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Touching down at your port of entry in Canada is the culmination of a long and sometimes stressful process. New immigrants feel an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and relief. They look forward to entering a new phase of their lives with their loved ones, in a land of opportunity.

Canada is a peaceful, free democracy which enjoys a high standard of living, offers equal opportunities to people of all races, religions and ethnicity and provides an open and friendly environment.

However, it’s important to be realistic as well. No one in today’s Information Age expects the streets to be paved with gold or the land to be flowing with milk and honey, but new immigrants and their families generally have high expectations from their new home country.

No matter what you’ve been told or what the glossy advertisement brochures claim, the reality has to be faced. There can be numerous hurdles to cross and challenges to meet before you finally settle down in the new destination.

An experienced and knowledgeable Brampton immigration lawyer can provide the right information, guidance and assistance to smooth over the rough patches.

The First Year Is Often The Most Challenging

Apart from the employment and financial issues that have to be dealt with immediately, immigrants undergo a sea-change in more ways than one. Some of the typical issues that new entrants face, no matter where they travel to, include:

• Finding the right job: One that pays well, is in keeping with educational qualifications and is satisfying
• Coping with a new language
• Getting used to the weather
• Coping without the support network back home
• Adapting to new cultural values, food and social norms
• Adjusting to a new financial environment
• Acceptance of educational qualifications, credentials, work experience
• Isolation and lack of social interaction with neighbors and local community
• Accessing professional services – doctors, nursing care, employment assistance, etc
• Racism
• Finding the right housing
• Accessing the right education or training programs
• Childcare and care for seniors

Other issues may include getting used to using public transportation, driving on unfamiliar roads in a new vehicle and following a new set of traffic regulations which may be different from those that one has been used to.

Many problems can have a strong emotional component. Moving is one of the most traumatic water-shed events in one’s life. Uprooting oneself from familiar surroundings, relocating and adapting to the new environment can cause feelings of anxiety, panic, regret at having left the old country, depression, guilt at having left others behind, fear, insecurity and apprehensions about breaking new laws or rules that one wasn’t aware of are some of the common emotional issues that new immigrants have to cope with.

Developing Coping Skills

Some immigrants succeed more quickly than others. Optimism and positive thinking are paramount. Enlist the support of a qualified, experienced immigration lawyer or trustworthy consultant.

It’s wise to read up and gather as much information as possible on this aspect of immigration. Many people feel upset with their own or their family’s reactions to the move, but it’s important to know that these are perfectly normal responses to the most important step that you may have taken in your life towards creating a better future!

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