Close Reading

Until 2020 (pandemic), most lifelong Canadians would have proudly & quickly said Canada is a great place. For multiple generations (young & old). It still is in many ways. But like all countries, a bunch of things have made life more difficult lately. \n \nDuring the COVID lockdowns, many people went wild wanting to buy a house (urban & rural). Increasing demand and rising prices. Not long after, inflation caused mortgage rates especially to rise. Rent costs soared too. People interested in working in hospitals declined. Less doctors etc.. \n \nSimultaneously in Canada, the number of people coming by air, land and boat to claim asylum skyrocketed. For example, in 2023 alone, in just one region (Central Canada) around 400 people arrived per day (on average). Ditto for other populated provinces. Also the number of international students SKYROCKETED too. In 2023, averaging around 2,000 per day across Canada. Years 2021 and 2022 had high #s too. \n \nThe majority trying to migrate to Canada recently have been from South Asia. And it's become extremely obvious to Canadians. Even those that are very used to much diversity & many cultures. Plus neighborhoods now know that international students are using schooling as a 'back door' ticket to come to Canada for permanent residency. No one says it in public amongst strangers, but everyone knows because they've witnessed the extreme PR frenzy firsthand by now. To many Canadians it has felt like a tidal wave that has reached all cities and small towns, with a post secondary school. This extreme situation never existed prior to 4 years ago.\n \nHospitals have been hit with many wanting free healthcare. Less doctors/nurses etc., means greater waiting times. Plus a VERY SEVERE HOUSING CRISIS has occurred in many western countries including in Canada. In ways not seen in people's lifetimes. And if you do find a place to live its quite expensive. Including small basement rooms. \n \nNow westerners want the money greedy agents (pseudo smugglers) in other countries to stop marketing & LYING to their own people about access to PR or citizenship … or accommodation/jobs … being easy (to get). And for any greedy people living in western countries to be ashamed of themselves if they're hurting students. Anyone doing things to make $ off of people's PR desires. At best, there is a 25% chance of gaining PR (better odds if you are masters/medicine etc.). \n \nNot all players across the board have acted honestly over the years, i.e. contract marriages (IELTS spouse), anchor babies, fraud, false asylum claims. Canada has asked the India government to prevent “ghost consulting”. The new PRIVATE (non-public) colleges are being investigated (including looking for strong oversea ties). \n \nCanadians are meeting students who told Canada they have enough $, but it turns out they borrowed it (some borrowed it for the application process only). Canadian food banks and other CHARITY services have been recklessly advertised on YouTube (by India students in Indian language). Many transit services have launched stricter rules, i.e. lost monthly bus passes registered in your name are now never replaced (unlike before). \n \nThen this year throw in all the Palestinian vs Israeli angry protests happening regularly in cities. Plus the Sikh vs Hindu violence/extortion mostly happening in Ontario and British Columbia. Plus the Canadian government also recently launched investigations in regards to foreign interference in Canadian elections. All stemming from Asia continent. Hate crimes have gone from rare to occasional (primarily South Asians against South Asians). \n \nCanadians are so so so so so not used to all this. So many, who have embraced multi-culturalism and immigration for decades are now VERY worried and fearful (due to all of the above). And all are praying it doesn't turn into great anger (like in the USA). \n \nCanadians want multi-culturism to succeed … and for all people (including immigrants) to be okay. Everyone I know is VERY happy with Canada Immigration's recent changes (reductions & investigations). Including multi-generational long-term Asian-Canadians where many have been the most upset (by all of this).

No good place to live in Canada. Housing crisis and health crisis everywhere in Canada.

I am a canadian living in Toronto, and I am absolutely sickened and disgusted by this place.

The oppressed people need to migrate to the safer place. The stance you're holding requires you to fight with sword against the oppressor and let Palestinians live with dignity. Hosting the refugees is the least one can do. It does not mean to leave Israel to occupy Palestinian land but to strengthen the oppressed people so that they may fight back. \nHijrat from Makkah to Madinah and then conquest of Makkah by Muslims should be taken as an example.

