My last session.

I am studying child education at Montmorency College. I am finishing my program in a session soon and I want to go further in my studies to consider a bachelor's degree. On the other hand, I also want to allow my mother and siblings to join me here in Canada. Education salary will not allow me to immigrate them all together, because I should count housing, children's education, insurance etc. If I continue my studies, I will not be able to earn so much money with part-time work to help them and if I start working I will not be able to realize my dream of going to university. What should I do?

Choice 1 : Go to the University.

Choice 2 : Start working.

Go to the University.

After graduation, I could start working immediately. But I decided to continue my studies at UQAM University in order to have a better salary and better working conditions in a few years. My program will last 3 years, and sometimes I must continue to help my family. Should I stay in my current part-time job as a cashier on a minimum wage to balance work and education or should I find a full-time job to help my family during my studies.

Choice 1 : stay in my current job.

Choice 2 : Work full time and having difficulty.

Choice 3 : Work full time and do well at school.

Start working.

After graduation in May 2021, I decided to enter the job market. During the summer, I was working as a substitute educator in a CPE (Centre de la petite enfance) and the managers ask me to come to work at the end of my studies, I will not need to do job interviews. That is a good thing, but I will not have a full-time position in the first year, it would be a replacement position. Otherwise, I could decide to apply to several daycare centers that offer full-time work or school boards. I must make up my mind with the need to work to save money to reunite my family with me.

Choice 1 : Start working in a new daycare.

Choice 2 : Start working in my summer job.

Choice 3 : Start working in a new daycare.

Stay in my current job.

During my baccalaureate, I work as a cashier in a Haitian restaurant near my home. I work between 10 and 15 hours a week, I have time to study at the same time and carry out my homework. I have high grades and I pass all of my classes. With my salary, I manage to pay my expenses and I can barely help my family. I reconsider my desire to move in alone for the summer of 2022, because I do not think I'll be able to save for it if I help my family at the same time.

Choice 1 : Stay in my father's house and help my family in Haiti.

Choice 2 : Saving to go to apartment.

Work full time and study less.

During my baccalaureate, I work full-time in an open daycare for health care workers. So, it is open at night and also on weekends. After my schedule has been re-recovered, I give my availability and work about 30 to 40 hours a week while I have 5 to 6 courses at university. I'm often tired and stressed. I can barely pass my classes, but it allows me to help my family and save for my project to go to an apartment in the summer of 2022. I'm dissatisfied with my results, I'm thinking about taking one year's break to increase my grades, get back to an apartment and continue to help my family.

Choice 1 : Pursue my dream despite everything.

Work full time and study a lot.

I decided to work full-time and balance my part-time job with another job which allows me to work 30 to 40 hours a week. I study during my breaks, my free evenings, weekends when I'm not working. I have high grades at school, but I don't sleep much, I don't see my friends anymore. I find that I do not have time to have a romantic relationship because I will not have time to devote to the person.

Choice 1 : Pursue my dream despite everything.

Start working in my summer job.

I chose to work for the daycare I was doing replacements for the summer. I work as a substitute all year round. I do 20 to 25 hours a week. As a substitute, I have not yet accumulated hours for a pension plan, sick leave or paid leave and other working conditions that educators with positions enjoy. However, I know the educators, the children and how my workplace works. To fill my hours, I also keep my job as a cashier which allows me to work between 30 and 35 hours with a different salary. I can save to help my family and maybe go to an apartment. I don't yet have the ability to bring them, I'm considering bringing my mother first, then my sister and my brother.

Choice 1 : Stay in my father's house and help my family in Haiti.

Choice 2 : Move and think about the future.

Start working in a new daycare.

After graduation, I applied for some daycare for years, I had job interviews, so I had to write resumes as well as letters of motivation and references. Finally, I got a job that offers good working conditions. While I work, I help my family and save for my apartment and my immigration project. I set aside the money I will need when they come so that my application is accepted. I work for at least three years to ensure that my application is considered.

Choice 1 : Working full time and live alone.

