I have had a day to adjust and relax some, so its getting easier. My point about bringing up the new Harper rules weren't to spark a political debate really, but its true that his new rules are why my application was rejected. The new rules have narrowed the immigrant categories for skilled workers to very few jobs.
While every immigrant brings a story and a diverse background, I do think it is rediculous that Americans who want to move to Canada are getting rejected when they obviously have skills to bring to the table.
Everything you guys have mentioned is stuff that I have reviewed before. Going to a Canadian college or university? Well I already have a college degree, but if I went to university it would be over my head financially. The amount required to pay int'l tuition, boarding, etc. is astronomical and out of my league.
NAFTA? It doesn't really pertain to anything unless you are doing an internal company transfer. Immigration officers don't consider NAFTA on independent work permits, its only when a company does the paperwork on your behalf mostly.
Find a job on a work permit? I have been into so many HR offices of companies looking to hire, its pointless. They always say you need the work permit and social insurance number first. Obviously the government sees things differently, and they say you must have an employer that has offered you a job before you can apply (and the employer has to fill out HRSDC paperwork and get it approved, which no one knows how to or is willing to). Unless you have a personal friend or connection that is hiring you, you are out of luck.
And now its impossible to do permanent immigration waiting through the process outside of Canada unless you fit into 38 narrow categories as defined by the Harper government.
...those rules can change at any time, so if you gain 2 years of experience in one job, in two years those 38 jobs may have changed to different titles. Totally erasing your chances of immigration.
Its just not worth it guys, its simply not. No one can live on edge all the time hoping, wishing, spending money, spending weeks doing endless, unnecessary paperwork over and over.
Its just not worth it. I'm stuck and I have to accept that I don't control my destiny. Its just the way things are.
To those who tell me to cherish living in progressive America, well I've done so. I've lived in Chicago, I've lived in Portland, I now live in Pittsburgh. I've travelled all over the US, I've spent weeks in San Francisco, I've spent time in New Orleans, I've spent time in Denver, I've spent time in Seattle. I don't need to be given a lesson on my home nation as I know it in and out and have lived in every region of it. I know more about American history than most college grads, forget about those in the general population. I know what my nation is and what to expect from it, and I do cherish what we have.
But what I want is Canada, and I have to accept that its not mine and I can't have it.
I have been taught a lesson that when relying on a human-less, face-less, non-caring government bureau that you can't expect much. The person who reviewed and rejected my application got the last letter of my first name wrong, despite it being accurate on other forms.
If they can't even spell my name right, they have nothing to go on except arcane rules and code that is as inhumane as anything can get. Immigration isn't about humanity, its about pumping numbers around and benefitting western economies. That's almost all its about.
Those of you who were born in Canada should be very, very thankful for what you have. You have access to a western society, that while not perfect, is about as good as it gets. While the winter may be a little cold unless you're in Vancouver and the BC coast, its a very small price to pay for having such a civilized nation.
Yes, there are imperfections all around, but Canada has far more net positives than its negatives. FAR MORE. Not everyone can just move to Canada. Just because you see a lot of immigrants doesn't mean you can just get up and move there.
Cherish what you have, because most Canadians will never understand how lucky they are to live in such a place.