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Hi All, though I would just give an update here since I last posted here. We did IELTS in June 2019 and was unable to get CLB 9 (Aka 7 for writing) on the first attempt. Managed to easily score 9s and 8.5 in the other categories. I did a lot of research before attempting IELTS again and I have seen numerous people getting 6.5 for writing and having to write 3 or 4 times and ask and pay for remarks to get a 7 for writing. Therefore, I decided to try my luck with some job applications since my profession was on the 29 in demand jobs in BC. Against all odds I was able to obtain a job offer after applying for around 20 positions. The idea was to rather spend an extra R8000 for the BCPNP Application and be ensured of PR, instead of attempting IELTS another 1 or 2 (or more) times. The process went pretty smooth from there. I did everything myself, here is my detailed timeline: 5 May 2019 – WES - Application paid and submitted 9 May 2019 – WES - Degree and transcripts collected at University and mail via Aramex 22 Jul 2019 - WES completed 8 Jun 2019 – IELTS 3 Oct 2019 – Job offer (BCPNP Tech Pilot eligible) 13 Oct 2019 – Created EE Profile 13 Oct 2019 – Registered on BCPNP 15 Oct 2019 – Invitation to apply for BCPNP 6 Nov 2019 – BCPNP Application submitted 7 Nov 2019 – BCPNP approved and 600 points added to EE profile 13 Nov 2019 – EE invitation to apply 22 Nov 2019 – Called to book medical in CPT, first available date 8 January 2020 2 Dec 2019 – Work permit and spouse open work permit applications submitted 2 Dec 2019 – Biometrics for work permit requested 12 Dec 2019 – Medical request for work permit 8 Jan 2020 – Went for Medicals in Cape Town 9 Jan 2020 – PR application submitted 23 Jan 2020 – Biometrics for PR 10 Feb 2020 – Additional document request for WP (SA employment reference letter) 24 Feb 2020 – Passport request for Work Permit 28 Feb 2020 – Passports submitted at VFS Canada CPT – Walk in 3 March 2020 – WP application status changed to approved and waiting for visas to be couriered back to CPT Finishing at my current job on 31 March 2020, and looking to fly to Canada in Mid April. Starting work in Cloverdale/Langley, BC on 20 April 2020!

Good morning, If there are any Saffas landing in the Waterloo Region that need to self isolate, please feel free to give me a shout if you need groceries, I would like to help those that need to self isolate, but need groceries. Stay safe, Anna

@archiryan123 Just an FYI, if you haven't applied for insurance yet. OHIP is waiving the 3-month waiting period during these unprecedented times - https://news.ontario.ca/mohltc/en/2020/03/ontario-expands-coverage-for-care.html

And in sunny SA..... Coronavirus scam: The Reserve Bank isn't collecting your 'contaminated' banknotes 2020-03-18 18:15 The South African Reserve Bank suspects that criminals have been visiting South African homes and telling them to hand over banknotes in their possession, claiming the banknotes were contaminated with the coronavirus. The creativity of the South African Criminal is astounding ! Never in my wildest dreams would I have come up with this one, I feel ashamed. I'm paid to think. Tonight I am going to my neighbours to tell them that the Canadian Reserve Bank is collecting all notes that are contaminated... I'll include credit and debit cards and ask for the codes to allow us (the bank) to transfer the funds to their new cards, which, of course I'll deliver in a few days....

Nelline I don’t want to fall into the trap of being an alarmist but this is going to really hurt the economy. Lots of business is going to lose revenue as well as many workers. All of the major economists are calling for a recession later this year. Right now, based on what I am seeing, I would strongly recommend that anyone planning on landing here without a job, postpones their landing. Job searching is going to to be ridiculously hard. I work for one of major banks and I work very close with one of the Executive Vice Presidents and he sits on the big committees. From what I am hearing, this is very serious in economic terms and it’s being echoed by our chief economist.

Hi guys. I received my golden email this morning 😁 129 days past AOR. I also didn’t hear anything since biometrics in December. It seems that the visa office was Ottawa. Good luck to everyone still waiting. Holding thumbs that the other November applications are being processed now 😊

Also, depending on where you land, you'll be surprised at how many ex-Saffas will rally around to help as needed.

Many newcomers make use of "vacation" rental spots for the first few weeks. There are many, many online ordering options for grocery delivery (and many other necessary things) You shall be fed! 😘

Thank you, Fry! I appreciate your input.