You should have gone to the Alexandra hotel, it functions as a hotel as well as a place for cheaper living for the homeless I’ve stayed there as a guest visiting Toronto many times and have heard so many different story’s from the homeless that live there now. The park itself (Alexandra park) next to the hotel has many homeless there too. There was a time I went to stay in Toronto for the weekend and couldn’t find anywhere to stay hotels were booked up or too expensive for my budget and one of the people that were living in Alexandra park overheard me when I tried to check in and offered a tent and food it was very welcoming I stayed with them for a few hours but ended up leaving because my ex had seen my story about not having anywhere to stay for the night and busses were done for the way back to Muskoka and got to stay with her. A lot of the homeless I met at the park weren’t addicts just got dealt a bad hand and had nowhere else to go, this was back in 2020. I’ve recently stayed at the Alexandra hotel this past summer for the exhibition and smashing pumpkins concert and it’s just the same as before. Heartbreaking the stories you hear but a very welcoming hotel and great what they do for the less fortunate.

I live in Vancouver. It`s getting just as bad. 2 weeks ago there was a shootout a few blocks from my place that sent 4 to the hospital. Mind you, I live in what is considered a quite neighbourhood where people move to retire.

Getting ill causing a month long stay in the ICU left me homeless as living paycheck to paycheck causes once the cheques stop , I was placed in a Toronto homeless shelter 3 years ago and I can tell you that African refugees enter a shelter and no more than 3 weeks later are housed usually 5 at a time all Getting a fully paid market value 1 bedroom apartment average price $2,600 monthly that with a monthly welfare cheque and free food dental medical prescriptions clothing WIN WIN WIN the Canadian born homeless shelter residents get put on a 38,000 name waiting list for Ontario's drug infested housing ghettos the Africans are being housed under a kept secret program called COHB secret from us Canadian homeless that is and I've witnessed this now at 5 different shelters I've been in, having befriended one of the African migrants who is a little unstable drinking alcohol and smoking pot so he hasn't been housed but he has shown me the paper work that has been housing his fellow illegal immigrants and I say illegal because they all came as visitors only to claim asylum as soon as they land he also told me they all borrow the money for their plane tickets from a gang who once they land and start instantly getting welfare have to send half the proceeds back to this gang in Africa for the next two years , in this shelter donated clothing comes in everyday and two African shelter residents fold and sort the clothing taking all the name brand clothes what they didn't hand out to the other Africans they walk to the post office and ship it back to Africa I'm not making this shit up after we complained to staff which also happen to be made up from the Africans themselves yes they've hired wolves to watch over the other wolves so they now aren't walking out the front door everyday with garbage bags full of clothes at least not in front of our eyes DON'T CALL ME RACIST I know that's the go to word when this insanity is made public , what do you think is the first thing these Africans do when they walk into their free apartment? Make phone calls back to the friends they left in Africa saying Get on the next plane to Canada free apartment free food free clothing free medication free dental and free money every month Canadians need not apply

I’m surprised you never saw me. I’m homeless in a shelter and I hate this city.. well I hate all the cities like this. The people are heartless and sacred. The homeless are high and sad… I wander the streets like all day every day. When I have money I try to help the street people. Or I end up smoking weed on occasion. But there’s a lot of garbage and garbage people out there. I’m basically the rat king. I wander round doing anything I can. I’m pretty crazy tho I have bpd and doctors don’t really help anyone. I just live in the shelter and during the day I wander the streets trying to learn the city and help people. Sometimes I’m rude and angry and insane due to the state of the city and all I’ve seen. I yell and sing as I walk around just to hate everyone who is the average scumbag citizen. You know who I mean.. and I call them out on their bs. But only during my bpd episode or whatever. Otherwise I try to help all the street rats. But lots of them are helpless addicts like it’s hard to find the proper way to help. You gotta be careful who you help I suppose, because your good intentions of helping can lead to harming them. They end up buying drugs I guess sometimes. I am very easy to spot. I’m zooming down the streets. I usually walk so fast and everyone is so brainwashed brain dead slaves of society for real… they don’t care or help no one. I mean some do but it’s extremely rare…. I’ve probably walked literally everywhere you were. That park on Jarvis. I see those security guards lol they were dicks to you and definitely lied about not being on camera. I see them like almost every day. And all the other places. I slept outside a few times not often. I’ve been to all these spots I walk by them all the time it was crazy to see it all. That’s my life haha it’s awesome. I do the best I can and it’s definitely better than everyone else who has a job and a place like…. They’re all just selfish shallow heartless scumbags. Harsh truth. Keep it real.

