Maple Asian... you don't have any right to judge others by your standards.

How can you presume I have not filed my taxes all these years. Just for your information.... I have an accountant in Canada who has been filing our returns since last three years as per the Canadian laws. I also have my own lawyer in Canada who has been advising me on our PR status etc.

I have ensured from the beginning that my papers are all clear and in good order so that there will not be any problems if we want to move to Canada permanantly at a later date.

Do you think I am such a fool as not to file the returns and goof up the whole thing.

Give others some credit and don't judge others with your standards. Now you are asking me what benefit immigrants such as me will bring to Canada. Just for your information we have put a big amount as deposit for our daughter in Canada for which we are not getting any interest. When we retire, we can bring in a even bigger amount as deposits.

Well... if my daughter is getting education in Canada, it is not free... we are paying for it.... and after she gets a Canadian passport it is up to her to give what she wants to the Canadian society.

Maple Asian.. your reply is very rude .. well I do not care what you think of immigrants like me.

It is a good and quick response you have given Kuwaituser - and I wish to reply you in details so will do it later (presenly I am in office).

but let me tell you, except for the sister in USA thing - I expected all the other points in your reply, so there is nothing that I really have to think about.

I am sure I can now help in clearing your confusion a lot.

Chandresh

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Chandresh

Advice is free – lessons I charge for!!

Chandresh, I look forward to your valuable advise !

I do side with M_A on one thing as there was another user from Dubai who had mentioned that he wanted to gain PR status but stay put in Dubai so that his daughter / son could study in Canada at lesser fees . It may or may not be true in your case K_U.

I recall reading your posts and your very calculative analysis for your dsn at that time. I am sure as Chandresh has pointed , if you enlist all your pros and conses of each choice taking a time frame of 10 years in mind , the answer will emerge yourself.

Although its very very subjective but what I roughly foresee is

1. If you stay in Kuwait for the next 10 years , you have comfortable stable life plus your funds increase sizeably . Canada does not promise that and in most probability would be oppositte .

2. After you have funds in your pocket , you can afford to immigrate both to Canada / Australia as an Investing PR category . So all would not be lost even if your daughter does not sponsor you / it does not fall through .

3. Alternatively if you come to Canada , you will be able to make do quite comfortably with your current level of savings and probably start some business which can assure steady if not big income . This way you can be close with your daughter ( generally parents wish to stay with their daughters till they get married ) . Plus you will be more adapted to Canada in 10 years.

Its a hard decision , but you alone know your priorities .Pick one and then .... joh mil gaya usee ko muqaddar samajh liya , jo kho gaya main usko bhulaata gaya ........

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Fido.

I have used my lunch hour for this............you owe me a lunch whenever you do come to Canada!!!

My response is given point by point:


Facts why head is ruling the heart :
1. Currently holding very well paid jobs with a net savings in six digits in Canadian dollars after all living costs, daughers education and other expenses here.

There would be very few accountants – and believe me they have to be local CAs and CGAs to earn a six digit salary. It is state which most Canadian accountants can only dream of !Even I, a CA from India, and CPA from USA, cannot dream of this now that I am in my late 40s

2. Cost of living is very low here, no income tax to pay, no VAT or tax when shopping, no car insurance, no charges for water, very low charges for electricity, rents are low.
High salary and low cost of living – what a dream come true. You are blessed and spend the rest of your time in Kuwait counting your blessings

3. Full time maid - no cooking, cleaning etc.
you can have that here – only if you earn in six digits – but with two days off each week and many other regulations

4. Five minutes drive to the office
ain’t that great – but who says you cannot have it here too – in fact many persons work from home

5. Very relaxing job - no rush or running, nil stress
That is another blessing. In today’s world it is hard to find such people not only in Canada but all over the world, even in India

6. India is very close, can visit parents and relatives often
A thing I now realize – especially when there are weddings in the family or deaths of elders, and I cannot visit India – purely due to distance and time required – not because of money involved

7. Airline travel cost from the Middle East is low, hence can take vacations atleast twice a year.
Every expat does that……….but in Canada, most people do not even possess passports – and so never travel outside of Canada. Whether the vacation is to your hometown or to some other places in the world, it is another blessing!

8. Fear of a major change in life at this age - what if we do not gel with the Canadian society.
that is a heart issue which mind is helping you to think about and perhaps resolve. But a very very important issue. It is easier said than done – that having lived outside of India, and traveled a lot, we will be able to gel with the western society. I have been here for six years and out of India for 23 years – but western life is still not my cup of tea

9. Lots of friends here who have time for us and we have time for them and hence good social life.
that is something you can have in Canada too – lots of friends – but time???????? I have a friend or two who I used to talk to atleast twice a week and meet atleast once week till both were semi-employed or unemployed. Last year I got a regular job and he started complaining that I do not talk to him as often as we used to. He got a good job after 5 years 4 months ago – and just this morning I was thinking I haven’t met them for 3 weeks and have not talked for over 10 days. And we are just 12 minutes drive from each other!!!

