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Are we being realistic?

Are we being realistic?

Old Feb 19th 2018, 2:52 pm
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Default Re: Are we being realistic?

Originally Posted by Hurlabrick
Check out the 'Canniversary' section of this forum for a selection of expats who are generally very happy with their decision to move.

I will. Thank you for everyones words of encouragement
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Old Feb 19th 2018, 3:27 pm
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Default Re: Are we being realistic?

I think that doing some research is really important, too: "moving to Canada" could involve living anywhere from Arctic tundra, the storm-swept Atlantic coast, vast prairies, laid-back (and hugely expensive) Vancouver, rather less laid-back (but still expensive) Toronto, wine-growing regions, industrial towns, tourist destinations... I'd strongly suggest a visit if at all possible so that you can at least decide which area of the country might suit your needs and interests best! We were lucky (came over for 6 months on a sabbatical, which gave us time to travel around a bit) but without that I don't know how we would have been able to decise where to settle!
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Old Feb 19th 2018, 3:55 pm
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Default Re: Are we being realistic?

Originally Posted by suzeandmatt
So yes- you can do it for little to no £, and without a house or whatever to back you up in the UK. (Though yes it’s easier with more £ and plenty people will tell you it’s impossible otherwise but it really isn’t!)...

Immigration route and likely employment income obvious factors of course. And location.

I've long maintained that in some places even minimum wage can leave you better off, with a significantly better lifestyle, after low rent costs than better than minimum wage in the UK but higher rents.

While that's no good if you don't have the route into Canada it shows what is attainable if you do.
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Old Feb 19th 2018, 5:13 pm
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Default Re: Are we being realistic?

Please also be aware that Barber (and Hairdresser) is a regulated trade in many of the Provinces, as such your partner will need to look into 'equivalency'. You can see which ones by going to this website: https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/report-eng...atedOccupation - if the Province you are considering is one where it's a compulsory regulated trade, input barber + City into the search boxes, then find out the governing body by clicking on the 'education' tab. You can then go their website and look for 'internationally trained, equivalency' / 'Trades equivelency' or similar. With 7 years of experience, he should have sufficient hours.


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Old Feb 19th 2018, 5:26 pm
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Default Re: Are we being realistic?

Originally Posted by baldcat

'there's no place like home'

'you'll be back in 5 years with no job'

'The grass isn't always greener'

'You don't have enough time to do this' (as both his and my parents plan to move away to other parts of Essex by the end of this year)

Did you guys get this response? How did you cope with it? Are there some truths in this?

My sister actually said most expats miss home and just can't afford to come back now... -_-
People who’ve never lived.

There is no greater educator than life and boom or bust you’d be better off in the long run if you go and live somewhere new for a couple of years.

I may move back to Blighty soon after 8 years here and may will camp out at my folks for 3 or 4 months. Free rent right :-) and I’m 38.

I’d have a think about what lifestyle you want to foster and start doing some research. But really people in their twenties should be moving all over the place! Once you have kids and a mortgage you’ll likely not have as simple a opportunity again.
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Old Feb 19th 2018, 10:29 pm
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Default Re: Are we being realistic?

Originally Posted by JamesM
People who’ve never lived.

There is no greater educator than life and boom or bust you’d be better off in the long run if you go and live somewhere new for a couple of years.

I may move back to Blighty soon after 8 years here and may will camp out at my folks for 3 or 4 months. Free rent right :-) and I’m 38.

I’d have a think about what lifestyle you want to foster and start doing some research. But really people in their twenties should be moving all over the place! Once you have kids and a mortgage you’ll likely not have as simple a opportunity again.


Goodness.... just go! Travel, explore the world, meet new people. You may stay, you may return, who knows... but you'll gain experiences that money can't buy. Life is short...live it! (Especially before you get shackled by mortgages and kids )
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Old Feb 20th 2018, 9:43 am
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Default Re: Are we being realistic?

Originally Posted by hannah1001


Goodness.... just go! Travel, explore the world, meet new people. You may stay, you may return, who knows... but you'll gain experiences that money can't buy. Life is short...live it! (Especially before you get shackled by mortgages and kids )
It's always easy to say go, life is short. Just because someone has a mortgage, doesn't mean you can't travel anymore and many people have other priorities like buying their dream home, or whatever else it is. Most people these days move to Canada because of a great job offer, but with no income in an expensive country like Canada (it's not Bulgaria), you could suddenly run out of money very quickly. Your deposit for the house is gone and many who return will have to take a salary cut again, unless of course you have an agreement with your old employer, or you can find a job with a better starting salary.




