“Our journey so far has been great with many ups and downs. It has been a great learning experience coming to a new place, having a baby, and evolving in the process.”
Karan Handa is self-employed
Hina Mahajan is self-employed
Bhavya is five years old Kiyaan is two months old
Karan Handa fell in love with Canada when he came to study here in 2007. Because of some personal reasons, he had to leave after completing his studies, with the hope that he would make Canada his home in the near future. “After we got married we visited Canada in 2011 and stayed for three months. We planned to migrate here at that time but were unable to do so. Last year we made up our mind and applied [for permanent residence]. Finally we are here after a long journey,” shares Hina Mahajan, Karan’s wife.
Karan and Hina, along with their daughter Bhavya, moved to Canada in June 2019 from India. For the first few months, they stayed in rented homes in Burnaby and Vancouver, found through Airbnb and Craiglist. As they were getting accustomed to the new surrounding, Hina recalls that transportation was a big issue; she was pregnant with their son, Kiyaan, at that time. “It was difficult to move around in public transportation where one had to walk long distance even after reaching the closest bus/skytrain stop. Finding a good apartment was another task as we had to search a lot.” Karan shares that they got easily adjusted to the people and surroundings but are still trying to adapt to Canada’s weather.
The couple co-owned a business back in India and were interested in doing the same in Canada as well. “We never wanted to look for a job and were looking for business opportunities right from the beginning. It took us a long time to understand the market here, and we are still exploring it,” says Karan. Today, Karan and Hina are directors of their own company here in Canada.
The family loves Canada for its multiculturalism and politeness. “I like the accepting nature of this country. It is a beautiful amalgamation of so many different cultures,” says Hina, further stating that she dislikes the growing drug problem especially in Metro Vancouver.
The new immigrant family looks forward to settling down soon with a flourishing business and beautiful house. “Our journey so far has been great with many ups and downs. It has been a great learning experience coming to a new place, having a baby, and evolving in the process,” says Hina in conclusion.
BIGGEST OBSTACLE FACED SO FAR IN CANADA:
Taking care of our newborn son and older daughter all alone without any family support.
RESOLUTIONS MADE FOR YOURSELF OR FAMILY:
To settle down soon with a good business and house.
ADVICE FOR IMMIGRANTS:
Don’t come here thinking life would be easy. Nothing is easy; you have to earn it to live happily.
MEMORIES OF YOUR HOMELAND:
We miss our family get-togethers and the amazing Indian food.