Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
The purpose of this blog post series is for me to document the process that I will be going through to immigrate to Canada. This is only speaking from my experience, thoughts, and opinions, and should consult with your own subject matter experts for guidance. My goal is for people in the same boat as me to read this series and get inspired and have hope again. Now then...
It is every immigrant's dream to come to America and experience the "American Dream" by achieving something they weren't able to in their own country. I am an immigrant from South Korea currently living in the United States. One can say that I have achieved this "American Dream" as I own a house, car, financial stable, and able to save on the side. As much as I worked hard to attain this, I have to acknowledge that privilege played a huge role. However, there's always this one problem that alway looms over my head, which is the actual paperwork to be here permanently.
For reference, I have a work authorization that allows me to live and work in the states, which is different than someone who overstayed past their visa date. My reference to paperwork means getting a green card and the time it takes. I have been in the United States for over 20 years and yet, I am still waiting for this country to allow me to stay. Every day I am in constant fear of when will my visa expire, will I be able to renew it, if it doesn't renew in time then what do I do about bills? Unfortunately, this became the norm which no human being should experience as its anxiety and stress inducing. Some might have a different stance on this but without going into the political side, I firmly believe that I identify myself more as an American than a South Korean. I went to school here, created a career here, made friends here, and all my immediate family lives here.
So, now you must be wondering then why I want to move to Canada when I identify myself as a American. It's a tough decision, but ultimately it boils down to two factors 1) prioritizing my relationship and 2) no more worries about paperwork. It's hard for anyone to immigrate to the US given the sheer volume of application and even for folks who are already in the US struggle to find a place. Canadian green card would alleviate all of this as I don't have to worry about the small dates that could impact my life largely.
Next, I am going to take the IELTS. IELTS is an international language test to prove my English skills to be qualified under the Federal Skilled Workers program. It is crazy though that I've lived in the US for over 20 years with a Bachelors degree and still needing an English language test.
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