Beginner's Guide to Canadian Immigration

Calgary Pros and Cons - Although this article is about Calgary, the information in it is true of the whole of Alberta, to a certain extent.

What I've gathered, from my participation on this forum is that:

Things cost less in Canada, but you also earn less in Canada. Once you're earning in Canadian dollars, the cost of living in Canada is no better than the cost of living in the UK.

Housing in Canada still is cheaper than it is in the UK. The biggest uplift for a British expat comes from bringing a wodge of equity from the UK and sinking it into a much bigger house than he or she would have been able to afford in the UK. However, if you arrive without equity, you're in more or less the same position as Canadians who are starting from the beginning.

You have more access to the outdoors in Canada. If that means a lot to you, you can enjoy yourself.

On the other hand, Canadians put less store in hair cuts, clothes, manicures, etc. Also, there are fewer conveniences, like those tasty M&S meals that only need to be heated. These deprivations bother some British expats.

Canada doesn't have what British people think of as history. It doesn't have old buildings.

You can't take children to pubs in Canada. People don't meet at the neighbourhood pub. They entertain each other in their homes.

I don't know your circumstances but, if you're an average Briton, you won't have family here if you migrate to Canada. It's hard to tell in advance how you'll feel about that.

Part of your research should be the occasional visit to the Moving back to the UK forum. It's very instructive to find out people's reasons for moving back after migrating to another country.