For senior software engineer Tobi Amos, moving from Nigeria to Canada did not mean leaving a job he valued. Through VanHack’s Canadian Engineering Office, he relocated to Calgary while continuing his work with the same employer.
In this conversation with VanHack CEO Ilya Brotzky, Tobi explains why Canada made sense for his family and career, how his employer supported the move, what the immigration process felt like, and what he would tell other software engineers considering the same path.
A software engineer solving real problems for gym owners
Tobi is a senior software engineer at PushPress, a company that builds gym management software. He joined the company in 2020 after working with startups in Nigeria and with companies based in the United Kingdom and Australia.
His work helps gym owners manage areas such as scheduling, subscriptions, billing, communication, and member progress. For Tobi, the appeal of software engineering is straightforward: he enjoys using code to solve practical problems and make complicated work easier for people.
That career was already moving in a positive direction. His next challenge was not finding a new job, but finding a way to pursue a long-standing family goal without giving up the role he already had.
Why Tobi and his family chose Calgary
Tobi and his wife had discussed living in another country for some time. Canada offered a chance to be closer to the United States, making professional conferences, meetups, and company gatherings more accessible. Calgary also gave them something just as important: a support network.
They had family, former coworkers, and a high school friend in the city. That community helped with practical parts of the move, from the airport arrival to getting established in a new place.
“Settling in has been easier for us because we have people here.”
The family considered other immigration options, including study and permanent-residency routes. Then Tobi saw VanHack’s Canadian Engineering Office in an email newsletter and brought the idea to his employer.
Moving to Canada while keeping the same employer
Employer support was central to Tobi’s move. He describes leaders, teammates, and HR colleagues at PushPress as engaged throughout the process. They helped provide what was needed, planned around his moving period, and covered his responsibilities while he was away.
The move also brought Tobi closer to his U.S.-based colleagues. From Calgary, future company visits and in-person gatherings became much more practical than they had been from Nigeria.
For employers, that is part of the value of the model: a trusted employee can pursue relocation while the working relationship and product knowledge stay with the team.
Why VanHack felt like the right partner
Tobi had followed VanHack for some time before applying. He had seen other relocation stories and read reviews. When his own process began, he says the team’s knowledge and access to the right experts gave him confidence.
“You seemed informed about everything, and I felt more confident.”
That confidence mattered during a process with many documents, dependencies, and moments of uncertainty. When Tobi finally learned that the visa had been approved, he and his family could move from waiting to making concrete plans.
The honest reality: relocation requires patience
Tobi is candid that his case was not immediate. He recalls that the process took roughly six to seven months, and he encouraged people who contacted him at the time to leave plenty of room in their planning.
His advice is practical: reply to emails promptly, provide complete and current information, check that documents have not expired, ask what the next step is likely to take, and follow up when the expected period has passed.
Every immigration case is different. Processing times, eligibility, documentation, fees, and program terms can change. Tobi’s timeline reflects his personal experience at the time of recording, not a guarantee for future applicants. For current requirements and estimates, candidates should use the official Move to Canada page.
A new life in Calgary, one week at a time
The interview was recorded only about a week after Tobi arrived, so his first impressions were still fresh. He appreciated being able to walk to the bank and other services from downtown, travel around the city more easily, and find familiar Nigerian ingredients alongside food from around the world.
Those details capture what relocation really looks like. It is a major professional and immigration milestone, but it is also a series of ordinary moments: learning a new city, finding familiar food, setting up accounts, and gradually building a routine.
Could the Canadian Engineering Office fit your plans?
VanHack’s current Canadian Engineering Office is designed for software engineers who work for an international company, earn at least USD 60,000 per year with one employer, and want to relocate to Canada while continuing in their role. Through the program structure, eligible candidates may be able to secure a Canadian work permit under VanHack’s entity while VanHack subcontracts their services to the existing employer.
Tobi’s story shows why the option can be meaningful. He did not have to choose between a valued job and a move that mattered to his family. With support from his employer, VanHack, and his Calgary community, he was able to begin a new chapter in Canada while continuing the work he loves.
If that sounds like your situation, review the latest criteria and apply to move to Canada with VanHack.
