Emigration Stories
Real stories from Dutch people who made the move
Niels (32)
Amsterdam → Toronto
Through Express Entry I received my PR status in Canada within six months. Toronto offers opportunities I no longer saw in Amsterdam.
Read story
Marieke & Bas (38)
Rotterdam → Vancouver
Emigrating to Vancouver with two children was a leap of faith. But the Canadian school system and nature made it more than worth it.
Read story
Wouter (34)
Eindhoven → Calgary
Through the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program I received a nomination that gave my Express Entry score a massive boost. Calgary became my new home.
Read story
Frederik (43)
Utrecht → Montreal
With the Canadian Start-up Visa program I built my SaaS business in Montreal. The bilingual city is a surprisingly great place for entrepreneurs.
Read story
Eva & Thomas (28)
Den Haag → Ottawa
With an International Experience Canada work permit we started our Canadian adventure in Ottawa. What was planned as a year became a permanent new life.
Read story
Henk (35)
Zeeland → Saskatchewan
From arable farming in Zeeland to a grain farm in Saskatchewan. The scale is unimaginable, but the farmer's heart stays the same.
Read story
Lisa (29)
Groningen → Victoria, BC
Through an IEC Working Holiday visa I started as a barista in Victoria. Three years later I am a restaurant manager with a PR card in hand.
Read story
Pieter (45)
Maastricht → Edmonton, Alberta
As a process engineer I traded Chemelot in Limburg for the oil fields near Edmonton. Alberta offered a salary impossible in the Netherlands.
Read story
Sofie (36)
Breda → Winnipeg, Manitoba
As a nurse I emigrated to Winnipeg through the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program. Canada desperately needs healthcare workers — and pays well for them.
Read story
Jan & Anja (62)
Apeldoorn → Kelowna, BC
Our daughter sponsored us through the Family Sponsorship program to Kelowna. Starting a new life in the Okanagan at our age — the best decision ever.
Read story
Daan (24)
Haarlem → Whistler, BC
With a Working Holiday visa I left for Whistler as a ski instructor. The seasonal mountain life became the start of a career in the Canadian outdoor industry.
Read story
Marloes (39)
Nijmegen → Halifax, Nova Scotia
As a single mother with two children I emigrated through the Atlantic Immigration Program to Halifax. Nova Scotia gave us a fresh start.
Read story
Jasper (22)
Delft → Banff, Alberta
During my studies in Delft I worked a season in Banff through an IEC visa. That experience completely changed my career path.
Read story
Rick & Mei (35)
Amsterdam → Toronto, Ontario
As a Dutch-Taiwanese couple we immediately felt at home in Toronto. The multicultural city offered us both opportunities — and a sense of belonging we found nowhere else.
Read story
Gerard (52)
Tilburg → St. John's, Newfoundland
As a mining engineer I found work in Newfoundland's offshore industry. The raw landscape and warmest people in Canada made it feel like coming home.
Read story
Anna (33)
Den Bosch → Charlottetown, PEI
With an ice cream shop on Prince Edward Island I combined my passion for artisan ice cream with emigration through the PEI PNP Work Permit Entrepreneur program.
Read story
Tom (28)
Leeuwarden → Whitehorse, Yukon
In the Yukon wilderness I found forestry work that simply doesn't exist in the Netherlands. The Yukon Nominee Program gave me a fast route to PR.
Read story
Claudia & James (40)
Leiden → Quebec City, Quebec
With my Canadian husband I moved to Quebec City through the Quebec Skilled Worker Program. Learning French was the biggest challenge — but also the biggest reward.
Read story
Kevin (31)
Arnhem → Regina, Saskatchewan
As a plumber I emigrated to Regina through the SINP. Tradespeople are highly valued in Canada — the salary and respect are incomparable to the Netherlands.
Read story
Sanne (41)
Rotterdam → Vancouver, BC
As a GP I traded the work pressure in Rotterdam for a group practice in Vancouver. The Canadian healthcare system is different — but the work-life balance is incomparable.
Read story
Marten (48)
Sneek → Thunder Bay, Ontario
Through the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot I ended up in Thunder Bay as a fisheries biologist. The Great Lakes offer research impossible in the Netherlands.
Read story
Nina (27)
Amsterdam → Calgary, Alberta
As a cybersecurity analyst I deliberately chose Calgary over Toronto. Lower costs, no PST and a tech sector that's exploding.
Read story
Henk & Truus (55)
Emmen → Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia
As dairy farmers we bought a farm in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia. The quota system is different, but the space and tranquility are priceless.
Read story
Youssef (30)
Utrecht → Toronto, Ontario
As a Dutch-Moroccan entrepreneur I built my fintech startup in Toronto through the Start-up Visa program. The Canadian market and diversity gave my company wings.
Read story
Els (75)
Eindhoven → Kamloops, BC
With a Super Visa I can stay up to two years per visit with my children in Kamloops. It's not emigration, but it's the next best thing.
Read story