Australia better than Canada?
 

Hi everyone, I've not posted on this part of the forum before.

I have been going through the process of getting my nurse credentials assessed in order to obtain licence to practice and then emigrate to Canada. I'm married with 2 kids. As the Canadian Immigration process seems to be becoming more difficult, I was wondering if it is any better for Australia, particularly around Perth. Could anyone tell me roughly how long on average it takes for a permanent visa to be granted if applying for 189/190, or even 457 if a sponsor found.

I'd be interested to hear peoples general views on Western Australia as a place to relocate to as opposed to Canada for a young family.

Re: Australia better than Canada?
 

As someone who spent 4 years in Canada (Calgary and Halifax) and the last 8 years here in Perth I don't actually find them that different. They both suffer from weather extremes, 1 cold and 1 hot. It is 8 years since I lived in Canada though so my experience is a tad old. Nowhere is cheap these days and you only have to look at this section and the Canada section to find people whining about the cost of living.

Out of interest what is the motivation for you wanting to move overseas?

Re: Australia better than Canada?
 

Hi Northern Bird and thanks for the reply. My reasons for wanting to move overseas are to live somewhere less over crowded, lower crime rates and somewhere decent to bring up a family. My first choice is somewhere within a couple of hours of Vancouver, but as it seems to be getting more difficult to get in I'm just entertaining the possibility of Western Australia.

Re: Australia better than Canada?
 

Well crime rate in Perth is no lower than the UK but I can't comment on BC.

Re: Australia better than Canada?
 

I'm an Ozzie that immigrated to Canada with my wife in mid 2007, we have since had two kids.

Standard of living wise both countries are indeed very similar excepting the weather, I have a feeling the cost of living has risen more in Australia than Canada since we left but I won't know for sure until we visit in May.

You can't really compare Perth to Canada per se - both Australia and Canada are huge and diverse countries that differ widely from city to city.

My impression is that work wise you are likely to start off better in Australia as far as pay and conditions go, but as you get higher up the chain I feel certain parts of Canada have more potential if you are in the business world, not sure about healthcare though.

From my experience Vancouver or anywhere near it is likely to be a tough place to settle - high taxes/cost of living and low wages unless you have other reasons like family nearby etc.

Re: Australia better than Canada?
 

Having lived in both I would say they offer a comparable standard of living. Australia has higher wages but the cost of living is proportionally higher. Aus economy is currently doing better as Canada has a conservative government which thinks austerity is the answer. That being said, Aus is set to get its own conservative government in September with a similarly simplistic/misguided view of how the economy works.

Re: Australia better than Canada?
 

I am a Canadian living in Perth's suburbs. We previously lived in the GTA (Toronto area) and the Lower Mainland (Vancouver). Perth and Vancouver are very different places, so you might be wise to look at just what it is you're looking for. Crime happens everywhere. Perth is not as crowded, but it is increasingly frustrating with the lack of infrastructure to support the growing population. If I drive to work my 40 km commute takes well over an hour if I leave home at 5:30 am. Add 15-20 minutes if I leave an hour later. the alternative is an overcrowded transit system.

Basically, other than scenery and weather it's the same shit, different accent.

Re: Australia better than Canada?
 

You're lucky because several posters here have exact experience of what you're setting out to do. I do not, at all, but I will say that your motivation seems to be based on push factors rather than pull factors, as you seem rather unconcerned about whether you wind up in Canada or Australia.

You should know that both countries have very high standards of living, both have suffered from inflation in the last 15 years, and both offer lots of space and low population density. Britain shares the first two points, but not the last. Also, all three places have similar levels of crime, over all.

With them sharing so much in common, what are the differences? First, weather. Vancouver is close to southern England, but Perth is totally different. Think coastal Morocco, or Syria. it is very hot and very dry for very long periods of the year. Also like the places I mention, the winters can be very cold, and the houses are not as a rule insulated very well. They rarely have proper heating systems and single glazing is normal. If you are like me, the biggest change to your life will be the weather, and it will have an impact.

Other differences? Flight time home, perhaps, but I argue against this as having any real bearing on life. I can't comment on work culture differences, never having worked in Canada, but some say there is less humour in the workplace there (I am not commenting, just repeating stuff I've read here).

So, both great countries, with great opportunities, very different climates. I would be happy to live in either, and if you have the choice you are lucky. Choose wisely!:)

Re: Australia better than Canada?
 

Hi Dan.

We're a Canadian family who have been in Perth for almost four years. We're originally from Edmonton.

I agree with all of the other PPs that you have to really consider your motivations for either WA or BC. As mentioned, both are great options that offer decent standards of living, but as Budgie mentioned, it also depends on your career field. My husband makes more here than he would back in Canada and he also has more opportunities as well.

The climate of each place comes into play as well. Yes, others have mentioned in similar posts not to base too much of the emigration rationale on climate, but it does play a role. I love to visit Vancouver. I mean, it's a gem. But the rainy climate would completely drive me around the bend. Then the price of real estate over there enters into it and it makes it less of an option for us.

Perth...well, has the climate on its side and the whole "great place to bring up a young family" thing with the parks and beaches. Dorothy's point about the infrastructure is very valid (it's like city planning never existed here). If you look through the Perth threads, you'll find a lot of "love it" or "hate it" rants. The place does seem to generate polarised opinions. I'm probably one of the few who is "meh" on the place and my career options will eventually take us out east, so we're enjoying Perth for what it is while we're here.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Re: Australia better than Canada?
 

We put the film Babe on this morning for our daughter, and we were trying to guess where it was filmed. Popular choices were England, Wales or Ireland and then eastern USA maybe. We couldn't believe it when we found out it was NSW! Adelaide (and Perth) are so dry and brown compared with what I was looking at on that film, though I guess it was filmed in winter. So I want to move east now if that's what it looks like!!

Re: Australia better than Canada?
 

Babe was filmed around Robertson in NSW. Robertson is at the top of an escarpment so can get very damp at times. Hence the greenness.

Not all of NSW is like that..

http://www.robertson.nsw.au

Re: Australia better than Canada?
 

After 6 years in Perth I've gone from the hate it camp to the meh. Like you I think we'll eventually end up over east. We are now too late to go back to Canada to retire so I'm thinking a few years in a smaller centre in NSW before retiring someplace green. I think once the kids are settled in good jobs and I'm qualified we'll look at moving.

Re: Australia better than Canada?
 

NSW has lots of green regions. You have never been to the Hunter Valley, Bega Valley, Australian Alps, Northern Rivers, Blue Mtns or the Riverina?

Re: Australia better than Canada?
 

Pretty much all of the Illawarra is. It doesn't seem to suffer from the extremes that many parts of Oz have to put up with.

Re: Australia better than Canada?
 

Pull factors are always a better reason to emigrate, you should think hard about whether there are any for you. It is always better to have something you are going to, rather than move just to escape somewhere or because you assume anywhere has to be better. All three are first world countries and good places to bring up a family.

Of course population per square foot will be much greater in the UK, but much of Australia is not populated. Where I lived in the UK, there was far more open space than in my suburb of Sydney (and I lived close enough to commute to London).

I also believe that there is no particular difference in crime rates, there are areas with high and low crime rates in each country.

I would not go to Canada because my OH doesn't fancy the cold weather. I don't think I fancy Canada myself, but it would be nice to be nearer the UK, when we lived in Bermuda we had lots of visitors, we have had none here.