Close Reading

But its not great, and it hasn't been great in a long time, everything went down la toilette after 2001, and here we are, it should never be a difficult decision, most Canadians are brainwashed into thinking its a great place. Most Canadians are terrified to step out into the unknown, so like a caged bird, it prefers the caged life. If you ACTUALLY leave Canada, you'll feel the weight literally lift off. Me, its been 20 years and counting since I left, you can do it, if I can do it, anyone can.

Deeply disappointed and disillusioned with the current state of affairs. It’s increasingly difficult to afford the cost of living. Wishing you the best in your new country. ❤

Sorry to dissapoint those looking fo greener pastures but our world is in an incredibly difficult situation, not just Canada. Earth cannot support eight billion people for an extended period of time and it is soon to be nine billion. Many have seen this coming for decades. An economy built on growth and waste on a planet with finite resources is problematic

Very difficult time before leaving your home to abroad.

The future is uncertain, no matter where you live. People often expect their country to provide stability and resist change, but these are difficult promises to keep. Just look at Ukraine.\n\nCanada, too, may be failing its citizens in some ways. It doesn't seem to inspire a deep sense of patriotism or love for the country. Many are distracted by the allure of greener pastures, lured by promises and travel ads. There's little gratitude for those who sacrificed their lives a century ago or those who built the safe, secure nation we have today. Instead, they are often labeled as colonizers, with their statues torn down.\n\nPerhaps the concept of a nation is fading. But if you drift away, you may find yourself replaced, and no one’s going to say, “How dare you!”\n\nPopulations are becoming fluid, and countries are no longer rigid containers. Moving to a new place might not be as meaningful if the concept of nations dissolves.\n\nA nation is more than just borders; it’s an accounting system. Consider this: How long do you need to work in a country to earn a pension? In the USA, it’s 40 years. If you haven’t put in the time, you might be leaving money on the table. As a retiree, I say thanks!\n\nBut will you ever collect that pension? I am. I spent two years in the USA and returned. My parents had health problems—remember them? They didn’t work 40 years in the USA either. And those Canadian dollars don’t stretch far in the States. Tricky, eh!\n\nSometimes, countries struggle to manage pensions. The country might be too big, its borders too porous, its economy too fragile, and its people too ready to abandon it. Yet, Canada’s natural resources, like Ontario’s 20% of the world’s fresh water, guarantee its revenue. That will be gold soon enough, and you can bet the USA, the global superpower, will want a piece of it.\n\nThe immigrants coming to Canada are smart.

Sorry dear -- Canada & the US -- SUCK -- compared to what they once were ! --- We both have been blessed to have had the best both had to offer in their best days. - - - Neither country has to offer what they used to ! --- Hopefully you will find your best place. I been looking myself but for me it's almost too late. > It is very difficult to replace them with 100% better ? --- Best of luck to you.

I’m a Korean American who has lived here my entire life since birth. I have lived in many other places and the thing about immigrants is they ALWAYS share the same traits wherever they go. \nI live in an affluent area and whenever the immigrants from poor countries come in they all do the same things…throw trash and litter everywhere, the attitude of “I made it just like you therefore I deserved to be treated like a king”..telling them to turn down the music at 2am and not understanding why so instead you are met with argumentative resistance instead of them just saying “hey we’re sorry won’t happen again, we don’t want to be that guy in this neighborhood. Our apologies” but nope. They continue to do it night after night and the audacity to even get angry. The crowding of all of their families in disrepspectful ways such as cutting in line while everyone else is patiently waiting, if there is free samples of food, they will group up and annihilate whatever they are offering not even caring about anyone else but their own. Leaving a very bad image for us East Asians when people from the red flag dragon nation come in droves. Being extremely loud in public while talking about petty nonsensical things most times but they yell and laugh not caring whoever else is around. Even if the room is quiet they have zero situational awareness, never putting things back when they grab them from stores or gym etc. they expect someone to pickup and do this for them. The entitlement ?….if something is on sale they don’t understand to take just one or two, they have to take the entire box so no one else can get it. \nI his list never ends and they don’t understand why people don’t want them living in their countries. It’s not just Germany it’s everywhere. \nHow do you expect people to like you when you make it difficult to do so.

