What does it take to study and work in Canada?
Photo by Justine Andaya
“Thank you, bye!”
Is this all you have to say when you visit a hospital? As someone who lived in a developing country like the Philippines, Justine recalled filling up forms before a doctor will start checking you. After his move to Canada, one of the hospital visits for his son’s check-up shocked him.
“Yun na yun? Di ba tayo magbabayad? (That’s it? We’re not paying?)”. His disbelief showed on his face as he narrated to me the story.
He found the health care system to be top-notch and easy. You arrive. The doctor will check you. You say thank you and goodbye. Then, you leave. No paperwork, at all. Healthcare is just one of the benefits that Justine gushed about during his first few months in Canada.
Easy healthcare. Reasonable work hours. A top-up of work benefits. Better lifestyle overall. Canada fits the bill. As a young father of one, an accountant, and a recent mover to Canada in 2021, Justine Andaya is one of the typical professionals who wanted to establish themselves in this new land of dreams, other than the US. But before this international move, Justine and his family have endured several months of paperwork, anxious waiting, and a tight financial budget. He even dismissed his vertigo so that he can fly in a plane.
In a one-hour Zoom call, Justine told me his story and three essential tips. We both hope that these tips will help you while you decide to live and work abroad as an accountant in Canada, or in any other country. Let’s begin?
But wait…
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Why do you want to live and work in Canada? Know your purpose.
Justine’s purpose is very logical. He wants a better life for his son. He knew that a bubble-like salary in the Philippines will barely feed a growing family. When an agency consultant asked him if he is willing to work in Canada and give it his all, he was certain. “All in,” he said.
It was not an easy call. Justine was also unemployed for several months during the pandemic. He burned through his savings. He cared for a child amid all the uncertainties.
The agency advised Justine and his wife to get the student path because it is easier than other paths. This will likely exhaust all their savings. The uncertainty was big, and the risks even bigger. But, he and his wife mutually decided on the idea. They were willing to gamble their savings, in return for something better.
At the beginning of January 2021, his wife searched and applied for a university in Canada. The immigration authorities processed her student visa in February. She received the approval in April.
According to Justine, the normal process for visa processing should take no more than two weeks. But it took longer than that because they encountered delays in getting some documents like a transcript of records. Her wife studied in Bulacan. They lived in Baguio, which is a three-hour drive away. The ongoing pandemic imposed border restrictions which made travel difficult and inconvenient.
But finally, his wife’s visa got approved. He launched his application soon after. He received approval in July. By September 2021, they both flew to Canada.
Justine shared some practical tips for someone who also wants a student visa approval without complications (see below).
- When deciding what course to take, aim for something higher than the degree you already possess. For example, a Master’s degree should follow a Bachelor’s degree in accounting. If you plan to get a course different than the one you already took, be prepared to defend your choice. An Information Technology (IT) degree that is totally unrelated to accounting might bring unwanted scrutiny to your application and expose you to more risks.
- For your degree, get accreditation from the World Education Services or another certifying body. This will validate your degree and the equivalent units you took. You can then use the same degree as a foundation while getting a higher degree in Canada.
- Invest in an additional certification if it is something you aspire to practice in the future. Be willing to take the US or Canadian equivalent of CPA, or a related accreditation, e.g. Certified Internal Auditors.
- Save up for your student costs and costs outside the normal cost of living. When you are on a student visa, the work hours are limited (20 hours per week normally). If you exceed your limit, the immigration authorities might revoke your visa and deport you. Thus, you need extra savings to supplement your studies and salary from part-time work hours (if you plan to get one).
Commit to your goals. Living and working in Canada requires investment in time, money, and effort.
Justine and his wife committed money, time, and physical and mental effort to make their international move a success.
“There’s no room for procrastination. Really,” Justine emphasized. According to Justine, you have to respect time because you never know what will happen. He threw Filipino time* outside the window.
When it was his turn to look for jobs, he took his resume-building as seriously as he was taking the CPA exams. He went as far as watching YouTube tutorials. He searched for the types of resumes being used in Canada. He became aware that most companies automatically process job applications. Automated tracking systems (ATS) filter resumes based on keywords. It took him hours and hours to build a proper resume based on this.
