From El Salvador to Quebec: far from home but happy

This is the story of a Salvadoran teenager with deep-rooted family and cultural customs, who at just 17 years of age decided that her life destiny was outside her country. Whether in Ireland or Germany, she knew she had to prepare herself for university and, after much evaluation of options, even in Argentina, she opted for the country most sought after by international students: Canada.

Her testimony is part of the series: Immiland - Life Project of our blog and is an inspiring chronicle for many international students who want a better future, but have not dared to take the big step because they think it is impossible. Below, Andrea Sofia tells us what she and her mother went through and what can happen in a migration process to Canada, the unexpected events and how to overcome them to get the visa and enter the country successfully. Join me to read her beautiful story.

My first snowfall. This was one of the best days of my life because I felt happy and with a huge peace realizing that I am fulfilling a dream.

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The illusion of studying in another country

Hello! My name is Andrea Moreno, I'm 20 years old and I'm from El Salvador. When I turned 17, I knew I had to make an important decision: to choose a good career and a university that I could afford, by then I was in my last year of high school in my country.

I had the illusion of studying outside of El Salvador, but at home we did not have enough economic resources for such a change, so I discussed it directly with my mother and asked her to look for the possibility of a scholarship. I barely had enough money to pack my bags and leave, nothing else.

Together we put together a search plan and began to evaluate different options outside of El Salvador, we investigated study costs but also the immigration laws of each country, because as a Spanish-speaking foreigner I knew that I had to be informed about language requirements and crucial documents to enter a country far away and very different from mine. 

In my illusion of studying abroad, I looked for options in Ireland, Germany, Argentina and Canada. This last country caught our attention and we started following several Canadian youtubers , the truth is that we really liked what we saw. We continued exploring YouTube channels and that's how we came to Eddy Ramirez, Canadian lawyer and founder of Immiland, a company registered in Canada that performs legal procedures to immigrate to the country. We stopped to watch one of her videos and we loved the clear way she explained the immigration system and the steps to study in Canada. Everything seemed to indicate that my illusions of pursuing a career outside the country would be a beautiful reality.

Emigrating to Montreal became a goal

It was April 2021 and I continued with my dream of studying abroad and my visits to the YouTube channel of ImmilandCanada, there was the lawyer Eddy Ramirez with very important videos on what to do before starting the trip as a student and other tips. In the end, I talked to my mother to schedule a consultation with the company and so we did. Our virtual appointment was with Eddy Ramirez herself and I must say that, although she introduced us to the different provinces and colleges in Canada that we could choose from, according to our profile, it was definitely the passion with which she described and talked about Montreal that got me.

So, I did some research on this city located in the province of Quebec, I saw it described as quiet, vibrant, attractive and much more affordable for young students and newcomers, compared to larger provinces like Ontario and British Columbia. Because of this and more, I decided that Montreal was the city I wanted to immigrate to. 

College acceptance was the first dream fulfilled

From the beginning Eddy was quite optimistic with our case and that made us more excited, we had practically a year to achieve what she was telling us, so we did our best to get in and out of El Salvador and enrich my travel history, we set out to save money, we looked for options to apply for a student loan, etc. 

In December of the same year, I already had an acceptance from a college and in January 2022 we hired the services of Immiland, I would apply as an international student and my mom with a tourist visa.

An unexpected setback in Quebec

In May 2022, both applications were submitted, but in that time frame there were law changes in Quebec that we did not expect... and the college I had applied to no longer offered the post-graduation work permit, better known as PGWP, with which the graduate professional can work in Canada and get permanent residency. I felt devastated because I did not know if it would affect my application; what had given me so much joy now generated stress, but that was not all, something worse was about to happen?

More disappointments and a change of course

Almost two months later I received an email informing me that my visa had been denied, I felt that my world was collapsing and I cried a lot, I did not accept what was happening to me, so I went to Eddy Ramirez again to see if something could be done on my behalf.

Faced with this denial, Immiland's team suggested a quick ATIP (Access to Privacy Information) request, which is a reconsideration that is requested to understand why the officer who reviewed the case decided to deny the visa. My mother and I knew that this could take weeks or even months.... 

