Jennifer Pacquing

In 2013, I flew from Manila, Philippines, to Dubai and spent most of my years there working in the human resources department for a company. One day, I was walking home from work in Dubai and someone – perhaps a visa consultant – was handing out flyers for Canadian immigration. I had heard so many good things about Canada, like its healthcare benefits, the quality of life here etc. I checked the Government of Canada website and learned that applying for permanent residence is a very straightforward procedure. So, I arranged my documents and submitted my application in 2017, selecting provinces such as Ontario and British Columbia. My score in Express Entry did not reach the cut-off score for the year 2018 and hence, the application expired. I applied again, this time selecting all the provinces, and Alberta selected me for their AINP program. From Dubai, I went home to the Philippines for a month and then booked a one-way ticket to Calgary. It has been an adventure ever since.

I’ve had a good experience so far. The pandemic was declared here soon after I landed so I am yet to explore places.

Right after I received my visa, I registered online for Planning for Canada’s services. I was contacted by a facilitator and I had a Group Orientation (GO) session and then a Personalized Planning Session (PPS). I enrolled well in time and was able to learn about the services in detail.

I’m very grateful to Planning for Canada for all the assistance, information and resources they shared with me. I kept referring back to those after reaching Canada. In my one-on-one session with my advisor, we had set a short-term goal for employment and long-term goal for local education. I didn’t want to spend all my funds on daily expenses. My advisor suggested alternative jobs where I could apply my former work experience. Following her advice, I found a customer service job in 32 days after landing in Canada. And now, I’m also studying alongside my job.

In my sessions with Planning for Canada, I was told about Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS). I reached out to them within a week of landing and was put into training through their career bridge workshop for three weeks. I learned so much and networked with so many people. CCIS also assisted me with all my employment and settlement concerns. At the end of the training, we got a chance to get interviewed by employers at a career fair. I found a job and the pandemic hit soon after. I’ve been working from home since May. It’s going well.

Before I moved to Canada, I was working in human resources. Right now, I have a customer service job where I am able to apply all my transferable skills. Recently, I was considered for a different position which I consider the first step in my career advancement.

My advice to immigrants is to take advantage of pre-arrival services. While it is important to research about the province you are headed to, also reach out to organizations such as Planning for Canada that offer customized support and guidance free of cost. You might find blogs, forums and articles online, but it is better to get the information from organizations that have years of experience and updated information for newcomers.