The New to Canada Podcast

What happens when you move to a new country… and it doesn’t work out? You don’t find the happiness and success that you thought you would. You painfully miss everyone and everything that you left behind and feel like you’ve made a huge mistake. We’ve all gone through times of feeling this way, but it isn’t spoken about enough so you can end up feeling like a failure. Like you’re the only one struggling. This episode’s guest is Chiara from England. She has recently blown up on social media since she started to vulnerably share her story. She moved to Vancouver just last year and has since realised that it wasn’t the right decision for her. This podcast is filled with inspiring success stories from newcomers to Canada. People who have built amazing lives for themselves here. It’s truly an incredible country and there is so much opportunity. However, I was excited to sit down with Chiara for a different take. One that so many people share and experience (as you can see from the comments on her videos.) Sometimes, a move abroad doesn’t bring you happiness and a return back home is the best choice for you. Together, we discuss her story and what brought her to this decision. We chat about the danger of making a PLACE responsible for your happiness, and whether we think living outside of our comfort zones is even a positive thing. Chiara then shares whether she’s nervous about returning to her old life in London and some of her best advice for others who may be regretting their move. Links & Resources: * Follow Chiara on Instagram: @journeywithchiara__ [https://www.instagram.com/journeywithchiara__] * Follow Chiara on TikTok: @journeywithchiara [https://www.tiktok.com/@journeywithchiara] * Join the New to Canada Academy: Learn more [https://thenewcomercollective.com/academy/] * Download my 50 free tips from newcomers to Canada: What they wish they knew before they moved! https://mailchi.mp/f788d3c757fd/new-to-canadahttps://thenewcomercollective.com/canada-tips/ [https://thenewcomercollective.com/canada-tips/] * Follow me on Instagram: @TheNewcomerCollective [https://www.instagram.com/thenewcomercollective/] * For more about us and what we do, check out our website: TheNewcomerCollective.com [https://thenewcomercollective.com/]

For this special episode, I’m LIVE on the ground at Toronto’s ‘Newcomer Day’ that took place on May 23. Armed with my portable microphone, I wore a t-shirt emblazoned with the words “TALK TO ME: Share your immigration story on the New to Canada podcast” and I was excited to connect with 11 internationals: * Sophie from Ireland * Johnny from Lebanon * Samantha from Malaysia + Australia * Joseph from Nigeria  * Olha from Ukraine * Andrey from Israel * Leah from Kenya * Zahid from Pakistan * Wafaa from France + Morocco * Enrique from Venezuela * Julia from Ukraine In this episode, you can hear a few minutes from each guest as they share when they made the big move (ranging from 6 months to 20 years!), the struggles they faced, the wins they’re proud of, and their best piece of advice for other newcomers arriving in Canada today. Links & Resources: * (Sophie from Ireland) Irish in Toronto Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/123680717695499 [https://www.facebook.com/groups/123680717695499]   * (Samantha from Malaysia/Australia) Joey Dolls: joeydolls.com [https://joeydolls.com/]   * (Joseph from Nigeria) Diversity Kitchen: diversitykitchen.ca [https://diversitykitchen.ca/]  * (Zahid from Pakistan) Career Foundation: careerfoundation.com [https://careerfoundation.com/] * (Enrique Bravo from Venezuela): @enriquebravoart [https://www.instagram.com/enriquebravoart]  * Join the New to Canada Academy: Learn more [https://thenewcomercollective.com/academy/] * Download my 50 free tips from newcomers to Canada: What they wish they knew before they moved!  TheNewcomerCollective.com/join [https://thenewcomercollective.com/join/]  * Follow me on Instagram: @TheNewcomerCollective [https://www.instagram.com/thenewcomercollective/] * For more about us and what we do, check out our website: TheNewcomerCollective.com [https://thenewcomercollective.com/]

