Back in mid-2020, when I first expressed my interest in relocating to Canada, my employer hooked me up with an amazing immigration team. Based out of British Columbia, these immigration experts secured work permits and student visas for myself, my wife and our two kids. Moreover, they managed to make it happen when the border between the US and Canada was completely shut down (it was downright eerie crossing the border). It was always my plan to stick with them through the whole process from work permit to permanent resident to citizen. We even had a timeline all worked out. If I had stuck with them, my family and I would likely have gotten PR around the end of 2022, and we would be eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship around the end of 2024, approximately 9-11 months from the time of this writing (February 2024). But more importantly, my family would not have needlessly spent 20 months feeling that our hopes and dreams had been dashed. And all we'd have had to do was stick with the original immigration team.
20 months is a long time for a family to feel adrift. It's a long time to feel hopeless, to feel that the country you chose doesn't really want you, to feel that your kids don't really have a future here. It's a long time to feel like you've painted yourself into a corner. (Why did we choose Canada? What was the original game plan? What's the new game plan? Stay with me; I'll get to that in future issues.) It also happens to be a long time to watch perplexed as hundreds of thousands of other immigrants get fast-tracked to PR and citizenship.
No, indeed we did not stick with the original team. The people in charge of our Canada operations insisted that we use their immigration lady instead. Don't get me wrong; I love my Canada team. They're charismatic and have really big hearts. I owe them all a really big thank-you for helping my family relocate to Canada. But now I know, hindsight being 20/20 and all, that I should've stuck to my guns. I know you're sponsoring us, but respectfully, this is my life and my family we're talking about; I insist that we stick with Miracle Max. That's what I should've said back in April 2022.
The immigration lady that we switched to specialized in British Columbia. After her initial case review, she should've recused herself on the grounds that she had no experience with Ontario's provincial nominee program. She should never have taken the money.
Here are some excerpts of what she told us:
“On 21st May (2023), when you reach 2 years of Canadian work experience, you will gain 11 points…you will then gain 2 points on 12th August, when Susan…reaches 2 years of Canadian work experience. Even with these additional 13 points, you will still only have 278 points, which is very far off the currently required 480+ points to receive an invitation to apply.”
“As we discussed previously, it may well be difficult if not impossible for you to find a path forward to Permanent Residence without a Provincial nomination.”
“Because of eligibility issues, it might not be possible for Gene to apply to the OINP…”
“As a somewhat radical solution, I could suggest that you propose to [your employer] that they move you to a different Province, where it would be much easier to obtain a nomination.”
“Highly problematically, Immigration Canada has not extended a single invitation to apply for PR in the CEC Class since mid-September 2021.”
You can perhaps see why Susie and I might've begun to feel like this wasn't going to happen for us.
Fast forward to early 2024, and we're now learning, in real time, that Ontario's provincial nominee program wasn't all that difficult after all. Too bad, because by the time we got the invitation we had already made up our minds: we're on the wrong bus. Julien has already accepted a job in the United States. Our hearts aren't in it anymore. It was too long in limbo. Let's face it: even the locals have never seen their cost of living skyrocket the way it's been doing since 2021. Our kid can't even get a job interview at Tim Horton's or Popeye's. There is no way we're ever going to buy a home here. A million five for a dump? Please. And don't get me started on the taxes.
So yeah, thanks for the invitation to apply for PR, but we're going to take a pass.
So now the Baslers are working on a new plan. I haven't given up on my dream to give my children the gift of a second citizenship, but I have made up my mind that Canada's no longer part of the plan. Stay tuned, and thanks for all your kind thoughts. Meanwhile, reply directly to this newsletter with your questions; it'll come directly to me. Thanks!