Canada V/s USA
 

Which country is better to migrate USA or Canada?Canada is a welfare country with free medical and lot of long term benefits like parents migration,retirement funds etc. USA doesn't have any of these benefits?Please present a realistic picture which country is better for Britons to take up migration (USA or Canada)?

Re: Canada V/s USA
 

how long is a piece of string. Unless you are able to emmigrate to the US (and it's not easy at all) then it\s really pointless getting into a debate.

As for welfare, not sure I'd pick a place on quality of welfare, as I don't expect to ever use it. But yes, we are much more socialized here than the US.

Re: Canada V/s USA
 

Thanks. If we have both options freely and openly available to emmigrate (i.e. Canada V/s USA) which one should be picked ?In the longer run specially which place is better (employment, welfare, retirement etc.)

Re: Canada V/s USA
 

Like dboy said, migrating to the USA is very difficult as this flowchart image demonstrates.

That aside the main drawbacks in Canada are that things on the whole are a little bit more expensive, there isn't same variety of products, and services that come out first in the US (for example, Google Voice) take a bit longer to reach Canada. That and the postal service is slow and has a tendency to eat your mail.

However Canada's way of doing things is a lot more in line with the UK way of doing things, being more liberal and socialist, so it is less of a culture shock. For example, in the US getting rich and being over indulgent are celebrated in a way that is completely alien to UK folk. Canada in general also has more ties to the UK, you'll see more UK people around and there are UK import shops everywhere, though the USA does have the fantastic World Market stores.

Re: Canada V/s USA
 

I lived in Canada (Toronto) for 7 years and I currently live in the US (Maryland) - been here almost 13 years now. In addition, I have travelled around both countries.

The US certainly has retirement benefits and the ability to sponsor relatives for immigration purposes. How those things compare to Canada, I don't know.

There really isn't much of a social safety net in the US. I always have the feeling that I'm weeks away from living on the street should I lose my job. And, of course, healthcare in the US mostly depends on being employed. I am very happy with the healthcare system in the area I live (Maryland's DC suburbs) - lots of top class doctors, hospitals with good facilities, easy to get appointments etc. However I really HATE the health insurance system - i.e. the way the system is administered. I hate that health insurance companies can play doctor by deciding what they will and won't pay for. So although the healthcare itself is world class, what is not so good is paying premiums, dealing with deductibles, co-pays, co-insurance, reimbursement claims, etc. Every time I go to a doctor's office, the people at the front desk seem to spend most of their time dealing with health insurance companies (e.g. confirming coverage, dealing with claims, etc.). This whole issue of health insurance has been the single biggest pain to deal with in all my time living here - and I'm lucky as I've always had a job. God help those who don't have health insurance at all.

The other good thing about the US is that the cost of living seems to be lower and I think I'm comparing apples to apples because the Washington DC metropolitan area (including its Virginia and Maryland suburbs) is about the size of Toronto and has a similar population (as well as similar traffic problems!). Sales tax is also lower here. My wife was in Toronto recently and was shocked by 15% sales tax - we pay 5% in Maryland. In addition, salaries appear to be higher in the US - at least in my line of work (IT).

Of course one of the benefits of the higher sales tax is that Canada can provide healthcare for all. I left Canada in 1996 so I'm not sure what healthcare is like there now in terms of quality (I expect it's similar to the US) and accessibility (I expect waiting times are probably longer than in the US).

I don't have the numbers to back this up but I suspect that there's a bigger gap between rich and poor in the US. Similarly I also suspect that crime is a bigger issue in the US.

In terms of climate, the US offers a greater variety. In terms of quality of life, I would say that both countries are similar. They are also similar culturally.

In terms of education, I probably rank Canada above the US. The main reason is that Canada provides a very high standard of higher education (college, universities) at a much lower cost than in the US. This is mostly due to higher government funding.

It's difficult to compare the 2 countries as completely separate entries because somewhere like upstate New York has more in common with Southern Ontario than it does with Florida.

So the answer to your question really depends on many factors - including what is more important to you. Of course it's probably a lot easier to emigrate to Canada than to the US these days so that's also a factor.

Re: Canada V/s USA
 

Just wanted to note that taxes vary a lot depending on what province you're in. I don't think Alberta has a sales tax for instance.

Re: Canada V/s USA
 

the us is living in an atmosphere of denial with its reluctance to increase taxes both sales and income as the country slides deeper and deeper into debt.

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

I also find that you can far better see where your tax dollars go here compared to the US. Besides, lower income taxes are off set by higher medical insurance.

Re: Canada V/s USA
 

Unless you're coming over the Mexican border.

Re: Canada V/s USA
 

We're bigger, and we're on top.

Re: Canada V/s USA
 

That's your answer to everything :)

Re: Canada V/s USA
 

Love that flowchart :rofl:

Re: Canada V/s USA
 

Me too, although it misses the "Come to Canada, get citizenship, move to the US under Nafta" option.

Its pretty clear that Canada is like the US, only easier to get into.

Re: Canada V/s USA
 

Thread closed folks. The OP is one of our regular 'I have no life so I just keep re-registering on BE' trolls.