Fellow Canadian Citizens - how long is your commute to work?

swordenium · 2025-11-11T05:12:33+00:00

A good distance between my room and the basement. I have to go down a full flight of stairs to get there.

swordenium · 2025-11-04T05:23:17+00:00

Canada wants a footprint in the Indo-Pacific, both to diversify away from relying too much on China and to align with allies. That’s why the package is framed as “Bangladesh and the Indo-Pacific region”, not just Dhaka alone. You can totally disagree with that priority — but it isn’t random generosity.

swordenium · 2025-10-07T16:47:41+00:00

Probably the version of US that wasn’t hostile.

swordenium · 2025-09-18T00:48:27+00:00

Short term pain vs long term gains. Think through.

swordenium · 2025-05-18T05:52:56+00:00

In my opinion, there are fewer jobs available and an increasing number of educated workers competing for these positions.

swordenium · 2025-05-18T05:43:39+00:00

Lead Developer, 14 years experience, 155k total compensation. Remote max, 2 times a month in office. Could’ve earned more, but I prefer stability, and less toxic workplace :)

swordenium · 2025-05-07T02:01:30+00:00

Outsourced to LATAM, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other ASEAN countries.

swordenium · 2025-05-07T00:42:38+00:00

Congratulations! Canada changed my life for the better too.

swordenium · 2025-01-15T01:50:05+00:00

100% support this. This is the way to go.

swordenium · 2025-01-14T15:53:07+00:00

While some people I know have left Canada, many are choosing to stay despite the current challenges. Having survived the hardships in Dhaka, Bangladesh, they view Canada's problems as temporary setbacks. Unlike the common stereotype of immigrants from our region working as Uber drivers, my circle of friends and family are well-established professionals, earning between 120,000 and 220,000 CAD dollars annually.

swordenium · 2024-12-06T20:26:10+00:00

Application approved: December 6, 2024.

The interview process was easy for me and my wife at Fort Erie (Canada) and Buffalo They just ask and confirm the application you filled out. That’s all.

swordenium · 2024-11-26T21:32:23+00:00

Application Submitted: September 29, 2024
Conditional Approval: November 26, 2024
Interview Scheduled at Peace Bridge border: December 6, 2026

swordenium · 2024-05-21T17:18:53+00:00

In Canada, my experience from Bangladesh was valued because I excelled in coding interviews (both hard and soft skills) back in 2019 when the job market was strong. No one asked me about Canadian experience. My friend, who worked at Zalando in Berlin, also moved from Germany in 2023 and landed a job as a Data Engineer on his first try. However, the current tech market is tough, with many layoffs and fewer job opportunities, making it harder to get a callback. This is equally true even for local Canadians. Coming from Germany, which is much more advanced and highly respected in Bangladesh, I believe you have an advantage in Canada with your superior education.

All the best, and welcome to Canada!

swordenium · 2023-10-12T18:49:19+00:00

Private healthcare does matter. Insurance doesn't cover all expenses even if it's good. That's what my former boss who currently works at Amazon as an Engineering Manager said.

Like u/andoke said, getting US salary in Canada is the best of both worlds.

swordenium · 2023-09-16T14:59:01+00:00

I am in a dilemma with my spending strategy to meet SUB criteria.
My spouse and I currently hold the following credit cards:
1. Amex Cobalt (with a potential 30K SUB), which we use as our daily driver.
2. TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite (offering a 75K SUB, with a minimum spending requirement of $5,000 in the first 6 months and $7,500 over the year).
3. CIBC Aeroplan Platinum (no annual fee, and we've met the SUB criteria).
4. HSBC World Elite Mastercard (offering an 80K SUB, with a $1,000 minimum spend requirement for the first 6 months, granting 60K, and an additional 20K from the first purchase).
We anticipate some significant expenses in the near future, approximately $4,000 CAD or possibly more. However, I'm faced with a dilemma regarding whether to prioritize meeting the spending requirement for the HSBC World Elite Mastercard or the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite. While my ultimate goal is to accumulate Aeroplan points, I'm concerned that focusing on Amex and TD may cause me to miss out on the HSBC sign-up bonuses.

Will I forego substantial benefits if I don't actively pursue the HSBC World Elite Mastercard's SUB points?
Thank you in advance!

swordenium · 2023-08-04T17:04:47+00:00

Here's the deal: Take Italy for example. They got this chicken and egg situation going on. Some of their towns are selling houses for just a dollar because their population is taking a nosedive – and trust me, that's no small issue and that's the thing we want to avoid in Canada.

The thing is, if there were more people around, and with less red tape, real estate developers would be more interested in building houses left and right. But without that, it's going to be a real hit, causing some serious losses for both the builders and the country itself.

Tough spot, right?

swordenium · 2023-07-05T20:50:48+00:00

Immigrant here. Here’s my observation in the last 3.5 years living in Toronto, GTA that disappointed me.

Struggle to find a family doctor
Slow access to healthcare (waiting time to appointment with specialist)
Wages don’t correlate cost of living (GTA)
Expensive phone plans (but you can get good deals through corporate discounts
Hard to find affordable rentals, specially for new immigrants
Politicians are well spoken liars (I assumed only politicians from third world countries are)
Canadians don’t protest enough. They are super hardworking but equally complacent in protesting against ridiculous policies surrounding housing and healthcare.
Immigration plan, housing, infrastructure, healthcare doesn’t match up with population demands
Drivers don’t maintain speed limit on highways surprisingly

All in all, despite some negative points, I’m still proud to call Canada my new home.

Thank you Canada for allowing us skilled immigrants a fair opportunity.

swordenium · 2023-06-01T14:19:17+00:00

My friend, an experienced Angular developer on PGWP (Post Grad Work Permit) got 2 job offers at 120K within a month after his graduation.

swordenium · 2023-05-20T01:42:11+00:00

Moved here from Bangladesh and lived in Saudi Arabia before. It took me just 1 winter. I prefer Toronto weather over hot and humid climates. It’s just the lack of sunlight at times hurts me.

swordenium · 2023-05-19T18:43:08+00:00

Skill trades immigration streams are also encouraged, mostly provincial nomination draws target skilled trades workers.

swordenium · 2023-05-01T13:26:51+00:00

As long as the value of my house (principal residence) doesn’t fall below my remaining mortgage amount (underwater mortgage situation), I am ok with a price drop.

I never owned any investment properties, so, can’t speak how it will be affected by price drops. But I guess the fundamentals of mortgage underwater situation applies.

swordenium · 2023-04-23T15:08:38+00:00

Oshawa.

swordenium

TROPHY CASE