Shocking ways to live in Canada without PR | #canadaimmigration

Once we applied and she got through admission in high school in Canada, then she applied for a student visa.

So you were sponsoring her high school from Switzerland because high school— they want to know if it's worth moving in Canada.

That's a million-dollar question.

Hello everybody, thanks for tuning into my channel. Today I have with me a very special guest, my childhood friend in school, and we met again back in Canada. So she's Rumjum Gupta. She is an entrepreneur and corporate communications professional, and she is in Canada right now, and we are going to go Into this rabbit hole of how she came to Canada and how is she living in Canada. You will know exactly in this video how you can, what are the ways you can come to Canada. Okay, so Rumjum, let's start with you asking you why did you come to Canada in the first place?

Okay, first I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity and you know. I know that there are lots of people outside who are wanting or have a lot of questions. You know, I had many and I understand what others might be going through and I will take this opportunity to share my experience. So happy to be here.

Thank you. We are very happy to have you here.

Yeah. So why I came to Canada is because primarily, you know, I was— I studied abroad but I couldn't settle earlier in my life, and I saw the opportunities that are there when you were studying in, say, UK or in Canada or in USA. When we were growing up, I think the Western dream was more luring.

Yeah.

Right now, with the development part that India is, I think India provides equal opportunities. Okay, so in spite of that, I chose because I had— I came to Canada in the sense like I am still on a temporary visa. Uh, and I will talk about the visa status later because I have switched from a work permit to a temporary visa with my PR application in process.

How long have you been in Canada?

So I've not been in continuity in Canada. So 2019 I came first, 2018 I came for a recce, then 2019 I came. Recce is basically I wanted to just check out the country because I was working and living, I was working and living in Switzerland. Okay, okay. I was working for an MNC, so I was there in Switzerland, and I was on a deputation for a couple of years. And primarily I came to Canada thinking about my daughter.

Okay, okay.

So with the, with the pressures that are there with regards to the Indian, you know, education system, it's excellent. People who do well in India, even average people in India, actually do very well in, in the, in, in countries like here. So, you know, but I wanted to give her that, you know, expanse of—

Better living.

Yeah, better living, better lifestyle. That's what I thought. But again, I will repeat that India also offers the best if you catch the veil. So I don't want to kind of say this is better than the other. You know, there are pluses and minuses in both the countries, to be clear. So I was in Switzerland and then, you know, I— and she was in high school at that point of time. And I came here because I was, I was on deputation, so it was a particular period of time that I would be in Switzerland. So I was kind of, you know, you were working in Switzerland? Yeah, yeah. Then I thought that in case I had to go back to India, you know, for her to go back to again, uh, adjust to, adjust to the Indian education system might get difficult. Though she has been doing IB throughout in India, she had done IB. IB means International Baccalaureate. It's a particular board of like, you have the, okay, there's an international Yeah, yeah, right. So she was enrolled in an IB school in Gurgaon, then an IB school in Switzerland, and then I— so it was easier for us to move because there was continuity from one country, one continent to the other. So that's when I, you know, when I got transferred back to India, that's when I decided that I'll quit my job and I'll come and, you know, be with her because she was still in high school. So I wanted to be a parent around. Basically, it's driven by You know, by the thought of being closer to my daughter as she's going through her teens.

And yeah, you know, but I wanted to know how how did she come to Canada and she how did she start her education?

So she came on a student visa first. So we did it. We first had a temporary visa, tourist visa. I got a ten years visa. Even she had an initially ten years visa. That was in 2018.

Okay.

Okay. And then she went once we applied and she got through admission in high school. school in Canada, uh, then she applied for a student visa. Okay, so then she came as a student.

So you were sponsoring her high school from Switzerland? Because high school, uh, yeah, yeah, for student visas you have to—

yeah, it's an international student, then you have to pay.

Otherwise students, uh, till high school it is free, the education is free in Canada. But because she is, um, an international student, she had to pay. And if you don't mind telling the viewers, how much was that cost coming to?

See, um, it's, it's— I mean, the viewers can do their research. It's quite expensive, uh, by Canadian standards, but all IB schools are expensive, so it differs from one school to the other.

So she had boarding facility, um, with boarding food facility.

Yeah, so it's a pretty high— I don't want to quote any figure because, you know, it might vary from one school to the other.

