Relocating to a new country for work, or for any reason, can be both exciting and quite daunting. You have a job… but there is so much more to life than just work. Here we will quickly follow the story of Amira, a personal support worker from Jakarta, who just landed in Toronto with her husband and two children, and get a peek into what it’s like.
Part 1: Touchdown
The moment Amira and her family stepped off the plane at Pearson International, they were hit with a blend of fatigue and excitement. Fourteen hours in the air, they had left behind everything familiar and comfortable to start a new life. Thankfully her new employer was partnered with ThriveON, an organization dedicated to helping newcomers like herself, who had secured a place for them to stay when they landed—a comfortable hotel near the airport. Exhausted, they settled in for the night, ready to tackle the challenges of the next day.
Part 2: Setting Up the Basics
Amira woke the next morning knowing she had to set up the essentials. She had arrived a less than a week before her job was to start to make sure she would have enough time, and she had ThriveON to make sure she knew exactly what she needed, and how to get it. First on the list was opening a bank account. Armed with their passports and landing papers, they headed to a nearby bank. With help from the ThriveON representative, they opened an account, were issued a debit card, credit card, and learned about starting to establish a Canadian credit rating, a crucial step for future financial stability.
With basic banking out of the way, and debit card in hand, groceries were next on the list. Finding a supermarket was easy enough, but finding familiar foods was another story. They could have spent hours browsing the aisles and translating labels, but they were working with Thrive ON. Their rep showed them to a store that sold a wide variety of international foods, and soon, surrounded by familiar smells and brands, another hurdle was crossed.
Of course, staying connected and getting online is vital in today's world for coordinating next steps, and staying in touch with family back home. ThriveON brought them to a local wireless provider to get started. With their new numbers, they felt a bit more grounded and ready to tackle other bureaucratic tasks.
Part 3: Navigating Public Transport and Finding the Route to Work
With the banking covered, Amira needed to figure out how to get around: she had a job to start and her husband was looking to interview. Eventually they wanted to buy a car, but for the time being, it wasn’t realistic just yet. After doing some research it looked like the public transit system would fit the bill. Every big city's transit system can feel like a maze of routes and schedules at first. Fortunately, their ThriveON rep knew exactly what they were doing. They brought them to the closest TTC station where they were shown maps, schedules, and how to buy and load Presto cards—the key to the city’s buses, streetcars and trains, and explained to them how it all worked. In a few hours they had sat down and sorted out routes for them both. It may take a few run throughs to get it perfect, but it was a great start.
Part 4: Finding a Home
Finding a permanent place to live, a home, was next, and arguably most important. They had a budget, but no idea where to start looking. Ask anyone, and they will tell you, finding housing can be a daunting task for the people who have lived here their whole lives, never mind someone new! Where do you start looking? What's a reasonable rent to pay? Where is Donald St?!
Once again, ThriveON stepped in and provided the much-needed answers. With a group of professional real estate and rental agents to call upon, they helped Amira and her family navigate the complex Toronto rental market, understand lease agreements, and even negotiate with landlords. ThriveON was hired to make sure that they didn't have to face this process alone. Within the week, they had secured an apartment that fit their budget, could leave the hotel behind, and begin making a home. Now with a permanent address, even more can begin to be accomplished.
Step 5: Settling In and Finding a Community
With a roof over their heads, Amira and her family felt such relief. Everything was still so new and different, but there was a plan! They continued following the list of “Things to Make Sure You Do” from ThriveON, registered their kids for school, set up utility accounts, visited the local settlement agency to access the free programs available, and did a little decorating… and made the place feel like home.
Throughout this process, ThriveON continued to be an invaluable resource. The Soft Landing support provided by ThriveON had just made everything so much easier and more straightforward. Amira knew that once she had finished with the list, she could settle into her new job confidently, knowing all the “little things” had been looked after. ThriveON had thought of everything, from language classes to improve their English, resume clinics for her husband, to community events to meet others new to Canada. Having this network of support was invaluable, and just made it so much easier to get comfortable in their new home.
The journey was far from over, but with the support of organizations like ThriveON giving them the help they need to get established, they can get to the business of why they are here to begin with: to get to work.
There is a lot that goes into settling a new family into Canada. Employers looking to hire and retain international talent can greatly benefit from ThriveONs “Soft Landing” approach, helping their hard sought international talent find a home and significantly increasing their happiness and job satisfaction.
From before you hire until after they land,
ThriveON.
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