Moving the family to Canada?
 

Hi everyone,

Me and my husband have two young children and have been considering a move to Canada once we are both finished qualifying in our fields next summer. He has discussed both Canada and Australia with his mentor and we are doing some research now.

Just before anyone mentions it, we've heard all of the "why do you want to move to Canada" questions and all of the "same sh*t different bucket" responses as to why we do not want to live in the UK any longer and although many people will say Canada is no better than the UK, I'm not sure they can be certain about that.

The UK government, the weather, the lack of opportunities for both us and our children for the future...etc etc the list goes on. The UK is ridiculously small and with that restricted size, obviously, comes restricted opportunities. The UK does not benefit hard working people as much as many other countries do, comparable wages are terribly low and welfare is a vicious circle. We really don't see a good future for us in the UK. We might be wrong but we would rather not have the regret of never trying something different.

The only issue is our fields of work..or my field of work. I am due to qualify at degree level next summer but my degree is in criminal investigation and intelligence. I would love to work in my field but I am aware that for almost all countries the law enforcement workers MUST be citizens of that country in order to work in those positions, I am guessing Canada is no different despite being in the commonwealth?? Would this cause problems for me gaining employment over there?

My husband, on the other hand, is currently training as a renewable energy engineer and so a visa would probably be more likely to go his way than mine would you say? He is Looking into large energy companies as well at the moment with regard to job opportunities. We don't have family in canada but someone my husband knew a long time ago moved over to work (in recruitment?) and said it was the best decision he ever made....

I guess any info at this stage from anyone who has been in our position would be so really appreciated :-)

Thanks everyone:)

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

Your lack of citizenship will, likely, only affect your ability to work in for the Federal Government. Provincial Governments/Municipalities are unlikely to have an expressed issue with employing those with PR. Some Provinces and many Municipalities have their own police forces.

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

More certain than most if you have lived in both countries..dont forget it also terms of population the UK is twice the size of Canada..so in that sense it is a big country.

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

You need to check if your jobs qualify on the NOC list; http://www5.hrsdc.gc.ca/NOC/English/...1/Welcome.aspx

Also check here; http://www.cic.gc.ca/lctvac/english/PA0002

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

Not sure those are the right links somehow! The first one is just to the HRSDC page for all NOC codes, i.e. thousands of them - did you mean to give 'the list' of jobs eligible for FSW?

And the second one is for settlement i.e. those who already have visas.

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

Hi, and welcome back. So you've decided on Canada rather than Oz?

As cheeky_monkey said, if they've lived in both countries then surely their point of view is very relevant to you? As they'll be best placed to advise you of any differences between the two and whether the life you are after is possible in Canada. Out of interest, you say that 'obviously' the UK has restricted opportunities because of it's size - what opportunities do you think are not available that would be in Canada?

It does sound like he'd have more options, yes. What kind of renewable energy engineer is he?

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

Yes and therein lies the exact problem. The country is crippled. It has far too many people and not enough opportunities or resources to compensate for it. Jobs (or should I say careers? Both?), public services, affordable housing... There's a huge lack of it all. You've lived in both....so are you in the UK now then since its so good? If you have lived in both then where you currently reside speaks volumes.....

We believe we have a lot to offer a country as we are educated/skilled and are willing to work hard...we just do not think it will be as appreciated or as rewarding to remain in the UK at this moment in time...

We are still looking at both but Canada would likely be the first choice. And I agree and I appreciate their opinions but the majority of them seem to suggest that leaving the UK is not a good idea...yet they have not returned? And so in a way it seems hypocritical. A lot of people who post asking about emigrating to another country seem to get a lot of negative comments dissuading them from doing so and it just doesn't seem very supportive. If they are not happy where they are then surely not making a change to see if it improves their life will be more regrettable in the long run than making a change and deciding its not for them?

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

Second one would redirect them to http://www.cic.gc.ca/ctc-vac/getting-started.asp. Maybe I should of linked that first. Spoon feeding people too much in my book makes them lazy.