But approximate range of— because People will want to know, okay, this is also a possibility, you know. They would think— students would think, okay, I can go to Canada and do my high school. I didn't know that, you know. That's a big—

So depending on the school that you're going to, it can cost between $20,000 to $35,000 for schooling.

For a year?

For a year. For a year. Okay. And then your stay is separate. So there are various ways you can stay. You can stay with the local guardian, you can stay Uh, in the— on your own. But on your own, there are certain stipulations. So if you are under 16, then there are certain stipulations. You have to stay with the guardian.

Yeah, you have to do boarding, and boarding also costs more.

Yes. And also, you know, the best thing about Canada is like, if you're sending your child for high school, this thing, and you don't have any relatives, or you don't want to depend on any relative to be the local guardian, there is a body called ISCG. I'm forgetting the full term, but they kind of sign you up as local guardian. So they are very good. So I signed up my daughter for that. Oh, that's a possibility.

Even I didn't know that that is a possibility, you know.

Yes, because she was a minor when she came, right?

Yeah, coming here and like studying in a school.

Yeah, that's, that's a possibility. So the, the boarding facility was there for the school. In fact, you know, I, I kind of compared between Switzerland and, and Canada, uh, because she could have continued to be in Switzerland as an international student when I would have moved back to India. But, you know, culturally I feel somehow we are being a Commonwealth country, and I went to a Protestant school, and then I went to a Catholic school in India, right? And so—

You both went to the same school.

Yeah, we went to the same school. Yeah, Protestant school.

Yeah.

But so in Canada, somehow I found culturally, you know, the school— when I visited the schools, when I visited the boarding facilities, I found it to be more closer, and I could understand the culture better. Okay, you know, um, than, than, uh, in Switzerland.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's a good thing.

Because Canada, I will always want to say, when you say that why did I come to Canada, when did I come to Canada, related questions, I think Canada as a cultural— culturally they're very open. I must, must say they are very, very open. Yes, and I've kind of traveled quite a bit and I've seen that, you know, if you go to Switzerland as a tourist, it's a great country. But if you want to live there, you know, I mean, you know, I have a strong cultural identity and I want to maintain that and I want to share it on like on my shoulder. If it was warmer today, I would have worn an Indian outfit.

Indian outfit. Attire.

Yeah, but because, you know, today it's cold, so I kind of came in jeans and t-shirt and a jacket. But you can wear your sari, you can wear your salwar kameez, you can wear your Indian attire and be on the street and you will not be looked down upon, or you'll not have too many stares at you.

Yeah, yeah, that is the thing. In fact, people appreciate when you're wearing a sari over here. Yeah, people are actually looking at you in an appreciative way.

Yeah, and there is no evident, apparent, uh, you know, racism in Canada.

And she lives in Toronto, the heart of Canada, so she'll be able to say better because Toronto is culturally enriched. It's like it resembles Kolkata for me.

Yeah, I mean you can identify. Yeah, Uber guy, your your grocery guy, your if you want to pay your bills, if it's just I mean everywhere you will not miss your culture.

Yeah, that's the thing. That's the thing. So cool. Anyway, so when you came to Canada, so after that you came here as a tourist visa on a tourist visa.

I came here as a mother as a mother as a on a tourist visa. I already had a visitor visa, so it was valid. And then, uh, unfortunately COVID struck.

Oh, okay. That is 2019.

2019 I came, then I went back to India after putting her in hostel and everything. And then we came to, uh, came— I got my mother in February 2020. And, uh, so we were here, me, my mom, and, uh, we were here.

Yeah.

Um, and we thought that we'll just spend a few couple of— because we came on a spring break. Oh, you know, schools have a spring break in February, right?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Not spring break, I think, but there is a break in February. Spring comes much later, but, um, Good Friday or something. Some family day, family day weekend. Yes, I remember now. Yeah, it was a family day weekend when I came. And, um, but then, you know, we started hearing about COVID and then the possibility of a shutdown, and the school had started writing letters saying that, you know, there could be this, that, uh, And and then we basically got stuck because the flights like you know didn't were not working and we I actually stayed on to figure out my life with what would I do with my daughter.

Yeah, yeah. I remember those are the times you were she was in Windsor I think she was in Waterloo Waterloo Waterloo Waterloo and you were communicating commuting from Waterloo back to Toronto and I remember because she was in boarding school yeah.

And then, you know, and then we got stuck.

Yeah. Yeah.

So we got stuck and, you know, flights were not there.

So you were renewing your visitor's visa?

