Hi!

Myself hubby and two kids are starting the process of immigration. The hope is to go for Nova Scotia via the Skilled Worker route - weve scored well on the self assessment checklists.

Many varied questions so bear with us....

Anyone else from NI managed to get there? what pit falls were there and any advice? Were hoping for a more rural area. We've looked at Bridgewater / liverpool etc. Noticed widely differing house prices when going through different housing sites ( from $20000 ca to $300000ca) is there any reason for this or are there issues we should looking out for?

The job hunting? do we start before having an idea of when were moving?

Immigration consultant- thought wed need one and have a meeting with a guy in march - but reading here it looks like it may be straightforward? any views?

Any good schools? Taxes? basically any information anyone can give will be gratefully received.

Going over in may - any suggestion on the best way to do the recce? were to base ourselves things to do people to see... etc

Thanks in advance

Hi there, jonnyandkim, and welcome to the BE forum.

Many of your questions will be answered if you read:

Newcomers to the forum

Hope that helps.

Some reeally summary advice...

Unless you want to wait 4 years you probably want to forget the skilled worker route. NS has a Provincial Nominee Program that would get you here in under a year. Have a look in the novascotiaimmigration website. Generally to apply under PNP you need a job offer but its fairly straightforward once you have that.

You dont need an immigration consultant - you can do it all yourself unless you arent that organised/methodical or there are some complexities to your circumstances (divorce, criminal record, worked in espionage etc). Go to the NS Immigration website and download the guides and forms and call them if you need help - they're v helpful.

Depending on what job you want be aware that it can be hard to find work away from Halifax in some industries (and job hunting in NS generally is a little bit "who you know"). Most jobs are in the Halifax area though Bridgewater and Liverpool are lovely areas and popular vacation or 2nd home spots.

You wont get somewhere you can actually live in in NS for 20k. If its that cheap it probably needs a lot of work. Though house prices away from Halifax do drop of considerably comparred to the city.

There are some others from NI that are headed this way. Sinurt. Cant remember the other names.

May isnt the best time to come. Spring sucks here. It doenst really warm up until June. None of the trees have their leaves yet and grass still looks dead from the winter. Fair bit of rain and its blackfly season (horible biting insects that make you bleed) but these go by mid June. Whilst you probably dont want to be looking at NS through rose-tinted glasses, if you are hoping to persuade your other half who's unsure about the idea then coming in May might be a bad idea.

Lots of other BE members coming out on reccies post a message on here to see if anyone wants to meet up. You get to meet a few other brits in a pub and picke their brains as to what its like to live here.

What jobs do you/hubby do?

Hi we are from Norn Iron and moved to Saskatchewan just one month ago and love it My husband secured a job really easy, as a heavy equipment mechanic, we are here on a Temp Work Permit and we have also applied for PNP and Skilled Workers Visa. Our SWV seems to have been expediated because of the TWP and we have already been for our medicals, did them here when we arrived in Sask and we only sent in our application last May 2007

So things dont always go the same for all applicants - we are so glad we came and really hope we get our PR visa.

Life here is completely different than NI, although I cannot speak for Nova Scotia, the prairie people are so down to earth and friendly and life is very laid back, if that's what you are looking for.

Give it a go, if you dont like it, the plane flies both ways

Welcome to the site, I agree with the previous post regarding provincial nominee program, May is really not a great time to come as said before. a fact finding trip and a visit to the Immigration Office on Brunswick street in Halifax to speak with someone about the PNP and then decide if you need an immigration consultant. You could also take the work permit route depending on your skills...We have a lot of contacts here , can also hook you up with some recently arrived families if you want to chat , about life here. we have lived in Halifax for over ten years , if you would like more info pm me, in two weeks here on a fact finding mission you will be surprised how most of your questions will be answered, June

Oh dear, is it really that bad? We're booked from 3 May for 2 weeks! Whilst we want to see it how it really is, don't want to spoil the trip either.

