Mina’s Story of Immigration to Canada

What is it like to arrive in a brand new country and start a new life? What can make the transition less bumpy?

Staff member Mina Al-rubaye recounts her immigration story with CBC in a recent article to give advice to the incoming wave of newcomers to Canada:

International student Mina Al-rubaye also had her “eyes set on Canada” as part of her goal to pursue an education abroad. She arrived from Iraq with her younger brother and sister in 2014 to start a degree in accounting.

Partway through, she returned home for a visit and married her husband. But now that she has graduated and become a permanent Canadian resident, she says she still can’t feel at home because her husband is not here.

“The community that I’m part of is very welcoming,” she said.

“But how can I feel settled in a place where what feels like half of me is living in another part of the world? There’s always this missing piece to my full integration here in the country.”

Al-rubaye has applied for him to come as a temporary resident three times, all unsuccessful. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada also confirmed she has sponsored him for a permanent residency application, which is ongoing. 

Meanwhile, she has found work as an accountant and says the connections she made as a student were key to her success here.

“Be it going to networking events or just nurturing connections within the field of your choice … that’s what really helped me get established financially,” she said.