I am currently in a similar situation. Was supposed to fly 10 Apr, already resigned from my job in SA, but then after the border closure announcement on 18 March, I managed to rescind my resignation and I am continuing to work in SA. I have a work permit that is valid for 2 years and a permanent residency application that should be completed in July. Now with the new announcement (that still has to be clarified early this week), temporary workers will be able to enter Canada. Now landing as a newcomer in Canada, I have many things to consider. Firstly 14 days self isolation. I can't go out to go get a SIN number, open bank accounts, apply for licenses etc. And I am even unsure about getting groceries for the first two weeks, buy online for delivery? I planned to stay in a temporary airbnb about 6kms from my workplace. Using public transport was my original plan, but don't think that is the best idea now. Getting a car is possible, but insurance will be insane without a BC driver's license, and road tests are currently canceled. I am a Civil engineer and the business cycles are usually long, so the company will probably still be operating, however I must confirm this with them. Quite a lot of uncertainty at the moment, I can just keep moving my flights and see how things look in a month or 2 or 3. Still haven't sold my apartment in SA yet, so still carrying on in SA for now.

Some good news https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2020/03/canada-provides-update-on-exemptions-to-travel-restrictions-to-protect-canadians-and-support-the-economy.html

On IRCC: SPECIAL MEASURES Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) published an updated set of special measures to help temporary and permanent residents conserve and/or obtain their rights to remain or work in Canada during the outbreak. These measures include: • Temporary residence applicants from outside Canada An additional 90 days for temporary residents who need to submit documents for their files to continue to process – no application in progress will be closed or refused due to lack of documentation (for example, if it is impossible to obtain a police certificate, medical record, transcript, certified documents, etc.); Biometrics deadlines are automatically extended by 90 days; Some visa application centres are closed until further notice, which may cause delays in processing; • Permanent residence applicants Permission to submit a permanent residence application via Express Entry without all of the required documentation; Additional delays for individuals having been approved for permanent residence but unable to travel to Canada to validate their confirmation of permanent residence; IRCC will continue to accept intake of new permanent residence applications even if some documents are missing if applicants can justify why they cannot obtain the document; All in-person permanent residence landing appointments are cancelled until April 13, 2020

I saw this on IRCC: SPECIAL MEASURES Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) published an updated set of special measures to help temporary and permanent residents conserve and/or obtain their rights to remain or work in Canada during the outbreak. These measures include: • Temporary residence applicants from outside Canada An additional 90 days for temporary residents who need to submit documents for their files to continue to process – no application in progress will be closed or refused due to lack of documentation (for example, if it is impossible to obtain a police certificate, medical record, transcript, certified documents, etc.); Biometrics deadlines are automatically extended by 90 days; Some visa application centres are closed until further notice, which may cause delays in processing; • Permanent residence applicants Permission to submit a permanent residence application via Express Entry without all of the required documentation; Additional delays for individuals having been approved for permanent residence but unable to travel to Canada to validate their confirmation of permanent residence; IRCC will continue to accept intake of new permanent residence applications even if some documents are missing if applicants can justify why they cannot obtain the document; All in-person permanent residence landing appointments are cancelled until April 13, 2020

This is a rough time for so many people all over the world. Hopefully we are close to the worst of it so we can start to see improvements in the near future.

Just adding this here. https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-special-measures.html?fbclid=IwAR07TXh3GBvLPfTFdln3lvAJYI5RulJy-oSr03AnOh0uhJbOPh_VXK8HaPI