Not saying you shouldn't do it, but some people are happy to travel with a plastic bag and end up broke, while others value a nice home and good jobs that allow you to travel (even with a mortgage or kids). Canada seems to be better paid when it comes to hairdressing, but I can tell you that Austria is terrible for a hairdresser. Like Germany, wages are so low you wouldn't believe it and unless you are working for Udo Walz, it's like being unemployed in the UK.

Last edited by Moses2013; Feb 20th 2018 at 9:56 am.
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Old Feb 20th 2018, 10:39 am
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Default Re: Are we being realistic?

Originally Posted by suzeandmatt
Not 100% similar situation but not that far for us. My husband & I moved here in January 2017- I was 28 when we moved, he was 29. We technically would have qualified age wise for an IEC had we applied but fortunately my husband had a post-doctorate offer so I automatically got an OWP and he got a TWP.
But- where the similarities lie is we moved with barely any money (Literally £2000.)- (doing a PhD for 5 years isn’t a way to earn or save money that’s for sure- so we didn’t have any!) We don’t have any house in the Uk. We have no financial ties there any more and nothing to “go back to”. If we do go back we’ll be starting again from scratch.
Fortunately we discovered we absolutely love it here. For us, our lives are a lot more like we hoped they would be, and we are applying for PR this year. Neither of us have any intention of moving back to the UK. And if we do have to go back at some point for whatever reason because it all goes wrong here, granted we can actually afford to save money here so it’ll be a slightly better situation but- yeah, we’ll probably end up having to stay with parents-in-law until we find our feet. But hey- who cares. At least we’ll have tried and known whether it’s for us or not.
My family weren’t particularly supportive of the matter. But they’ve only ever lived in the same place their whole lives and wouldn’t think twice about stomping on your dreams- so in the end we just never spoke to them about it. My husband’s family on the other hand were a lot more supportive about the whole thing and were excited for us and told us to just go for it- In my husband’s area of research- doors were closing all the time in the UK and they knew the opportunities weren’t there.

So yes- you can do it for little to no £, and without a house or whatever to back you up in the UK. (Though yes it’s easier with more £ and plenty people will tell you it’s impossible otherwise but it really isn’t!) And you can find the grass is greener and you can enjoy it and not be home sick- we’re living proof, as will many other people be! :-)
- whether that’s the case for you- you won’t know unless you try.

So do whatever you want to do- don’t let your family stop you.

If you need work permit or whatever info then then people on here are super helpful. :-)
Good luck!!
this. Top post
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Old Feb 20th 2018, 10:42 am
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Default Re: Are we being realistic?

Originally Posted by JamesM
I’d have a think about what lifestyle you want to foster and start doing some research. But really people in their twenties should be moving all over the place! Once you have kids and a mortgage you’ll likely not have as simple a opportunity again.
Having made the move (to Canada) prior to children and having moved back (to the UK) with them. This is spot on. Go for it now. That said we're weighing up moving back - but god is it daunting.
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Old Feb 20th 2018, 10:46 am
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Default Re: Are we being realistic?

I cannot express how happy I am to have all of these responses. Thank you guys so much.

It's almost making me emotional! I'm so used to hearing negative feedback from family I honestly began to believe I had my head in the clouds.

I've worked at the same office job for 11 years. Had a job ever since I was 14. I've always lived upto my parents idealisms.

After these great responses and watching Expedition Happiness (if you haven't seen it I strongly urge you to give it a watch) I want to do it.

My initial crazy plan is to buy ourselves a cheap camper van with some of our 'deposit' money and go travelling through Canada, once I've got us the Working Holiday Visas. Maybe even Alaska. Once we have travelled and found our favourite place I want to rent somewhere for a bit and get a job, if it all pans out then apply for PR. As a fall back we may look into an EU country also, as I'd ideally not want to return to the UK (that's how I feel now anyways, I understand this may change)

As an absolute fall back I do believe either mine or his parents will take us in, in a couple of years IF IT CAME to it.


Sorry for the ramble but.. I've had the bounciest spring in my step today I just have to share it. I've been working 6 days a week for around 6 weeks and before I posted here I was feeling in the dumps. Cannot thank you all enough.

Last edited by baldcat; Feb 20th 2018 at 10:51 am.
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Old Feb 20th 2018, 11:21 am
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Default Re: Are we being realistic?

Originally Posted by baldcat
I cannot express how happy I am to have all of these responses. Thank you guys so much.

It's almost making me emotional! I'm so used to hearing negative feedback from family I honestly began to believe I had my head in the clouds.

I've worked at the same office job for 11 years. Had a job ever since I was 14. I've always lived upto my parents idealisms.