10. Our daugher is planning do her Master/Phd in Biotechnology in the United States after she gets her Canadian passport, so the possibility of her getting a job in the US and finally settling there is more likely to happen.
Most youngsters do that since US offers more money, better career, and more fun ofcourse

12. Our daugher is persuading us to stay back in Kuwait, as she says our permant move to Canada may allow her to visit us frequently, however as she is studing in McMaster University, most likely we may be employed near downtown Toronto and the chances of our daugher visiting us every week of for that matter very month may not happen. Her advise is spending quality time rather than quantity time.
Seems she is a very wise girl and you should follow her advice since she is here and knows it up, close and personal. And in case she is not wise as we might think from her advice – you should definitely follow her advice since it means she does not want you to be here!!!!! And that makes her extremely wise too

13. We can support our daugher's education in one of the top Universities in the US if we continue to stay here.
Absolutely right. My son was selected for Ivey – could not send him there due to my ‘unemployment’ at that time and will regret it for the rest of my life

14. We can settle in Canada once we retire from here, when our daughter sponsor us as dependant parents.
Yes definitely – if you really want to even at that time. But then are you ready to break your back and get knee replacements to enable you to shovel snow, vacuum the floors, etc. etc. after retirement when you have NEVER done such things earlier
15. We can spend our retired life in Canada doing some charity work or voluantry work.
Good idea – except that one third of the Canadian working class in involved in that – or get their wages from charities and you will be just another one
16. Fear of exhausting all our savings if we do not get good jobs and later forced to do labour work.
Have you heard of that – I have become a millionaire after coming to Canada – what were you before that????? – A billionaire!!!! It has happened with me – the pain is still there!
17. I am not sure how I will manage in very cold weather.
that is not really a problem – unless you feel cold in air conditioned office too
18. We are not technically qualified, both of us will have to do some fresh courses and look for jobs and start our career all over again.
that is actually a blessing if you want to come to Canada – since that forces you to do some courses and does not leave you frustrated that your professional qualifications are of no value here!

Facts why heart is ruling the head:
1. What if we get good jobs in Canada within three or four months of our move.
There is a what if and it is a very big one – considering your age. And by the way, you will have to define what is a good job
2. Can be near our daughter and can see her any time we want and may be able to influence her life more being physically closer to her.
One of the major differences in life in Asia and the west is the extent of influence parents have on a child’s life. In Canada it is expected that after high school parents will play and advisory role ONLY WHEN advise is sought by the child, not when the parents feel like providing it. Infact, a high school student after the age of 16 or 17 I think is allowed to tell his school NOT to send his grades cards to his parents
3. What if we do not get a PR status later when our daughter applies for our dependant visa.
So what is the big deal? Why is Canada so important? And if it really is, you can ‘buy’ your PR by investing on business visa with all the great savings you are making in Kuwait
4. Canada is very green, nice and a very beautiful place during summer
Right – but very dark, grey, white and depressing during the winters – which by the way is longer than summers
5. Pension after we retire, which we will not get in the Middle East.
you will make more in simple interest out of your savings than you will ever get as pension – and that too if you decide to come to Canada at such a late stage in life, since pension amounts are somehow linked to the contributions one has made in his working life.
6. Medical is free in Canada till our deathas where as medical is free only in the Middle East till we are employed here.
free????? Highly mistaken. They save you from dying……but charge you for it through taxes each month. And by the way, they save you from dying, but take their own sweet time to do it – only when they are sure you will die if there is any more delay.
7. What if a war errupts due to the current situation in Iran
what if ME countries finally decide to attack Canada too – they have been troubled enough by Canada also – and for them attacking Toronto is easier than attacking New York or Washington.
8. I have the confidence of starting a new career all over again, integrating into the Canadian society and getting to the top if there are opportunities in Canada.
Each immigrant who decided to finally make it to Canada has the confidence – even I had too – with my experience, my professional qualifications and my savings. All that has evaporated in last 5 years. Yes there are some very successful immigrants – but they are a minority and that is now a national issue here.
9. My sister is in the US, so I can visit her frequently
How often? Twice a year? That is if you have a good job and are able to take time off. I have a sister and a nephew in New Jersy – 1 ½ hrs flight from here. Haven’t visited NJ for oves 4 years and haven’t seen my nephew’s son who is now almost 5!!! If I was still in Singapore, I would have visited them more often with my finances and longer holidays
10. May be I will be more healthy living in Canada in the long run with all the running around and doing ??? the body cannot be healthy by doing running around in search of jobs and meeting ends. It can be healthy by taking evening walks and gym which you can do more in Kuwait with so much time to spare and stress free life as written by you. house work etc.


So friend, draw you own inferences now. Just another piece of advise – take into consideration one important thing – even if each point was given equal weightage, the first part easily outnumbers the second part!!!!

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Chandresh

Advice is free – lessons I charge for!!

Luckily, unlike Chandresh I don't need to waste my lunch hour.

Don't come to Canada.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by yellowknife

Luckily, unlike Chandresh I don't need to waste my lunch hour.

Don't come to Canada.

---

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Chandresh

Advice is free – lessons I charge for!!