Moving to Canada
 

Hello, myself (26) and girlfriend (25) are hoping to move to Canada once COVID restrictions are relaxed a bit. We would be applying for the IEC 2 year working visa. We have lived in America before but loved Toronto when we visited.

Firstly, would you recommend Toronto or Vancouver to move too? We love vibrant busy places but the ability to escape that and explore nature. We wouldn’t have jobs when moving but both have vast experience and degrees in hospitality and HR. What is the job market looking like at present? And what is expected of it post COVID?

Any early help or advice would be great, thank you!

Re: Moving to Canada
 

I can only speak about Toronto. It is not the bustling, vibrant city it once was due to Covid. 50K people have moved out of the city in the last few months. Needless to say, the hospitality biz has tanked. Whether companies will downsize their offices or move out of town is yet to be seen. Many companies intend to allow their staff to work from home, at least for part of the working week, when the crisis is over. I hope Toronto will bounce back, but how long this will take is anyone’s guess.

Property prices in both Toronto and Vancouver are extremely high.

Re: Moving to Canada
 

As far as Vancouver is concerned, it is VERY expensive for housing.

The hospitality industry is not looking good ................. although that possibly/probably applies to many areas of Canada.

It has been estimated that as many as 40% of hotels and similar number of restaurants in BC will have closed permanently by the time we are out of this.

Lockdowns have affected tourism, hotels and restaurants have laid off staff, and still not back in operation. Laid-off staff will have preference for getting their jobs back if we ever get back to anywhere like normal.

As an example ................. many hotels in BC, in Vancouver, Whistler, the Okanagan and other major tourism areas are down to occupancy rates of something like 10-20%. That is 80% rooms are not occupied. You can imagine what that does to staffing requirements. Many are not offering room service, so guests have to make their own beds, clean sheets left outside the door, claim clean towels and supplies such as coffee pods, shampoo etc from the front desk. One friend found his only contact with hotel staff was when he checked in, with the receptionist behind a plexiglass shield, and when he ordered and then picked up extra coffee from her. Time to check out ............... phoned the front desk and told them he was leaving. Then he left the key on the bureau and lugged his suitcase out to his car. He had to supply his own breakfast and lunch, then find a place for dinner as the hotel restaurant was closed. How many staff employed?? About 25-30% of normal.

He said it was no different from being at home, not the luxury break he'd hoped , and certainly spent in much less space.

Any restaurants, pubs, cafes, etc that are open are also operating at 25-50% of previously as they have to obey spatial distancing, and masking regulations. One well-known 4 star restaurant in Vancouver that we visited back in August was operating with only 40% of tables in use, number of guests in each of 2 sittings per evening at maximum 20 (normal 40),hostess, maitre d', barman, and 2 waiting. Usually 4 waiting plus busboys. They're hoping they can stay open another 6 months. Operating a take-out service is helping a little bit.

All of them are still operating at that same level now, and will be doing so for months to come.

Even tourism within BC is curtailed as we are under restrictions banning non-essential travel outside our own Health Authority zone ............... which means we cannot go from Vancouver to Whistler, or to the Okanagan, or any ski area other than those on immediate North Shore mountains.

I doubt there being much opportunity in the hospitality industry until at least September/October., and you would still be competing with previously laid-off staff.

As far as other work ............... it is the same here as in Toronto, and elsewhere. Working from home has become the norm, people seem to like it, and many jobs will probably not go back to being in work. It seems that even shops and stores are cutting back staff and turning to developing online shopping. As in the hospitality industry, in many cases, laid-off staff have priority of recall, if they want to return to work.

Re: Moving to Canada
 

At that age, I'd honestly say just do it if you can as long as you have no other commitments or ties that you didn't previously mention e.g. kids or a mortgage back home. The IEC is a lottery these days anyway so just put your names in the hat when you can and then consider the finer details if you're selected.

Obviously employment in the hospitality sector has been damaged greatly over the last 12 months but you could say much the same about the UK.

Re: Moving to Canada
 

Yep, exactly what he said. ^^^^^

Are you common-law spouses, or would you both need to get lucky and be selected?

Re: Moving to Canada
 

Rental prices have come down though (in downtown Toronto at least)

Re: Moving to Canada
 

Go for it. Honestly at that age its one of the best things you can do.

That being said the hospitality sector has taken a beating. Ski resorts when open have been super busy. People are still doing outdoor things in the summer.
I cant speak for Toronto. BC might be your best bet. I would actually recommend to check in with some resorts. A lot of the staff are on the same visa. That being said don't limit yourself on what you can or can't do.
Post Covid its hard to say, I personally predict a massive boom as people want to get out.

Re: Moving to Canada
 

I agree with this however I would also say that if you have any desire to stay in Canada longer term after IEC then don't be a ski bum. I'm sure it's a fantastic year or two when you do it but it's similar to the agricultural work that a lot of WHV participants do in Australia or 20-something's teaching ESL in Asia.

It's a temporary means to an end designed to fill a gap year and unless one of you is working in a more professional capacity then it's highly unlikely that any kind of longer term future life in Canada will come out of it.

IEC is not a formal route to immigration by any means but it can become one if you plan sensibly and make the right moves. Hanging around a ski slope in Whistler for a year or two is generally not one of those moves.