My immigration journey started when I left my home country (Nigeria) to America to study for my Masters. I had big hopes for what America had in store for me after studying, till the recently past administration put laws in place to stifle the plans of immigrants.
Towards the end of my program, I thought it wise to start looking at a plan B in case my American plan doesn't pan out well. The Canada Express Entry was a great plan B since they were offering Permanent Residency for skilled professionals. Something that America wasn't giving on a platter of gold. I immediately started the Express Entry process and it took about 7 months after submission, for my Permanent Residency application to be approved (It was faster for some people that I know).
During those 7 months of waiting for my application to be approved, I joined many Canadian immigration support groups (whatsapp groups, online forums, Facebook groups). Many of the people on those groups shared information for free.
Some of that information was either from their experience or the research they had done. As a "soaker" of information, I diligently took many to heart and took it up a notch higher by doing further research. I also realized how a misinformation or lack of knowledge could mar your dream of going to Canada.
When I arrived in Canada, I hustled for several months before I got a "breather" (the new immigrant hustle can be real lol). As soon as I got one, I thought that it would be nice to give back to people who are looking to immigrate to Canada but don't know how to go about it.
People who are qualified for the process but don't know that they are. People who aren't qualified and don't know what to do to get qualified. These informed my decision to start @canadaexpressentrygirl on Instagram.
The relocation experience has come with a lot of mixed feelings. I am excited to have some form of stability in my life.
I am happy that in the next two years I get the opportunity to apply for Canadian Citizenship. It's so surreal. Who wouldn't be over the moon about getting a Canadian passport?!
H: YOUR ADVICE TO THOSE HOPING TO MIGRATE…
Anyways, for those looking to immigrate to a developed country from a developing country, especially one like Canada, there are so many benefits. Career advancement opportunities, Healthcare benefits, child benefits, accessibility to basic amenities, good quality of life, to name but a few. Of course, it's not a perfect world so there may be a few cons. I can categorically say from my experience that the pros outweigh the cons. Think deeply, weigh your options, do a lot of research and make the decision as soon as you can.