That was true for OZ but not Canada.

I came here in 1963 and had contemplated the cheaper move. Fortunately I got a job offer and have been in Ottawa for 46 years.

It was so easy to immigrate back then, in our case I got the job offer in March sold our house and arrived in Canada early July.

It was a no brainer back then because of the big difference in living standards.

Same here. I applied in mid November 1968 and was here on March 14 1969. It does seem that it was much simpler and quicker in those days. Same with citizenship. I lived in Oakville so I just went to Brampton and paid $10 and swore on the bible and that was it. No big ceremony, just me. That was in 1974.

Re: the 10 pound passage to Oz offer in the early sixties This inspired the best one-liner evah!! from the immortal, if dead, Tony Hancock.

"Australia for 10 pounds? Fair price, but where would you put it?"

Not too much formality when we took the oath of citizenship in 1968. Phoned up for an appointment and took the oath in a small office in downtown Ottawa. The Judge also sugested that if we wanted a Citzenship card we could pop down to Woolwoths and get a photo from one of those booth's (which we did)

Was it? My parents had hoped to move to NZ and had even chosen the house they were going to live in. They knew it was more than likely that they would never see their parents or brothers and sisters again. Probably never hear their voices either as this was the 1950s and pre telephones for all.

It may have been easy to find work but I think it was a much harder decision to make.

In the end my Dad was refused medically as he had a glass eye. Pah. Instead we moved down south to Bedford

I agree and for that reason we felt that Canada was a better choice. OZ and NZ were too far away and we knew of one couple that returned for that reason.

Having said that, in our case we had already made the move from Boehamwood to North of Luton some 5 years earlier and in those days few people with families had cars, so family visits were infrequent.

All our family back home had phones but the calls were extremely expensive and we rarely called home, our main contact was airmail.

I think u are absolutely right. It is about love, and how strong family ties can be. and if they are strong, no amount of time separated by land and sea makes it easier. To be sure, it's even less pleasant if the ones that leave take special measures to reduce their own pain/guilt/anxiety while leaving behind parents without any shoulder to lean on. It's over 25 years that I have been away, and it is still not easy.

ho hum... couldnt resist a reply to this!

hi helen -- sorry to hear you are suffering from the very same thing that my family threw at me and my family.

as all the other people on here have said, and quite rightly too, you have to do whats right for your and your family. your parents have lived their lives, and why should they now wnat to relive their lives again through you and your family?

in my case, 90% of the problems were caused by my being a typical "mummy's boy" since day 1, and because of that, i was given mega hassle when we decided to emigrate (that was in 2004 by the way).

made me laugh when i read your comments -- in our case, we decided to come back in the end as all our family, not only parents, ganged up on us in the end and we were ostracised to such an extent, that it made my kids suffer. we have been back nearly 5 years now, and to this day, my parents will not talk at all about our trip or stay in canada, nor have they asked my kids how they felt, what school was like, whether they made any friends etc.

we went through all the things you mention, and more....

in our case, my sibling actually flew back from canada to give us a lecture on how mum needs "24hr care and you cant just leave her on her own..." when she heard that we were coming too!
of course when i suggested that why doesnt she come back and take on the 24hr care, a swift subject change was effected!

i gave up a damn good job in canada to come back here, and am now unemployed as a result of the recession, so inevitably thoughts go back to the job i had there and the financial freedom we enjoyed.......

i have got to the point now that if someone asks me for my opinion, i would say to hell with the parents or relatives -- do what YOU think is right.

as it is with my family, my siblings are in the usa and canada, living it up, while we were made out to be black sheep of the family when we wanted to better ourselves.

we were told that what right did we have to "dump" mum and dad on their own and run off to canada when we announced our decision to emigrate!

ok so we have settled in again here relatively easily, but sometimes when i think of the treatment we were meted out by parents and relatives, makes me so angry as well as bringing tears to my eyes, for what could have been.

alas, parents are parents, but when will that golden day arrive when they stop being control freaks and let their kids live as they wish?

so, in a nutshell -- please go ahead and make that move, regardless of how close you are or how much your parents or family ostracise you -- this is a golden chance for you -- miss it and you will forever think about what could have been -- like me !!!!

Paul_Shepherd
Just out of interest, what is your profession? I am interested which professions are slow at the moment...

Hello Elizabeth,

I am a mechanical engineering draughtsperson, I think anything in manufacturing is dead at the moment, I am hoping Canada will recover quicker than most countries as it doesn't have the enormous debt that say the UK now has.

