I am having "cold feet" about uprooting and going to Canada (despite having wanted to go for years)!

We are literally going to sign up to an Estate Agent today and put our house up for sale. We haven't even applied for PR yet so I know this is premature, but with the housing market so high in our area, we think it can't go any higher so we should move now & rent for the time being!

However, after reading recent posts on this forum about the difficulties in getting jobs etc, I am starting to have doubts.

My husband is in IT (a Systems Analyst with Motorola) and we are hoping to go to the Vancouver area.

Does anyone have any advice please, about whether there are any courses etc he can take to give him more of a chance of getting a job that could support the family? I read somewhere that a Cantonese course could be beneficial but is this true in practice?

Karen S :scared:

I can't help you with the information that you need but I certainly agree with you that reading from this forum doesn't exactly offer encouragement sometimes does it?

I think it's difficult trying to get a real feel for how things are over in Canada until you are living there but obviously it's not paradise-on-earth and it most certainly has it's problems not least in the employment situation. However as valid as the contributions may be on this forum I remind myself that it's just a very small cross section of opinion and there is a much bigger picture to consider aswell. Fortunately I'm married to a Canadian and understandably she is dismissive of a lot of the negativity found here (I know there's good stuff posted too!) but then that's to be expected.

As far as "cold feet" are concerned that must be fairly normal but moving to a new country has to be hard and you have to weigh up how much you have to lose against what you hope to gain against having to start from scratch again. Not easy is it?

well put on some heat, and warm those feet!

...right, more seriosuly, this site has provided me with lots of good info, lots out there for people to take and use, jsut need to evaluate what's said. Sometimes, its good, sometimes not... you need to weigh up the opinions and make your own.
Obviously, the forum maybe a bit negative on the whole... people are in differing siutations, on different timelines... some liek you wanting to move, others taking their first steps to applying, others waiting for visas... and others who've done the whole hog and got there! so a great spectrum for all to liase with.
So you're gettign cold feet... would be expected... if you stick with it, the feeling may go, or revisit you... you need to look deep down and say why are you moving, would you regret moving, or more still, would you regret not moving! give it a shot, sure its along wait and alot to do, and its really easy for me to say... but do your research, get prepared... go visit where you want to go to, and at perhaps at least get the paperwork started, you can always pull-out at any stage... anyway, this is turning into a rant... i hope you can get past this, and sort out what you want... good luck!

Thanks so much for these replies.

I think you're right, we would regret not at least trying it. We are pretty sure that we want to go, it's just such a big gamble selling our house at this stage!

But, as my wise Grandad always said:

"It's better to regret something you did, rather than regret not trying it in the first place".

Regards to everybody, I love this forum!

Try not to be discouraged by this forum!, not too many happy expats bother to keep in touch once landed. Its amazing how many brits I keep bumping into around my little area, and without exception none want to go back to the UK, even if they have had to change careers.

The only advice I can offer about the job situation is to keep an open mind and think about what transferable skills could be exploited elsewhere. From what I read IT is not a booming job market anywhere at the moment, and it can be rough at first to get started, but that is why CIC want to see your available funds when you land.

Make a list of your reasons for wanting to move, and things you will miss about the UK, and try and balance out the pros and cons for the sake of motivation.

All the best

Iain

Good point. Getting an identical job may not be possible but background, skills and experience may open other doors.

It did for me. I went from Telephone Engineer in the UK to Computer Service Technician in Canada because I had a background in electronics and troubleshooting.

Thanks again all!

I have just nipped out to the library along the road, and got a book about Canada. I'm just flicking through, looking at the photos, and I am already back to thinking more positively! We have visited Vancouver a few times and this book has brought the excitement all flooding back!

I am sure we will be fine, and even if we have to live in a caravan or something there, the lifestyle will be far better than here (especially for my 2 children).

I'm off to the Estate Agents right now!

Best wishes!

Karen, your Grandad was a wise man! You have to give it a go. Make the best of every situation! If you don't come to Canada you will regret it!

Karen,

WHAT IF?

What if we had moved to canada what if we had only tried it for a while?

What if you don't you'll probably be living the same life your are living now forever.

Don't know about housing market now, but selling your house and going to renting will eat your nest egg.

WHEN you apply and WHEN you recieve your number might be a good time to start selling. We felt the same as you about selling our house and sold but 6 months later a neighbour sold the identical house for 30,000 more.

So look at how much it will cost to rent in a NICE Area for the timeline of getting your visa and moving to Canada?

If you think the market is going to drop that much or your house payments are more then rent otherwise. ??

Nothing is certain and nothing is gained without change.

Get the forms fill them in and go for B&B in Vancouver.

You might want to take a lok at http://www.overcanada.com/

There's a great DVD available.

Couldnt agree more with this.

Nothing in immigration is certain, so be very carefull before selling up before even applying.

Hi Karen
like you we sold early and rented.Each to their own but on balance i think we have done the right thing.You know what money you have to play with and you are more flexible.
PR applications can range wildly but in general the timelines are 1.5 - 2 years.Considering the magnitude of the move,this time could be spent very wisely,visiting intended destinations,saving,selling goods,getting in touch with realtors in Canada,setting up bank accounts etc.
We haven't regretted preempting our visas ,although it is a long wait but thought it better to prepare ourselves as much as possible.We have had our hot and cold moments and various posts here are a cause for concern on the jobfront but what comes over is that you have got to be realistic with what can be accomplished and not to expect a like for like job straight away and plan for that.

A great book to buy is called 'living and working in Canada' which we found very useful.Also look at different parts of Canada to have a back up plan.We initially intended to go to Ontario but having spent time there decided on Nova Scotia instead!
Mike

Thanks all so much for the positive advice!

Mikejw, I think we are thinking along the same lines as you - sell now, and at least we'll (a) make a good amount of profit on our home, (b) know how much money we have to play with, and (c) have some cash to spend on trips to Canada over the next year or so.

If the Canada move never happens, for whatever reason, then at least we can use the funds to spend on a new house here (and we'll have some nice holidays too!).

Cheers!

Like Mike, we too sold our property as soon as we applied for PR. We are so pleased that we did as we were able to capitalise on the housing-boom. It put us in the wonderful position that when we eventually found our ideal place in Canada, we could put in an offer and finalise the purchase very quickly.

It is each to their own, and selling and then having to rent does indeed eat into your money, however for us it was the right thing to do. We are living in a teeny, tiny cottage now, instead of our beautiful spacious house, and paying more than double on rent than we paid on our mortgage! Even with that said, selling has given us the flexibility and freedom, and our property had boarding stables so it has released us from the burden of having to keep it neat and tidy and all the hassles that come with ungrazed land.

Do what you feel is right for you, but I cannot see the market going much higher now as it is already stabilised down here in the South East.

As with everyone on here, I wish you the best of luck.
Tia

Hi Karen,

Just a thought, but is there any chance of your husband getting a company transfer with Motorola? Do they have offices in Canada anywhere? If this is a possibility, it may make things a whole lot easier for you. I work for an IT company and it worked for me. A lot depends on what skills and experience your husband has - and what is in demand!!

We sold up in the UK and have moved to Canada before our PR has come through. It's a bit of a risk, but we're keeping our fingers crossed that it all works out in the end. Otherwise we'll be packing our bags and flying back - but at least we can say we gave it a try. We got cold feet too. It's a huge decision. Leaving family and friends was very tough and the dreaded 'culture shock' does kick in from time to time. So far, however, we have no regrets.

Good luck with your plans.
Ed.