We are Path To Canada. We help immigrants find and access work opportunities in Canada. 

Today, we speak to Arman. He was an entrepreneur in the Natural Language Processing space in Iran, looking to explore other markets. He moved to Canada through Path to Canada program. 

What will this journey look like for you? 

You can reach out to Path to Canada for a free consultation at https://pathtocanada.com/check-eligibility-to-move-to-canada/  

A few years into his career in Iran, Arman had a feather in his cap. 

A startup in Natural Language Processing (NLP) as a service. This was a technology that would analyze comments, perform sentiment analysis etc. so companies could figure out what customers were saying and sharing about their products online! 

For a while, the company did well with promising clients. But, soon Arman realized that he was hitting walls. 

Iran’s tech market was small and not primed for a service like this. He figured it was time for some international exposure. 

In his peer group, the dominant choice at the time seemed to be Europe, perhaps because landing jobs there was easier. But Arman had longer-term plans and a helpful connection to Canada – his sister! 

The large Iranian immigrant community in the country certainly didn’t hurt either! 

A major factor that played into his decision to immigrate to Canada though, was the opportunity to attain PR faster and start building his life with the certainty it offers. 

We all know what comes next… Intensive research! 

Diving into the depths of the internet searching for pathways to leave everything deeply, viscerally familiar for shores afar. 

Arman’s research soon unearthed the Global Talent Stream pathway. But since he didn’t already have an employer, the next step would have to be finding a job – that’s what led him to Syndesus and Path to Canada. 

Path to Canada is a unique program that pairs talented immigrants around the world with employers in Canada with open positions. 

But unlike typical job boards, the matching of talent with opportunity is the floor, not the ceiling! The prospective employee’s immigration to Canada is also facilitated. Arman connected with Path to Canada in 2022 and provided his work experience and career aspirations. Incidentally, there was a position that both interested Arman and happened to be a great match. 

The subsequent steps rolled quickly – meetings with the company, hands-on tasks to assess Arman’s competence and proficiency and finally, an offer! 

In 3 months, Arman was in Calgary, Alberta – with a work permit in hand via the Global Talent Stream. 

For some of you, Calgary may not seem like an obvious choice. It wasn’t for Arman either. For one thing, his sister was in Vancouver and that made it his first choice. 

But he has since warmed to Calgary, for many reasons… 

Calgary doesn’t really lack anything, infrastructure and facilities-wise. Quality of life is very comparable to the more favored immigrant destinations like Toronto and Vancouver, Arman reports. 

Nestled in the Canadian Rockies, Calgary offers enviable access to some of Canada’s most beautiful scenic spots – lakes, mountains, hiking, and bike trails. Arman has taken to spending his summers enjoying the outdoors kayaking and swimming in true Alberta fashion. 

But, we can’t really talk about summers in Alberta without addressing winter, can we? 

Armed with the right gear and equally, the right attitude, Arman appears to have embraced the extreme winters, thanks to a little encouragement from friendly colleagues! 

While public transit in Calgary is not as good and dependence on cars is higher, Arman finds that Calgary is much more “financially livable” as he puts it. This has also helped him realize his dreams of home ownership! 

All in all, Arman seems to have found his feet in Canada. 

It all started with him choosing to move here because it offered a path to stability. This was a crucial factor to him. 

So, has that expectation been largely satisfied? 

He believes it has. 

He appreciates knowing that career progression is achievable and that home ownership has been possible for him in the city he lives in. He likes that he can plan and build out the life that he wants for himself too. 

As a recent first-time home-owner, he also appreciates how easy the systems were to navigate, despite his concerns on being very new to the country and its processes. 

With every move though, there will be some surprises. 

In Canada, that answer for recent newcomers is typically cost of living and Arman is no exception. Despite having done extensive research online, the cost of living did surprise him a bit. 

As immigrants we can relate with this. You’re filled with questions in anticipation of a big move but the immense undertaking of actually moving to another country and starting up life there eclipses everything else. 

It’s only once you are settled in, that’s when the issues of the day-to-day bubble up to the top or the priority list and the many, many questions come in waves. 

How do things work? Where to stay? How to get to places? What to do for fun? 

This is where friendly colleagues stepped in, in addition to the substantial family support Arman had through his sister. 

While it can seem like Arman has found an engaged and supportive community, it has taken time. He credits his hybrid work model with developing fulfilling connections in Calgary. and a touch of serendipity. 

In fact, Arman recommends newcomers avoid fully remote jobs when they immigrate and attempt to make connections via colleagues at work, having now experienced this firsthand. He also points to an important aspect of building a fulfilling immigrant life – in the initial years, you have to actively look for connections, find interesting things to do, make your new life enjoyable. 

And speaking of enjoyable, you can be sure that Arman has shortlisted his favorites among Calgary’s Persian restaurants and grocery stores around the city, ingredient#1 of a happy immigrant life – access to comfort foods. 

So, what are Arman’s tips to someone planning to immigrate? 

Flexibility matters. 

He stresses that although you can try hard to plan and be super structured, with immigration detours are inevitable. While being informed and aware is critical, the recognition that not everything can be planned for with such big life events helps. 

This being the case, the best thing to do is to anticipate a certain amount of uncertainty and remain adaptable, based on the available information. 

Nearly anyone who has any real immigrant experience under their belt can raise their glass to that, amirite?