Justine wasted no time organizing his documents as early as possible. He wanted to take up internal audit as a future career path. While still in the Philippines, he applied for accreditation in the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA). He enrolled in a review course. When the interviewers came for him, he was ready to present himself as a viable candidate.
Be resilient. Living and working in Canada as an accountant is no easy feat.
At the beginning of our interview, Justine told me how it discouraged him to hear stories from Filipinos who migrated to Canada for work. Most of them start in healthcare because that was the usual path. Justine met some accountants who started that way and did not return to their original profession. Some other workers ended up as bakers, cleaners, or baristas.
There’s nothing wrong with these jobs. Justine even cautioned against being “choosy” in Canada. You have to take the opportunity that lands on your table.
He told me that he got an offer as a baker first before getting a professional job. What does he know about baking? Nothing. He was laughing when he told me this story. For many others, getting a job outside their profession was a laughable yet accepted reality.
But if you can use your actual job experience and background to land a job, will you do it? That’s what Justine did. He banked on his previous Big 4 experience back in the Philippines and on his multiple roles in different industries. In the Philippines, he started in internal audit, took on Big 4 risk assurance, handled finance managerial roles, and toiled in a boutique consulting firm.
He both regretted and appreciated the multiple moves. The regret hits when employers challenge him: Why did you often change jobs? At the same time, he appreciated what the experience brought him. He adopted soft skills like communication, dealing with the Board of Directors, and managerial skills. His advice for other job hoppers? Leverage your experiences from multiple jobs. Indeed, you may not gain mastery, but you gain a certain level of flexibility.
His mindset helped him land the regulatory compliance role in a Filipino-affiliated company in Canada. After getting Canadian work experience, he applied again and finally clinched a Risk Assurance senior role in a Big 4 audit firm.
Now, it’s almost one year since Justine started living and working in Canada. It seems that his gambles paid off. He is still amazed by the high cost of living, the strict adherence to laws, and the tasteless pork chops.
“Hindi masarap kumain ng pork chop** dito (It’s not good to eat pork chop here),” he joked, adding that meat tastes different. Coming from a culture where food is spiced and flavorful, Justine found Canadian food to be bland. He discovered that Canadians are very particular about health. They achieve acceptable food calories by limiting the use of condiments and removing the meat’s fatty portions.
To wrap up our interview, Justine happily told me about other things, like the nonmonetary and monetary rewards of finally having a professional job (while skipping the baker part). If you’re like Justine who is freshly settling in a new country, you also need a space to send the monetary rewards from your professional career. Get a reliable online remittance partner. It always pays to see that your savings end in good hands.
Photo by Justine Andaya
In Summary
For the Justines in Canada, taking risks brought monetary rewards and a story worth telling. His move proves that you can build an accounting career even in foreign lands. His narrative proves that possessing the right attitude can help you achieve your goals.
Know your purpose. Commit to your goals. Be resilient.
Justine offered these three tips for any other young person wishing to live and work in Canada as an accountant.
I hope that Justine’s story spotlighted some of the challenges of an international move and how you can handle them. If you’ve already researched a lot about the topic, it will not hurt to revisit them and seek inspiration from others’ adventures. It’s also best to check with an experienced immigration consultant.
This article does not cover immigration requirements and the step-by-step process for applying for a study permit in Canada. I added some relevant resources below.
Did Justine's story resonate with you? Or do you have a different story to share?
Tell your story about living and working abroad as an accountant in Canada.
If you think that this article will inspire someone considering the same move, share it with your LinkedIn network, Facebook, or other channels. I send thanks in advance!
Stay tuned for part 2 of this series, coming soon via AccounTINSolutions.
*Filipino time refers to the habitual delaying, spending a lot of time on unnecessary, meaningless things, or generally coming way later than the agreed time.
**Pork chop is a local Filipino dish usually consisting of pan-fried, lean pork.
Disclaimer
This article does not constitute legal immigration advice. If you have specific queries relating to your immigration process to Canada, please consult with trusted and highly-reputable immigration agencies.
