Santosh lived in Canada for 7 years before moving back to India. From housing crisis to healthcare wait times, he shares the harsh realities driving Indians back home.
Santosh spent 7 years in Canada, got his PR and citizenship, then left. From housing crisis to healthcare collapse, here's why the Canadian dream is dying for Indians.
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"At one point I told my wife - if I don't get my PR, I'll break my passport and stay illegal in Canada." That's how much Santosh loved Canada when he arrived 7 years ago on a work permit. Fast forward to today: he has Canadian citizenship, and he's living in India. What changed? Everything. From housing costs that make you feel like you're "living on Mars" to a healthcare system where you wait 2 years for knee surgery, Santosh breaks down the 6 major problems driving Indians out of Canada.
Santosh came from Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow. He didn't come to Canada as a student - he came on a work permit, transferred by his IT company.
"I came here on a work permit 6-7 years back. It was a very nice journey initially. At one point I remember telling my wife - if I don't get my PR, I'll break my passport and stay here illegal in Canada. That's how involved I was in staying in Canada."
Before COVID, things were smooth. After COVID, everything fell apart:
"Before COVID things were very good, things were smooth. But after COVID, everything became a mess. We started feeling - where are we actually living? Why are we living in this place? What's wrong with this country?"
Santosh got his passport just 1-2 months before leaving. The reason?
"The only reason we took the passport is to travel the world - 160-170 countries visa-free. Trust me, 90% of immigrants who relocated took the passport only for these reasons - either for travel or to potentially move to the US. Citizenship is not going to give you something special. If you ask me personally, India is going to get better in the next 100 years. Canada is going to get worst and worst and worst."
"Living in Canada is like you're living on Mars. It is that costly."
Santosh breaks down how dramatically things changed:
"If you calculate your minimum wage - $15-16 times 40 hours a week, times 160 hours a month - it's not even covering your rent. Earlier, even on minimum wage you could survive, buy food for your family. Now you can't even eat properly."
Santosh points to immigration policy as the root cause:
"The Trudeau government - I don't know how they calculated their immigration policy. It went completely wrong. They bring so many immigrants, they don't have place to live. There was 100 homes available and you bring 2,000 people. Those 100 homes are already owned by 10 people who create manipulation."
"Same basement that was renting for $700-900 seven years back - now 10 students are staying there, each paying $500. The owner makes $5,000 just from the basement. Why wouldn't he buy another house? This is business for him. And the government let it burn."
Santosh warns: "Students spend 30-40 lakh of their parents' money on this narrative. Some families sell their houses and lands to send kids to Canada. 10 years ago someone's nephew went and now owns 5 houses. But in a decade, things changed completely. Now you can't afford one house in the next 10 years."
Canada's "free healthcare" comes with a massive catch:
"They say it's completely free but it's the worst medical system you can ever see. If you go to the hospital, there are people in queue for 24-36 hours. They even closed emergency rooms and told people to look at other hospitals - 'we will reopen after 36 hours because of the number of people.'"
"Your knee is broken? Wait for two years for surgery. You bought a million dollar house, both people working to pay the mortgage. Now you broke your knee and have to wait 2 years. Who's going to take care of your mortgage? You can't go to office. And not everyone is in IT who can work from home."
Santosh describes a pattern that made him and his wife laugh:
"Everything in Canada has only one solution - go to Indians in Toronto group with 200,000-300,000 people. Anything happens - miscarriage, knee broken, dental issue, housing problem - the only solution is Indians in Toronto. If I post 'I broke my knee, doctor gave 2-year appointment,' 300,000 comments will say: take next flight to India."
"For one root canal it's $600, putting a cap is $3,000 - total $3,600. People say: 'Man, you'll meet your family in that $3,600 and your whole teeth will be done in 50,000 rupees with the best root canal and crown.' So $3,000 you spend for family and tickets. We're paying 50-55% taxes and for every problem the answer is 'go to India.' What is this?"
"There was a comedian who said: 'I applied for a family doctor and they told me 6-year waiting. I thought why shouldn't I get a license within 6 years and become a doctor myself until I get there?' That's how the problem is."
"This country is the second largest in the world by land, but on infrastructure it's like this. They don't have one metro, one bullet train, one proper public transportation. They don't even have infrastructure in the whole country what we have in Delhi."
"Go Transit doesn't go over 100km anywhere. From Union Station in Toronto, if you have to go anywhere 100km, you need at least 3-4 hours. You don't have frequent connectivity, services are slow, some places it doesn't even go, and sometimes you wait 2 hours for the next one."
"When we initially came, we didn't have a car. We used to take grocery and wait for the bus. We thought 'this is going to kill us in the next minute.' Two bags in hand, minus 20 temperature, air hitting your ears and nose and eyes - you're freezing. Even 5-10 minute bus delay can kill you. It is that bad. You're forced to buy a car."
Santosh explains how the system forces car ownership and taxes you repeatedly:
"You buy a $30,000 car, pay $4,000 tax. When you sell it for $10,000, the buyer pays another 13% tax - $1,300. Every time that car gets sold, 13% tax keeps adding. You have no choice because there's no public transportation and weather sucks. That is the whole target of Canada - how to make you a slave."