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

With way things are going right now its not moment too soon to get away. If they won’t appreciate your hard work and talents then go somewhere that will. Don‘t listen the negative, naysaying hypocrisy, you just need an chance and space to express it. Go somewhere the government won’t try and keep you down while giving your birthrights away to other people who don’t even want it. Take a risk, grasp the nettle before its too late and the cynicism becomes stifling. You’re not asking for handouts, I can tell you’re the type of people who just need an opportunity.

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

Yep, I'm back in the UK. :lol: I love both countries, but for me and my family, the UK is better personally. As a renewable energy engineer, your husband shouldn't have any issues finding work surely? I know my husband's company is desperately recruiting them, and they can earn great money in the UK (not sure about Canada as my husband isn't an engineer), but it will depend on what kind of engineer he is I guess.

Stick around and you'll soon find that a lot of members of the forum would love to return to the UK but can't. There are various reasons for that, such as family (i.e. they moved with younger children who are now grown up and 'Canadianized' and who they don't want to leave, or a Canadian spouse that doesn't want to move to the UK), cost (£25k or so to move countries is often only doable once for many), etc.

I agree, better to try it at least. As a generalisation, you'll find that most on the forum are positive to those that have 'pull' factors for moving (i.e. they have a love of Canada, or are moving to be with family etc) versus those that have 'push' factors as their reasons i.e. they just want to leave the UK. Because often the life they are after could easily be achieved within the UK if they moved areas, saving tens of thousands of pounds! :lol: And the same problems are everywhere unfortunately, lack of jobs isn't specific to the UK, particularly if you don't have the all important 'Canadian experience' (and in your husband's case, if he doesn't have any engineer experience at all, as you say he's only about to qualify?).

Nobody is trying to tell you not to move, if people are negative it's only because they're trying to point out that not all problems are resolved by a move abroad, and often new ones are created.

Best of luck with whichever country you decide to move to.

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

:lol: Oink, not fair on the newbie. Not everybody knows your particular brand of sarcasm. ;)

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

Hmm, maybe it was the tone? :unsure: But how do you account for the government?

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

Nobody accounts for the government do they? Particularly not the government. :lol:

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

And cheeky monkey....? Are they back in the Uk too? I personally think it doesn't matter whether its push or pull its about happiness but i also think that if ur not happy and are considering making a change (push) that makes sense more than being happy but having a "pull" like the "grass might be greener". If its not broke don't fix it right?

Moving to another part of the UK wouldn't change the overpopulation, the government, the lack of pretty much everything good and all opportunities. I don't actually have a problem with my part of the UK, just the UK as a whole.

The wage over here for both of our fields is about two thirds less than other countries looking at comparable stuff online. My husband covers everything engineering-wise in his qualifications including fabrication, welding, materials, consulting etc... It's just that they also have a specialist focus upon renewables, mostly wind power with this being the UK but obviously he is interested in other sources of renewable energy such as solar and hydro though there is not as much focus on that here (maybe if there were such a thing as rain power that would be different!)

It sounds ridiculous as well but I'm really starting to get down about the weather...there are no seasons anymore just constant wind rain and chilly temperatures and my children are getting so down about not being able to enjoy themselves outdoors because of it.....the seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel here, no matter what city we would be in...

And what do you mean sarcasm? The whole post was a pisstake or something?

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

As Christamoped said, nobody here is trying to suggest you cannot move anywhere you want. That said, give yourself a break and stay away from the cacophony of nihilism that much of the popular UK media is addicted to. Turn off the tv and radio and don't buy a newspaper for a month, you'll feel tons better. :thumbup:

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

Does not really speak volumes, depends on ones motivation to live somewhere else. I found the UK not really any different in terms of opportunity or politics and bureaucracy to Canada. We stayed her because we are settled, like the scenery and the lifestyle. Politics, work practices economy, not a lot different.

As for working hard and opportunity, unfortunately you may have an unpleasant surprise initially. Unless you have a lot of experience and unique skill set, finding work may not be as easy as you expect. Here it is very much who you know and networking is a big part of getting work. You may find you are not as 'appreciated' here as employees as you feel you deserve. This is a throw away employment society, from an employee and employer perspective, something many expats have a tough time adjusting to.

I had several job offers before moving here, the work was no different to what I did in the UK, the office was identical on the inside, the only difference was the pay cheque in CDN$ and the outside of the office was painted a different colour.

