Adam and Eric

This is Adam and Eric, formerly of San Francisco, California, and now full-time Torontonians. They have been living in Canada for two years and they have a mix of positive attitude and realist outlook on their move that make them perfect to interview. Eric and Adam chose Canada almost on a dare and are now planning to apply for permanent residence (they currently hold temporary visas) and eventually become Canadian citizens.

What brought you to Canada?

It was my partner Eric who lit the fire to move to Canada.

We lived in San Francisco and during discussions of possible Holiday destinations, he kept mentioning how he loved Canada, Vancouver in particular—and how he really wanted to take me there. He was convinced I would fall in love with the city and not want to leave. I heard this one too many times and I started researching Vancouver and Canada in general. I did a massive amount of research and decided Vancouver would be a great place to live. I’ve lived in upstate and downstate N.Y., Boston and San Francisco. I love to move to new places and have always wanted to live outside the U.S.

So…one day Eric mentioned that he was going to pursue new employment. I had already babbled that moving to Canada would be fine with me and at this point I suggested he post his resume on the internet on the major Canadian job sites. He was taken by surprise and didn’t take me seriously at first. One thing led to another, he accepted a job in Toronto and we moved about six months after he first posted his resume.

Did you find the immigration process difficult?

We legally moved to Canada from the U.S. with Temporary Work Permits, not as Permanent Residents. Immigrating with Work Permits is very straightforward and not difficult. The more challenging aspect of immigration is crossing the border with your personal belongings and re-establishing all aspects of your life. Do your research so that when some aspect of the move doesn’t go as planned it doesn’t become a crisis.

How long did it take you to find a job that you liked in Canada?

Finding your first job, let alone one in your chosen field is notoriously difficult for a new immigrant. I was a Realtor in San Francisco and didn’t want to re-enter that field immediately after moving to Toronto.

Finding other work has been a real challenge. There is subtle discrimination against new immigrants no matter how much education they have. All the U.S. to Canada immigrants we know have had a tough time finding satisfactory employment. Clearly, the economy hasn’t helped, we know educated Canadians with experience who have also had lengthy unemployment. I was out of work for over a year. The job I have will do for now though I continue to pursue a more satisfying position.

Do you speak French?

Being from the U.S., English is my native language. I had taken French in College (University) and Eric and I took a French class before moving to Canada. We’ll probably continue French study—we enjoyed it.

What was your biggest culture shock?

Good question. Canada and the U.S. are clearly both part of “North American” culture so we weren’t hit hard with culture shock. Simply put, Canada is not the U.S. despite the fact that it is so similar. One gets used to the myriad of subtle differences.

What haven’t you gotten used to yet in Canada?

There is a passive-aggressive quality here that drives me crazy…and I lived in California where I used to say that they spoon-fed passive-aggressive to their newborns. I am a native New Yorker though so that might explain everything.

Did immigrating to Canada match your expectations?

Eric and I were incredibly well-researched and prepared. I think our expectations were completely met. I might add that we are very pleased to live here.

Do you find life expensive in Canada compared to your home country?

Living in Toronto is not cheap. The cost of living in the U.S. can be dramatically different depending on where one lives. I lived in Boston and San Francisco, two U.S. cities with insanely high costs of living—so Toronto is comparable if not less expensive.

Are you planning to apply for Canadian citizenship when you meet the requirements?

As mentioned, we moved to Canada on Temporary Work Permits. Our next step is to apply for PR status—probably through the “Canadian Experience” category. We will have legally resided here for two years in August. Assuming that the application is approved I don’t expect any issues, I would probably go ahead with Citizenship when the time comes. Both Canada and the U.S. allow dual citizenship.

What advice would you give to someone interested in immigrating to Canada?

Do your research. One can’t be too prepared. Even successful immigrants will have challenges here in Canada. Thorough research means proper and realistic expectations. Read official websites. Read immigrant blogs like this one. Read both the words and “in-between” the lines. Prepare yourself. If one is moving with a partner, make sure that both of you are of one mind. Moving to a new country may challenge your relationship in ways that you don’t expect.

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12 Comments

  1. CM-Chap February 14, 2010 at 12:07 am

    Hi Zhu… Good initiative…. Would bring lot of experience to table…Thanks for it
    .-= CM-Chap´s last blog ..Ticker =-.

    Reply
  2. Crikette February 14, 2010 at 10:34 am

    HI ZHU

    It’s very interessting to have their point of view. Great job and idea miss Zhu

    Happy Valentine in the country where you give cards to parents, kids, grand parents and so on

    Take care from Paris
    .-= Crikette´s last blog ..Yousuf Karsh, photographe Canadien =-.

    Reply
  3. shionge February 14, 2010 at 1:09 pm

    Yo Zhu, it is very interesting to see their challenges and views chosing to live in Canada 😀 Most importantly that there’ll always be someone besides them giving each other support.

    Well Done 😀

    Reply
  4. Beth February 14, 2010 at 4:21 pm

    A warm welcome to Adam and Eric – from a fellow Torontonian!

    Reply
  5. Sidney February 14, 2010 at 7:04 pm

    Hmmm…. I don’t think I would leave San Francisco… 😉

    Reply
  6. barbara February 16, 2010 at 6:14 am

    Hi Adama & Eric ( and Zhu, too !)

    Congrats to you both for taking such a huge challenge and making it !
    Yes, even moving up North of the border is expatriation and adjustment, even if you both still speak English and don’t have radical changes.

    Hurray too for wanting to perfect your French 🙂 I’m US and an expat in France and I do love the French language.

    All the power to you both- you rock !

    Reply
  7. Zhu February 16, 2010 at 9:05 pm

    @CM-Chap – Thank you!

    @Crikette – This WE was so busy with the Olympics and Chinese New Year that I totally forgot about Valentine’s Day!

    @shionge – I thought they were really interesting to interview because couples do face different challenges than single immigrants.

    @London Caller – Mmm… Amsterdam is not as free as it used to I heard. Not sure, I went long long time ago.

    @Beth – Thank you on their behalf, Beth!

    @Sidney – I guess the grass is always greener on the other side 😉

    @barbara – And you Barbara are the perfect example of the francophile American who defies all the stereotypes Europeans sometimes may have about the USA!

    You are more French than I am 😉

    Reply
  8. Max Coutinho February 19, 2010 at 1:07 pm

    Hey Zhu,

    Another great interview!!

    I didn’t know that US immigrants (to Canada) had issues finding a job (considering that Canadians seem to find good jobs in the US)…now I understand why the Americans say that Canadians benefit more from trade agreements than themselves…*nodding*.

    LOL “passive aggressive quality” this was a great one! LOL…do you find Canadians to be passive aggressive, Zhu?

    *Applauding*…loved it!! I simply loved this interview (so far one of my favourites [being the first interview another fave])!

    I wish Eric and Adam all the best in the world :D!

    Cheers
    .-= Max Coutinho´s last blog ..Arrogance… =-.

    Reply
  9. Khatia Caroline February 24, 2010 at 5:28 pm

    From US to Canada things goes smother then from elsewhere. Interview has no drama 🙂 😉
    Great idea series of interviews Zhu!

    Reply
  10. expatraveler February 28, 2010 at 11:44 pm

    Being an immigrant from the US, I too have had severe hardships in finding jobs in Canada. I’m not sure why as my profession has no bearing on doing the job different in any country of the world. So I can understand clearly when other people state hard times. I’m not sure why but it is a big downer on morale…

    Having said that, loved this interview! Good luck guys.. My first stop was North Vancouver, and now we are in Victoria.
    .-= expatraveler´s last blog ..A Photo Tour =-.

    Reply

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