How do you decide to move to Canada?
 

Hi, my name is Amy, and I’m a long-time lurker of this forum, finally reaching out for some help!

My husband and I are considering re-locating to Toronto. We are both 32, I work in Education and my husband in Aviation. On the EE calculator, we get around 450 points (depending on our Education Assessments and IELTS outcomes we can’t nail down a score), so feel like we are right on the edge of being eligible with no guarantees. I accept that this is the eventual deciding factor! We have discussed selling our home in the UK, then rent in Toronto, before committing to buy a property with the proceeds of our house in the UK.

My husband has a close friend in Toronto who has said he can get him a job (it’s not LIMA eligible). We visited his workplace in September, and really liked it there. There is very limited work for him in this country and the pay is low compared to the good salary and excellent working conditions on offer in Toronto. We would purely be moving for this reason, with the hope that a better salary could get us a better quality of life. If we didn’t make the move, my husband’s career would suffer dramatically. However, neither of us are too keen on living in a big city as we both live in the countryside at the moment, but there is a possibility of re-location to other bases in a few years’ time (Ottawa or Thunder Bay).

I suppose I am reaching out to understand your decisions for moving to Canada (mainly Toronto), outside of the reason of moving to be with a spouse. We are really struggling to make the decision and I really appreciate any comments sharing anything that motivated you to move, and whether making sacrifices such as leaving family, was worth it in the end. I think I have a case of 'grass is greener' and I feel more inclined to move than my husband at this stage!

Apologies for the long post, and thank you for reading it.
Amy

Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?
 

I will leave it to others to comment on Toronto, but if you don't like big cities.......

As for Ottawa, I would suggest that would be a much better deal. It is a relatively small city (yes, technically the 4th largest in Canada, but that is just where arbitrary boundaries are drawn), but with everything you might need and it is possible to live in the countryside but still have a sensible commute to downtown (which will get easier from 2018 once the new transit system goes in).

You say you are only considering the move for economic reasons. I would worry you might end up homesick and hating the many differences between Canada and the UK and over-looking the apparent economic advantages (which can disappear quickly on more expensive housing in Toronto).

Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?
 

Not a reason that would have made me move. I got a job offer out of the blue and thought, what the hell, worth a shot, might be fun. Economics never came into it.

Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?
 

I always wanted to live in Canada, it was a long-awaited dream.

Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?
 

Met a girl from Canada (Newfoundland) in London. Several years later I was persuaded to move over. Before meeting the now-Mrs-AX I hadn't considered emigrating at all.

To your circumstances - You say education? If you mean teaching then I suggest you search the threads and wiki on teaching in Canada. In summary: difficult to break in to. Also, I wouldn't live in or around Toronto if you paid me. I would live in or around Ottawa.

Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?
 

It all depends on what you want out of life. Some people want the heat and beaches of Thailand and others want the wide open spaces and chilled vibes of Canada. Even Canada's cities aren't that hectic (despite what the locals say, I'm currently living in London UK and THAT'S busy!)

I have a sick brother living out there so that's my impetus to get out there. Before it was just a nice idea but I'd rather be at least 5000 miles closer to him (and halfway between him and the rest of my UK based family).

Unfortunately I am over 40 and the chances for me to get in are dwindling year on year... I've been to Vancouver and Toronto and into the Okanagan region and it's just a really nice Country with happy and friendly people and breath taking scenery. The cities are liveable and the small towns are too.

Like I said, it depends what you're after and where you feel happiest. If you like a climate that can swing from -40 to +40 then Canada is for you :D

Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?
 

How much? :sneaky:

We moved to Toronto by accident. We'd been living and working in California for about 3 years on non-immigrant visas. I negotiated a job offer in Michigan with a company well used to getting Green Cards for senior hires.

Under the rules of the day, we had to apply from outside the US so I set up a short term deal with a University in Toronto, for a bout 9 months we thought. In due course I got my Green Card, but unfortunately the US authorities didn't like the cut of the OH's jib. In retrospect this was the best bit of luck in my life.

We stayed in Toronto for another 4 years, then moved to a great job in Germany. 8 years later I was head-hunteed back to the same Uni in Toronto to run a research department there.

We lived in the GTA for the next 22 years, no regrets. But when I retired two and a half years ago, there was no doubt it was time to leave.

In short, our motives for living in Toronto were a combination of politics, opportunity, economic advantage and being rather flexible.

Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?
 

Toronto is VERY EXPENSIVE and if you are a country person you will HATE the concrete jungle. Average house prices in GTA are around $850K = £502K (i.e. London UK prices)
The exchange rate is poor £1=$1.69, so if you are bringing money from the sale of your house in the UK, it will not go far at the moment.

Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?
 

By the way, we are moving to Toronto in 2018 to be near family. We will initially rent an apartment in town and look to move out of GTA within 1-2 years. We are in our mid 50s and my better half is a Canadian Citizen. I got my PR via Family connection.

Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?
 

Thank you for sharing that, I wish that my attitude was more like this. I think 3-5 years ago it probably was, but I've developed too much of an 'over thinking' things reflex!

Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?
 

Thank you for pointing this out, this is one of my apprehensions. I don't want to be miserable! My Dad currently lives in Australia, so I only really have my Mum in the UK that I would miss, but I would miss her terribly I fear.

Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?
 

Picked up trade paper. Australia, long way away, what if we don't like it, how will we afford the airfare back? South Africa, looks a bit dangerous. USA, no healthcare. Canada, what about Canada? They speak French there.

And there we were, in Canada.

Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?
 

Thanks for the advice. From the research we've done, I think we could probably afford to buy a decent two bedroom condo for around $600k which would be our MAX budget, but it would be a sharp change from the house we have in the UK to go back to living in a flat.

Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?
 

My work experience is more centred around Advice and Guidance in Further and Higher Education, so I'm pretty sure my NOC would be 4033 Educational Counsellor.

When we visited Toronto I was quite shocked at how built up it was, but after staying with our friend near Danforth Village I felt a bit better about the city in general.

Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?
 

I think the factor to bear in mind about Toronto is that it's pleasant enough in the city and pleasant enough in the countryside but hell to get from one to the other.