BackpackingSwitch

Also posted on Reddit as well
------Hi guys, I'm a young Irish citizen living in the UK (20F), and for years, I've been considering moving to Canada. I'm pretty familiar/up to date on immigration processes (e.g. IEC, PR, PNP etc) but from comments from threads on Canada economy, housing and way of life, it seems I should stay where I am? I'm trying to live a better life, not have the same one or be worse off.

For reference, I live in London, work as an entry level employee in tech consulting, and was mainly looking at immigrating to Calgary, Alberta, Mississauga, and Toronto as a PR, but really focused on Calgary due to housing and low income tax in Alberta. I understand Calgary housing market is not great atm, and with immigration and people moving from other provinces, this could get worse. I don't really have family in Canada but could pave the way for my siblings if I'm successful.I'm also a Black Muslim so would appreciate how it is to live in each of these places in general as well.

I'm not looking to move now, perhaps in the next six years, which I'm aware a lot of things could change in between but just want opinions or two cents, would appreciate from people who have moved from the UK or even other countries to Canada, what made you move and stay and Canadian borns as well. Should I start saving up now to move to Canada or stay in the UK and focus on continuing my career, buying house etc. I do feel like if I don't move, I'll regret it but I'm also a person who doesn't enjoy wasting money.

Please let me know if you need further information, thanks in advance!

JonboyE

You may end up materially better off in Canada. Lots of people do. Especially people who are prepared to do whatever it takes. That said, I don't think that people who immigrate from other first world countries just for dollars end up much happier, and often return to their home countries or move on.

christmasoompa

No talk of moving for a love of Canada? Have you visited before?

Personally, if you're only 20 then I'd say just go over on an IEC for a few years and see what you think. Might as well have an adventure when you're young and then you can try and stay longer term if you do like it, and if not, return to the UK.

If your siblings moving too at a later date is important to you, then they'll need to qualify for a visa on their own merits, so I wouldn't count on them being able to join you just in case.

Good luck.

BackpackingSwitch

Yeah, no I haven't visited before, mainly just watched a lot of videos, so pretty much my opinion of Canada is based on hearsay. I do want to finish my degree and get a couple more years of experience (doing degree apprenticeship) before moving so probably, but I was definitely planning on visiting before it's near the time I would like to move. And yes, I'm aware that my siblings would need to do their own IEC/PR application, not too fond of the idea of sponsoring when I'm still young.

Pulaski

I'd be wary, at your age, of prioritizing living costs and taxes over career opportunities/ advancement, especially if you're working in technology.

In your 20's is when you have the greatest potential to advance and set a good path for your later career. You should currentl have plenty of opportunities in London, but if you move to Canada when you're still in your early-mid 20's I'd recommend focusing primarily on Toronto or Vancouver, and accept the trade-off of a few more years sharing a home and having a high cost of living in exchange for improved career advancement potential.

christmasoompa

You can't sponsor siblings anyway. Definitely get your degree apprenticeship, but then visit and if you love it, go for it.

Good luck.

abner

So you're basically rootless. (Your OP describes transient connections to Ireland, London, with perhaps an interest in Canada as the next stop. No family ties or considerations described. And with a Black Muslim identity thrown in, in a later post, but without much detail about how you might want that to intersect with your next choice of abode.) Primarily, you seem to be looking to optimise pay vs cost-of-living considerations, without giving much away on how you assess those matters.

That's not a problem -- I was in some senses similar in my 20s, and wandered around a lot (4th country, ninth city at this point) -- but BE is better at providing advice on specific, pragmatic immigration queries than generic "should I consider Canada next" ones. So you'll have to be more specific about the lifestyle / career-prospect comparisons, or other advice that you're after, to get a useful response.

brits1

As you kind of said a lot can happen within the next 6 years “all the best laid plans of mice and men etc”, if you want to try Canada then I would go now if I were you, can you obtain a visa? I had a friend who planned everything from when to have their children (down to the month and date) to the house with only a south facing garden everything was on a spread sheet and she wanted to eventually move to NZ (she’s a nurse)
it was planned for when their children finished primary school here and a couple of other reasons but then the partner had changed their mind and they eventually separated with the partner not wanting the children to leave the UK. She is still here in the UK regretting the fact the family should have left when they all wanted to. Good luck

Pulaski

My wife and I decided to move ("back" in my wife's case) to the US in 2001, and I got my visa on September 10th 2001, even though my wife had somewhat wished to stay in the UK longer. On September 11th 2001 (yes, that 9/11) we had a new decision to take, should I take up one of the job offers I had in New York, or put everything on hold until the dust settled, literally as well as figuratively?

In the end we decided to go anyway, arriving in New York in November 2001. With the benefit of hindsight, if we hadn't moved in 2001 I'm not sure we'd have ever moved, with the various political and economic upheavals every few years since then.

CanadaJimmy

If housing if your concern, you might want to consider Edmonton instead of Calgary:

Nigesteph

I wouldn't bother.
Was an amazing country when I emigrated in 1998, now spoilt by the French Speaking Crowd in Ottowa.
Living in Vancouver, extremely unfriendly place, Canadian's are usually rude and self opinionated, drug addicts everywhere, high crime, terrible health care (my son is a consultant in Liverpool and he tells me not to get seriously ill in Canada, years behind every other country in the civilized world).
Even worse the cost of housing and also groceries, the worst selection of supermarkets on the planet, the biggest one is called Save on Foods, I have renamed it Pay More on Foods, desperately miss Tesco, Sainsbury, M&S, Aldi, Liddle, Morrisons. We get the worst quality of fresh food here in Canada and being so close to the USA as well
Can't wait to retire and move back to U.K.

JonboyE

But, apart from that ...

MarkG

Many people we know who live in Edmonton want to leave because it's gone downhill so much in the last few years. I used to like going there, but now I try to avoid it.

Back on the OP's question, I'd wait and see what happens here over the next couple of years. It's a very different country to the one I moved to in 2007 and few changes are to the better.

If the housing bubble bursts it will take much of the economy with it, and if the housing bubble doesn't burst no-one will be able to afford a place to live. I don't see anyone in government being competent enough to cut house prices to reasonable levels without wrecking the economy in the process.

calman014

I am not in Canada, but I did move abroad when I was young but I already had the advantage of having a skill behind me. I would say concentrate on getting your degree. If you are an Irish Citizen, you have another card up your sleeve in the form of an EU Passport so don't miss the opportunity to use that to your advantage and explore some EU countries as well. Save some Money and take a few vacations in different countries. It will open your eyes to many possibilities. Good Luck.

BackpackingSwitch

I'd like to thank everyone that has commented so far, your opinions have definitely helped me in deciding. Of course, I will finish my degree and once that's done, visit Canada and see if it's for me. Thank you guys so much!