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Living overseas

Whether you're considering emigrating or an expat abroad, you'll find likeminds on this forum.

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Original poster

Canada help please!

71 replies

hockeypuck · 16/01/2007 13:06

Vaguelly thinking of one day pursuing our dream to relocate to Canada for 2-3 years short term.

Is there a website with information of what skills you need to get a work visa. My DH is in design engineering, I either wouldn't work and would study there or try and pick up some low paid work there.

Any help greatfully appreciated!

OP posts:

Callisto · 26/01/2007 09:18

Christie, my partner and I can't afford to buy in the UK either and anywhere with land here is ridiculously expensive. Having looked at some of the real estate on offer in Canada, even in the more prosperous areas, it seems much better value. Though I have heard that build standards can be quite low.

Alipiggie, thanks for getting in touch, that is really kind and generous of you.

DaddyCool · 26/01/2007 13:20

christie - yes! property here is very cheap indeed. life-changingly cheap and that was one of the main draws to canada. dw sits on the sofa every thursday and flips through the local real estate with her jaw on the floor.

ads like "2500 sq foot confederation log home with separate in law suite and private pond and babbling brook --- $350,000" floor us completely.

we're seriously considering opening up a big B&B. It would eliminate the whole work issue and is could be wonderful.

two options really, buy a really big place and open a b&b and try to make a go of it or buy something completely outright and be mortgage free so that if i'm feeling any real work pressure, I simply back away from it and find something else.

christie1 · 27/01/2007 20:01

Have never heard our building standards are low. I would say the opposite. THey are very strict. I just asked my dh who is an urban planner and knows housing and he agrees with me. THe standards are high in canada but the housing style isn't always pretty, a bit boxy but cheap price wise but not cheap as in poor quality. Obviously, the more you pay, the better you get.

But you can get alot of land for the money. Before we moved to the UK in sept. we met a british couple from BAth who sold a 300,000 pound house and transferred the money to canadian money worth almost 700,000 canadian. They bought a house in ottawa, 3 acre estate, huge house, the wife quit work, for 500,000 canadian and they are debt free with savings in the bank. Hubby works as a computer programer now in ottawa. And they havehorses on the land. IF they learn to ski and skate in winter which I am sure they will, what's a few months in the deep freeze.

christie1 · 27/01/2007 20:04

daddy cool, I love the B&B idea. There are alot on the east coast where I am from and they do really well. Ontario where you live would be a great market for them. I always though I would love to do that but my dh would be more like John Cleese in faulty towers and scare away our customers. If you ever open one be sure to advertise on MN.

nooka · 27/01/2007 20:15

Can I hijack please? My ex wants to emigrate (he has a family sponsor and going through the provincial system to Manitoba). I don't! (I actually like London ) We have two fairly small children, and he has this plan that they will alternate between us as we do at the moment but for years, rather than days as at present (we live about 5 mins apart). He wants them to go on his application to make it easier for them to come over later, because he says it will take three years for them to get permission to live there otherwise. Does anyone know whether this is true, or where I can find out? I'm going to get legal advice because we have to write a separation agreement (we aren't divorced yet) but I am concerned that my lawyer won't know all the ins and outs of international child law.

christie1 · 27/01/2007 20:48

I would not agree until you have solid legal advice. you should get a legal custody order giving custody rights set out(maybe you have that already) but if so, he will have to go back to court to get it changed for him to bring them to canada. Tell him to go ahead and do his own paperwork and once he is over there and settled you can work out how to deal with custody. Remember, they will be in school (or are in school) and he can't be pulling them out all the time. If he chooses to move so far away, he is the one who will have to adjust. Maybe, a few weeks in the summer, alternate chrismases and school holidays. He shouldn't need to put them on his application as they won't be living with him anyway, he is the only one who will need the papers to live there. The kids can come under a visitors visa.

nooka · 27/01/2007 22:13

Thanks Christie - that's what I think too, but he is adamant that Canada is so fantastic that the children should live there, and doesnt want to put any barriers up that might make that hard. I guess I just want to avoid a fight whilst he is still in the country (in the hope that that would make it all easier, which I'm sure it won't really). We have nothing written down at the moment as it's an informal split (which I didn't want, but I guess that's irrelevant) and exactly half and half, so no issues about financial support or custody. I think it might be simpler if I go ahead and get a divorce really (I was planning on doing that later in the year if he really puts the application in, as we will have been split for two years).

dingdongjustforyoufg · 28/01/2007 10:29

Can I join in too? DH and I have been contemplating the move abroad for a while. We are both secondary school teachers and according to this site can immigrate as skilled workers...we score quite well on the online self assessment test - any thoughts from those in the know?

christie1 · 28/01/2007 19:46

My parents were teachers and they did a few teacher exchanges where you change jobs with someone in another country for 1 year. They loved it because you switched houses and jobs and got to try out another place without the comminttment of moving house and giving up jobs. Just a thought. I am not an expert on this but certainly if you qualify as a skilled worker you jump the queque a little up the ladder.