@Spafty that is amazing! Good luck with the next steps ! Tracy

Hi Austin I've heard mixed reviews about Matrix - but I get the feeling they are legit in terms of operations - not fly-by-night scammers. They helped (created) a resume for a friend, it had some typo's and grammatical issues which are a HUGE No-No ! I How did you find work in Canada when you started with your immigration? I did not, I arrived with bags and rose-colour sunglasses. They quickly went dark, reality set in and hard times followed, followed by improving times, and better times. What steps did you take to get in and find suitable work? Applied for many, many, many jobs. Waited.... Applied for more many jobs and more than those many jobs. Wrote a custom resume for each and every job. When you did your interviews, where did you find the best success, with in person interviews or skype/face time video calls? Face to face. Unless you are the closest thing to special, nobody cares about you - nobody cares that you're from "Africa" - in fact, that counts against you because Africa is a place where children have flies in their eyes. (Very few people here have the faintest notion that Africa and South Africa are not the same.) Was skype interviews an option back then and are they acceptable in todays world given our geographic location? I have heard many people have skype interviews. I think IT people are more likely to be successful using that format. And with all that bad news, I must admit, Lizelles post made me feel like jumping into the lake with rocks tied to my feet..... She advocates for NZ - it looks like a good place. I'd like to go walk-about there one day - have many SA pals happy settled there. Canada is a tough place to get a job, they are full of it.... Ah, on the flip-side, there is a shortage of skills at the moment. Lizelle is correct, Peter-Pan the Recently-Whiskered Selfie Man has all but destroyed Alberta's economy - Great Job JT! I bet you go to bed at night feeling quite smug that you tried to lie and cheat to save SC Lavalin, but you watched without a care in the world as 10 000's lost everything in Alberta . What a guy! I know who I'm going to vote for next time. Put that in you're pipe line and smoke it ! Ah, and as for citizenship - there's no real help needed there - when you have had a PR for the minimum amount of time, you fill out some forms - which are really basic, you send them to the Government, they process them, and give you a date to write the test. And then you have a ceremony. Nobody needs help, there's nothing to do except put your name on a bunch of forms - in fact, all the stuff on the forms comes straight from your PR papers. The best advice I can offer you is that the accepted resume here is not generic, it's a CAREFULLY crafted "perfect" cover letter - very personal to the company concerned, with the second page being the boring stuff - other experience and educations - the last 10 years. You need to create a specific cover letter for each and every job ... they take hours to write properly & a bunch of research. The bar has been set pretty high here - exaggeration is all the vogue. If you've seen a Boeing flying by, you've 25 years pilot experience. Ha, ha, some stretches are needed to compete, just be sure you can back them up with the necessary BS.

Sorry to revive an old thread. Kelowna is also a potential city we're interested in and we are getting a lot of conflicting views when searching online. Some people love it and say it's a paradise, others say it's filled with sleaze bags and a string of strip clubs across the stretch (seen that comment twice already not sure if it's exaggerated). Can anyone weigh in on the matter who is possibly raising, or has raised a young family in Kelowna (our son is 4 and our daughter is 2). Appreciate any info to help us figure out whether Kelowna is a good option for our family. @Helanie are you still in Kelowna and, if so, are you able to share information (areas, schools, rentals, commuting, suitability for raising a family, etc.)?

Thank you very much @Gary van der Westhuizen! I appreciate the feedback.

Moenie 'n immigration lawyer vertrou verder as wat jy hom/haar kan gooi nie. Pretty sure immigration lawyers are slimier than car salesmen. If you have not already paid them everything, I would rethink that very, very strongly. Few things to remember. That lawyer is NOT on your side. They get paid no matter if you get in or not. No matter if it takes 5 years or not. No matter if they screw up and take too long to send things in, or forget to do them. Makes no difference to them. I would start off by double checking everything. Work out what your EE score is. It has been discussed plenty of times, so do a search, and when you are done, post it on here, and you should be getting an honest opinion on what your chances look like. We will give you an honest opinion, AND it is free

It's very difficult to get employment from outside Canada, and only certain specific skillsets usually have a chance. Therefore, what kind of job are you looking for? This will also determine how you'll need to set about researching potential employment opportunities. Also research the AIPP, an Atlantic Provinces programme whereby designated employers can get work permits for qualified employees without the need of an LMIA.

Hello Austin, welcome - I hope you find what you need on this forum. I am always concerned when I see people are using outside help to obtain entry to Canada - yip, this has been covered over and over again. In the interests of full declaration, I did not use a LIMA, I arrived job-less. We were extremely 'lucky' to get in just before the EE. Something that jumped out at me when I read your post is that I am not sure if your lawyer can do the LIMA - the Canadian government site says the LIMA 'Must be done by the employer' - now I'm not sure if that's just wording, or in fact an imigration lawyer can do it. As I understand it, the company will often hire a labour lawyer to assist them in obtaining a LIMA. They may or may not choose to hire your lawyer - if they don't, then it seems to me that some of the money you paid for that service would be a waste. If only the company can do the LIMA, then there is some dishonesty here as this lawyer should know that. In a recent post I noted that a person was paying 1000's for "job optimisation" - that struck me as very dishonest. Nobody can optimise anything for you, at the end of the day everyone is on their own - especially in their hours of need - people will take advantage of this, their job it to get money from the person they are "helping". They assist a person in losing their hard earned money by offering false hope. The Canadian government is very clear about this, nobody had and power to influence an application. There are many "bad" people in Canada, and their numbers are increasing all the time. Take a look at : (LIMA rules) - note the https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=163&top=17 As I said, I don't know enough about this and I might be totally wrong - I simply thought I should bring it to your attention. I would also urge you to obtain all your information and double check everything the lawyer says by reviewing the official Canadian immigration site. I wish you all the luck in the world.