After these great responses and watching Expedition Happiness (if you haven't seen it I strongly urge you to give it a watch) I want to do it.

My initial crazy plan is to buy ourselves a cheap camper van with some of our 'deposit' money and go travelling through Canada, once I've got us the Working Holiday Visas. Maybe even Alaska. Once we have travelled and found our favourite place I want to rent somewhere for a bit and get a job, if it all pans out then apply for PR. As a fall back we may look into an EU country also, as I'd ideally not want to return to the UK (that's how I feel now anyways, I understand this may change)

As an absolute fall back I do believe either mine or his parents will take us in, in a couple of years IF IT CAME to it.


Sorry for the ramble but.. I've had the bounciest spring in my step today I just have to share it. I've been working 6 days a week for around 6 weeks and before I posted here I was feeling in the dumps. Cannot thank you all enough.
Honestly, what do you have to lose? The UK isn't going anywhere (other out of the EU). Your plans sound like an adventure. I'm jealous!
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Old Feb 20th 2018, 12:22 pm
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Default Re: Are we being realistic?

Originally Posted by baldcat
Hi guys,

I've been a long time lurker, finally plucked the courage to make an account and ask something I'm unsure on

Me and my partner currently live with our parents in the UK, we are both 27. We have been saving up for a 'deposit' on a house of some kind. We have around 5-8% of a typical deposit in the South East of UK.

I have been toying with the idea of ditching the UK altogether and heading to Canada (also considered Austria and Scandinavian countries) but all of the posts I have seen so far have either been retirement or at very least selling a UK house to move abroad.

The question I have is, is it possible to just up-root ourselves and move to Canada without having the back up of a property in the UK to sell? Maybe it would be better if we got our foot on the ladder here first, then sold the house in 5 years time?

Any advice will be much appreciated, thank you in advance!


Edit: Just some more info, my partner is a barber/hairdresser of 7 years and I am a Senior Hire Controller of 11 years.

Baldcat
We had similar circumstances to you, after we got married three years ago we wanted to upgrade my flat to a modest 3-bed home, and were looking at some exorbitant sums which we definitely couldn't afford.

Additionally I was stuck in my job career-wise and my wife was stuck geographically at the pharmacy where she worked.

We decided to apply for Canada because we wanted a fair return for our efforts, and also haven't started a family yet (we're 40 and 33 now). Beyond renting my flat (which is our comfort blanket 'just in case'), we're tying up all other affairs in the UK to make the big leap to Canada. It's daunting as I haven't had to look for a new job in 20 years, but we were sick to the back teeth from what we felt was being sold short in terms of lifestyle and economics in return for busting our behinds. As the saying goes, when it hurts enough you'll overcome your fears and do something about it.

And I've yet to meet one person either on these boards or face-to-face who hasn't said that moving to Canada was challenging but ultimately so worth it and rewarding. Wishing you all the best with your plans
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Old Feb 20th 2018, 12:41 pm
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Default Re: Are we being realistic?

Originally Posted by Dave_Pardew
We had similar circumstances to you, after we got married three years ago we wanted to upgrade my flat to a modest 3-bed home, and were looking at some exorbitant sums which we definitely couldn't afford.

Additionally I was stuck in my job career-wise and my wife was stuck geographically at the pharmacy where she worked.

We decided to apply for Canada because we wanted a fair return for our efforts, and also haven't started a family yet (we're 40 and 33 now). Beyond renting my flat (which is our comfort blanket 'just in case'), we're tying up all other affairs in the UK to make the big leap to Canada. It's daunting as I haven't had to look for a new job in 20 years, but we were sick to the back teeth from what we felt was being sold short in terms of lifestyle and economics in return for busting our behinds. As the saying goes, when it hurts enough you'll overcome your fears and do something about it.

And I've yet to meet one person either on these boards or face-to-face who hasn't said that moving to Canada was challenging but ultimately so worth it and rewarding. Wishing you all the best with your plans
While I agree that the UK can also be pretty pricey, you say you wanted to upgrade your flat to a modest 3 bed home and couldn't afford it. The thing is that this isn't just a UK problem and there are many people (even in Canada) who will face the same problems. A work colleague recently moved to Vancouver with her Canadian husband and they are also stuck in his 1 bed apartment., unless of course they move away from the City. It's the same everywhere and not to forget your timing when buying.
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Old Feb 20th 2018, 3:23 pm
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Default Re: Are we being realistic?

Canada is not the land of milk and honey to escape to for sure. Back in the day, property was reasonable and the FX was way better, 2.25 to 2.50, making the move a lot easier.

We were offered a place in West Van for $450k (£188k at the time), I should have bought a few and hung on to them!
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