For months, Brazilian software engineer Caio Alcantara felt as though the life he had built in Canada might disappear. Then a new work-permit path gave him something just as important as legal status: time to recover his confidence, rethink his future, and take the next step in his Canadian career.
In this conversation with VanHack CEO Ilya Brotzky, Caio shares his firsthand experience with VanHack’s Canadian Engineering Office. He explains what made the immigration process feel manageable, why he plans to stay in Canada, how Canadian work culture changed his relationship with his career, and what other international software engineers should know before making a major move.
From Salvador to an international software engineering career
Caio is originally from Salvador, Bahia, and had more than 13 years of software engineering experience when he shared his story. Before moving to Canada, he had already built an international career working remotely with companies in the United States and other countries.
He first moved to Canada through an employer-sponsored work arrangement. But international careers do not always follow a straight line. When his employment situation changed, the status that had helped him enter the country no longer gave him the long-term certainty he needed.
Caio and his wife had already invested years in building a home and a future in Canada. The possibility of having to reverse that progress, pack up their lives, and return to Brazil created months of anxiety.
When a work permit feels like a countdown
Caio describes temporary status as a clock that is always visible. Three years become two, then one and a half, and the question becomes harder to ignore: what happens next?
For nearly ten months, he felt that pressure intensely. He worried about taking his cats back to Brazil, putting his family through another long journey, and leaving behind the life they had created.
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I have three more years to figure out my life and understand what else I’m going to do. That was very refreshing.
The additional time changed the direction of his life. It allowed him to rebuild trust in himself, recover professionally, and pursue another role in Canada. By the time of the interview, Caio was working for a Canadian company and preparing for the next level of his career.
Clear immigration support made the process manageable
The hardest early step was aligning the arrangement with the clients and companies involved in Caio’s work. The payment and employment structure needed to change, and the relevant parties had to understand and approve the new setup.
Once the contracts were settled, Caio remembers the immigration process as organized and supportive. He and his wife received a shared document folder, a clear list of required materials, and a meeting with an immigration consultant who walked them through what would happen next.
That visibility mattered. A major international move naturally carries uncertainty, but Caio did not feel that he had to guess his way through every possible outcome. He understood the steps, the scenarios that could arise, and the direction the process would take in each case.
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Everything was easier to manage because I was already in touch with all the possible scenarios that could happen in my life.
A previously planned family trip also became part of the timeline. Caio and his wife submitted the relevant applications while they were in Brazil and received their visa confirmations there. On returning to Canada, Caio completed the final steps at the airport and left with his new work permit. His wife followed shortly afterward and completed her own process.
Caio’s experience reflects his specific case at that time. Immigration routes, eligibility, documentation, employer requirements, processing times, fees, and outcomes can vary and change.
Why Caio says he is not leaving Canada
When Ilya asked about his future, Caio’s answer was immediate: he was not leaving. Canada had become more than the place where he worked. It had become the place where he and his wife wanted to build their lives.
He is candid about the cost of living, but says the security, safety, and peace of mind he experiences are deeply valuable. Everyday moments matter: his wife going to the gym, spending time in a park, taking transit with his laptop, and feeling welcomed as an immigrant.
His experience is not only about remaining in one country. It is about being able to picture a future there without feeling that every professional change could force his entire family to start over somewhere else.
The life that begins when the laptop closes
Caio and his wife have a phrase they use at home: your actual life is what you see when you close your laptop.
In Brazil, Caio remembers closing his computer and looking out at buildings, cars, and noise. In Canada, he can finish work and walk a dog, meet friends, sit on a patio, hike in the mountains, or spend time in nature.
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Right now, I can close my laptop, go outside of work, walk a dog, find some friends, go to a patio, even get into some mountain to do some hiking.
After more than a decade in a demanding profession, that ability to step away from the screen has become essential. Caio still loves programming, but he also recognizes that strong work requires recovery, connection, and a life beyond the job.
What Canadian work culture changed for his career
Caio says work-life balance is not only a slogan in his Canadian experience. During the summer, coworkers may leave the office earlier to enjoy the daylight. Taking a pet to the veterinarian, resting when needed, or caring for life outside work is treated as normal.
Performance still matters, but he no longer feels that his value is measured only by the number of commits or pull requests he delivers. Communication, collaboration, and being a healthy member of the team matter too.
The first two years he spent working in Canada also helped him develop professionally. He learned to present his experience more effectively, strengthen his CV, identify gaps in his senior-level profile, and explain the impact of his work in language that resonated with Canadian employers.
That growth helped him pursue a role at a larger Canadian technology company and continue working toward a staff-level career path. For Caio, the move did not simply preserve a career. It gave him a different environment in which to advance it.
Caio’s advice for software engineers considering Canada
Understand the place before moving
Caio recommends visiting the city or region where you hope to live if that is possible. Online research can help, but daily life, climate, housing, transportation, and local culture are easier to understand firsthand.
Prepare for cultural change
A move does not recreate your previous life in a new location. Caio encourages newcomers to expect differences, remain connected to their roots, and build support networks in their new community.
Learn how employers evaluate impact
Technical foundations remain important, but Caio advises experienced engineers to explain what their work changed for a product, team, or company. Research each employer, tailor interview preparation to the role, and use early interviews to improve before reaching the opportunities you want most.
Could the Canadian Engineering Office fit your plans?
Caio’s story shows what a supported path can mean when an international software engineer wants to continue building a life and career in Canada. It can create time, clarity, and room to make thoughtful decisions, but it does not remove the need for employer alignment or immigration review.
Every application is different, and Caio’s historical experience is not a guarantee of a work permit, permanent residence, employment, or a particular timeline. Candidates should review current program information and obtain qualified immigration guidance before making decisions.
If you are a software engineer already working for an international employer and want to explore whether VanHack’s program may fit your situation, review the latest criteria and apply to move to Canada with VanHack.
