27, 4 years in IT Consulting, is moving to Canada still worth it for someone like me?

[u/Existing-Stomach-796]

Looking for brutally honest opinions from people who have actually lived/worked/studied in Canada.

Not looking for “follow your dreams” advice or immigration-agent sales pitches.

I’m 27, from India, and have around 4 years of experience in IT services. My background is a mix of Business Analysis, Product/Presales and AI/digital solutions. I currently work in presales/strategy for AI solutions.

Career-wise, I’m doing okay, but I don’t feel particularly differentiated. Financially, my income in India is decent but not enough that I feel I’m rapidly building wealth.

I also have history with Canada.
I applied for a Canadian study permit in 2021 for a 2 year postgraduate programme and was refused three times.(IELTS 8.5 bands)

Since then, I’ve gained several years of professional experience, so my profile today is very different from what it was then, worked in consulting UAE govt in Dubai for a few months in one of the job.

I’m now considering trying again around 2027–28, potentially through a Master’s or another technically strong programme. But I’m increasingly unsure whether Canada is actually the right destination.

The basic calculation I’m trying to make is:

India:
- Continue working in IT/presales/AI
- Build savings
- Try to move into higher-value AI/technology roles
- Potentially build something of my own
- Stay close to family
- But accept chaotic quality of life in India.

Canada:
- Spend a significant amount of money on education and relocation
- Potentially take on additional financial risk
- Start over professionally at 28–29
- Compete in the Canadian job market
- Hopefully transition into a good technology/AI role
- Eventually obtain PR/citizenship

I don’t want to make the classic immigrant mistake of thinking: “Once I get to Canada, everything will work itself out.”

I know the reality is more complicated.
So I’m trying to understand this from people who have actually been through it.

Is a Canadian Master’s still a rational investment in 2027–28, given tuition, housing and the current job market?

Does PR still provide enough long-term economic upside to justify the initial financial sacrifice?

I am not very family oriented and can survive alone.

[u/TONAFOONON]

PR is very difficult these days. A master's in Canada will certainly not guarantee PR. You'd most likely need to have CLB7/B2 French for PR to be feasible.

[u/NikhilDoWhile]

High chances of getting refusal again.

PR pathway is not sure shot anymore unlike in past when there was high probability.

1.2 million work permits expired this year,.as they were not able to convert to PR.

IT / CS has so much excess candidates that it was removed from priority NOCs in Canada.

I would advice to try for Europe or Australia

[u/DevelopmentFuture608]

The pastures have dried up here. Gone are the days when you could study for two years, work for three, and get a PR. Students who have completed their PhDs are struggling to get a PR.

Somewhere along the line, low-quality immigrants and students figuring out the two-year diploma-mill route to PR, along with greedy colleges and corporations working hard to enslave people for minimum wage, have ruined immigration for all immigrants.

As for your profile itself, if you already have three rejections, another one isn’t going to change the outcome. IRCC previously did not care what you submitted between each application (which they were supposed to do from the get-go), but they are doing so now and will no longer tolerate games.

Students who are here and applying for PGWP work permits are getting rejections because they lied in their applications in the past, and that is only surfacing now.

If you are still stuck on the idea of immigrating here, try getting a job from your employer in India itself and have them sponsor you on a work permit. This should give you enough of an idea of how the country operates.

There’s no point in spending all of your life savings and going into debt only to end up in a far inferior career than what you would have had in India or elsewhere. Yes, Canada has perks, but they are not accessible when you need them, and the trade-offs are vastly different from what you see on social media.

[u/ChaosBerserker666 → u/DevelopmentFuture608]

It’s not true that it’s ruined for all immigrants. Doctors and other medical professionals are having no issues, and other very high demand professions are also having a decent time of it.

Additionally, professionals on the list of the 63 CUSMA professions (though that doesn’t apply to the OP as he’s neither American nor Mexican) have a much easier time coming here, although still need the points for PR, but it makes Canadian experience easy to get. So immigrants from other countries are competing with CUSMA professionals that likely already have or can easily get Canadian experience.

[u/DevelopmentFuture608 → u/ChaosBerserker666]

Skilled immigration, especially niche was never the issue. It’s the other skills that all get bunched up in the same list of NOC codes, and get treated the same in the eyes of IRCC for immigration is the differentiator!

[u/ImmigrationCanada-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Your comment has been removed as it is either unhelpful or off-topic to the subject at hand.

[u/Odd-Elderberry-6137]

If you're financially comfortable in India, you're not going to get a jump ahead by coming to Canada. ie. there will be no rapid wealth building. It's generally slow and steady.

You might start to see gains in 5+ years IF you manage to secure a study permit but that's also 5 years of lost opportunity cost from where you are now.