So because the flights were stuck, you couldn't travel out of the country, right? So we would— yes, legally we had to, you know, abide by all the norms that are there. I tied up with a law firm and there, you know, I started also looking for PR opportunities to apply in Canada because we were stuck. We were stuck badly. Yeah, and we didn't know what to do. I didn't have a job. So, um, then we decided on applying for a startup visa program.

Startup visa program, that is another kind of a visa you can apply for? Yeah, in Canada you can apply for—

I mean, in Canada, I mean, in India, wherever you are, it's a startup.

So you can apply for that startup visa program from India itself?

From India itself, but you know it's not an easy process because like you know because I was working in Switzerland and then you have to have that background to run a business as an entrepreneur. You have to have a successful business working and so so kind of you know so I did not so I kind of partnered with somebody so I did not start I did not apply for the starter visa in 2019. I applied it much later because you know I went through all the process. We had a startup in place in India, then we worked, we proved whatever needed to be proved, and then we applied finally in 2021. So after, when the, when the, you know, the, when the flight started operating, I went back to India again.

Okay, that was in 2021?

Yes, yes.

Okay.

2020.

2020.

2020, after a couple of months, I think the flights had opened.

Okay.

So I went back.

Okay, so then again you came on visitor's visa?

Then I came on a work permit. Oh, because okay, I remember when I came, when I re-entered Canada, visitors were not allowed at that point of time. Okay, but through the startup visa, I had also applied for a work permit. Okay, so only work permit holders and PR holders were allowed to enter the country. Okay, okay, so I entered with the work permit.

So when to understand this. So you applied for the startup visa as well as you applied for work permit at the same time.

Yes.

So that is how you got the work permit. Yes. So now you are— you can live here on a work permit.

I can live here on a work permit, but you know, my work permit is under renewal, and because I went back to India in between, my work permit got discontinued.

Okay.

So, so I now I'm here again as a visitor because I have a 10-year visa, but I cannot live here beyond 6 months. So I keep on traveling. I don't have to stick on now because my daughter is now— I mean, a lot of time has passed by. She now again stays— she goes to university now, and she's obviously older. She does not need me around that many, uh, that, that very much. So I now I'm again traveling in and out of the country. Like, I came here after 4 months, and then again I'll be going back in May, and then I'll come back, you know. Yeah, yeah, that's how I do it.

So now you are applying for PR.

Yeah, it's already there. I have already applied. Yeah, yes.

Okay. Yeah, but you're saying that it is not easy to get PR even now?

See, now the, the processes are taking much, much, much longer because of COVID Um, there's a lot of backlog. Yeah, so our, our case is still, uh, you know, it's pending. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It is. So I'm— so my, my founder of the startup business He is here on a work permit, and he's working. So, so he continues to stay over here. I will go back, but my work permit again processing time. It seems that it it will be renewed again soon. So, okay. So once again, once it's renewed, I come back again.

Okay. So, um, how long did you apply for PR? How long ago?

Twenty one.

Okay. So it's been almost two years.

Two years, and the Processing time for startup visa right now is 35 months.

Okay, so my God.

So if I get my work permit, then again I'll be able to stay in continuity. Otherwise, I again have to go out of the country.

Like, okay. So how how long can you stay with visitor's visa?

Six months at one stretch.

At one stretch, and then you go out and for a month, and you can come back after a month.

So that is not advisable because see it it is.

How long can you be?

For me, I, uh, for me it depends, you know. I've never stayed without a work permit for more than 6 months here. I mean, during COVID time, you— I was stuck, right?

Yeah.

But, uh, other than that, during COVID time, my mom also got stuck because she also has a visitor's visa. She got stuck because of COVID So that is the only time when you, you like— people were stuck, so they— the flights were not working, so we stayed on. But, um, in under temporary Visa, you cannot stay beyond four six months.

Six months. And then how long does it take for you to again come back as a?

See USA, it says that you cannot live more than six months in a year. Okay. The Schengen visa says that you cannot again stay more than six months in a year, and that too you cannot stay actually more than three months at one stretch.

That's what is a Schengen visa.

Schengen visa is a European.

This is Swiss visa.

