This website is about our emigration journey from South Africa to Canada.
Who are we?
We are a family of 4, originally from Cape Town, now calling Canada our home. We fell in love with this country and we’d love to share the joy with fellow South Africans wishing to come here too.
We’re not immigration agents, nor do you need an immigration agent to complete your immigration application. We completed our own successful application. It was a lot of work and took time, but we persevered and learned a lot during the process. You can do it too!
Am I too old to immigrate?
Perhaps you feel that you are too old or under-qualified to come to Canada. We thought we were. We are often too quick to accept being told that we may not have enough points to emigrate. You won’t know until you explore all options for yourself. There are many ways to take up residency in a new country.
As an immigrant you are taking a brave step into a new world of opportunity. Immigration is a very personal process. Every situation is different, and this can be a good thing because there are many different ways to apply.
The Application Process
The Canadian govt. immigration website contains a lot of information. Understanding all of this can be a challenge and some of the terminology used may be difficult to understand especially when it covers more complex topics.
English is our home language yet during our application process we sometimes found ourselves having to work through and re-read sections to make sure we fully understood.
One of the main things we struggled with was trying to figure out affordability. We needed to know what life in Canada was going to cost to maintain a similar standard of living to what we were accustomed in South Africa. We drew up shopping lists each month with prices based on the main Canadian grocery stores and ran them in a table comparison against SA prices. We checked prices of vehicles, fuel, public transport, cost of medicines and doctors. We checked what the salaries here are like and how this would afford our lifestyle. We looked at what benefits were available to immigrants and found a lot of support already exists. We did this and much more because we did not want to have any surprises when we landed.
The application processes, rules and requirements on the immigration website can be daunting. One may feel discouraged by the amount that needs to be done. After completing this process ourselves, we can honestly say that it is a lot of paperwork, but it’s still just paperwork. You chip away at it bit-by-bit and at some point you have all your documents and can submit your application online.
We made some great contacts along the way. It can be challenging to get certain documents in South Africa such as unabridged birth certificates, police clearances and transcripts from your school or tertiary institution. We were fortunate to find good people who were able to help us get these documents quickly.
Coming to Canada is not just about the Canadian side. We needed to wrap things up in SA and there were a lot of considerations. Would we sell our house or leave it behind as an investment? How to cancel our cellphone contracts and how to enable roaming before leaving if we decide to keep our SA numbers a little bit longer. How to enable our SA bank credit cards for international use, how to send money to Canada affordably. How long before leaving should one take the kids out of school, and when do the Canadian school terms start?
Other practical relocation questions such as what to take in your suitcases and carry-on luggage when you depart, and what is permitted in your bags. How to balance the required clothes to wear for departure, in-air travel and for landing (if you leave SA in summer you’ll be landing in the Canadian winter). Does one ship a container of household goods or is it better to sell up and buy new in Canada? What are the rules for getting pets to Canada? What are the rules for driving in Canada when coming with an SA driving licence, and do I even need a car? In my new town, which are the best suburbs for me to live in?
The physical journey and the emotional journey
Immigrants have to go through two journeys, the first being the physical relocation to a new country and the second being the emotional journey shared by you and your family (those that depart and those that remain).
Looking back, the one thing I wish we had was someone else who had already completed the process to tell us we’re on the right track. Someone to ask questions and get direct and helpful answers, someone to show us where to find the answer or help find the answer for us. Just someone in our corner to say “I am here for you”, someone who understands the challenges and emotions of leaving family and friends behind.
The four of us landed in Canada with our 8 suitcases at night after a 14 hour flight from Dubai. The kids were so tired they fell asleep on top of our luggage cart. We would do this very differently if we had to do it again to make it a bit easier on all of us. If we had someone here, a friendly South African face to fetch us at the airport and perhaps to help us get settled in our new home, it would have been most welcome.
When you meet South Africans in Canada, as we have, it gives one a sense that everything will be OK. If other South Africans are managing well in Canada, then so can you. Living here is just like living in SA. They have all the big stores that you would expect and more. The brands are a little different but there are also many of the same brands that you were used to in SA. You can buy rooibos tea and Marmite off the shelf here.
Canada is an amazing country, the weather is far better than what people say and the lifestyle is great! The streets are safe, there are great educational prospects for your children, cost of living is reasonable, electricity and water plentiful, cheaper fuel and travel is easier. The people are friendly and accepting of immigrants from all backgrounds. This really is a country for everyone and is actively seeking immigrants. There is already a growing community of South Africans here.
Why emigrate?
There are the usual reasons and push factors from SA, and then there are the pull factors to Canada when considering Canada as your future country. We felt Canada would be a good fit for our future.
These are our personal experiences as South Africans who have been through the process, have experienced the ups and downs, the sadness of letting go and the joy of arriving.
Immigration is a very personal process and a large part of this is understanding your own motivations for moving, your personal feelings, hopes and dreams. Read more about this on the next page, Making the Decision.
