sharmaravneet

Looking to move to Vancouver soon with my wife and daughter who is 4 (based my decision on the city's global rankings and the reviews), I am currently living in Twickenham/Hounslow area.
I am a bit apprehensive moving as both me and my wife are quite settled in our jobs hence a bit weary of starting our professional careers again in Canada, none of us have real life experience in searching for jobs in Canada. I am working as Business Manager for a bank and my wife is an Accountant
It will be very helpful if anyone can share their experience on the planned move.

helcat12

Do you meet any of the requirements for Federal Skilled Worker Category 1?
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigra.../apply-who.asp
This link will tell you if you qualify to apply. There is an online assessment test here as well.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigra.../Education.asp
If you do not have at least 1 year experience in one of the named job codes and 67 points on the assessment, you are not going to be able to get in to Canada by this route. The other Federal route, Category 2, requires a Permanent job offer.
Have you applied yet?
I do not mean to sound rude but you do not seem to have researched your decision thoroughly from what information you have posted.

JonboyE

Well, IMHO Vancouver is much nicer than Hounslow.

However, Helcat12 is right, the first thing to do is to work out what sort of visa you have/or will need.

I have no doubt that you will be able to find employment here if you have appropriate status in Canada and are flexible about what you will take to get you started. However, it is going to be much harder to find employers prepared to sponsor you if you do not currently have the legal right to work in Canada.

Auld Yin

So you're apprehensive (quite understandable) and weary about starting your careers again? Your apparent lack of enthusiasm does not augur well for flying the three of some 6,000 miles into the unknown.
Why are you contemplating such a move? What is it you're seeking by making such a move? How do rate your present lifestyle? Doing what you propose will be very expensive. If you have a good life now you should give serious thought before doing this.

Alan2005

If you are settled and both like the jobs you have then really I wouldn't bother. It is probable that you'll be earning less here (even in the unlikely event that you find equivalent level jobs), but your housing and general living costs will not be reduced proportionately.

Oink

How about a nice holiday to Vancouver? If you come at the end of July they have a firework show, which is very good.

helcat12

I have never been to Hounslow....

Oink

They've got an ASDA in the Blenheim Centre that's open 24 hours.

Tangram

Sounds like a Billy Bragg song.

NorfolkNumpty

Have you been to Surrey, BC?

dboy

Surrey BC, yep, here is one bit of it:

helcat12

My OH is there now, actually!

mandymoochops

Can I just point out that Canada isn't the cheap flight of fancy that people think it is.

Seriously - the amount of threads that come up about the cost of living ESPECIALLY in Vancouver - makes me think that people somehow relate a move to Canada / Oz or NZ as being able to live the good life for pennies.

DO YOUR RESEARCH

helcat12

It was greed and 'grass is always greener' mentality that set a lot of people off over there. Not all that long ago the exchange rate was amazing and people with a modest house in a down-at-heel area of suburbia could have a lovely and huge house in a few acres in areas of Canada. People saw that and came running. They didn't think about the cost of actually living there or the other aspects. Many of these have since returned to the UK or still live in Canada and moan about it endlessly.
Now the exchange rate is nowhere near as favourable, but the myth lives on.
I can understand anyone who is very unhappy in the UK for whatever reason trying out another country but so many people seem to start this on a whim. I met two people at the IELTS who had been approved twice and then still not emigrated. They were on their third application.
Clearly for some people the reality does not need to bear any relationship to their fantasy.

sharmaravneet

I feel so stupid not mentioning that we have got our immigration under Federal skilled worker category and are going to Vancouver for fact finding trip next month.
The reason we have decided to move to Canada is a better living style and future prospects for my daughter and the decision was based upon the research which I have been doing over last 2-3 years including speaking to people who have moved from UK to Canada and online sources.
I am not taking Vancouver to be very affordable to live. I will be very happy if it is at par with London.
Regarding my apprehension with job is finding decent jobs to start with. As no job=no money=no lifestyle=wrong decision.
So I want to have first hand experiences from the people on this forum on how easy/difficult is settling in the city.