Choice 2 : Working full-time and live in my father's house.

Stay in my father's house and help my family in Haiti.

I decided to stay in my father’s house and contribute in some bills at home. I can send money to my family; the kids go to school, and they have food. Staying with my father means I cannot apply for a super visa for my mother, which would allow her to stay at least two years in the country at a time, while she has her permanent residence. To apply, I have to assure the government that I can take care of her and that she will live with me. I can barely include myself at home, what a joke to say that my mother could come. So, with this choice I can think about the present, helping them now, but not being able to bring them in. Not to mention that I should be able to take care of myself in an apartment and pay bills, before considering taking care of my family in a bigger apartment and more bills.

Choice 1 : Pursue my dream despite everything.

Move and think about the future.

I decided to work and go to an apartment. I set myself a full year goal to set aside the money that would allow me to bring my family, starting with my mother and then my siblings. But I must let my mother deal with the children without me being able to help them for a while.

Choice 1 : My last session.

My mother and I.

Although I am not happy about leaving the children alone without my mother, I decided to apply for my mother. Once she arrives in Canada, she could start working, and we will apply for a student permit for the children after one year which would allow them to settle before permanent residence. My mother lives with me, we are worried, but we are closer to the finish line than the start line. And who knows, I might have a boyfriend.

Choice 1 : Happy ending.

Saving to go to apartment.

I decided to save to live alone, and I am no longer able to help my family for a few months. I helped with food and sometimes contribute to pay for the children's school with my mom and their father. My mother can barely cope with the kids. I'm not happy that I can barely help my family. I make sure that I work hard so that I can stabilize myself and help them afterwards. It will take at least a year before I can think about the idea of bringing them in.

Choice 1 : My last session.

Proof of financial capacity.

I live alone, although I work to welcome my family, I'm unhappy not to have them near me. I am alone working to help them which makes it difficult for me to work and the amount of proof of financial capacity I must provide leads me to work more and more.

Choice 1 : My last session.

Working full time and live alone.

I work in a daycare full-time and move into an apartment in the summer of 2022. I'm saving money and I'm ready to start the process of welcoming my family. I think between saving money for a year and hosting them as I go or saving for at least three years by working full-time to accommodate all three together.

Choice 1 : Welcome my mother first.

Choice 2 : Welcome my family together.

Welcome my family together.

I decided to welcome my family together. I have been working for three years. During his three years I work weekdays in daycare and weekends in restaurants. I don't really have time to go out and see my friends. I'm not happy not to have them near me and I'm worried I can't get a good record to welcome them.

Choice 1 : Proof of financial capacity.

Welcome my mother first.

I decided to work for a year and apply for the residency for my mother. This will allow her to work and together we could apply for the children, which increases the chance that our application will be received. Although we work hard, we are concerned about leaving the children alone with their father in this unstable country.

Choice 1 : My mother and I.

Working full-time and live in my father's house.

I work in a daycare full-time, but I still live with my father. This makes it difficult for me to do so. When applying for sponsorship, the government considers the salary of the person in charge of being financially able to include all those who come under their roof. I had to decide in advance to live alone so that I would make my file and the calculation of my financial capacity easy. I had to extend my immigration project by one year.

Choice 1 : My last session.

Pursue my dream despite everything.

I decided to continue my studies for 3 years at the University. Sometimes, I help my family. Although being a psycho-educator I will be able to get a better salary, I will be forced to postpone my project. After my three years of study, I would have to wait at least another two years to work full-time to begin the sponsorship process. This will make me between 5 and 6 years away from my family in living conditions I don't like. I should have started working after my technique and continued my studies afterwards.

Choice 1 : My last session.

Happy ending.

I chose to work for my family. I have selected certificate courses at UQAM University. Classes are offered on certain evenings and weekends. I am thinking of doing a bachelor's degree in early childhood intervention. It has not been easy, but I am happy to have my family with me and I do not regret making such a sacrifice. My studies will last longer, but at least I will have my family around me to help me move forward.

Choice 1 : My last session.