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This First Person column is written by Keerthy Vinukonda, who lives in Toronto. For more information about First Person stories, see the FAQ.
I rushed to the bus stop just after midnight after a busy shift at a pizza shop supervising the staff and making sure the orders were prepared correctly. It wasn’t my ideal job — I had earned a pharmacy degree in India — but it was one of the few that would put an international student like me on track for permanent residency.
As the minutes crept by and no bus appeared, I realized I had missed it.
After another 30 minutes of standing around in -15 C, the next bus finally arrived to take me to the subway. It was 2 a.m. by the time I finally walked down the steps to my basement rental.
Cold winter moments like this made me question my choices and whether my hope of being a Canadian was worth the struggle.
Despite being completely exhausted, I was up early the next day, sleepily reviewing my notes on organic chemistry for a pharmacist equivalency exam — a necessary step to get my degree from India recognized in Canada.
Jolting me alert was the ring tone of my twin sister phoning from India. She was eager to come to Canada, based on the heaven-like portrayals of this country in India in many media advertisements promising easy work. I tried to slow her enthusiasm by listing cold realities, like the weather and obstacles in my career path.
Once upon a time, I also used to dream of coming to Canada. But my dreams did not include the twists and turns I would experience in my journey to becoming a Canadian.
Sold on promises
Given the high levels of unemployment for young, educated professionals in India, it was difficult to find a job — even with my degree — so I decided to study abroad.
I arrived in Toronto on a study permit in 2016 and eventually completed a health-care administration program in 2017 from a private college. I then got another certificate from a publicly funded institution.
After graduation, I obtained a work permit and worked six days a week as a shift supervisor. I was assigned to three restaurants that were far from where I lived. I had 20 hours of commuting time each week.
Restaurant work was a world away from the career I had trained for, but because the job was considered “Canadian skilled work experience,” it qualified me for the Express Entry stream of immigration. In 2021, I received a letter inviting me to apply for permanent residency, and became a Canadian citizen three years later.
It felt ironic that on the day that I was invited to my citizenship ceremony news headlines were focused on a new cap on study permits for international students, citing schools — including one, Alpha College, that I had attended — that gave out “sham” degrees or were “bad actors.” I don’t have anything bad to say about the students or instructors, but the courses at Alpha College could have had more substance.
The federal government is reportedly considering capping the number of international students allowed to study in Canada. Andrew Chang breaks down why experts say international students are both integral to the economy — and straining an overburdened housing system.
When I arrived, I was fortunate to find reasonably priced rooms for rent, and I avoided the expensive, overcrowded housing that was commonplace among my friends.
But just like falling down on ice, not everything flowed smoothly for me.
Despite graduating “first class with distinction” in India, I was unable to pass the Canadian pharmacy equivalency exams. I was emotionally exhausted and physically burned out from commuting long distances to work a job that was unrelated to my studies. Although I later found work as a pharmacy assistant, I cannot claim to be a pharmacist in Canada.
Given what I had gone through, I wish I’d heard more realistic perspectives from people already in Canada rather than from immigration counselling firms in India, which advertised that you could earn more money in one month than people in India make in one year. I thought I could provide a luxury lifestyle for myself and my family.
It was not easy to chart a pathway when the reality was so different from my expectations.
But everything considered, I am proud to be a Canadian citizen. Even though I’ve dealt with some rude customers in my different jobs in Canada, generally, I can see that there is a basic level of respect for all people. People are able to live their lives freely, and that’s something I value. I’ve started a family here.
The moments of singing O Canada at the citizenship ceremony and voting in an election in Canada for the first time are pleasant memories that will last forever.
Some of my friends from India use the words “back home” to describe India. Life doesn’t always turn out perfectly, but after a long path to permanent residency and citizenship, I’m proud to call Canada my home.
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