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Oh canada!


ihabkal
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Hello everybody,

Sorry haven't posted in days.

I arrived on the 1st of February 3 weeks ago, at the airport they gave me till December 20 11.

What was that? I sold my furniture, the kids quit school, I sold my beautiful car and lost a lot of money, my beloved motorcycle, and they gave me a 10 month work permit? What am I supposed to do tear my life apart?

Anyway the officer was very friendly and told me to try applying for extensions immediately.

I waited outside the Airport for 45 minutes in -17C cold for my ride and the next day I walked 20 minutes in windy snow to get to a Wal-Mart to get some food, lucky my family was coming in 3 weeks and not at the same time. I got sick and stayed in bed for 3 days sleeping I couldn't move. But I recuperated and started using the bus system. It is very easy and not expensive but you need to know timing and roads so not to wait 1/2 hr for the bus in the cold. I started calling Architects and asking if they need any 3d renderings but most I hear is we are doing it in-house and send your resume, I tried to explain I am not applying for a permanent job but no use you can't argue with secretaries they keep repeating the same thing. I applied for employment for years and got responses like we like your work but don't need an employee of your caliber. now they are saying we have in-house staff that does what you do. so why didn't they hire me in the 1st place? Luckily I saved enough money from my successful work in Beirut and the US to last me for months.

We like it very much here despite the cold but I am not expecting any breakthrough in work. Canadians are very friendly and whenever I am sad or lonely I can go to the bus and start chatting with anyone and make good conversation. Everything here is expensive but top quality from basic foods to high end electronics. Taxes are high but I expected that.

My main goal now is to try and get some work. An architect told me I shouldn't have any trouble getting work with my portfolio and good prices, but just getting to talk to the person who decides on outsourcing renderings is a big endeavor. One secretary even told me she was not allowed to give out names, despite the fact that their website has the names of all principals. I felt she brought me back to the days where roadblocks were everywhere in Beirut and knowing a name would get you killed.

A lot of stress here right now as you might have guessed but I expected that and I came prepared, and I love Canada and maybe I won't leave on December whatever happens. Will I have to pull kids out of school again? and sell my car and furniture again?

Maybe they will have to taze me, handcuff me all the way to the airport.

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  • 4 months later...
so ihab , hows it going ,,, does anyone have any idea of how to get in touch , i had a fleeting thought in my head that maybe i can go see canada and try my luck too :D

 

So this calls for an update:

I applied for an extension a couple of months ago and it got refused. I applied online and didn't send any documents thinking they already have them from when I applied 5 months ago at the embassy but I was wrong, embassies and immigration Canada are NOT on a speaking term unless you commit a crime. Immigration people told me on the phone that they refused because I should only apply 3 months before expiry of my status, and that they need documents that prove that I am an asset to Canada and that I help create jobs (as if I am the one responsible for the ecopnomy in North America, plus their agent told me to apply asap at the Airport, they kept the $375 extension fee though). In the last 3 months I spent 30 grands in Canada so I think I am helping more than they think. I made only $500 from Canada in the last 5 months but I am too busy to advertise here anyway from jobs I am getting from Lebanon albeit not a good price compared to the amount of work and to the expenses in Canada. Kids and wife love Cnaada as I expected, public schools are amazing, teachers take so much good care of our kids.

All in all I don't know what will happen, they gave me till 8th of December, I am considering staying here even if they don't extend my stay be it that I would have spent 50 grands of my own saved money or from work not taken away from Canadians by then and I think they ow me a peacefull healthy life here after they brought me in just to refuse amy extension. I was told you can appeal deportation for years in courts.

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I have the first one of a kind self employed temporary visa they have given in the Middle East, the Consul at the embassy himself decided to give it to me. Apparently the immigration people here don't have his number or they would've called him and asked him what he saw in me!

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