I just moved up north Ontario from Orangeville Ontario area and rent up here is cheap and I moved to a bush last year due to homelessness and now CMHA helped me get a place and in this small town I'm in that's falling apart, is now a meth city and it was a huge gold booming town. I got 6 meth dealers on my street lol when the snow leaves I'm back to my bush the CMHA (Canadian mental health association) bought me a 800$ generator and a 200$ rain barrel so I can go live in the trailer again so other homeless can get my apartment

Canada and Quebec are shitty places to live

Canada is still the easiest and cheapest to for international students to enter. Most of my friends are indian international students and although its been all over the news over there that canada isnt a good place to live anymore people still go for canada because its easiest. Hopefully something changes because this has been my home most of my life.

Born here and sadly spent a few years homeless in Toronto after both of my parents died (orphaned) when I was younger. I remember being told I had to be at least 25 years old to get help from Streets to Homes in Toronto and was homeless at 17 with no living parents (orphaned). It wasn't until the beginning of Covid that I moved away and another city helped me get off the street in 4 months. Have my own wonderful place for the past 3 1/2 years.\n\nSo glad I never gave up, and so glad I never started drugs.

Its not just toronto the homeless problem is in every populated area from ontario to alberta to bc i ised ro live out west in red deer alberta and its worse here in st catharines ontario but still the homeless are everywhere thats populated and its gotten real bad and creaped into places that never had it like saskatchewan and mabitoba since the immigrants started flooding in because of Trudeau's camp and the laws hes getting passed hes an idiot and he needs to be replaced

Take a look in the mirror. India is a nightmare place to live as well.. Pollution and poverty are much higher in India.

Lynn Ngugi am so grand you touched on the taxes as a factor and how they work in other countries where people actually do pay taxes . Unfortunately our fellow citizens will fight tooth and nail because they don’t want to pay taxes . Even those who can afford to pay will fight to be exempted from paying including going to courts just to avoid paying taxes . \nLife in Diaspora may look easy and smooth running to those not living there that is because the mechanism of running the economy is well put in place .\nHowever our people please remember the residents in these countries are actually paying taxes and in turn their government uses this tax money to run the economy . \n\nSo in these countries that we are running to as refugees ?believe you me if you are legitimately employed earning a living and with a paycheck then you automatically become a tax payer as well no body is fighting that . \n\nSo our people let’s stop fighting our own regimes on every policy concerning paying taxes , otherwise we are doomed and will be on exodus status for eternity. Let’s start at home and borrow a leaf from these other Nations where the systems actually works for the sake of the people that are calling those countries home ! What are we doing wrong in our own home country ? ? that should be a very important question in our minds. \n\nRunning to other peoples countries in search of green pastures instead of building our own countries and economy we are actually by choice or design shortening our lives and future generations ? \n \nMay our good Lord and creator give us generational grace , love , wisdom and power to change this trajectory . \nThis is my wish and prayers for future generations in every corner of this our great CONTINENT ? Salaam .

On March 18th 2020 my dad passed away from a fentanyl overdose, went from a normal single parent household to a drug den filled with every type of tweaker imaginable. \n\nI appreciate you shining light onto how severe this issue is.\n\nI was 18 when my dad first got into the drugs and was homeless for a couple years. \n\nThe only reason why im not still homeless or selling drugs is because my dad died and for some reason the insurance company still paid out his full coverage.\n\nThe house fell so far behind on the bills the bank wasnt sure if they were going to just repossess the mortgage or give it to me. \n\nThank you dad for paying the life insurance bill even when the power and water bill was not paid.\n\nBefore my dad passed i was living off of $300 a month, the government didnt give a crap about my situation.\n\nI went to multiple different agencies and they were more concerned with drug addicts and immigrants than helping a young healthy 18yr old boy that just needed a place to stay so he could go to school.

THOSE INDIAN EXPECTATION TOO HIGH THAT WHY THEY CONTINUE TO COMPLAIN....THE INDIAN WANT TAKE OVER EVERYWHERE THEM LIVE...AND NO COUNTRY WILL ALLOWED THAT.....THE INDIAN MUST GO BACK TO INDIA AND STOP DOWN GRADE CANADA....NICE PLACE....

As a South Asian living in the Uk ?? I've heard of the Desis in Canada ?? as having a bad reputation due to the smell in a place called Brampton. For FFS, learn English and integrate with the local culture. If you dont, then go back to India. It's embarrassing that South Asian to hear shit like that from other communities, not just whites..?‍♂️

GREATER VANCOUVER BC \n is beautiful, but if you're not rich, this is not the place for you. I JUST READ VANCOUVER IS THE 3 MOST EXPENSIVE PLACE TO LIVE IN THE WORLD.