NotQuiteCockney · 28/01/2007 19:57

DC, the sort of accommodation I always fail to find in Canada is self-catering. Well, Montreal does fine, but Toronto! Look at this - $3200/week. We've stayed there, it's nice, but not $3200/week nice! I'm sure I paid less for a houseboat on the Seine!

And this place isn't even set up as a rental - they live in it most of the time, their stuff is everywhere etc etc.

nooka - I don't know the laws about getting the kids to move there, but I doubt they're tough. I do know that he needs at least a letter from you, authorising their travel, to bring them into Canada. Well, I did, when I went to Canada on my own with DS1, although that might also have been down to the fact we had different passports.

dingdongjustforyoufg · 28/01/2007 20:47

Wow christie that is a fab idea! Thanks

Callisto · 29/01/2007 08:21

Nooka - if your ex is emigrating via the skilled worker visa it will take at least 4 years from the application going in for him to get there. I agree with everyone else - get good legal advice. I also think that moving children between countries every couple of years could have an enormous (and negative) impact on their education.

MeAndMyBoys · 01/02/2007 15:19

We've just had a reply from the laws with our visa application reference and they've quoted 45 months before the application even get's looked at
My newborn will be in school before they even consider us.

Meggymoose · 08/04/2007 08:11

Can I hijack?

We are likely to be moving to Victoria Vancouver in September for 12 months for DH's work.

We will need to make all our own arrangements though so if anyone has any experience of Victoria, your advice would be appreciated! DH would be working at the Royal Jubilee Hospital and I will be a SAHM with our 1 and 3 year old DD's. Any suggestions as to where to live? Thanks

DaddyCool · 08/04/2007 15:26

no advice really but victoria is lovely

Meggymoose · 08/04/2007 18:46

Hi Daddycool - in what way is it lovely? What sort of things are there to look forward to in Victoria?

christie1 · 08/04/2007 19:03

wll,weather for one thing, you won't have the snow and freezing cold, probably one of the warmest parts of canada, the town itself is beautiful, close to vancouver, a happening city with lots of culture and life to it, beautiful parks. Victoria is a very desired place to be for canadians (probably due to the weather and its beauty), close to great skiing (try whistler, world class skiing), close to natural beauty, giant forests and lots and lots of nature. Only negative is that it is known as a retirement town but there are still alot of young families there too. I don't think there are bad parts of victoria that I have ever heard of. Also, you are on the ocean which is fabulous. Close to california, and seattle for some great travel in the us (or hawaii and alaska if you want to travel further afield. TAke advantage too of some great aboriginal communities there and go visit, the first nation communties there are generally very properous and worth a visit to see the first peoples of canada and something you can't experience in the uk. Enjoy. Oh, go north to yellowknife in the Yukon and see the northern lights and 24 hour daylight.

Meggymoose · 11/04/2007 11:23

Thanks christie1 - sounds like an experience to look forward to! Does anyone know the residential areas of Victoria at all? Where's a good place to live with 2 small children - but not too expensive?

Cadmum · 01/05/2007 21:24

Fairfield, Oak Bay. Cook St Village... Anywhere really as Victoria is not particularly big. Will you have a car?

My mum worked at the RJH for over 20 years and we lived in Gordon Head, Oak Bay, Broadmead and Royal Oak.

Amanda1 · 05/05/2007 16:43

Message withdrawn

DarrellRivers · 13/05/2007 15:44

Another hijack here, we are also thinking about a move to BC for a year or so as DH could get a job sponsered etc just for a change. Prob will take 9-12m to get sorted
Victoria sounds lovely and so does Vancouver.
Meggymoose, i take t your dh is a dr, what hopsital speciality is he in, mine is psych.
There is a job in Nanaimo, which is on Vancouver island, any idea how far this is to drive from Victoria?
I read somewhere that there is going to be a new speedier ferrry from vancouver to nanaimo which would only be an hour, which would make it commutable.I'm not sure whether Nanaimo will quite be cosmopolitan for us
we like our coffee shop lifestyle a little too much

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