Discouraged by everything that was happening, my mother and I started to look for information on how to emigrate to Ireland, since it was the other country I was looking forward to and the best thing is that I didn't need a visa there, but the discouragement was always there, I wanted Canada and until I had a positive answer from immigration I had to accept that it was not possible yet.

In the face of uncertainty there is no time to lose

Something I had seen many times on Immiland's YouTube channel is that successfully emigrating as a student requires a lot of preparation and the most convenient thing to do is to raise the academic profile, do studies, gain work experience and learn English and French, so I made the most of my time while waiting for the ATIP, I worked in a call center to practice my English, I was studying the second semester at university, I was also learning to speak French and I had obtained a diploma in Business Administration. I never sat idly by waiting for Canada or another country to decide my steps or my destiny. Although I was very uncertain about the response to my reconsideration.

Appeal or reapply: a beacon of light

In October 2022, the response from ATIP arrived with reasons that were not very clear, the good thing is that we were acting under the guidance of the Immiland team and they presented us with two options that could be applied: one was to appeal the officer's decision, the other was to reapply. Although there were alternatives, the truth is that I did not want to reapply for fear of a second rejection, but in the midst of so much chaos came a sign of light for us.

At the end of that same month, my mother received an email informing her that her tourist visa had been approved, that gave us hope and we saw it as a sign to gain confidence and try once again. So we did, we were both more prepared in the previous steps to emigrate, I had an attractive academic profile, I spoke the language of Canada, I had work experience, in short, we had built a foundation for a temporary visa with more chances of success, as recommended by Eddy Ramirez in his videos. The next thing that happened to us was beautiful!

Visa approved: a mixture of fear and happiness!

Our second attempt was also accompanied by the Immiland team and in March 2023 I submitted my application. For a month and a half I waited anxiously for the answer and this time my visa was approved! I was crying with happiness, but at the same time I had many mixed feelings. 

As the days went by, fears began to arise, I thought about the fact of being alone, far from my mother and my grandfather. I had a mixture of happiness for starting my dream and melancholy for what I was leaving behind, in short, knowing that I had the visa approved generated anxiety and other emotions. 

I told my close family and friends that I was going to Canada, some supported me and showed confidence in me, others thought I was still too young to emigrate alone, but, despite the different opinions, I was still happy.

From air ticket to arrival in Montreal

With both visas approved, my mother and I started preparing for the trip. Throughout the application phase we had been reading the Immiland Canada blog, as it has many interesting articles that talk about the steps before and after arriving in Canada, as well as what to do at the airport. We knew that looking at accommodation options was crucial before buying plane tickets, sorting our bags and even storing important documentation, such as our study permit and acceptance letter, in a carry-on bag when we arrived at the airport.

It was a Sunday July 23, 2023 when I arrived with my mother in Montreal and since that day I fell in love with the city. Despite the disappointment that almost made me throw in the towel, I consider that God has blessed me a lot because I found the unconditional support of the people who hosted us in their homes. To all of them I want to convey my respect, appreciation and gratitude for receiving us and for helping me find a good job, with a wonderful boss and excellent coworkers.

In addition, in college I met a group of lovely friends that little by little became an important part of my life, as much as my family in El Salvador. I know they are waiting for me there with open arms, I know they love me and I love them. 

I have been living here in Montreal for a year now, and even though I sometimes cry for being so far away from home without my family, working every day to support myself financially and not to cause them any worries or problems, why not say it, I know that all this effort is worth it and I feel very happy.

I thank God for this opportunity, my mom for her support and Immiland for the accompaniment, you for reading these lines and, finally, I thank Canada!

Andrea Sofia Moreno Jaco

In these links, we share information related to this story, as well as some videos and blog posts that inspired Andrea Sofia to achieve her dream.

Permanent residency for studies in Quebec, possible law changes, see video.

What's the first thing I do when I arrive in Canada, read blog.

Visit our website for visa refusal service (ATIP). See other immigration services.

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With love,

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Immiland Education

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