I have some questions:\n\n1. Why is this video only showing African immigration when they represent the smaller immigration group. This is disingenuous. Why don’t you show the real immigration stats. \n\n2. The gentleman that spoke about his suffering and not having a stable place, living in his car etc, what is the reason? Why can’t he find employment or can he find employment but it’s not enough to pay for rent? \n\n3. Using the same man as an example, why is he Canadian born suffering (assuming no drugs or mental illness) but there are people who come on student visas, get a job, a house and then bring their 90 yrs old grandma over. Put a $1m insurance policy one her head and then buy an esso.\n\nCanadian is becoming very costly. I am experiencing this too, but while watching this documentary I got the impression it was solely to exploit an narrative. It would be better to make a documentary showing people working, blah blah and still having to go to the food bank because of the rising cost. That’s a real system problem\n\nMy heart goes out to those currently struggling with any drug or mental issues. I wish for a solution that will save lives and rehabilitate

I have been around here for a while.And i'm sad to say that canada is no longer the great place to live that it used to be.\nThe sharpest decline has been during the justin years.\nAlso, the government's lack of proper security screening seems to be compounding the problems caused by mass immigration.

Lived and worked in Canada from 2002-2007, in Toronto from 2004-2007 as an immigrant. I have Canadian citizenship, passport... Returned from Canada to my country of birth in late 2007. Those 5 years in Canada were the worst 5 years of my life, even then, when I was there in Canada - it wasn't as bad as today - today it is much worse (there is now a homeless camp five hundred meters from the block where I lived, it wasn't there then). Here, where I am now, I do not have a permanent job and a stable income, however, I live much better, much easier, with less effort, and most importantly, much healthier and peacefully than in Canada. I never even thought about going back there. Despite the false propaganda (because the Canadian state makes a lot of money from immigration - in order to legally immigrate to Canada, I had to spend 2000-3000 for administrative costs and show $10,000 in cash when entering Canada, plus a $1200 plane ticket) that Canada is one of the best places to live, my experience is that it is one of the worst places to live (and I have lived in both Germany and Cyprus and in my native country which has been devastated by Western sanctions and NATO bombing. Never in the 16 years since I left Canada have I thinking of going back there. I'm sorry, my experience was extremely negative.

Lived and worked in Canada from 2002-2007, in Toronto from 2004-2007 as an immigrant. I have Canadian citizenship, passport... Returned from Canada to my country of birth in late 2007. Those 5 years in Canada were the worst 5 years of my life, even then, when I was there in Canada - it wasn't as bad as today - today it is much worse (there is now a homeless camp five hundred meters from the block where I lived, it wasn't there then). Here, where I am now, I do not have a permanent job and a stable income, however, I live much better, much easier, with less effort, and most importantly, much healthier and peacefully than in Canada. I never even thought about going back there. Despite the false propaganda (because the Canadian state makes a lot of money from immigration - in order to legally immigrate to Canada, I had to spend 2000-3000 for administrative costs and show $10,000 in cash when entering Canada, plus a $1200 plane ticket) that Canada is one of the best places to live, my experience is that it is one of the worst places to live (and I have lived in both Germany and Cyprus and in my native country which has been devastated by Western sanctions and NATO bombing. Never in the 16 years since I left Canada have I thinking of going back there. I'm sorry, my experience was extremely negative.

Come on you really can’t believe there are only five people In That park ? ya maybe today cause they round them up and dump them all over the place they don’t take them to shelters it’s all lies!!! It’s to hide them from the public’s eyes this way they can go on with their delusional lives until it happens to them and no one is actually there to help you but!! they will though offer you M.A.I.D ! service!!!!! Free of charge!!!