Canada is a little different. You can go out, live, and then come back again. But it is only— I mean, you know, nobody should misuse this process because, I mean, you can go out, but you have to justify and you have to give a valid reason. So as to why are you staying for 6 months without a job as a tourist, and then you are stepping out and again you're coming in. I mean, you have to justify, right? And where will you get the funds from? Because you're not working over here, right? So who is funding you and whether you have adequate monies to kind of stay in Canada for whatever, 8 months, 12 months without earning anything in terms of Canadian currency, right? So that way it's not easy. So, and, and, you know, and I don't need to stay because I have work in India. So in the sense that, you know, I keep going— I mean, not work, work, professional work, but, you know, personal work I have. So I, I don't, I don't have to stay here like at a stretch for 6 months that way without a work permit.

Given a choice, if you get your PR, would you like to move into— stay in Canada for good, or move, like, move, keep moving in India and back?

So that again depends on— obviously I'll respect the process, and you know, if I get PR, obviously the intention is to be a permanent resident, right? But at the same time, uh, I will also see the opportunities visa. So it's a, it's an open question in terms of—

You need to have a job or work, start up your own business.

I already have the startup. You already have the startup? Yeah, so I'll get back into kind of, uh, so I mean, I do my startup work from India also when I don't have a work permit in Canada.

Then whatever startup work, because it's global now, you can work from anywhere, you know, everything is internet and global.

So then I work From India, but so yeah. So it will depend like how our startup also moves on because for my startup I have to be here, right? Once I get my work permit because it's based here. Yes, and when I get my PR, I have to be here.

So depending they can operate from any part of the world.

Yes, yes. So yeah, but but you see the thing is if you have applied and if you've got permanent residency, then I will use it, right? Yes, yeah. Of course. Otherwise, I mean what's the point?

Yeah, actually, yeah.

Yeah.

So then you think you're going to apply for citizenship and live here as vis-à-vis living in India. Which do you prefer? I'm not asking you to choose because I would say which because people are the people who want to come to Canada. They want to know if it's worth moving in Canada.

That's a million-dollar question whether it's a. So basically you have to decide what is it that you want in life, okay? Immigration is not a very easy thing, okay? You have to sacrifice certain things, you know. You have to sacrifice, uh, your social front. You might have to sacrifice economically. You have to sacrifice— it can be, you know, so you, you, you lose— you gain some, you lose some. Let's put it that way.

Yes.

Right? So you have to Prioritize. I am here in Canada currently. Yes, I want to live and enjoy the Western style of living, but at the same time, my priority is to be closer to my daughter.

Okay. That's it.

That is why I, I, I am living here right now.

Yeah, she's a mother. Yeah.

So yeah, and, uh, so that's why I'm here. Okay, so, uh, so I mean, it depends on if you are wanting to work and live, and if you feel that you have better opportunities, and if you think that you can do better, but, uh, in, in, in Canada than in India, then of course why not explore, you know?

But I would say— sorry to interrupt— I would say that, uh, you know, I have been interviewing a lot of people and, uh, who have had experience in lots of countries. Like, you have experience in Switzerland, they've had experience in Dubai and Vietnam. And so everybody wants to come to Canada.

Why?

Even I was in India, like, I— when I moved. So what is the attraction that people come to Canada about? Why do they, you know— so that is what I wanted to know.

So immigration-wise, the laws, immigration laws, are quite— Canada is open to immigrants and immigration.

Yeah. Okay.

If you're able to contribute to the country, the country is— it reciprocates.

Yeah, okay. So other countries, other countries, like you said— I'm sorry, yeah, uh, like you said, education-wise you wanted, um, like your daughter wanted to move to Canada, not Switzerland. Like she had an option to be in Switzerland, yeah, but she was not comfortable, so wanted to move to Canada.

Yeah, so Switzerland, another thing is that in Switzerland, you know, English is not the primary language over there. In Switzerland, you have to know one of the local languages, which is French. Italian or German. Okay, so yeah, so French was her second language, uh, but you know, uh, while you want to do your postgrad master's program, you find many, uh, master's program being offered in English. There are courses in undergrad also. Yeah, um, but you know, uh, yeah, and Switzerland— see, Europe, definitely, uh, Europe is closer, closer to Asia. But also, you know, Canada, Canada also is part of the American dream. It's part of North America. So if you're opening a company in Canada, you can branch out to USA also.

Yeah, right.

For me, culturally, I found, like I said, you know, I am very, very strong on maintaining my cultural integrity and being myself. Okay, so this, I found Canada to be more open. Yeah, as a society where they recognize different, different cultures, different languages.