Yeah sure, the pooping and crime cannot be made into a stereotype but lack of manners or lets say civility is so much in Indians. We find it difficult to smile, thanks, apologize, welcome. None of these. Its rare to find Indians who are really civil.

After reading a few of these comments, the main take aways are, there are a lot of immigrants, things cost more, healthcare is a mess and inflation.\nI am sorry that things are hard, the costs of everything are up everywhere in the world so good luck in gentrifying other nations and making your problems their problems.\nIt pains me to no ends that after things get tough in Canada many are ready to jump ship for better softer areas where they will trash the place with their incomes creating inequality there as well and then blaming the mess that they will create on the indigenous people that they will abandon for better pastures.\n\nAs a Canadian of native ancestry I never had it anywhere as good as many of the people here complaining about their middle class woes.\n\nMaybe if you fought for a change, like more housing to bring down the prices and fought corporate greedflation and gouging, realizing that much of this problem, the attack on the healthcare services, much of it being done by the conservative governments, then perhaps you would not be so annoyed with Trudeau.\n\nHe is not helping the housing problem by not building the 2 million new homes that he said he would but NIMBY people are making this difficult. They want the charm of a nice middle class feel to their neighborhoods but when it comes to housing, they don't want to build affordable near them and then they complain with their rents are too expensive or the costs of things too high. \n\nI can't say I feel much pity or empathy with most of the people complaining about their lots in life because as far as I can tell, many natives would love to have your problems but the best that many of them can do is to live in their own lands, homeless, even on their own reserves because there is just not enough housing. Yet when the prices of housing was going up, many homeowners loved it, even though it meant that the poor, the actual poor and not you lot, were stacked like firewood into smaller and smaller rooms with no AC so it was hot in the summer and freezing in the winter and the slum lords are having a hey day. \nThe actual first nations people are homeless and being killed daily and are arrested for being poor daily but you lot think you have it bad. \n\nSorry, when non first nations people say that they will leave Canada because its not how they remember it when they were kids and its worse now so they will jump ship to gentrify other nations, I just shake my head and hold open the door as you leave the nation and wonder at your arrogance and egoism.

I'm Canadian born and raised. My grandparents came from England after WW2 for a better life and sadly the Canada that they immigrated to is long dead. \n\nThe lack of opportunity and the insane policies of the federal government has severely decimated the quality of life in Canada. I wanted to start a family and own a home, nothing huge or extravagant, just something to call my own and all of that seemed impossibly out of reach to me. I had a somewhat well-paying job and lived within my means and I could not seem to get ahead. I didn't own a large or new vehicle, rarely ate out and would always try to buy used. Still, I could barely save or invest anything. \n\nNot wanting to live in a place that just wants me to be poor, lonely and unhealthy I pulled the trigger and left for Eastern Europe. I have no regrets and while it has been a difficult and stressful process, it has been well worth it.

Excellent insights Bhai on this really difficult situation..\n\nAnd a good point you raised - we are ambassadors of our own country - India

Can't speak to the situation regarding immigrants. However, NO Canadian that I know wants to emigrate.\n\nHigh taxes.....all relative. Social programs are a safety net and save from having to pay out of pocket (security and peace of mind are worth their weight in gold).\n\nThe problem with your FB posts was caused by FB itself. It is so greedy that it doesn't want to share any of the revenue it generates by siphoning news from other sources. It is simply a leach, a parasite.\n\nDrugs and homelessness.......true. Since COVID-19 there has has been an epidemic. However, it is not limited to Canads; other countries are experiencing the same phenomena.\n\nCost of housing.......also not limited to Canada.\n\nImmigrants.....it is extremely difficult to uproot from one's native country and quickly integrate into another, no matter the country. It generally takes years to acclimatize. And often, you've left your heart behind.\n\nSalaries....been to Singapore. Salaries may be higher but the cost of everything is also much, much higher.\n\nAnd moving to the USA......guns, health care, social safety nets, politics?\n\nNo matter where you live, it has its challenges. So I'm pretty content.living in Canada. Of couse we need to continually focus on the.lot of ALL Canadians.

