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I'm here because I'm still doing some research on potential plans once I graduate this coming May.
I'm from Frostburg Maryland, and have been considering moving up to Montreal once I finish. I am a psychology major, and would eventually want to find non-profit work in some sort of social service or community outreach. However, I acknowledge that my first job will probably be something more general. Clerical asistant, retail, Sales, General office work, receptionist, etc. I am fine with this.
I speak French with a certain degree of fluency, but additional practice will be necessary for me. I can hold an hour long conversation about any common topic or interest with little or no difficulty, but certain technical or fast dialogue such as what you might hear on a news radio escapes me.
I am interested in the French language, culture and cuisine of Montreal. It just seems super interesting to me. I understand Montreal has a very reasonable cost of living, and this is comforting to me as well. I'm currently single, male, and am interested in making friends and socializing with French speaking Quebecois, lol.
Are there any serious considerations I should be aware of? I am still in the research phase, so am scouring the internet for info. How likely is it that I will secure a job? How livable is the city? Is it a nice and social city to live in? Are there lots of social events? How will I be received as an American expat? Would any of you who live there recommend it, or is this a bad idea, lol? Any insight or input is appreciated!
I can't imagine what would preclude my admission into Quebec or Canada in general. I have no legal issues, no dependents, or health problems. I can't think of any reason they would give me a hard time.
Last edited by PJSaturn; 12-28-2017 at 03:03 PM..
Reason: Orphaned (quoted post has been deleted).
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
17,330 posts, read 33,113,499 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Frostburg0311
[snip] I can't imagine what would preclude my admission into Quebec or Canada in general. I have no legal issues, no dependents, or health problems. I can't think of any reason they would give me a hard time.
All of that's good stuff that will get you over the border to visit. But rather than show what you don't have, in order to immigrate, you have to show what you have to OFFER this country. It's not only about keeping bad people out -- it's about CHOOSING which GOOD people we want in. And GOOD means that you're valuable, a contributing member of society and the economy, etc. This is not Ellis Island. This is not "Give me your tired, your poor..." This is more along the lines of "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." You've got to EARN this, baby.
All of that's good stuff that will get you over the border to visit. But rather than show what you don't have, in order to immigrate, you have to show what you have to OFFER this country. It's not only about keeping bad people out -- it's about CHOOSING which GOOD people we want in. And GOOD means that you're valuable, a contributing member of society and the economy, etc. This is not Ellis Island. This is not "Give me your tired, your poor..." This is more along the lines of "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." You've got to EARN this, baby.
Fair enough. I will definitely research Canadian immigration policy on my own. But for the sake of my original question on this forum, assuming I am eventually granted Canadian residency, what might my life be like in Montreal? Before I decide that this is something I might want to invest time and energy into pursuing and before I go through the lengthy residency application process, I want to anticipate what life might be like for me when I am there. While many say it might be a good idea, others may not be so quick to agree with this decision. What kind of job prospects might I have? How well would Montreal employers receive me? Would I be socially accepted? Are there good opportunities to meet new people, etc? Would it be worth it to live in Montreal as an expat?
Basically, suppose I go through the process, gain some form of residency in Canada. How likely is it that I might feel disappointed with my life in Montreal? Ofcourse, I plan on visiting this upcoming Spring to see for myself. But I am hoping to gather data points and real experiences from people who actually live there, not professional bloggers or youtube video makers.
I think before asking questions the first thing you should do is skim through the thread titles in this sub-forum and read the threads that would be relevant and already have the answers to the questions you're asking. You'll also find other information about things that you haven't thought of asking questions about but need to be thinking of.
Don't go asking questions here like "How likely is it that I might feel disappointed with my life in Montreal?" because questions like that asked online of strangers who don't know you are impossible to answer. You are the only person who knows yourself and is going to be able to figure out what will or won't disappoint you. Some of the threads that you read on the Montreal forum will help you to form those answers for yourself.
Try some expat forums too, just put "Montreal expat forums" into a google or bing search. You'll find lots of helpful expat sites come up. There are other ways to gather data online besides going to forums, blogs and youtube videos, but you will get your most important answers, discoveries and final decisions for yourself when you actually visit Montreal and spend some time there experiencing it for yourself.
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