So, a few months on and we have our CoPRs and will be in Canada before the month is out 😁 I have also managed to potentially secure an engineering position in Ontario but it comes with the strict requirement that I actively pursue registration ASAP. For those of you who have gone through the route with PEO, did they assign any additional tests for you to write besides the standard ethics/law test that everyone needs to write after gaining the 12 months of Canadian experience? I've been searching around online in international forums and it would seem that many people have had bad experiences with registration with PEO, having to write many technical exams at great cost. I'm hoping the fact that PEO has a mutual recognition agreement with institutions in SA, it may not be necessary. (I graduated from the University of Pretoria if that makes any difference) I guess if I need to, I'll happily brave the technical exams, but I'm fretting and just trying to suss out what to expect, so any input regarding the process would be appreciated.

Fantastic news! Very happy for you! You made it happen, with a little luck and common sense.

This may or may not be helpful, but Vale in Sudbury are actively recruiting at the moment. if you don’t mind Northern Ontario, then contact M-PIN (mining professional immigrant network).

Thanks for the support all ! @Seth amazing news for a Monday, congrats !

Got My Golden Mail this weekend.... Feels unreal. @HoneyClare Ours took very long. 208 days. So don't stress if nothing came through just yet -- It'll come Congrats all! See you all in the true north!!!

There’s anecdotal evidence that it’s harder in spring / summer - “people work really hard in winter and then coast in summer” - I was warned. Personally I’ve not noticed it. This year has started with insane go ! Go ! Gooooooooooooooo!!! (As MJ put it.). I have seen exponential growth in our company for the last 4 or so years and it does not look to be slowing just yet - there are doom forecasts - let’s hope they are wrong.... Mind you seasonal jobs change - it’s hard to get a snow plow job in July 😂 Perhaps a bigger danger is the Corona-hysteria thats threatening to take over even beating out climate hysteria ! 😱🤮

Not sure about that. I've never experienced it being difficult to find jobs in summer. It's always been the same. I suppose it might depend on industry but again, I've never noticed it if certain industries slowed down. I don't think it matters when you arrive, I've always found it's a "go! go! go!" environment here in the GTA. 😁 Good luck with your landing and best of luck with the job hunt too!

Hi @fry Yes, I'm pretty sure there are even more of these types of meetups and groups than in SA, especially in the larger cities. Here in Victoria we have VIATEC that sends out regular newsletter with events and job opportunities in the tech industry specifically and they even organize the yearly VIATEC Awards which is like the Oscars for the Victoria tech industry. It looks like Accelerate Okanagan might be a similar organization in Kelowna. I also belong to Slack workspaces called "YYJ Tech Ladies" (YYJ = Victoria) and "Vancouver Developers". I think these Slack workspaces are a really great way to network and meet people in the industry, especially for those who tend to be more introvert as you can send messages to any member or reply to their posts/comments in an easy, more casual way online. It looks like this might be the Slack workspace for the Kelowna tech industry: https://kelowna.slack.com/. In this article he says that he can send you an invite to this Slack workspace if you fill out the form and it has a lot of other info about the industry as well: https://www.rbdawson.com/okanagan-tech I hope this helps! 🙂

This is probably too late for the OP, but in case anyone comes across this posting in future, WES does accept faxed copies of the certificate Same happened to us and found the info on their website stating that it can be faxed. We did this and the status changed within a day or two.