On one side these guys want 400,000 skilled professionals and if you are in Germany you know that people are struggling to find jobs even odd jobs these days because of too much influx. Professional jobs are extremely difficult to get, the biggest problem is the language, except for IT, in all other fields language skills of atleast B2 German are necessary.

Guys don’t come to Germany if you don’t know deutch. difficult for IT people to find job don’t be trapped.

Important thing to consider is how services deal with the language barrier. Phone companies, insurance companies, banks, utilities, etc. Most of them don't really want to talk to customers in English. It certainly wouldn't be difficult to translate their website into English and hire a few English-speaking customer service representatives. They've decided not to do that, and that's a counterproductive decision. I'm glad to be leaving Germany soon!

I was recently refused the canada study visa but i am finding it difficult to request the gcms notes. Can you recommend a way?

I find there is a huge amount of double-speak in your comments, so much so that you sound very insincere. Example: all the praise of Canada, yet you are planning to leave, and with good reason. I've done extensive research on several countries to move to and it's not very difficult to see why so many Canadians (among those who have options) are leaving Canada. Here's one important data point for anyone who is interested: In the OECD's national growth rate projections to 2060 (not a typo, 2060), Canada has placed dead last! There are 38 OECD members. What this means is that the fundamentals are not in place in Canada. The country is now in free fall, as there is not enough wealth creation happening, and it's just not true, as this video suggests, that Canada still offers endless 'opportunities'. Stop the disingenuousness.

It's very difficult to manage the house and kid alone if your husband is working in another country. I can understand how you felt.

I love it how the video conveniently omits the reason why the housing supply is so inadequately low in Canada - real-estate developers and rental agencies lobbying all levels of government to keep zoning laws draconian and to make new construction increadibly difficult. For example, an enormous proportion of Toronto's urban area is still zoned exclusively for single-family housing. The landlords, who are currently extracting record profits from regular people with no sign of decline, are more than happy to shift the blame towards immigrants, and it saddens me to see that respectable media outlets like the Guardian are becoming a part of it.

Canadian government brought millions of Visitor visa holder, who applied for asylum. They approved just anyone in 2023-2024. But, they made it difficult to get PR for the skilled people, they made Express Entry so difficult these days. Looks like, they want criminals from around the world, but hate honest and educated people. It's now backfiring Canada.

Where we live matters and how we vote determines the quality of life where we live. Canadians embarked upon a journey of progressivism and the WEF version of life with Trudeau to arrive at a destination that is very different to what was promised. Highly predictable and warned by many, Canadians chose this and the path to recovery will be a long and difficult one, if taken at all. Trudeaus progressive agenda has no end point, only a continued downward spiral of Canadian life, society and solid Canadian values.

46k divided by 4 is 11.5k per year. Meaning her rent was about 1k a month….? I don’t believe her rent was a 1k a month for the last 4 years? I’m thinking there was an increase that made it difficult for her to pay a full amount. However, she’s still in the wrong for all that back pay. He doesn’t seem all that innocent either but that’s Canada for you now. Everyone is getting screwed by the economy, which is the governments fault.

I'm very curious where you're moving to! I was living in the UK for a few years, and then Ireland. I moved back home to Canada two years ago. I'm glad I came home, life is getting very difficult there too, and I get to spend more time with my family. I'm actually doing better financially now in Nova Scotia. I feel like it all depends on your personal circumstances. The grass isn't always greener. I wish you all the best abroad! ?

Canada does not need more immigrants at this time what we need the most is something that is so difficult and we may never get. That is better governance.

Language is very difficult

Here's a hint: Stay the fuck away from Marxist utopia shit holes. Not too difficult.

