Leaving one’s country, family and friends to settle on another continent can be frightening for many. But for others, driven by a thirst for renewal and discovery, expatriation is an opportunity not to be missed. This is the case for Denis, Infor M3 business consultant at Authentic, first in France and then in Montreal, Canada. He tells us more about his journey.

Hello Denis ! Can you introduce yourself briefly ?

Hello, I am Denis Schwab, I am 57 and I have 3 children. I have been working in the consulting world pretty much all my professional life and in the M3 world for over 20 years.

You have been living in Montreal since June 2018. What steps did you go through to leave France and come work in Canada?

The first step was to validate the project of departure in agreement with my wife but also with our children because they remained in France (they are of age). It was important that everyone agrees with this geographical distance.

Once the decision was made, we sold our house and looked for a moving company for the transatlantic transport of our personal belongings.

As far as the administrative procedures were concerned, everything was very simple and rather fast because everything was done through Authentic. The fact that a Montreal law firm took care of the work permit process was a real asset. Many candidates for Canadian immigration are confronted with the complexity and the slowness of the process. Thanks to Authentic, we were able to benefit from an efficient support.

When I arrived at the Montreal airport, I got my temporary work permit, valid for an initial period of 3 years. This means that I can’t work for another company.
How did you and your wife settle in ?

I “tested” several neighborhoods in Montreal by renting apartments for short periods of time to get an idea of the surrounding atmosphere. This allowed me to choose the neighborhood that suited me best and I easily found an apartment to rent.

On the administrative side, registering for health insurance and various public services was done very easily and quickly.

My wife has a temporary open work permit. As soon as she arrived in Quebec, she was able to look for a job. The job market is very dynamic here and she was able to find a job very quickly.

Is being a consultant in France and in North America different ? If so, how ?

There are indeed differences. The first is related to the size of the country. Given the geographical distances and time differences (4.5 hours between eastern and western Canada), meetings are done a lot online. On-site travel is less frequent than what I experienced during my career in France. I therefore started to work remotely with my contacts (customers, Infor…) even before it became mandatory due to the health crisis.

I have also noticed a much stronger respect of the word here. That is, when someone speaks, others listen. This is not necessarily the case on the other side of the Atlantic ocean. The project teams are also more involved here, I think, they are more open to change and in a positive frame of mind.

Finally, even though Canada is a bilingual country, even though I live in Quebec, which is one of the most French-speaking provinces, the language used in the professional context is mostly English. When I speak with people in Toronto or Vancouver, the conversations are always in English because there are always non-French speakers in the meetings.

What do you like about your new life in Canada ?

The social climate here is much more peaceful than in France. Tranquillity, freedom and security are the words coming to my mind. I really appreciate the general atmosphere in Montreal. The fact that the city is very green, full of parks and green spaces, is also very pleasant.

If you had just one piece of advice to give to future French expatriates in Quebec, what would it be ?

Come empty-handed! There is no point in cluttering up. And come with an open mind.