Recently, I hosted a live online event, my ‘Moving to Canada’ party! Not only was it SO much fun to meet and get to know you all in person, but it was also PACKED with so much value. It seemed crazy not to publish it here on the show for you all to experience... I’m joined by Career coach, Michelle Ashley, and together we tackle the TWO biggest areas of struggle that I see newcomers to Canada face, again and again: 1. CAREER: Navigating the Canadian job market and rebuilding your success abroad. 2. EMOTIONS: Finding your support network and feeling settled and ‘at home’. If you listen to just ONE episode of this podcast, this is the one. I’m so excited to share all this advice with you.   Links & Resources: * Join us inside the New to Canada Academy: Learn more [https://thenewcomercollective.com/academy/] - Save $50 with promo code PODCAST50 (valid for 14 days) * Download my 50 free tips from newcomers to Canada: What they wish they knew before they moved! https://mailchi.mp/f788d3c757fd/new-to-canadahttps://thenewcomercollective.com/canada-tips/ [https://thenewcomercollective.com/canada-tips/]  * Join Career Strategist, Michelle, for a free webinar: "Navigating the Job Market with Clarity and Strategy"  - Together you'll cut through the job search noise, focus on gaining clarity about your ideal job, understand yourself better, and apply effective strategies to land that perfect role. Learn More [https://thetailoredcareer.ck.page/724eff1dae] * Use free online AI tool to scan your resume and get actionable tips to improve it: Jobscan.co [https://www.jobscan.co/]

Let’s dive deep into the darker side of moving abroad… When you move to a new country, your mental health isn’t really your first priority.  You’ve got immigration paperwork to complete, accommodation to find, and job searching to do… BUT expat mental health is a topic that, in my opinion, is NOT spoken about enough. The biggest lesson I’ve learnt since starting this podcast is that the majority of us struggle - and the emotional rollercoaster can take us by surprise as we rebuild our lives in a new place. Insecurity, loneliness, shame, regret… These are just some of the emotions that many of us face. SO for this episode, I’m joined by a very special guest - Gabriela Encina - A licensed psychologist with over 20 years of experience helping over 400 people find happiness after their big move. Together, we chat about where to even START when it comes to acknowledging and tackling your emotional struggles. We discuss the most common challenges that Gabriela sees her clients face (guilt, self-sabotage, dependency...) and we finish off with some deep thoughts on homesickness & culture shock.   Links & Resources: * Gabriela's Website: gabriela-encina.com  [https://gabriela-encina.com/] * Connect with Gabriela on LinkedIn: Click here [https://www.linkedin.com/in/psgabrielaencina/] * Join the New to Canada Academy: Learn more [https://thenewcomercollective.com/academy/] * Download my 50 free tips from newcomers to Canada: What they wish they knew before they moved! https://mailchi.mp/f788d3c757fd/new-to-canadahttps://thenewcomercollective.com/canada-tips/ [https://thenewcomercollective.com/canada-tips/]  * Follow me on Instagram: @TheNewcomerCollective [https://www.instagram.com/thenewcomercollective/]  * For more about us and what we do, check out our website: TheNewcomerCollective.com [https://thenewcomercollective.com/]

If you’ve ever worked in the United Kingdom (no matter what nationality you are), you have paid into the UK State Pension. Once you move away, say to Canada, you might think that those payments are simply lost, or like me, you’re unsure what can even be done from overseas… Good news is, I’m joined in this episode by Ian Andexser, a fellow Brit in Canada and chairman of the Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners (CABP). He’s here to shed light on how you can “buy back” missing years of contributions since moving abroad and still receive a good payout when you reach pension age - Despite no longer living in the UK! Ian also discusses the ongoing “frozen” pension issue, a problem that is costing pensioners in Canada hundreds of thousands of pounds, as well as the ways that CABP is lobbying the UK government for change.   You don’t want to miss: * Ian’s story of hitch-hiking across Canada as a tourist in the 1970s and then falling in love with his Canadian wife of 46 years. * His life today in Nanaimo, Vancouver Island. * The basics: What is a UK State Pension, who qualifies for one and how do you get one. * How to “buy back” missing years that you haven’t paid into the UK pension scheme since moving to Canada. * Ian’s real-life example: How he retroactively paid $3,000 to now get $10,500 per year from the British government. PLUS, the fight against non-indexation of pension payments based on a pensioner’s country of residence - and an optimistic look to the future. Links & Resources: * Join the Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners & learn how you can manage your pension: britishpensions.com/ [https://britishpensions.com/] * Check your State Pension age: https://www.gov.uk/state-pension-age [https://www.gov.uk/state-pension-age]  * Sign the Change.org petition here [https://www.change.org/p/tell-the-political-parties-to-end-frozen-pensions] to support the fight against frozen pensions. * Join the New to Canada Academy: Learn more [https://thenewcomercollective.com/academy/]  * Download my 50 free tips from newcomers to Canada: What they wish they knew before they moved! https://thenewcomercollective.com/canada-tips/ [https://thenewcomercollective.com/canada-tips/]  * Follow me on Instagram: @TheNewcomerCollective [https://www.instagram.com/thenewcomercollective/]  * For more about us and what we do, check out our website: TheNewcomerCollective.com [https://thenewcomercollective.com/]