I came back to Canada in 2022 after 20 years living abroad, and it's been a mixed bag. Getting a good job is extremely difficult as international experience is rarely factored into potential employers decisions to hire - even if the companies you've worked for are Fortune 500. If you didn't work for that company in Canada, good luck getting the same position. You'll be working in a junior position despite your previous job title. My wife is currently going through this. She went from Project Manager at one for largest companies in the world to junior developer at a small company. Pay is.......not great.\n\nI've been lucky with having a lot of support of family and friends. A lot of the clients I've started to work with in my profession came through people I know. I never would have got these opportunities on my own in that amount of time. It would have taken years. Nepotism played a big part.\n\nTo come to Canada, and start a new life without a solid support system would be absolutely brutal right now. I got really lucky, but my situation isn't normal. I wouldn't recommend anyone (Canadian or immigrant) to come back right now if they're been gone for a long time. The rent alone is enough to turn anyone away.

Finding apartment is very difficult and apartment rents are very high, language barrier is always there, not allowing work from home in home country for couple of days when we visit home country

It is, in fact, difficult, but what about their social system? Maternity leave, the unemployment money, and all the preparation that they pay? I always tried to speak the language and rarely felt mistreated because of that, and if so, it is mostly by other foreigners ?. I can understand that for living in a country, one needs a nice level of german, trying to adopt their culture and practices.

It is a great country but they are not business minded and thats why it is difficult to make money here in Canada. And the taxes on incomes and sales and on everything is huge and none sense and the cold winter is too long. and it is socialist , almost communist

So envious. I wish that you could pack me up in a bag and take me with you. The only thing that keeps me here is that it's a mostly English speaking country, it's still reasonably safe where I live and I can find a job in my field. But otherwise, it's difficult.

The harsh winters in Canada have always been a negative living here but the quality of life used to help make up for it. Sadly, that just isn’t the case anymore. \n\nWe were able to buy simple family home on 1 acre of land back in the 80s with only one income. But the ever rising cost of real estate has made home ownership out of reach for many young people today. Burdened with high student debt, astronomical rental rates, and the high cost of living, most young people are living paycheque to paycheque. It’s a struggle just to keep one’s head above water, let alone build any savings for the future. \n\nI have two adult millennial children who find themselves in that position. They both have decent jobs but they’re just getting by, not getting ahead. I’ve encouraged them to look for opportunities abroad but with friends and family connections here, it’s difficult to consider leaving. \n\nWishing you all the best in your journey, Alina, wherever you’re headed! ? ? ?

Canada is so spread out that it is difficult to get anywhere without having a car . The airlines are all fleeing service to the small cities. That is a big problem for people who want to travel internationally. I remember when I lived in Quesnel BC in the 1970’s , there was a PWA Boeing 737 - 200 with daily service to Vancouver. Now there is no longer any flights to Vancouver from Quesnel . Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal are the only options for international travellers.

?? should have been like The ??, offer work visas as needed but citizenship ( and it's benefits) is very difficult to get.

I left Canada when I was 28 years old and only return to meet relatives. I learned very early on the Canadian dollar doesn't go far in Canada... It is really difficult to save any money, there is simply no chance for any active worker to save anything, the money doesn't stay long in your pocket!

I lived in Germany for 10 years.\n\nI think it's the best country to live in socially (education, health care, jobs). The bureaucracy you can handle it.\n\nI finished my Master's degree before the COVID19 started and it was SOOO difficult to get a job since after that they wanted only native German speakers (before with English was OK) - and I do speak really good German.\n\nBut then my friends started to have problem with racism and some people were not nice - and then all my friends left. I felt so alone.\n\nFurthermore, I met people who had a prosperous professional life but they were living alone in nice, big apartments. And old people were living all lone - I didn't want that and I took my decision to leave.\n\nBerlin and other German cities are amazing but it's only for a while. \n\nGermany is not for everybody - you need to know where are you going.

I was born in Asia. I lived in Australia, USA and now Germany because I married a German. \n\nIt is always a challenge to break into the group because the people born in that country have already established their circle of friends and with family.\n\nYou will always have to put in the effort to establish something. But i have to say that some places are easier to make friends compared to others.\n\nGermany wants skilled workers but their system and people do not recognise other countries qualifications (even first world countries' certificates), adding to the fact the language is difficult to master.\n\nIt is not impossible but you will have to count your advantages and disadvantages to see if it works for you.