even canadian medical system is getting worse and worse. \nwalk in clinic doctors dont wanna see patients \nI visited 3 different walk in clinics and they all said no\nWhen i visited Toronto one homeless guy tried to hit me, boyfriend and our friend. \nthe homelss guy told us to leave his park so we did and 5 mins later the same homeless guy was hitting one of the bikers in the driving lane. All the other bikers started to punching the homeless guy and started kicking him brought him to the opposite side walk and kept hitting him. seriously, canada's becoming very dangerous even in Vancouver being very much ghetto place.\n\nI think the PM should be focusing fixing Canada instead of getting more people in. When most of the middle class citizens are becoming more of a poor class. There's no balance in the country. Middle class is now poor class and I dont know what poor class is anymore. The rent is fucking crazy cant buy anything seriously organic lemon is over 5 dollars i mean i dont eat anything organic but this is crazy. especially when you try to buy something like a coffee the workers want you to pay at least 20% tip and if you dont they fucking glare at you. I really wanna leave Canada i dont wanna live here anymore. Its getting dangerous every day. More killing, theft, scams its so disgusting. 20 years ago was so nice. even though it was still expensive at least everyone wasnt mad at each other.\n\nYou should do Vancouver theres so much tents in the parks police officers dont do anything. Those people who needs to stay in the mental hospital doesnt get those help they're out in the streets.

It is very interesting to observe how demographics have changed over the decades.When I first arrived in Canada in 1972 (51 years ago), the Indians were almost invisible, it would be an extraordinary sight to see one. Now, they are all over the place and there is no housing by the way. But yes, it's the student visas that have saturated the system and now the inept government is scrambling to find solutions to the housing problem that has ballooned. I get CPP and old age pension but have to continue working due to the high cost of living, it is ridiculous.

It’s caused a massive affordable housing shortage. It took me 4 months to find a place. I was in a shelter for 6 weeks. I estimate I sent approximately 600 messages on marketplace. I came across 2 scammers. I didn’t fall for their tricks. I was amongst many older women many were awaiting subsidized housing. It’s a domino effect. We are seeing food shortages. Certain items unable to find them. Houses aren’t even affordable for middle class now. We have skyrocketing cost of living.

I live in a small town in Ontario Canada about an hour North of Toronto in the last 5 years I can't even recognize the place with all the foreigners And these people are so rude throw their garbage all over the place the crime is up tenfold. I fear english will become the second language in this town soon

There is hardly any reasonably priced rentals you pay 3/4 of your income on a dump. Utilities take the rest. Zero culture anymore. Getting dangerous. The weather is harsh and aging. There are no jobs for students in high school to begin entering adulthood workforce. It's woke beyond a joke. The media is biased. The whole dichotomy of attesting people for feeling suicidal then offering MAID. Just not the same anymore. Sad and depressing what's happening because im the 90s and prior it was a wonderful place to live. Things really started going wrong mid 2000s.

Actually it is really simple, the main reason that educational institutes (businesses in reality) and the country have been bringing in international students (whether India or elsewhere) is that *the international students pay 4-5x more in tuition* and so *educational institutes and the country wants to bring them in as cash cows, to milk them for the money!* *They have been using them as cash cows and milking them* There are so many institutes where there is such an imbalance, where 80-90% are international students and the local minority, the reason again is, $$. \n From international students and imgs there is a boost in the economy because of the high tuition they pay and the tax that is collected from that tuition, they spend on rent (crazy expensive as you know) transport, basic cost of living like food etc, entertainment etc, so the economy did benefit from immigrants and international students, but I completely agree that there is way too much influx. It is not good for them nor for the country, as everything has become so expensive, rent and housing affordability is gone crazy, due to crazy demand and low supply. \n So the problem is greed! I totally agree with True North's the Timz example, and the other places mentioned, and I really think that the government should work on affordability, the housing crisis, health care, sustainability, and fair and equal employment.

USA is much much worse right now. Democrats in both US and Canada will make these countries fall because of mass Immigration. It’s happening all across the globe in western countries, UK is no longer a desirable place to live because of illegals. Soft woke policies will destroy countries in a short period.

Ontario is invaded by east indians\nHell my apartment is too\nLike 10 will live in one place \nCrowds elavtor n lobby ffs's

Wherever is the most liberal is usually the worst place to live

The worst place to live in is all western Countries USA, Canada, Australia. So hard to get a head.\nSalary 2,900\nRent 2000 ?

Excuse me but how can you get ahead on a minimum paying job you can’t afford a place to live you must work a least two jobs to keep a roof over your head !

Canada is totally overrated by the canadian government imigration propaganda. It has been trapped naive people all around the world. It could be called SCAMNADA. Extremely unafordable and the health care system is a joke.\nLife in freezing countries is too expensive due winter gears, hitting, cars, insulation in every building or house, gas, salt on streets,  shovelling, mandatory insurance for everything, health care is a joke, and so on. It is endeless. \nCanada is definitely an uninhabitable place. Basicaly the whole canadian population live very close the US border due the miserable freezing endeless drepressing 9 months cold weather. Nobody wants go north. Freezing weather makes life unbearable and extremely expensive.