Hi there Why did you decide on Canada? Did you visit the country before you decided? I did a huge amount of research on the OECD countries specifically. http://www.oecd.org/canada/. Considered and scored UK, AU, NZ, US and Canada. Canada and Aus were the 2 main contenders, but Canada won. I had a job lined up I could get a passport in 3 years it scored exceptionally well in everything in the OECD categories i felt it would be less impacted by climate change it was close to the US and Europe - where my IT related skills were easily transferrable . I think Aus would have also been a great choice, but thought it would be too far away from everything and eventually be heavily affected by climate change How did you decide in which province/town/city you wanted to live? I landed up in King City Ontario, because it was still rural at the time and close to where i worked in Richmond Hill Ontario How long have you been there? Was it difficult to adapt and when did it start feeling like home? Or does it never feel like home? 7.5 years and adapted straight away. Its an incredible lifestyle and feels like we’ve lived here forever Did you fit in easily with Canadians or do you still feel like an outsider? Almost all our friends are Canadian and they always treated us as being here all our lives Is the life-style attractive or is it also a daily struggle to survive? An amazing lifestyle, but you need to live the 4 seasons. All the seasons are amazing, especially if you have a cottage on a lake. Winter is just as incredible as summer. However i’d say it is expensive to live, but you can easily prosper and thrive. There are constant year round sales and discount deals on everything, which means you can get great things a very reasonable prices. If you watch what you spend and invest in property you will be in a great position to enjoy the Canadian dream. How long did it take before you were able to stop looking over your shoulder or freezing in fright whenever a beggar comes up to you? we adapted very quickly to the safety of living here and don’t worry about security at all. Also the police here actually care and are here to keep us safe - it is crazy what resources they throw at preventing and solving crime. Have you ever been back to SA for a holiday? What was it like? Were you glad to go back to Canada? i was back in April in my home town of Durban and enjoyed the time seeing my parents and wider family, but was glad to be back. I always feel SA is going backwards in more areas than it is moving forward. Canada is generally extremely neat, tidy and maintained, whereas SA seems to always be mostly un-maintained. I do not miss much about SA at all, apart from family If you could redo everything: would you rather stay in SA or choose Canada again? i would absolutely do it all again, except i would have moved when i was 20 and not 40 How did your children adapt to Canada? They all adapted very quickly, but my eldest still misses SA, especially her cousins and grand parents. The other 2 were very young when we left and don’t remember much of the great life we had in SA. They were very secluded from all the SA negative experiences and therefore only remember the good times. That is the hardest part of it - there is a cost of moving that is difficult to explain to a young teenager who misses her SA accent, heritage and family and does not yet understand the brutality and indifference What is the work environment like? Is there a good relationship between colleagues or is it each man for himself? i was extremely fortunate to have a fantastic working env and great relationships What was your first thought when you set foot out of the airport after arriving in Canada? how great the Canadian Border services people are Does everything seem strange and unfamiliar? When did this feeling pass It takes a couple of years to settle in and start becoming Canadian

Had relatives in Canada so thought it was easy to immigrate. No, we did not visit Canada beforehand. Threw a dart and landed in Mississauga. 😉 Secretly wanted to be a banker and thought I could change professions. Little did I know. 6 going on 7 years. We didn't have a very difficult time to settle, but still took 2 years to start feeling like home. Depends on who you're with. Didn't have a lot of issues fitting in. We are comfortable. Was a bit of a struggle the first 2-3 months. A while. Maybe about a year or so. I always thought some of the people were nuts when they left stuff lying outside in places. No. Canada will still be my choice. Children adapted quite well. Eldest turned Canadian almost immediately. Youngest took some time and some help from friends. Work environment is different from place to place. I didn't like my first job too much, but the rest of the companies I work for after that were reasonably decent. I think these aspects are very similar to SA. You get good companies and bad companies. You get good colleagues and bad colleagues. "Good Lord, it's so cold!" Everything was strange and unfamiliar but as you do more routine and normal stuff, this feeling passes. I'd say between 6-12 months.

Why did you decide on Canada? Did you visit the country before you decided? Saw a picture of Emerald Lake. Never been here. Or to North America. How did you decide in which province/town/city you wanted to live? Mountains + Oceans + Forest = BC. Found work in Vancouver. How long have you been there? Was it difficult to adapt and when did it start feeling like home? Or does it never feel like home? ~1.5 years. No issues adapting, no longer felt the urge to leave like in SA. Home is where the heart is, and mine is here. Did you fit in easily with Canadians or do you still feel like an outsider? Try to find Canadians in Vancouver I have more international friends than Canadians. Is the life-style attractive or is it also a daily struggle to survive? Never struggled, but I landed with work. How long did it take before you were able to stop looking over your shoulder or freezing in fright whenever a beggar comes up to you? Immediately. Only things scaring me here are bears. Have you ever been back to SA for a holiday? What was it like? Were you glad to go back to Canada? No, and not planning on going back. If you could redo everything: would you rather stay in SA or choose Canada again? I would have left years earlier. What is the work environment like? Is there a good relationship between colleagues or is it each man for himself? Depends on the company, but my colleagues feel like family. What was your first thought when you set foot out of the airport after arriving in Canada? Holy ^&#@ it's cold!!! - Me wearing summer pants in the middle of winter. Does everything seem strange and unfamiliar? When did this feeling pass A couple months? Took me close to a year to start thinking in $ terms, and being okay with feet and pounds being used erratically.

