My hubby, son 12yrs and me are looking into living in Canada. We visit the USA at least twice a year for holidays but as you probably all know, its almost impossible to get to live there and we dont want to marry anyone else So we was looking at moving to Canada... somewhere close to the boarder, in a small town not city and looking to sell our house in Essex and buying a house out there for cash. We only want to work part time so not too worried about a good job as we have a little business that we can run from home. Any ideas? We dont mind the freezing cold but the warmer the better. Is it hard to fulfill our dream?

Many thanks

Welcome to BE.

Is it hard to fulfill your dream - quite possibly!

There are only a few routes to gaining access to Canada - please brew a large cuppa and have a look at the wiki on Canadian immigration (blue bar at the top of this screen).

Work and your current skills will play the biggest part in getting over here I suspect - and although you say you only want part time jobs, it will still depend on what you do, your previous work experiences or qualifications, etc.

Unless you have a small fortune tucked away, or plans to buy a business and employ Canadians here, your options may be limited.

Have a plough through that wiki, then come back to us with more questions.

To add to what Ann says, where in the states do you visit? Have you visited Canada? What skills do you have? Do you speak french? All of these things coudl affect where to live in Canada and the chances of you making it here in the first place. If you genuinely want to live in the States have you considered buying a business\investing there?

Also, dont think there is many places that are warm in Canada in the winter!!!
Depends what side of Canada you want to live. You could establish where abouts you want to live then look at neighbouring small towns.

Osooyos might be good, small town, warmest climate in Canada, close to the boarder. Good luck finding work though:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osoyoos...lumbia#Climate

My home town somewhat fits that description.

I grew up in Brockville, Ontario (population about 22,000). It's along the St. Lawrence river and in the Thousand Islands area, so it's very pretty. There are two bridges to the US about a 20 minute drive away (one north, one south of Brockville). Plus, there's always the option of going over to the US by boat if you happen to have one.
http://www.brockville.com/

The town itself is an hour from Ottawa and 45 minutes from Kingston. The housing is relatively cheap so you can get a decent house without spending a fortune. For prices you can search on:
www.realtor.ca

Besides Brockville there are loads of other small towns in the surrounding areas that would work well.

Thanks for the info

We love small towns being in a village here in the UK.
So any tips on where we begin?

You can actually buy a house over here without being a resident, and if you have funds and want to start a business here, can apply as a business investor (but you do need to have the cash to invest!). However, a house alone won't get you far in becoming an immigrant although once here you could apply - but it could be risky and I wouldn't recommend it really.

The CIC website has a questionnaire you can complete to see how likely it would be that you would have enough points, in the end that's what matters, and even if you plan to work for yourself once you are here, having a job or skill that is desirable WILL make a difference (so will speaking french).

Good luck!

Would the website have the list of jobs that is more desirable?

Welcome to BE

Small towns in Canada are typically not at all like village life in the UK. They're usually culturally backwards or unsophisticated places and typically lack charm.

You'd begin by seeing if you are eligible for a visa, by reading the Wiki (on blue bar at top of page). This article is a good one to start with......................http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Quick_...an_Immigration

Canada is definitely easier than the US for most to get in to, but it's certainly not easy!

Good luck, have a read and then shout with any questions about the visa route you want to take.

Thanks Cassie

We visit a town in Texas a lot called Bandera. Its a friendly little town and the locals make us feel as one of thier own. We would move there at a dropof a hat but like I said before its almost impossible. We arnt looking for british style charm... just rustic would be good for us.

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Good luck, have a read and then shout with any questions about the visa route you want to take.

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Thanks... I will try not to drive you mad with all my questions so appologies in advance