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CanadaAnyone in the February intake for a Canadian college?
Starting a two-year post-graduate diploma in Toronto in February and I do not know a single person going. Mostly looking to sort out shared accommodation before I land rather than book a month of hostels. If you are on the same intake, say which college and I will start a group.
United KingdomSri Lankan grocery shops near Birmingham?
Three months in and I have given up on finding proper pol sambol ingredients in the big supermarkets. Maldive fish especially. Anyone know shops around Birmingham or Coventry that carry Sri Lankan rather than general South Asian stock? The Indian shops have most things but not the same rice and definitely not the same chilli.
AustraliaSkills assessment with ACS: what they actually asked for
For anyone doing an ACS assessment with a Sri Lankan degree. What they wanted from me: 1. Degree certificate and full transcript, colour scan, both sides 2. Reference letters on company letterhead, signed, with the writer's direct contact details and their position 3. Payslips or bank statements covering the same period as each reference letter 4. Passport bio page The reference letters are where people get stuck. A letter that says "worked as a Software Engineer from 2019 to 2023" is not enough. It has to describe the actual duties in a way that maps to the ANZSCO code, and it has to be signed by somebody who can be contacted. My first submission came back for exactly this. Second one passed. Two months lost.
United Arab EmiratesSharjah vs Dubai Marina, a commute reality check
Sharjah saves you roughly half the rent. It costs you two to three hours a day. I did Al Nahda to Media City for a year. Leaving at 06:40 got me in by 07:50. Leaving at 07:10 got me in at 09:15. The difference between those two departure times is the whole argument. If you are on a tight salary it is still the right call, but budget for the Salik tolls and fuel, and understand you are buying rent savings with your evenings. I moved to a shared place in Al Barsha after a year and I would not go back.
GermanyJob seeker visa to Blue Card in five months
Arrived on a six month job seeker visa with about EUR 6,000 saved and no offer. Weeks 1 to 3: Anmeldung, bank account, SIM. Do the Anmeldung first, everything else needs the certificate. Weeks 3 to 9: applications. 60 sent, 7 replies, 4 interviews. Week 11: offer, EUR 58,000, above the Blue Card threshold for my field. Week 14: appointment at the Ausländerbehörde, which was the hardest thing to book. I refreshed the portal for nine days. Week 20: Blue Card in hand. What mattered: a German-format CV with a photo, applying to Mittelstand companies rather than only startups, and having the degree recognition sorted before I flew.