I have a couple of cousins in Canada, and I have looked at the points test for immigration and I qualify. I'm thinking more and more about it.

I am attracted to the quality of life in Vancouver.

My dad was a Kiwi, mom a French Canadian... it's not straightforward or easy, you will probably need to research your circumstances on the relevant govt website to do with citizenship.... a good starting point might be this website:

http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/canada-...om/menu-en.asp

He needs to look on a website dealing with immigration not citizenship. The right place to start is http://www.cic.gc.ca

He should ask himself why Canada and not Australia.

Have you been to Canada Jaj?

Yes I have. Are you a New Zealand citizen or still a permanent resident there?

A citizen. I've been offered a job in Brisbane which im 90% sure I will take. It's a contract for 3 months. While im doing that I intend to put my papers in for Canada.

I moved from Canada to NZ (Christchurch and Wellington), then Australia and am now back in Canada. Spent 10 years in NZ and five in Aust. I think a NZer would find the move to Canada easier than most--the countries are physically similar (I often say NZ is a tiny Canada) and culturally there isn't a huge change. Indeed, I would consider that a NZer would find the move easier than most of the people on this website, since most are from the UK and might find the history/culture in Canada to be somewhat limited compared to their homeland, whereas a NZer might feel more at home in an old colony. The big advantage Canada has over NZ, I feel, is the lack of isolation that NZ suffers from. I never felt part of the world in NZ; I was always on the outside looking in. Yes, Canada isn't exactly a big player in the world either, but it is a bit more central than NZ! And in terms of internal politics, I felt nothing ever happened in NZ--it was dull politically, and of course nothing that happened there had any effect on the world stage. Canada is a small player too, but not that small!

On the other hand, before I moved to NZ, I had a good kiwi friend who was living here in Canada. He hated it--thought it was a dull as dishwater and couldn't wait to leave. He found Canadians lacked a spirit of adventure and had no view of the world beyond the USA. I can see this point of view too--Canadians can be limited in their world outlook. At the same time, I found that many NZers' world view began and ended with their experiences of their OE in London when they were 21. But at least they left their country for a while, whereas Canadians do tend to stick to home.

As an aside, you will find there are plenty of NZers in Vancouver. I am in the interior of BC and can't get away from NZers! I hear the accent in local coffee shops every day!

Thanks for the information. Very interesting. I agree with your assessment of New Zealand (politically, isolation etc). It's interesting that you spent 5 years in OZ as well. How'd that work out?

The more I read/think about Canada, the more I like the idea.

CIC Sydney is not as slow as some offices worldwide but you should be prepared for a long processing time.

Bear in mind that you may find recognition of your overseas qualifications and work experience more difficult in Canada compared to Australia or New Zealand. Depends on your profession and also the province.

If you choose to stay in Australia you should investigate your options for getting Australian permanent resident status (which leads to Australian citizenship). New Zealanders no longer get permanent residence automatically and while you can still live/work in Australia indefinitely, not having permanent resident status can cause you issues in the longer term.

I have made up my mind to give Canada a shot. I'm prepared for a long processing time - a year. This time next year hopefully....

I think if you ask on the immigration forum you will likely find out that you should expect it to be more than a year for regular federal skilled worker. Sydney processing times may well be two years or more.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/departm...illed-fed.html

That's still a lot less than in some CIC offices worldwide (such as London) where you might be looking at 4-5 years.

Oz worked out well, but I was in Darwin so had somewhat different experiences than most people who live in the south. I did some great trips around the country and loved camping in the outback. Of course, I did some fun tramps in NZ too, but the two countries can't be compared geographically. If I had to live in either country again, I would probably chose Oz but only for the out back and the fact that it is a bigger population so more variety of things available. That said, I was more comfortable with Nzers--I found Ozies cold and unfriendly, but that was just my experience.

Jesus! Hmm, schemes.....

Thanks for the info. What you say stacks up with some other opinions i've heard.

I have lived a total 6 years in Canada. Do yourself a favour and stay down under! Australia and NZ are the best places to live in the world. In Canada you only get 2 weeks paid holidays and the pay and other working conductions are $hit to say the least. The employer has all the rights and the employee has none! People from Australia seem to think things are much cheaper here in Canada but thats false. The cost of living it pretty similar. I find it funny how Canadians bash the USA and complain that Americans know nothing about Canada! Well Canadians are just as bad as most don't know much about what happens out of Canada. Australia/NZ are a real paradise after what Ive seen this world has to offer. And I have also been to many other countries! My wife is Canadian and she thinks Australia is much nicer so we have decided to move back to Australia ASAP.