The job market has become impossibly competitive:
"I was working for a bank. We had one application and 177,000 people applied on LinkedIn for one job. What kind of immigration system is this?"
"There were only 10 jobs, 5 banks, 10 grocery stores - and you bring 300,000-400,000 students every year. Overall, each year you're bringing 1.2-1.4 million people. And you say you need immigration for what? For what?"
"If there is one LCBO or 10 Tim Hortons jobs available, trust me there are 500,000 people in queue from the last 8-9 hours just standing to get a minimum wage job. Those guys came as students, spent 30-40 lakh of their parents' money, and now they have no choice. How do you go back and tell your parents 'I lost 40 lakh in a matter of time'?"
"The city I was living in, 80km from Toronto, has only one hospital - Royal Victoria Hospital - created in 1960-1975 when population was not even 50,000. In 6-7 years, population grew to 300,000-400,000. We still have that one hospital. They didn't build infrastructure, hospitals, schools, or improve public transportation. The only thing they did was bring lots of students and immigrants."
"In Canada, only 5 banks control the whole economy. Whatever they want to do, they can just do it. In the US, just across the border, there are 3,600 banks. Small ATMs, small banking - everyone gets supported."
"In the US you'll find thousands of grocery stores - small and big, like Walmart, Costco, plus thousands of small ones. In India we have Gupta ji's shop downstairs, Tamil Nadu guys putting dosa in a small shop. In Canada? Maybe 5-6 grocery brands control the whole country's food."
"When someone in the house becomes king and starts controlling, you understand how suffocated that house becomes. Similarly, the environment where you can grow is not happening. Whatever these 5-6 companies want, they just run based on that. They don't want competition for themselves - they want competition within the people so they can benefit."
"You are paying 50 to 55% of your income just in taxes. 30-32% goes straight on your income, then 13% HST on everything you buy. And for every problem, the answer is 'go to India.' What is this? It was blowing our mind every morning - why is every solution just 'go to India'?"
The frustration is clear - high taxes with poor services:
"We're paying 50-55% taxes and for every medical issue the answer is 'take the next flight to India.' What are we paying taxes for?"
"Suppose you're renting a house from me. Next year I say 'sorry, I want to sell my house.' Now your kids are going to school nearby, your wife found a job near there, you're traveling for your job - and suddenly everything changes. The moment you move to the next house, it's not going to be the same rent. Things are moving so fast - your bill might be another $500 more. When you're struggling for every dollar, how can you pay $500 extra?"
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According to Santosh who lived in Canada for 7 years, the main reasons are: 1) Housing costs have become unaffordable - rent for a one-bedroom went from $500-700 to $2,200-2,500, 2) Healthcare wait times of 2+ years for surgeries, 3) Job market collapse with 177,000 applicants for single positions, 4) Minimum wage doesn't cover basic rent anymore, 5) High taxes taking 50-55% of income, 6) Poor public transportation forcing car ownership.
Santosh explains: 'Living in Canada is like living on Mars - it is that costly.' Minimum wage was $12-13 with rent at $500-700 for one bedroom. Now minimum wage is $15.50 but rent is $2,200-2,500 for the same apartment. He says: 'If you calculate your minimum wage times 160 hours a month, it's not even covering your rent.'
Santosh describes severe problems: 'If you go to the hospital, there are people in queue for 24-36 hours. They even closed emergency rooms.' For surgeries: 'Your knee is broken? Wait for two years.' For dental work: 'One root canal is $600, putting a cap is $3,000 - total $3,600. People say take the next flight to India, get it done for 50,000 rupees.' Family doctor wait times can be 6 years.
Santosh shares a shocking example: 'I was working for a bank. We had one application and 177,000 people applied on LinkedIn for one job.' He explains: 'They bring 300,000-400,000 students every year, and overall 1.2-1.4 million people each year. There were only 10 jobs, 5 banks, 10 grocery stores - and you bring this many people?'
Santosh explains: 'This country doesn't have infrastructure. They don't have one metro, one bullet train, one proper public transportation.' Go Transit doesn't go beyond 100km from Toronto. In winter with minus 20 temperatures: 'We used to wait for the bus with grocery bags, air hitting your ears and nose - even 5-10 minute delay can kill you. You're forced to buy a car.'
According to Santosh: 'You are paying 50 to 55% of your income just in taxes. 30-32% goes straight on your income, then 13% HST on everything you buy.' He gives an example of car taxes: 'You buy a $30,000 car, pay $4,000 tax. When you sell it for $10,000, the buyer pays another 13% tax. Every time the car is sold, 13% tax keeps adding.'
Santosh explains: 'We got the passport only a month or two before moving. The only reason was to travel the world - 160-170 countries visa-free.' He adds: 'Trust me, 90% of immigrants who relocated took the passport only for travel or to potentially move to the US later. Citizenship is not going to give you something special.'
Santosh describes a pattern: 'Everything in Canada has only one solution - go to Indians in Toronto group with 200,000-300,000 people. Anything happens - miscarriage, knee broken, dental issue, housing problem - the only solution is Indians in Toronto.' He laughs: 'If I post I broke my knee and doctor gave 2-year appointment, 300,000 comments will say: take next flight to India.'
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