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

Didn't realise renewable energy engineers could earn so much in Canada! So £100-120k or so? That's great (well, depending on the area of course).

It's wind energy my husband mainly works in too, but wind power in Canada isn't anywhere near as popular as here. His company have now shut down all but one office in Canada because of lack of opportunities in the sector, they're focusing on other countries.

That's one thing that could be changed by a move within the UK. I'm often amazed at the weather differences between the south and north of the UK! My children are outside the majority of the time, although they're not bothered by the weather and will go outside in the garden even if it's pouring down (nutters). They're just very outdoorsy kids.

One thing that you might want to look at is job opportunities for your husband in Canada and the weather - Vancouver seems to be where most of the renewable energy companies are based, but obviously that won't help if you want drier weather! :lol:

Good luck with it.

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

Stick around Elaine and my advice to you is to read lots and lots and lots of posts,...and don't always take everything you read literally. Sometimes "tongue in cheek" posts don't come across that way in a blog post.

Also, have a good read of the wiki if you haven't already done so, particularly the "Moving back to the UK" section. Read as many posts as you can from people who can't stick Canada, and their reasons why. Therein lie many of the very good reasons why it isn't necessarily a move for everyone, and many people simply want to try and warn potential new immigrants that not everything may be as you expect.

Best of luck though! I'm always happy to tell people to give it a go,...you only live once,...life's an adventure,...you'll be dead long enough,...only regret the things you didn't do and not the things you did,...yada yada.

Research til you can research no more....then go for it!

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

If you think I would uproot my whole family and change my whole life because of the media then you are sorely mistaken. The media are actually saying how GREAT the UK is going to be ESPECIALLY for people who "want to get on and work" and the lot of it is a whole load of propaganda bullsh*t.

They've lost their credit rating; nobody wants to start new businesses and companies here so therefore no jobs are being created; everything is being privatised which is just driving wages and company benefits/insurances through the ground; income is going down, unemployment is going up and the cost of living is rocketing. The poorest of people are being subjected to 'benefit bashing' propaganda by the government who are only doing it to justify them cutting the income tax for the 1% richest minority. Since the UK joined the EU constitution it has went from bad to worse and the NHS? I can't get an appointment for love nor money and so unless its an emergency I just don't bother trying anymore and even if I did the postcode lottery would dictate whether I would get a remotely decent level of care or not.

The scenery sucks as its all soaking wet and grey and the councils have long given up on maintaining the spaces THEY actually own due to the governments sorry state of finances and so maybe Canada is no better than this but it certainly can't be any worse because at the VERY least it has seasons and even ONE better thing is an improvement on nothing.

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

I've been enthralled with the idea of moving to Canada for a few years now, but we are still in the UK.

Unfortunately due to my husbands career change, and him needing to build up relevant experience in his new field I'm not sure when, or if indeed we'll ever get over to Canada. Although, it is still an adventure I'd love to have!

When I first looked into moving to Canada I was a bit like you in that all I saw were the negative aspects to life in the UK. I think sometimes we do this to try and justify wanting to move.

Yet, the UK isn't all bad, and whoever said about avoiding the daily rags is right. I rarely read them now as they are just too depressing always pointing out the bad and never the good.

The NHS may not be brilliant, but I think that sometimes people don't realise how truly lucky they are to have access to free healthcare.

Anyway what I'm trying to say is if you want to go to Canada then give it a shot, but don't rubbish everything about the UK otherwise when you get to Canada the life you want may not live up to the high expectation thats been created.

All the best with the future. :)

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

I usually only read and don’t comment on these UK vs. Canada debates. However I was back in the UK in April for 2 weeks on business+pleasure, so here’s my 2 pence. I traveled extensively from Scotland down to London. When i left the UK in 2008 it was already in the grips of depression as the financial collapse was just taking hold. Fast forward to 2013 and I sensed a real increased tension everywhere. Of course that's emphasized due to me not living in the country, but everyone i spoke to said that things were tough. Everyone’s rushing around at 2000 mph but feeling like they’re going backwards. And yet...i've never seen so many BMWs/Audis everywhere...so life is clearly still pretty good for alot of people back home.