We don't need immigrants here They can leave there's tons of people that need jobs It's just jobs don't end up paying us correct immigrants will take up the abuse and allow lower wages and long hours. And they won't say anything\nDeportes immigrants you only need PhDs\nI want to work I want a job that pays me decently that I can retire in like 20 years of hard work or at least 30 years\nBut no the GM place They don't hire people like me because I'm white I'm a male and I'm not an immigrant. And the wage sucks only 20 bucks an hour Canadian what am I supposed to do with $3,000 a month I can barely even afford anything what am I supposed to live off of Mr noodles you need like a job that pays 45 bucks an hour just a live a decent life and even then you're never going to retire there is no hope

She asked her why ur not keeping them as refugees????? ????? What's that meant to be they leave their place ? Madam would you love to leave ur country if smth will happen one day? Every soul love their own place where they living they love to die instead leaving ,this is the truth ,if u r really concerned about them why would u ask them to leave and stay in ur country ????

Palestinians have the right to live in their land. The most accurated geography in that overdisputed territory according to history and the most violent dispute of all times is north Israel. South Palestine. A horizontal border divided by what I consider is the symbolical capital of both Jerusalem..in order of peace this place is the mutual capital. And the economical capitals are TelAviv and Gaza.Maybe Jerusalem have no link in absolute to Islam. I think so. In that case Jerusalem have nothing to do with Palestine. For the rest is very accurated

Cos its garbage . Have lived here a year and done . Wages are low and cost of living is super high . Plus the place is unbelievably dull .

That’s a good thing more people leaving Canada ,more people will find accommodation and getting back to a reasonable immigration\nWe have way too many immigrant without skill living on minimum wages,hardly enough to live on , Toronto Vancouver Montreal are place’s impossible to make a living when the pay is so low en compared to the cost of living

Canada was always an enpensive place to live. However it spiked about 5 years ago and is now out of reach (economically) in the last 2 years.\nGovernment taxes! The increases are unprecedented at all three levels (federal, provincial and municipal).

Canada not a safe place to live, so high inflation, Too expensive to retire, Crime & homelessness is alarming. that could be reasons why people leave Canada.

The united states of America is the most desirable place to live its why everyone is flocking there ❤

Born and raised in Canada. This place blows. No idea why anyone would ever want to live here. It would be much better if more people left actually, it would make things more affordable.

Been working in Canada for 11 years now. Used to be a safe place to live but not anymore. The health care system is stupid, more more taxes, the rent is so high, everything is ridiculously expensive. Now i am sending all my money back home, and leaving Canada in a year

JT distroyed Canada by importing 6 million immigrants and or migrants or intl students and their spouses, parents and siblings in 8 years. No wonder no place to live and high rents high house prices plus inflation in all sectors.

Take you money for global warming while you freeze .. no one wants to live in that place

Ask yourself why countrys near mu3l1m countrys dont take refugees or asylum seekers from these places at all. Even other mu3l1m countrys dont. They've lived near it long enough and know full well the troubles this cult brings and they just say no to it. We should be taking notes.

I met some of these people in Thailand after COVID. There was a small group of Chinese who kept to themselves at our hostel. One day I overheard them in Chinese repeatedly talking about my country Mexico which got me to talk with them. They were quite happy to learn I could speak Chinese but more excited to learn I was from Mexico. They started asking me a bunch of questions about crossing the border into the US to which I bluntly told them I had no idea about and discouraged it. I asked where they got these crazy ideas from and they said that people were posting videos and tutorials of how to cross into the US online. The Chinese government hard handed approach to COVID was what made them leave. They wanted to go both for the freedom and economic benefits but they had a very naive and overly optimistic view of the US. They saw the high wages US workers were making but had no idea as to the incredibly high living costs associated with living there. I tried explaining that there was a housing shortage and that their expectations for life in the US would set them for disappointment but they either didn't believe me or brushed off my criticism. I also tried encouraging them to go to German or Australia instead (places which I feel would be better and easier for them to enter) but they seemed dead set on just going to the US. Unfortunately I don't know where they are now as Wechat is blindly and constantly blocking and deleting accounts in SE Asia without reason......................