Yes, like I, when I fly out from India and I'm landing in— this is my experience— when I fly out from India and I'm landing in one of the European countries as a layover, I feel I am in a foreign country. But the moment I take off from there and land in Canada, I feel like I'm back to my home.

You see a lot of familiar faces.

Yes, so I feel I'm back, back to, back in India except for the weather which is so cold. I feel like everybody is Indian starting from the people at the airport to the air hostesses, everybody is Indian and so it becomes like you're back home, that kind of a thing it feels. Yeah, yeah, so this video we came to know a lot of ways you can come to Canada, a lot of other ways say, other than immigration, which even I didn't know, that a student can come here on a student visa and study in schools, in high schools too. Yes, you have to pay the international fees. It's not going to be free like PR holders.

So, you know, it's very popular amongst Chinese to send their— or Southeast Asian students. A lot of people, in fact, you know, the that Durga went to, um, they had a lot of people coming from China. So in India, the trend is more to send now— I mean, when we were going to school, uh, we would be going during postgrad most of the time.

Yes.

Right? I also went during postgrad. Uh, then in India, I think undergrad has caught up in a big way.

Yeah.

High school, I think it is still kind of— I'm sure people will be tapping in. Yeah, high school—

this is a very interesting—

yeah, high school was not that very popular even when my daughter was in India and, you know, was— but I'm sure it will catch up.

I'm sure it will catch up. If you have the money to send, like she said, it's gonna cost about $20,000 to $30,000 a year, Canadian dollars a year. So if that plus boarding costs and everything, if you have the money, and a lot of people in India have that kind of money, It's not a very big deal.

So to have that kind of, but the only thing is, you know, the only thing is that you are sending a minor to a foreign country. Okay, and that was the key why I quit my job. Otherwise, I did not need to quit my job. You know, kids study abroad. I mean, it's a very common thing, right?

There's no question of safety over here.

No, there's no. No, no, no, no. There's no. I will not. No, I don't think so. There is any any major deal in terms of safety or anything. But yeah, but you know, minors, you know, I I felt that you know I needed to be closer physically and emotionally. Yeah, to my child.

Yeah, and it's a very the growing years. Yeah, you need to be mother.

And high school is when you're going to grade nine, so you're not even sixteen. You know, a lot of kids like you know my my kid was about fourteen because she was studying a little earlier.

Yeah, and so she was there.

Yeah, so fourteen fifteen. 16, 17, you know, very, very tender age, so to say. Because tender, not, not— I mean, they don't need you physically, but they are— they definitely need you emotionally. And if you want to have that connect of you— but, but that's my personal view. I mean, I mean, there are, there are— I mean, people study in hostels in India also, right? They go to boarding school in India also. That's— I mean, that's why I—

when I came, my son was only 12, so he had to be He had a lot of culture shock. At my time, it was a lot of culture shock for him. Yeah. So that time I also had— could not work full-time because I had to be with him. Yeah. Yeah. To be a padding.

And, and when my daughter was in, you know, high school and was in boarding, I know I would hear stories about other kids, you know, who have come from other parts of the world and how they were trying to cope. Because even anybody— I mean, if you hear as adults when we move and immigrate, we have issues, right?

We have issues.

If you're doing a postgraduate degree, then also you'll have issues. If you're doing undergrad, then also you'll have it. But you know, with every age, your ability to take that shock or to— I mean, children learn fast, that, that's one thing, that they adapt faster than a grown-up. But at the same time, you know, there are different kind of challenges, maybe, you know.

Yeah, different kind of challenges people face, and each and every person is fighting their own battle. Yeah, but as a mother, you would like to be Yes. That is, that is the reason, uh, like Rumjum was there. But, um, I guess that, oh, this opens up a whole new way of, you know, moving to Canada. And of course, I would say it's worth it. It's worth moving to Canada. I've been here for 15 years now, and, uh, I simply love this country. I consider it my adopted motherland. And yeah, I've only got good things from this country so far. Only got, only been relaxed. So thank you guys for watching, and thanks Room Joom for coming to my show and coming to Frontline and Chai and reliving your life in Canada. That was really nice. You shared so many important information which I'm sure a lot of viewers will find it very useful. So let me know, viewers, in your comments. And if you want to know anything more, we can have again another podcast for that. You know, if I get enough comments, please let me know if you want to know whatever you want to know. And also subscribe to my channel, completely needless to say. And you can watch any of these videos over here or here and check out my other channel, other videos. Thank you for watching. Bye-bye.

Thank you.