Someone made a point about UK media - I agree that turning the TV and radio off is a positive step. I used to tune in every morning to Radio 4 (sometimes still do) and i did this when i was back last month. After about 3 days i turned it off - because there was no point to the babble. I realized how negative the commentary was. On the flipside the lack of cultural input from the media here is astonishing, it's all big hair and makeup. If you grew up with only CNN and FOX new and your local newspaper – need I say more.

As for the seasons...if you want rain and a climate similar to the UK then head for Vancouver. Being near the water comes with a premium though, noone can afford to live there

If you want 5 months of -30c and some snow... but followed by 5 months of beautiful summer...then head for Alberta. Economy is pretty good due to oil and gas, even though there’s a deficit of a few billion this year lol

But the feeling of impending doom isn't here. People shrug it off and get on with their lives.
There’s more space and nothing’s really in your face. From this perspective, life is what you make it. After a couple of years you start to think and act less like you’re under siege and start to realize your life is in a new place. It takes years to adjust so reading posts on this forum can only give you some insight. It’s really down to whether or not you’re up for the adventure.

Would i want to bring up my kids in the UK? Nope. I don’t worry about it here.

Is life perfect here in Canada? Nope. There are humans everywhere you go unfortunately.

Get your research done and find out if you can get a job. It may be a long process - usually is for most of us. But it's worth it in the end: if it's crap you can always go back. You're a long time dead.

Good luck with your research.

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

Yeah, you're right. The Lake District/Cotswolds/coastal villages in Cornwall really are an eyesore aren't they? ;):lol:

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

We had our first rain of the year last week. I didn't know it was possible to miss it :)

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

Sorry I must have forgotten to mention I am not a rich retiree and so therefore can't afford to live in the Lake District or the Cotswolds, not to mention the lack of jobs in those areas and their majority-pensioner population!

I could cope with living anywhere if I was a millionaire due to the fact I could jet away at any time I wanted but, alas, I am merely a soon to be graduate looking for a good career in a nice country to raise my children in....

Thank you Stu, you should comment more often as you have given a very balanced opinion which I will take on board. It all comes down to my children and, given the choice, I'm sure most people would not say "the UK" if asked where they would most like to raise their children out of everywhere in the world. Unless they are endeared to the "most depressed youths in Europe" or the "highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe" statistics of course....

Oh wait! Let me guess! Those statistics come about because our NHS is just so darn good they all get reported and treated more - hence the higher numbers! Silly me! [Skeptical face]

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

I lived in the Cotswolds before coming here and am far from being well off. I worked in I.T. about an hour drive from the village. It was not by any means an elephants' graveyard or god's waiting room, far from it.

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

Go for it, you only live once. We went for it, probably not the best move we could have made in our lives but for now we are where we are, Red Deer won't be our forever home, even though we love Red Deer.

Talk to the nurses that frequent this forum to talk about healthcare. Look at dental costs, prescription costs etc, you'll be surprised to realise how good the NHS really is.

You talk about missing seasons - we miss seasons here. We go from bloody hot to bloody cold in a blink of an eye with no real season in between, bloody cold lasts for a lot longer than bloody hot, believe me it's not much fun spending time outside when it's 21 below.

You also mention opportunity for work, that imo is hit and miss, yes you may get a job in your field and you may make more money, you'll also be spending more on houses and utilities so it evens out. Canadians are also reluctant to give a job to someone they don't already know.

It really is 6 of one and half a dozen of another, have a few trips out to really see if it's what you want and start applying for jobs, you never know you might get lucky.

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

Your husband can earn £80k a year, and you can't afford to live in a nice area? :confused:

Clearly you are determined that your children will have an awful existence in the UK and a wonderful drug, crime and pregnancy free one in Canada, and nothing will dissuade you otherwise. Which is fine, but please be gracious enough to thank everybody that has taken the time to give you their advice rather than being so aggressive and only thanking the one person that has vaguely agreed with you.

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

Isn't that what people want, and want to hear ?

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

Should I thank the person who decided to take the p*ss out of me too should I? With their 'sarcasm i wouldn't understand'. I never said I wanted people to agree i just wanted a balanced view and information rather than the usual negative comments and Stu was the only one who gave a balanced opinion giving pros and cons to both sides and being honest enough to admit he wouldn't want to raise children in the Uk.

