Greater Toronto Area, Canada

Yalgar Singh

Provincial Bureaucrat · Undergraduate in Information Technology (IT), Graduate School

“The grass looked greener from watching Instagram reels”

Yalgar’s interview is published here as a transcript. The recording is not yet available.

Born in 1991 in Ludhiana, Punjab, Yalgar was raised by a single mother with the support of his maternal uncle and aunts after losing his father at age three. After completing his undergraduate studies in IT, he took up a job with IBM and put himself through graduate school. He joined the provincial bureaucracy and was working with the highest bureaucrat of the province before immigrating. His application was delayed by COVID lockdowns, and despite doing well and building a new home in India, he decided to immigrate due to peer pressure. He started driving Uber in 2022 and recently found full-time employment with one of the transits of GTA. He married Niharika Aggarwal, an old friend from college.

How did you feel leaving India?

Deep inside me there was a feeling ... just somebody say the word, 'don't go.' I'll just cancel my ticket. I was doing well at my job; a long-standing property dispute had finally been resolved and I had managed to build a new home. However, I decided to go ahead with my initial plans due to what I described as 'peer pressure.' Everyone - relatives and wider community - around me knew that I was planning to move, so by the time I got my PR, I felt there was an expectation that I should go.

What motivated you to come?

The grass looked greener from watching Instagram reels. I had seen it on social media, heard from other immigrants and students, and particularly followed the journey of one of my friends who had moved to Canada after his graduation and done incredibly well.

What did driving Uber teach you?

Everyone should have the experience of driving Uber. You understand the country's working culture. I saw the early signs of recession as an Uber driver, with a drop in the passengers, and more drivers on the street, severely undercutting revenue for Uber drivers.