My OH came for a job interview in July 2011 for 4 days. Got the job offer in August, LMO in the December. All of us moved to Canada in March 2012. We have done most of the research on-line. The main factor was the job. His company has offices all over the Canada and some in US so we might be moving in the future. So far so good though

I did not make any trips beforehand. Perhaps somewhat foolish, but it was an intra-company transfer, with the option to return to the UK if I did not like it out here for any reason. Nigh on 10 years later and I'm still here, so I think I must like it

I went over the border from the US-Canada for few hours in the year 2000, when I was over working in The States.

Now husband, then boyfriend, snowboarded in Banff in 2003.

We came together in 2009 for a month road trip across BC/AB.

We started our application for the Fed Skilled Wkr prog, Feb '10.

We returned in May '10 for 2 weeks to stay with friends where we thought we'd want to live if we ever made it.

We returned in May '12; 3 months after finding out we could emigrate. So we still did the holiday and used it as a time for preparation for our move in Sept '12.

The trip over in the months before we moved was the most productive. We found our house and were able to do some other preparations. I could never understand how someone could move to another country without first visiting. But they do; and it often works for them too! We're all different I guess.

Good luck! katie