I am sorry to hear this. I am in the same boat. I moved here around 37 years ago and found this country much better compared to my old country, especially when the army killed students. I decided to stay in Calgary, Canada. What makes me sad is seeing Canada going down the drain. While seeing everything getting worse, my old country becomes a prosperous, advanced and powerful country. My classmates back there were mostly high-level leaders, and some of them became elites. As the best student in the class, I could not get position even close to theirs. Only good thing is that I have been making a lot of money due to my strong technical knowledge and the capability to do difficult work. I hope I can at least maintain the same living standard when i am old, but it looks less and less certain. If I realized this at your age, I would have moved back.

They are taking your guns, your freedom of speech, your right to protest, your bank accounts, they import people that have nothing in common with your values, while it would be very difficult for a European university trained christian like me to come there.\nGee, wonder what they hace in store for you....???\nVote fo lr Trudeau ???

> I'm Canadian\n> but not really Canadian\n> I leave cause it's difficult\n> and because i don't want to be involved in anything\nok then\nthe more immigrants and 2nd/3rd gen leaves, the better ngl

It is interesting your point of view. I do not get it, because I see a beautiful woman with all the skills, soft and intelligence to do great things. As an immigrant, I clearly have enough experience to say this: With all your privileges in Language, race, beauty, and gender, it is difficult to understand why you leave Canada. Many people like me, want to have the privilege you have. Anyway, good luck. I hope you can find your place in this world.

Thanks so much for sharing this Alina! I can relate to what you're going through - I was born in the UK, moved to the US at 11 and then moved back to the UK at 24. I decided to leave the US because I began to realise that it's just not an ideal place to work and raise a family. The state I lived in (South Carolina) has a better quality of life than, say, California, New York, Oregon, Washington or New Jersey, but overall the US just doesn't do an adequate job of caring for its citizens, and the US government (especially those left of centre) has its priorities in the wrong place. The UK has its own problems no doubt, but overall the UK does a much better job of caring for its citizens than the US does. \n\nIt'll be more difficult for you than it was for me because you'll be going to an entirely new country where you have no family and no social network, but you're an intelligent and daring woman, you seem to be quite comfortable around new people, and you'll settle into wherever you end up very quickly. I wish you all the best and look forward to seeing how everything plays out!

Good move, Canada is totalitarian country getting too difficult for normal people to live. Trudeau and its party made Canada unlivable.

This is going on in the US, too (and probably all over the developed world). We are a divided society. There has been a decline in trust of social institutions, which makes problem-solving more difficult.

Education is free, but their school system is almost two hundred years old (Prussia/Kaiserzeit). If your kids are not well integrated, you risk that they won't make it to the Gymnasium and, therefore, to university. I was teaching physics in their universities. These are sick places with very unmotivated joung teachers (it's difficult to become a professor there).

That's true, my friend repatriated from Canada because of tough to survive difficult to earn cost of living high

If Americans are reading this, be aware, this is what a far left economic policies e.g. tons of regulations, difficult permitting and licensing does to housing market. You add to this rent controls and no one will ever close supply and demand gap in housing. Obviously reverting these changes is very very difficult unless you literally go broke look at Argentina.

Basics are make life and settlement easy for aspirational people who can can contribute back to the society but everything is setup to make life more difficult

Language barrier is the cost you have to pay for a social life. High taxes make it difficult to live. Sorry Germany.

I came to Berlin, Germany ?? from India with my family in 2021 on EU Blue card. I work here as a Software Engineer and last month I got my PR. Below are my observations \n1) Not expat friendly at all - Most of Govt departments doesn’t want to speak English at all making us feel we are useless. Esp at initial level it is next to impossible \n2) Taxes are too high I have lots of friends in Netherlands in HSM visa and they have 30 percent off in total salary meaning taxes are charged on remaining 70 percent.\n3) Difficult to buy home in Germany ?? whereas in Netherlands it is super easy and banks easily give 100 percent mortgage. Many friends of mine took their own house on the very first year and their emi is almost equivalent to the rent.\n4) Openess to English is still an issue if Germany ?? needs more skilled workers which I feel they desperately need it they would need to be more open towards English which is a common linked language.\n5) People are not at all friendly and avoid small talks.