And £80k a year? Maybe in 30years time with 30 years experience yeah when our children are too old to benefit from it? The qualified people who are training him are working as trainers and lecturers for £30k a year because they say the job opportunities are just not there at the moment in the Uk..... Not sure why they would do that if they could all be earning £80k?

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

You don't have to, but plenty of other people have commented too and you've just argued with them without a word of thanks.

I'm sure that there is a salary difference between London and Newcastle, but certainly in London a renewable energy engineer could earn something like that. And no, not after 30 years.

So if you really want to live in the Cotswolds or similar, your husband could earn enough to do that in the UK, just perhaps not in the area you currently live in.

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

There's teen pregnancy, drugs and crime for teens over here too. I have no idea why you'd think that's not the case in Canada.

In fact a couple of teens (girls) started their own prostitution ring in Ottawa, just for starters..and then there's cyber bullying, depression rates on the rise, and suicides...

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

If you think that your family would be better served by moving from the UK, get started on the paperwork. You are young and your kids are young, and if you do get here and it's all a ghastly mistake, you have the working years ahead of you to recover from it. You have nothing to lose, most probably.

However, Canada does have its problems, and they aren't all weather related. I don't think that people are being negative to you, I think they are just trying to point out that it can be a long and costly road, both emotionally and financially and sometimes those who have made the journey wonder if it was all worth it.

I'm sure you and your family can prove them all wrong:thumbup: Best of luck.

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

Get's pretty chilly here, too you know? And as I type this, it is raining outside. Trying to escape bad weather, grotty governments, and chavs by coming to Canada: Really?

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

I didn't say there wasn't those problems in Canada but having the worst rates in Europe and just having it occurring are two different things... UK is tiny compared to most places in Europe so to have the highest rates of anything is quite significant.

I don't necessarily want hot weather or Australia would be first choice.. I like my seasons and I don't mind freezing cold winters as long as it comes with hot summers too or at least some sort of summer so my children can go outdoors and go to beaches without a rain mac and an umbrella...this is not possible in the Uk at all.

I appreciate the info but like I say, I really don't have an issue with Newcastle and moving to the Cotswolds or somewhere like that wouldn't change all of the other things I mentioned about the UK as a whole....I don't believe it's the best
Place to raise children and I don't think this generation of children will have many opportunities in the UK in their future...the country is at saturation point it's too full and because of the EU constitution it's going to get fuller and the government cannot keep up with it. We aren't looking for perfection just improvement. I might not know a lot about Canada (outside of its crime rates) or Australia for that matter hence the researching... And it's obviously just not very comforting when the people training my husband are saying there are no opportunities here in his line of work....I would really appreciate knowing where these £80k jobs are as his mentors for some reason don't want to tell him?

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

I think you are looking for positive affirmation for your move from those who have made it, and that is natural given that this is a very scary thing to undertake.

To take that step, you may need to convince yourself that the UK is in a bad state and that many of its problems do not exist in Canada. Again, that is normal.

I'm happy here and after 5+ years am glad I made the move. I live in a great area, have a good job and advanced in my career and made some great friends. We had our daughter here, feel settled and I do not intend to move back to the UK for the foreseeable future.

However, I do want to present a few realities in my anecdotal opinion, some of which are also born out by statistics:

- Societal problems that affect the UK all exist here. As in the UK, if you have money, you can live somewhere pleasant and avoid many of them. If you do not, you'll see many of the same issues. And even if you have money you will not avoid all of them.

- Governments across the western world are having the same issues with the economy, job creation etc. There are also only so many policy levers they can use to make changes (more/less taxes, more/less regulation etc). Everyone likes to moan about governments, but they all do pretty much the same things. I cannot understand moving country because of a government, unless we're talking some kind of dictatorship scenario.

- Healthcare. It took me several years to find a GP where I live, and that was only possible because my wife was pregnant. Canada generally has a shortage of GPs, although this varies considerably between provinces, urban/rural areas etc. Ironically, people in the UK typically don't realize how good the NHS is until they live elsewhere. My healthcare access and provision is similar to the UK, except I have to pay the cost of prescriptions here.