Hi Boerbok, Here are my answers: Why did you decide on Canada? Did you visit the country before you decided? Yes, we visited my family twice before moving to Canada. We did not consider immigrating at all, anywhere, before visiting Canada and the visits were purely holidays. We fell in love with Canada and we felt like we wanted to live here permanently. How did you decide in which province/town/city you wanted to live? We decided on BC since it is close to family that already live here, Victoria has some of the best weather in Canada with lots of opportunities in our field, it's beautiful and close to the ocean which we love. How long have you been there? Was it difficult to adapt and when did it start feeling like home? Or does it never feel like home? We've been here 2 years and 3 months. It was easy for us to adapt and to me Canada felt more like home from the beginning than South Africa ever did. Did you fit in easily with Canadians or do you still feel like an outsider? I feel like I fit in much better with Canadians than I do with most South Africans. I feel like I identify more with the way that they think and see things. I find it much easier to make friends in Canada. I even organize social events with Canadian friends now which is not something that I ever did in SA. Is the life-style attractive or is it also a daily struggle to survive? It is extremely attractive. It is so easy to go out and be active, get together with friends and do fun things without worrying about your safety. There are beautiful places to visit close by. Some things are more expensive, but the beautiful environment, safety and people more than make up for it in my opinion. How long did it take before you were able to stop looking over your shoulder or freezing in fright whenever a beggar comes up to you? It sometimes still happens. I still clutch my handbag under my arm or hold it on my lap the whole time, but I don't always lock the car doors. I'm not afraid to walk around at night and I don't look around for hijackers at robots anymore (that stopped soon). Here beggars don't ever really approach or interact with people which still feels weird. We camped on an island this past weekend and left our bags and food in our tents and all our eating utensils, camp stoves etc. outside on the table while we were out and nothing went missing, I still think that is incredible. Have you ever been back to SA for a holiday? What was it like? Were you glad to go back to Canada? Not yet. If you could redo everything: would you rather stay in SA or choose Canada again? I would definitely choose Canada again. How did your children adapt to Canada? No children. What is the work environment like? Is there a good relationship between colleagues or is it each man for himself? I work from home for the same company that I worked for in SA and I do some part-time work for a Canadian company. I have a good relationship with my colleagues at the Canadian company and they are very accommodating, helpful and friendly. What was your first thought when you set foot out of the airport after arriving in Canada? Wow, I can't believe we actually live here now! :-D Does everything seem strange and unfamiliar? When did this feeling pass? Yes, in the beginning everything seemed very clean and green and everyone seemed extremely friendly. I think this feeling passed quickly, maybe a month or so.

@AdeleDBN The Where.... Choosing a location is really hard and the choice is rather personal so you have to actually look at what works for you and what doesn't. Canada is SOOO big. I was in a similar predicament when we landed, not knowing many people in Canada (except the ones on the forum) and did not have work lined up when I arrived. I started off with 5 cities (in different provinces) and proceeded with choice elimination until I got to about 3. At any given time, my choice could've/would've changed if we had gotten a job offer at ANY city. I then proceeded to actively look for work in these 3 cities while waiting in SA, which I must admit, not very successfully. My location choices were based on long term chance of success, language, demographics, weather and overall general sentiments of people living in the cities. This was how I did process of elimination at the time. In the end, I chose my city because it felt like home. I don't say it a lot but I think it shows (with all the mentions of Mississauga) - I am quite happy with my choice. Again, it's personal and subjective. Other things to consider are: what do you like to do? Are you outdoorsy, homebodies, etc.? I think work is the biggest factor, and the environment the second, and the rest....they then just fall into place. Good luck! And see you on this side, wherever you eventually end up.

Borders are currently closed unless you are a citizen or a landed PR. I am sure they will relax that rule in a few weeks once the dust has settled. But if the virus gets out of hand in SA then it could mean SA becomes a high risk country which could further limit your ability to land. bottom line is that nobody knows how this plays out and how long it lasts. Everyone is praying for a speedy end to all of this for many many reasons.

Read something on another forum that basically said they not allowing COPR holders in at this time and part of the reason for this is because of the influx of Citizens and PR holders returning to Canada and that there should be an update by Friday. But yeah not sure if this is accurate.