|
|
| Subject: Destination Canada-To all the US to Canada movers |
|
|
|
Hello to all the successful movers from US to Canada!
We would like to hear from you the planning, success stories, challenges that you encountered by moving from US to Canada. How did you plan your job search, city etc.. How did you cope up with the new life style. Was it different? How is the work culture there?
This information would be useful for future immigrants like me.
Thanks in advance.
[15-08-2007,10:12]
[**.255.192.96]
canadaman |
|
(in reply to: Destination Canada-To all the US to Canada movers)
Both successful and unsuccessful moves from U.S. to Canada might provide a more complete picture.
Me:
Challenges: physically moving goods there, crossing the border with U.S. registered car, sudden increase in cost of everything, hard to find a job in my field, less variety of goods and fewer stores, very high auto insurance rates, high taxes (but I expected that based on pluses listed below).
Pleasant surprises:
Friendliness and helpfulness from everyone, everything seemed organized and polite, excellent free and efficient health care, well-organized Service Canada centres for all social needs, environmentally conscious attitude, more democratic and dynamic government, interesting and intelligent CBC TV/radio.
Mixed feelings:
Hockey, hockey, hockey whether you like it or not :-).
[15-08-2007,14:40]
[**.53.229.17]
Richard |
(in reply to: Destination Canada-To all the US to Canada movers)
Agree with Raichard; Both successful and unsuccessful moves from U.S. to Canada might provide a more complete picture.
My View
Negatives: Tremendous challenge in finding a suitable job (beyond any imagination), Increase in living expense with low quality of housing (may be particular to me as I used to rent highrise in Toronto which are by all means inferior to everywhere I statyed in the States), unbeliebable meaningless Auto insurance, very poor overall customer service & lack of good management/responsibility, mega city concentric life (not much option to look elsewhere), so called multiculture which led to division among citizens & immigrants, inefficient healthcare, inefficient & unrealistic Govt., disappointing highway & traffic system (led to forget cross country driving other than 5 hrs Toronto-Montreal), less travel/entertainemnt options, Harsh winter.
Positives: Free Healthcare, excellent public transport, more social assistance for the unemployeds, relatively open media (US makes it hard to have medias other than the US ones), less overall crime, more human rights, examplary freindly foreign policy.
[15-08-2007,15:19]
[***.254.208.242]
Departed_Canadian |
(in reply to: Destination Canada-To all the US to Canada movers)
Doesn´t sound to be a fair trade to me though. Most of the "benefits" are subjective and "challenages" objective. Increased cost, hard to find a job, high taxes... how much money can one afford to indulge in that kind of "social needs"?
[15-08-2007,15:30]
[**.203.159.2]
Sean |
(in reply to: Destination Canada-To all the US to Canada movers)
Sean,
Here you go, I do agree with you and that´s why I´m back to the square 1 US despite having rest of my family members in Canada.
Though it is not a question of trade, it is more like a question of personal choice, every individuals may evaluate each points and give importance according to their situation. Example, To me, US partially paid health is not a big deal, but for a low wage earner, health insurance premium can be a factor.
[15-08-2007,15:42]
[***.254.208.242]
Departed_Canadian |
(in reply to: Destination Canada-To all the US to Canada movers)
Respectfully, if one thinks U.S. style health care system and associated costs are not a big deal, then one is not noticing the current biggest political issue in the U.S. driving the next election.
People are slaves of their jobs there because that´s the only place they can get affordable health care. People are fed up with the increasing costs, deductibles, copays, and denials of coverage for pre-existing conditions and other reasons the insurance industry dictates. The number one reason for personal bankrupcies in the U.S. is due to health care costs.
Just indulging in social needs? I think if you get sick and find you have no medical coverage in the U.S. (between jobs, etc.), you´ll be very aware of these social needs.
[15-08-2007,16:22]
[**.53.229.17]
Richard |
(in reply to: Destination Canada-To all the US to Canada movers)
I´m also annoyed with the money sucking US health insurance policies as well, however, so far I live in the US I was never faced the situation of lay of. Morever, our overall health are excellent, so far didn´t have to stay ever in hospital. So, to us, that paid system is really not a big deal. Though I feel and hope to make some changes badly needed there.
An immigrant, my first priority is job, if that is not warranted or like a lotto winning then I even wouldn´t evaluate or compare the others.
I´ll never get paradise on earth, so have to go with isome problems in US, specially when I compare lot others that I get from the same US.
God Bless America.
[15-08-2007,16:35]
[***.254.208.242]
Departed_Canadian |
(in reply to: Destination Canada-To all the US to Canada movers)
Are there many cases where one moves to Canada from the US and then returns back to the US?
[15-08-2007,16:41]
[***.49.43.58]
canadaman |
(in reply to: Destination Canada-To all the US to Canada movers)
I would say
God Bless Canada
again it is a personal point of view. Each individual has his own choices depending on personal circumstances.
Departed_Canadian: it is understandable that if the criteria #1 is job, it is much bigger market in USA. After you left Canada, you must have more negative points than positive otherwise you would not have left.
[15-08-2007,16:42]
[***.207.38.125]
CBV333 |
(in reply to: Destination Canada-To all the US to Canada movers)
I don´t understand why God would bless countries, especially one over another. Isn´t thinking who´s side God is on that drives radical fundamentalists these days?
DC, I understand your frustration with the job situation in Canada, and couldn´t agree with you more. Getting a job is obviously a top priority. But jobs do exist there and it just takes a little more effort there than in the U.S. True, no country is perfect, but for some of us, Canada has more benefits than the U.S. Surely you must have reached the same conclusion, otherwise you would never have gone through the difficult application process and tried life there.
Lastly, if Canada is not your choice anymore, wondering why this forum is still of interest?
Canadaman, hope you´re getting some interesting responses and various views to your original question.
[15-08-2007,17:01]
[**.53.229.17]
Richard |
(in reply to: Destination Canada-To all the US to Canada movers)
Absolutely CBV333, I do have more negatives about Canada than positives that forced me to immigrate for the 3rd time of my life.
You also have fully right to say God Bless Canada, as a Canadian I also support you there.
Canadaman,
There are many studies on Brain drian to US from Canada. A good study is here:http://www.ccis-ucsd.org/PUBLICATIONS/wrkg20.PDF
It reveals many compelling facts..despite having 9 times more population, for every American who moved to north, about three Canadians emigrated to south of the
border. The ratio is even more greatly imbalanced for almost all of the high skilled workers.
It also clearly suggests, higher the education/skill levels, more likely to migrate to USA.
Canadians who migrate to the US are within the top scorer of their class.
People who migrate to Canada, the probablity of moving back to US is many time higher.
There are definitely many good reasons for this trend, isn´t it?
[15-08-2007,17:11]
[***.254.208.242]
Departed_Canadian |
|
