Lara's Story [PLEASE CLOSE THIS WINDOW TO CONTINUE] Our first interview was scheduled for October 2000 after we'd submitted our apps in January 2000. We decided to postpone it, as my baby was due in September and October was too close. We almost transferred our file, because Los Angeles really is half way across the world, but when we enquired about transferring we were told our interview date was set for 12 February 2001. This told me that there was Divine intervention and God wanted us to go to LA since the date was set so long in advance (4 months). I decided to have faith and go to LA as I felt our file landed in LA from Buffalo for a reason. Everyone kept saying we would walk in, that the interview is just a formality... even though logic kept telling me that what I do is great, I kept thinking yes, I'm skilled but I'm not a specialist and I do not have anything to offer that they cannot get there. I know I can add value and can find a good job, but still - I'm not in IT, Engineering, Accounting or medicine. I am a financial planner and the category my attorney had placed me in the bank manager category. Still I had doubts. Jobs in my line on the internet show salaries of about CAD 45-50,000, nothing special. My husband is the more experienced - he's a project manager for a firm of managemnet consultants, he has worked overseas etc. Canadian salaries in his field are much higher even at the bottom end of his market. Nevertheless, my lawyer made me the principal applicant, because I have a stronger academic background and I decided what must be, must be. The week before we left on 9 February was hectic, but even though the BA flight was long with an 8-hour stopover in London, the trip was OK. LA is about 10 hours behind SA time, so arriving at 6.30pm their time was effectively as if arriving at 4am on Sunday for us, having left SA at 8pm on Friday! Because of the poor exchange rate (!) we stayed at an econo-Lodge in downtown LA for US$79 a night. The only people around were Spanish, Philipine and Asian! I must say we did not feel 100% comfortable walking around. We used taxis and there were plenty around just waiting to rip us off. A trip to Universal studios on Sunday in a Nigerian taxi cab cost US$20 (with a drive down Hollywood Boulevard and all!), Coming back, a Russian Albanian driver charged us US$40... all I can think is he had a Cadillac - who knows? I had to wonder how all those foreign taxi drivers qualified to get into America. Universal studios was great and the tour did take my mind off the interview, but every now and then when I thought about it, my tummy just turned to jelly. That night we decided to go to bed early, but I was restless and could not sleep deeply. At 9pm, I got up and went over my papers, my research, preparing for all sorts of questions about what I knew about Canada. I had quite a thick file with interesting titbits and job printouts etc. Monday morning eventually arrived, my tummy in knots. We arrived at 8:30, half an hour early and onlygot called in at 11am! That 3-hour wait... well my insides were jelly, wondering, will I come out with a smile or tears. My cute baby who I take everywhere with me, who is usually cheerful and friendly decided to choose that day to be impossible and niggled the whole waiting time. My husband had to keep walking with him - in fact, when I was finally called in, he was downstairs somewhere! At reception, I was told to hand in all my documents. I had to take everything out the plastic sleeves and file and just hand it all over, including all our passports. I gave my research info in as well. The lady was friendly, but my heart dropped when she there was a huge debate at Buffalo about my assessment, as they did not know in which category I qualified. I had the feeling she saw my potential and that I was skilled and could add value, that she wanted to pass me. She asked me to describe what I did so I could be reassessed. I explained my job to her and she placed me in another category, because a lot of what I do fell into this category. She scored me high on suitability and adaptability etc and my points stood at 69/70 points, which is enough to be passed... and much to my relief, I was accepted! I know this was God's intention, as the interviewer said my original assessment was wrong to begin with and I could see how easily I could have been rejected without an interview (even though we used a Canadian immigration attorney!). I do not blame my attorney, because the category in which she placed me also resembled much of what I did previously. I know someone greater than all of this was on my side and that is why I had to be in LA - perhaps a different case officer who was perhaps not as helpful would not have tried different categories and rejected me. So all in all, it was close and at one stage I though she was preparing me for a "no" when she told me there was no demand for the category I was in! At that moment I felt so empty, and after that it took a while to sink in that we were in! Besides clarifying my job they asked very little else, just generally questions and very briefly about the cold. We said we had visited Canada in December. She asked nothing else, I happened to mention many people were leaving SA and she asked why. I just spoke about our high crime rate and she agreed people cannot live like that. And she thought LA had the highest crime (haha)! I said I was sure we would be very happy in Canada and she agreed. My overall impression is that they want quality people and if you are the right type of person, they will try their best to get you in rather than try to find a way to refuse you. But you need to be prepared -you especially need to show you've done your homework and are prepared for the job market in Canada. When they gave me the booklet on new immigrants to Canada with all the information about moving... well, I could have hugged it because that was when it felt real! In truth, the whole thing was such an anti-climax even though I was still shaking afterwards... it felt unreal that we had finally been accepted. We just felt dead tired and sick of LA as a whole, even though it is a pretty city. As the day wore on, excitement increased and I started feeling relieved, excited and very thankful to my Maker who made it possible. [PLEASE CLOSE THIS WINDOW TO CONTINUE] |