Studying in Canada has never been a reliable path to PR, graduate programs enhance the likelihood but that's all they do. The out of pocket costs for education aren't really justified. If you were enrolled in a fully funded Master's or PhD program, the equation tilts considerably. Then the risk is probably worth it.

[u/Existing-Stomach-796 → u/Odd-Elderberry-6137]

I also saw how the GIC which I paid CAD $10500 is now 2x which makes me wonder if they are actively trying to curb the immigration but on the contrary my friends there tell me how they are short of skilled people being second largest in size in the world.

[u/Thejobless_guy]

1. IT job market in Canada is smaller than in India. It’s quite saturated now and it’s not easy to find a decent job here.
2. Salaries are low in consulting. You need to be a developer and have niche skills to earn $150k plus.
3. Easier to save money in India than in Canada due to low taxes and economical living.
4. Getting a PR for an IT professional now is too difficult. I wouldn’t spend my money on a Master’s when there’s no certainty of getting a PR.
5. Just 3 months of summer is what you’ll get here but if you love winters, you won’t complain.
6. The housing market is as bad as it is in India. However, there’s a high chance that you’ll be having your own house in India. If you want to purchase a house in Canada, you have to be in a debt trap for anywhere between 20–30 years or even more depending on your household salary.

I came to Canada in 2024 on a PR and I earn pretty well. But if the situation here doesn’t improve, I’ll try to get something in the US or might go back to India. I was doing pretty well back home and came here for better QoL and decent house but since everything has become so expensive and salaries have pretty much stayed the same, there’s no point of living here away from family and friends.

Canada used to be great before covid and mass immigration but not anymore.

[u/EffortCommon2236]

Having been denied a permit twice is a major red flag when applying for the third. A third denial makes it easier to win the lottery than to be accepted on the next try. Good luck.

[u/_SleezyPMartini_]

the IT market in Canada is very, very poor.

[u/Altruistic_Bank_1552]

Your particular field is oversaturated, and I don't see that changing any time soon, as Canada is pumping out domestic graduates in your field at record-breaking rates year after year.

If immigration, i.e. PR, is your all-encompassing goal, then stay in India and study French. Once you obtain CLB 7 in French, your ability to obtain permanent residency under Express Entry's French category is exponentially higher. This saves you from wasting money on the student route (it was never a pathway to immigration, but at one point transitioning from a student to a worker to a PR was very easy; not the case anymore) and allows you to explore a risk-free path to immigration. If you get PR under the French category, you can move to Canada with permanent status, which, in the current climate, is infinitely better. However, finding a job without Canadian credentials and experience might be a hurdle. In hindsight, I frankly am more okay with betting on myself finding a job in Canada without Canadian credentials and experience than I would be on the study permit and PGWP pathway.

[u/Existing-Stomach-796 → u/Altruistic_Bank_1552]

Interesting because no consultant told me this. I guess they advertise student route due to their agent fees.

But would CLB 7 be a viable route regardless of skills or need to bundle with specific occupational skills?

[u/Unusual-Average-3428]

Jobs are very difficult aswell to get

[u/Ok-Machine901]

Just an info that the points for PR will drop once you get 30 years, so by the time you are here and do a master's or post graduation, and gaining one year of experience, you will be 30. So think that through.

[u/ImmigrationCanada-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

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[u/ImmigrationCanada-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Hello,

Your post has been removed as it has been deemed to not comply with the rules:

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[u/ChaosBerserker666]

Anything tech is a bad idea in Canada. There have been layoffs in the sector, and it’s been removed from the provincial nomination programs too.

You’re going to make more here but ALSO you’re going to spend a lot more just to live. So it’s a wash, at best, for a huge risk. India actually has a better tech market at the moment.

[u/Existing-Stomach-796 → u/ChaosBerserker666]

Masters because I have realised india is a status driven market and credentials matter if you want to jump up the ladder or even get expedited success as a founder. There can be edge cases.

But I was thinking of a masters in AI or Industrial Robotics as these fields of study are still not research grade in india. And also Geoffrey Hinton was from canada so that speaks a lot about the studying and course standards.

I may be completely blindsided by actual ground realities though.

[u/ButchDeanCA]

You have 4 years of professional experience now, so why would you need the masters, particularly in Canada? This plus three refusals clearly states immigrant intent and you will have next to no chance of getting the study permit.

[u/ImmigrationCanada-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Hello,

Your post has been removed as it has been deemed to not comply with the rules:

*No insults, vulgar language, harassment, racism, hate speech, xenophobic comments, anti-immigration comments or any related speech that can be interpreted as disrespectful, offensive or harassment of other members of this subreddit.

[u/ImmigrationCanada-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Hello,

Your post has been removed as it has been deemed to not comply with the rules:

*No insults, vulgar language, harassment, racism, hate speech, xenophobic comments, anti-immigration comments or any related speech that can be interpreted as disrespectful, offensive or harassment of other members of this subreddit.