No sign of it yet tho, if I worked as an architectual draughtsperson in construction, then I feel I would have work by now, but manufacturing is non existent.

Paul

Paul[/QUOTE]


I don't suppose you have any contacts in software engineering who've mentioned the work situation....

I don't suppose you have any contacts in software engineering who've mentioned the work situation....[/QUOTE]

Well it depends on where you are choosing to settle when you move to Canada? You say software engineering? I assume this would be a software engineer for machinary applications? if so, I think at the moment you are going to struggle - as really you would be are looking for work with similar companies I am targeting, Ive not only appled for jobs, but also written "unsolicitored approach" letters to automation and other machinary manufacturers, but to no avail at the moment.

However I keep being told that work is more available out west... specifically in the more remote areas as there are a limited people that want to work in these locations? Im not sure, I think people say these things to me sometimes not really understanding what line of work Im actually in.

If you work in a similar area to me albeit your the software engineer and Im the mechanical side, then I think at this moment you will struggle, as most manufacturing companies have gone into an almost dormant state to survive this recession.

It also depends when you are choosing to move, as I think thing will improve, if you haven't moved yet and dont have a job offer, I would hold fire unti things show sign of improvement. Thats just my view tho.

Paul

Spare a thought for those left behind; regardless of the relationship make a decision whether or not you will be able to afford to be there for them during tough times. Don’t get too caught up in your own lives. Don’t get too caught up in “why can’t they support me”. What will YOU be able to do for them in times of need when you are thousands of miles away?

As the years go by after you emigrate, they will get over the heart break of missing you and they will carry on. You will no longer be a daily feature in their lives. Of course there will be the holidays and visits home, but as parents get older there will come the day that they can no longer visit you. Ask yourself, are you going to be ok with this? Not being around for them when they need you the most and are you going to make it your mission to do as much as possible when the time comes.

My husband’s Uncle died at the weekend. He was 57. He waved us off at the airport the day we left for Canada. I still remember his smiling face as we went through departures. My husband said “if only we knew it was the last time”. No one will ever know this, just make every visit count. We can take comfort in the fact that we all hugged and as we left he was smiling and happy. It’s all we can hope for when any family member dies.

His families have said “don’t come for the funeral, it’s too far”. I know they are only being considerate, but what does this really mean. He has made the decision to go. His 92 year old grandmother deserves to be hugged and loved by all of her family, the day she buries her son.

Well it depends on where you are choosing to settle when you move to Canada?

Now I see you're in ON. We're going to AB. And OH does communications software

We knew of our plans sometime before we told the families because it all depended on the offer of a job. I prepeared my family by first planting a seed in their head that one day I might like to emigrate, my mother and my children said it was a good idea and they understood why. A few months later when my partner had been invited over for tests and interviews Itold them all about it but make clear that nothing was set in stone and had a long way to go yet. At that point I made it clear how we could keep in touch and how we would help my daughter and my 2 grandchildren get over to visit. My mum and my son took it well they were supportive and could see the positives, my daughter wouldnt speak to me for 2 days and my sister just cried. I spoke to my daughter and explained how it would be and that I felt her attitude towards me was being ever so slightly selfish although I understood her feelings and I got a text late at night apolagising and telling me she loved me and hoped it worked out.

Whilst In Canada for our 2 week recce and interviews etc the family almost treated it like I had moved out already, I got phone calls and skyped most days, just very different to how it would have been if I had been on a "normal" holiday.

Now we have had the job offer and are currently going through the last hurdle of getting AINP and PR, it is becoming real to them and when I called my daughter and told her of the job offer and the fact that we really would be going she was really pleased I could hear it in her voice, howe3ver when I called my mum and my sister you could hear the mixed emotion the "oh we are really pleased for you" was mixed with the tone "oh we dont want you to go" when I mentioned this to them all it became clear why... my daughter said from the moment I told her way back earlier this year she had treated it like I would be definately going whereas my mum and my sister hadnt and always clung to the fact that maybe my partner wouldnt get the job offer.

They are all pleased and very supportive at the moment but I do wonder if will change nearer the time we leave the country.

I also explained that it will be no bed of roses for me either it was not an easy decision to leave but for me it is the best and right decision, and sometimes we all have the right to be a little selfish and live for ME.

You may read this and wonder why my son was only mentioned in the beginning .. tha is because he has buggered off to Australia so he has made the move first anyway. He is pleased for us though and sees it as another country to "crash" in when he feels like moving on.

Just thought I would share my relitavely easy time I had telling my family.