very bad back pain. He went to the GP and was told the same - take some pain killers. His problem got worse and one day when it was unbearable, he directly walked to the NHS and told them that he is not leaving till they diagnose the problem and literally collapsed there. When diagnosed, he was found to have pus in his spine (now I dont recollect if he also said tuberculosis but pus was what I can remember) for which he got treated. There are many forums on FB too where people are complaining that GP isn't diagnosing them correctly or that they ar not getting an appointment or that the GP is not referring them to a specialist inspite of the problem getting worse. Many also say that the tablets the GP has given them have stopped working on them and that they are in tremendous pain with no end in sight.

In Canada, a friend of mine had a kid less than a year old. One fine day his ear started bleeding. Since the kid was a toddler,they immediately took him to the hospital at night around 8.30. They were asked to wait in the lounge and at 12.30 they were asked to go into one of the rooms. The doctor came at 1 in the night, just superficially looked at it and said she will refer them to an ENT as she is not an ENT and not qualified to diagnose. The ENT they were referred to, gave them an appointment after around 5-6 weeks. By then the kid had completely healed fortunately. When they asked the ENT on the delay for the appointment, he said that they got an early appointment infact because it was a kid. For adults, the appointment wait times run into months or at time years. There are many other such instances I have known from my friend and relatives in these two countries.

Such is the state of things. The healthcare might be ranked better than India but I do not know on what parameters that has been done but if you take this factor into consideration, then I feel the ratings/rankings would change for sure.

In India, if anyone is really not well, you immediately get medical attention even if it means you need to pay but thats not the case in these two places. I understand that since its free they need to be cautious but I doubt if anyone in the right state of mind would unnecessarily want to get admitted or treated when they are actually fine. Like one of my friend's manager told him - what good is free healthcare if you cannot get it when required.

Last edited by centaur : 2nd February 2020 at 22:30.
centaur is offline  
Old 2nd February 2020, 23:24   #1469
BHPian
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Thane - MH04
Posts: 589
Thanked: 2,264 Times
Re: Emigrating to a Foreign Land!

Since we are on the healthcare topic, allow me to share my personal experience of availing critical care in India and USA. Looking for basic consultation in UK when I was there temporarily for 3 weeks and from some understanding that I have about AU.

Healthcare (Private) in India is one of the best if you live in a big city - Tier 1/2, not just metros. This provided you have the required funds to pay for it. The need is not super high as it is the case in developed nations. But you better have either a good insurance cover or some decent savings to cover for emergencies. But the quality of care, diagnosis is great and so is the availability of qualified doctors.

Public and/or charitable healthcare in India is great in all Metros. The issue here is that it is over burdened due to sheer number of patients that they service and also lack of funds that such hospitals/institutions receive from the government. Otherwise the service that they is commendable and I salute them from my heart.

Healthcare is US is the best if you are covered by the required insurance cover. Plain money game. More money you have, better care you get.

CA/AU/UK - Public healthcare there is simply over burdened and you face issues with appointments and quality of diagnosis at elementary level. Doctors are great in terms of skill and knowledge but as you have already read - they are high in demand and hence long appointment wait times.

SG/HK - Similar story from what I have heard from my co-workers at work.

In such places, if you have money you get the best of the world on demand.


As far as ratings are concerned, the parameters are biased against or rather not in favor India. They take in consideration availability of healthcare for 100% of the population and at all location across the geography of the country. That is where India is behind. And since many years we have not seen any new development or extra funds coming towards public healthcare system. Ratings are highly tilted towards public healthcare.
sunilch is offline  
Old 2nd February 2020, 23:45   #1470
BHPian
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 63
Thanked: 137 Times
Re: Emigrating to a Foreign Land!

Quote:
Originally Posted by centaur View Post
Such is the state of things. The healthcare might be ranked better than India but I do not know on what parameters that has been done but if you take this factor into consideration, then I feel the ratings/rankings would change for sure.

In India, if anyone is really not well, you immediately get medical attention even if it means you need to pay but thats not the case in these two places. I understand that since its free they need to be cautious but I doubt if anyone in the right state of mind would unnecessarily want to get admitted or treated when they are actually fine. Like one of my friend's manager told him - what good is free healthcare if you cannot get it when required.
Having lived in UK, couldn't agree more on what you said. They are better at research, technology but when it comes to timely care, I would give them a zero.
Even if they refer to a specialist, expect weeks, months delay to get an appointment

Healthcare is certainly not free in those two countries as we pay a big chuck to NHS from our salary every month. Despite paying for NHS, we get nothing in return like your manager said.

In UK, almost all the companies offer private insurance to their employees and with that they can consult private practioners very much like the appointment system in India

India is a heaven to get the latest, best and timely medical care at a fraction of the cost. Yes, there are money minded doctors and hospitals but it's in our hands to pick the right one.
GladRagu is offline  
Reply

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks