I am a 24-year-old software developer with two years of professional experience and a graduate of a university ranked in the top 500 worldwide, with a solid GPA of 3.2. Despite a deep passion for coding and computer science, the economic constraints of my home country, a developing nation, make it challenging to live comfortably. Earning $1500 USD monthly with rents ranging from $600-$700, I'm unable to sustain a reasonable standard of living.
I'm seriously considering relocating to Canada for better career opportunities and quality of life. I would love to hear from those who've made a similar move or are familiar with the tech industry and lifestyle in Canada.
Here are my specific questions:
1. What's the demand for software developers with my background in Canada?
2. Could anyone share insights on the cost of living versus the salary expectations for software developers in Canada?
3. What challenges should I be prepared for in terms of immigration and job searching as an international candidate?
4. Any advice on Canadian cities that are tech hubs with a good balance of job opportunities and quality of life?
5. If you are not from Canada but have insights into improving life and career conditions in the engineering field elsewhere, I'm open to suggestions.
I'm going through a rough patch and am eager to make a change. I appreciate any guidance or experiences you can share.
Thank you!
I left Canada shortly after graduating to move to California and got a 2x raise at a herpy derpy startup.
1. The demand for software-related jobs is quite high, but the breakthrough in some companies (especially big ones) is quite challenging, in part because of the recent waves of layoffs, but a lot of the hiring market here is based on connections. For me, it was especially hard to get a job offer before arriving in the country.
2. It depends on where you want to live, but most of the jobs are in large metropolitan areas like Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, and a lot of them have been requiring at least hybrid work, so you need to factor in the cost of living in this cities. Afaik, the average Canadian household spends half of their income on living expenses (shelter, heating, power). Also, telecommunication services here are quite expensive, so if you plan to have good internet to work from home, you might need to add a couple hundred dollars to your monthly expenses for that.
3. About immigration, the best way is for you to reach an Immigration Attorney or Consultant, each case is particular and there is no one-size-fits-all for this. I've met people from the most diverse backgrounds, with completely different immigration strategies, and it worked out for them. Find what works best for your scenario and customize your immigration strategy based on that.
4. I'm still planning to visit Vancouver, but having known Toronto and Montreal, I feel that Toronto is a really good city to start, there are plenty of opportunities, and many Canadian companies choose to have their offices.
I would agree with another commenter who said that building a solid portfolio might go a long way in getting job interviews.
Good luck on your path!
Canada’s software salaries are low and this is a bad period for a move like that.
Moving countries is an arduous process and at the end you need to wisely consider all the aspects.
Likely what you read online paints Canada in a naively positive light.
Canada is a wonderful place with some of the best nature and some really lovely cities, but I would not move there to improve my financial situation.
If you are single or don't have any kids I think it is a lot more reasonable -- it's quite difficult to find housing for larger families. Even so, if you are capable of getting a good job working remote for a company it is possible to make it work.
I will say that Canada is in a bit of a flux right now. We are having an affordability crisis, and the cost of everything is going up.
It's not impossible to make a good life in Canada, but I think it's becoming increasing difficult and definitely not something that should be taken for granted.
1. The demand is high for devs, but like many places the tech industry itself is seeing a lot of cutbacks. So your best bet is likely not the tech industry per se, but healthcare or natural resources, etc. Expect to be paid less because of the double whammy of industry that pays less and you're foreign. It'll still be a good salary, but not nearly what you'd get in the US for the same job. And taxes are generally higher (you'd likely fall in the 35-40% range).
2. Really depends on the city. Rents and housing prices have exploded nation-wide recently. To give an idea, an vs apartment that would have gone for $900 CAD a month 3 years ago in Montreal (where I am) could easily be $2500-3000 Prices are slightly correcting in some cities but don't look like they're getting back to pre-pandemic levels any time soon. Also, like the rest of the world inflation is high. My weekly grocery bill for a family of three went from $65-80 to $95-120. And the prices in quoting (rent, groceries) are for Montreal which is significantly cheaper than Toronto, Vancouver, and Ottawa.
3. Immigration itself I'm not sure. If you listen to points and politicians it's easy (for good or bad, depending on the audience) but I can't say what the reality is. I think as a dev you shouldn't have a problem getting people interested, but looking at my point 1 I'm not sure how many non-tech companies would be willing to sponsor a visa. Federal government generally controls immigration but check provincial resources - some are friendlier than others. And expect to be low-balled, especially since you mentioned being from a developing nation.
4. Toronto is the obvious city and where most end up. Vancouver is great too but has been overpriced and very expensive since the 1990s. Montreal was starting to get rolling again, but every 30 years or so the Quebec Nationalists wake up and ruin things for the city. They've flared things up again so I wouldn't recommend coming here (as an aside, I'm pretty sure we're headed for another referendum after the next election cycle and this time they might get what they want... Even though for all practical purposes they already have everything they want. It's like Brexit all over again). Ottawa might come up but it's all government jobs and Spotify... And Spotify has been laying people off. Another decent area to look at is Waterloo, not far from Toronto and a good tech hub because of the universities.
One thing that can really help you in your search is of you every did projects for any big Canadian tech or FAANGs highlight it.
Good luck and if I think of anything else I'll come back and add.