JBJ14

Hi again all

Been going through some of the Canniversary threads as well as the ones here and am mentally trying to tally up how many people are not, or were not. happy with their move and it seems to be almost a majority.

Makes for some very nervous decisions over the next 12 months before we hop on a plane. When we lived over there on a working holiday we absolutely loved it, we lived in Jasper and Edmonton. Now we're looking at Calgary and have kids which we didn't have while on working holiday. Going to be a real different experience with kids, we know that, but it's hard to know you're doing the right thing for the family.

I have no doubt in my mind we will move there, but some of the threads kind of make you weary about how to go about it and where to go.

Not sure if any of that makes any sense really???? I get much more creative with beer, is 11am too early?

mandymoochops

My honest opinion is if you come to Canada for "a better life because things aren't going well in the UK" then 90% of you (random figure pulled from thin air for paragrphic effect) will be unhappy.

If you come here with no preconcieved ideas - ie better schools, less crime, nicer neighbours bigger houses blah blah blah, then you'll be fine.

Canada is the same as the UK but with mountains and colder winters. The cost of living is comparable so unless you have squillions of dollars to hand your quality of life to a greater degree won't change.

Add that to the fact that you have no mates or family here and a lot of peoples dreams suddenly disintegrate pretty damn quick.

If something goes wrong in Canada your feelings are amplified due to how lonely you are, kids can hate schools, other halfs can get lonely, marriages can end, jobs can be lost, life savings gone in a heartbeat.

Don't get me wrong I love it here, though my expectations were none because I was in a bit of a whirl about coming here - it's like beng 18 again and moving out of home - you are starting all over again - you need to treat it like that.

furries

Good answer!

Think thats a sensible way of looking at it ... we are moving over this summer and it has been interesting reading the various threads on here about those for whom it either has not worked out, or its not been all that they hoped ...

We are looking at it very much as simple a move as thats where work has taken the OH ... its a job offer thats worth following and it just so happens to be in another country! The only real difference we are seeing at the minute is that the cost of the move is more than it would be to another location in the UK and money is like water in a sieve!

We have tried very hard to keep realistic in the mind that (aside from the fact it looks like we will both be earning more in our new jobs than we did in our old ones) the quality of life will be different - maybe no better - but different, and that it is a new start ...

I suspect its somewhat like new years eve parties ... they are always hyped up more than any other social event and often the hype means they are rubbish!

christmasoompa

Having been a mod of this forum and also worked in immigration for a couple of years, there seems to be a definite divide - those that go because of perceived negatives in the UK i.e. high taxes, high crime, housing extortionate, etc, are the ones that seem most disappointed and tend to return, but those that move for a genuine love of Canada or just for an adventure, seem to make it stick and are happiest.

No idea if that's true or not, but it's just the impression I've got.

daisychain

Looks like we will be going next year as house not sold, and the way i am looking at it is the gap year we never had!

we are going to rent for about a year to find our feet, jobs and area we like. we will be lucky in that we will be going with a fair amount of money so jobs although we will need we can go for a lower paid one or less hours.

if it works it works if not we will head back with our heads held high knowing that we tried it, not ever wondering what if!

DC

GoldCoastMag

I wonder if the people who are living their new lives to the full get on a forum dedicated to immigration.

The people moving back naturally are looking for support and information about becoming repats.

good luck with your move.

Pendonk

These comments are very interesting to note. On a recent interview with a canadian compnay they did a real sales pitch on us using examples such as : cheaper housing, lower crime, low cost of education, higher income, lower taxes, better standard of living etc etc etc in order to attract us to the company. I think it's these ideals that people are looking for when considering relocation.

Zoe Bell

Some of us hang around. Ben and I are very happy here !

izzi81

I'm also in the 'will it work out or won't it?' stages and I think the above comment is very true when considering views on the forum. I'd imagine that people post here a lot when in the immigration process, but if it all goes well and they get the new life they were hoping for, they might not keep posting here! (Some will of course ) Whereas those who aren't happy and want to come back will very likely be posting here again.
Plus, something else I'm aware of from reading posts... we're all different! And all looking for different things. So don't judge your possible success solely on the success of others, just use it as another way to gather more info

christmasoompa

Which would be great, were it actually true. Certainly the higher income is not the norm, lower taxes (usually about the same), and the lower crime (more murders per capita in Canada than the UK). I'll give them cheaper housing though, unless of course they're talking about Vancouver.

Tangram

I'm happy here but I would back up Mandy and Christmasoompa's comments.

Oakvillian

It is the venerable Iaink of these parts who has what I think is the definitive answer: "a happily employed immigrant is a happy immigrant."

If you have a job you enjoy, paying you enough to live on, life here will be fine. If you struggle to enjoy (or find!) work, or struggle to make ends meet financially, or both, then it'll suck.

dgagitw

I think the results you're seeing are skewed by a form of surviorship bias. People who are generally happy with life and getting on with things are, on the whole I think, much less likely to be posting on a forum than those that are miserable and looking for some emotional support and validation. Most of the Brits I know here seem happy with their move, if that helps.

Pendonk

I've crunched some numbers on the salary and I'd be pretty much breaking even with where I am now. The difference being that I am currently self employed, so I get some sort of job security with the move. The company has some nice benefits, but of course that only applies if I work for them and no one else. The guy who interviewed us painted an idylic picture of safe communities with low crime rates and good schools etc etc. He never mentioned getting murdered once!! Taxes seem about the same, cost of living seems marginally cheaper in Canada, but prices are rising sharply here at the moment.

On balance it seems we're be marignally better off financially if we moved, plus I'd have job security. What sold it to us was the picture that was painted, but reading the comments here it seems to be flawed. Hmmmmm.

ireland2canada

I see this come up now and again, the idea that people who post on this forum must be miserable gits who hate their life in Canada.

Using my one personal anecdote, and no statistical evidence at all, I rule that this idea is flawed. I like life in Canada very much. I check into BE as a habit, I've been signing in every day for years, many years before even creating an account. So it is routine, as routine as checking your bank account on pay day.