- Jobs. As has been stated, coming to a new country to find work is hard, however great your skills are. You typically don't know anyone, and even in larger cities, people have networks sometimes since their university days. It is possible to break in on merit for sure, but its harder to do as an immigrant here than it would be in the UK, I would imagine.

- Weather. Seasons are great, but where I am there are two nice months of weather - May and September. Summer is hot and very humid, which sounds nice, but think Singapore humid. Winter is long and cold and if you don't do winter sports feels like it goes on forever. So yes, it doesn't rain all the time here in Eastern Ontario, but weather impacts my life FAR more here than in the UK. I lived in London and Brighton, so got some of the better UK weather.

- Other stuff. Life as an immigrant is expensive. You don't have support networks of babysitting family, you don't have a friend who is a plumber who can give you a good price when you first arrive, you don't holiday in your family's cottage like some of your friends and colleagues will, and you don't know how things work and where to go for what you need. This can be learned and resolved over time, but there are hidden costs for being new in a country.

Some of this may not be what you want to hear, but take it from a happy immigrant, it is better to go in with your eyes open than to be disappointed when you arrive.

Good luck with your move!

LF

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

Assuming from her username, she isn't that young and to be starting a new career at say 36 and failing might not give you the chance to make up later. Of course this assuming.

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

Stats often don't mean a lot though, and the UK isn't that tiny compared to most European countries. More murders per capita in Canada than the UK, but that's not a reason for most not to move there. :lol:

That's a generalisation, not all of the UK is rain sodden all of the time. The picture in my avatar is of a beach in Cornwall - and yes, the sun is shining! My children spend a lot of time on beaches without a rain mac and umbrella.

Here's one - http://www.oilcareers.com/content/jo...jobadid=969532

That actually equates to an annual salary of around £120k, but you haven't yet clarified what kind of engineer your husband is, so without knowing that, it's hard to give you examples of similar London jobs. Does he have an engineering degree? He'll need a P.Eng to call himself an engineer in Canada I believe so that's something to look in to.

HTH.

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

So by your user name am i to suppose you are a pig? You are far too presumptuous for a sarcastic person so let me correct you. Number 7 is my favourite number, I was not born in 1977 I am actually 26 years old and I was born in 1986.

Thanks for that info I see what you mean but if I'm honest I don't have that sort of support network here... I have my immediate family and that's all which I know have a huge impact on family life and I would miss them but they want me to put my children's futures first as much as I want to do that. We don't often see my husbands immediate family and he doesn't really have contact with any extended family either...since my husband quit his job to train as an engineer none of his old work friends bother with him anymore and I only have a couple of people I would class as close friends and don't see them all that often.... Sometimes I ask myself "what is keeping me here?" And when I ask other people and all they can come up with is the NHS (literally EVERYONE says that first before anything!) it makes me think...is that it?

And more murders? Brilliant! That's just my field of expertise! No point in going somewhere where there's no crime if I'm qualified in criminal investigation and intelligence lol.

My husbands course is "Renewable Energy Engineering" he isn't categorised as a mechanic or an electrician or anything like that....apparently they get trained in all aspects of engineering but his course has a specialisation in renewable energy qualifying him to work offshore on wind turbines and the like....

The Universities in the region we live in only have limited degrees in engineering usually civil engineering, mechanical or electrical and that's it. He is currently at the level under a degree level and, again, his mentors are constantly saying that the trade don't want degrees they want experience/time served and his diploma provides him with the entry requirements to join an energy company and train and work with them? I haven't yet found an engineering degree in renewables but then again I haven't searched every university in the country....the ones I have searched seem to offer it at postgraduate level only...

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

I said it was an assumption, obviously a wrong one. Good luck with your applications and enjoy Canada. :)

Re: Moving the family to Canada?
 

OK, fair enough. I've no idea about engineering degrees either, but as long as you know he won't be able to call himself an engineer in Canada, and aren't basing your salary estimates on that, then it shouldn't be an issue.

Might be worth starting a new thread to see what sort of work he'd be able to do in Canada with his qualifications, so you can figure out salary v cost of living etc?

:)