Based on our experience... May was a great time to go - it might not be the warmest and a lot of the tourist attractions may not be open yet, but because of that, there are no tourists! We did our recce staying in B&B's, where our hosts had the time to talk to us and even show us around a bit, as they weren't rushed by other guests.
I don't think you want to do a recce when eveything is perfect anyway, because the rose-tints really will come into play! You're after a place to live, not to be a tourist!
Our second visit was in October, at the other end of the tourist season, and we will be arriving on TWP next month.
We'll be knocking on your door soon, NSPaul

Thanks everyone for your feed back it is all very interesting and helpful. My hubby is a hostel srevices manager for the Simon Community NI which in short means he manages homeless hostels, budgets and mixes with alot of professionals eg social workers, doctors,nurses etc, we have looked into this area on various job sites but not sure if his qualifacations are transferable. I would also be in the care field as i work in home help for the elderly hopefully its nearly the same in canada as here? I have recently interveiwed for a post in the pharmacy department of the local hospital, if i get it they put me through the relivent courses to qualify which im hoping will help me find a part time job. Any suggestions when the best time to recce is? We thought that if we saw the country in winter and loved it we would love it all year round.

I agree with what NS Paul says - Bridgewater and Liverpool are lovely areas and great places to visit but I would seriously look into the work situation in these areas, I think most people who have moved out there would agree.

In both your lines of work I would think that the Halifax area would be a better option - more diversity and choice for both of you, particularly you Johnny where your skills would be transferable to other occupations.

I am out for my(our) interview at the begining of June for the Community Identified scheme - I already know what I'm letting myself in for having already lived there previously.

Nova Scotians are an extremely friendly bunch of people - particularly when you are on holiday and they are very proud of their province. On a day to day basis they can be difficult (wary) of accepting strangers into their lives and are very family orientated. But - don't let this put you off - once you've made a Nova Scotian friend you have a friend for life! Our most dearest friends are some of the people we met while we lived there - and we've missed them so much that we want to return!

Life can be difficult in winter - but glorious in the summer - you just have to accept this and find ways of coping with the 'downtime'. We discovered the movies and my beloved 'Mooseheads' (Junior hockey team) in the winter - that's why I'm really coming back - I miss the hockey and Keiths beer!

It's a great place to bring up children, we found that children stay children for much longer and have more respect for themselves and others. There's a great outdoor life for children - take advantage of the great outdoors in NS the lakes, sea and forest are there for all to enjoy!

Good Luck with your efforts! You'll find this forum a great help - we've had some great advice from people already out there (You know who you are )Any more questions I'd be happy for you to PM me!

Liff

Thanks Liffi for all the info. As we are only at the beginning of our move we are not sure which road to take. Should we be looking for jobs now and try for the work permit or follow the skilled workers route?? We have a meeting with a consultant in march for more info and intend to go to the show in belfast which have various people to talk to. Would it be possible to commute to halifax from Bridgewater or liverpool or would that give us the feeling we were back home and just living to work? instead of getting the more slow paced life that we want to enjoy. We havent chosen anywhere in particular yet as we are going over in may/june time to explore it was just bridgewater looked a lovely place to raise the kids as we come from a rural part of northern ireland are neighbours are cows and sheep!

For those people comming on 3rd May - you'll probably be okay as far a blackfly go -they don't generally appear until the middle of the month. NS just won't be looking at its most picturesque - grass will still be dead and none of the trees will have leaves yet. In doesn't really start to look green until June. At the beginning of may it can still seem like winter (compared to the UK where May is more of a summer month these days). The seasons just start a lot later here and we get our own back in the fall when its beautiful and warm but winter already seems to be setting in in the UK.

I remember all this quite distinctly because my mother visited at the beginning of May last year and had little positive to say about the place (but then that's just here way unfortunately).

On the upside though everyone who lives here will just have been through a long cold winter and in May when winter is ending there a kind of buzz in the air - an anticipation of warm weather and fun outdoors that we've been waiting a long time for. The weather here is very unpredictable too so it could be cold one minute and then a sudden warm day in the mid 20s. And on that first warm day it seems as if the place goes nuts!: everyone out running and cycling; people driving around in convertables with tops down; BBQing like mad. The liquor store will do a great trade in beer on that first warm day!

Don't worry about black flies you rarely see them in the city. Definitely not in Bridgewater...they are mainly a woods bug!..May isn't a bad month to visit, it generally warms up abit later in the month. Bridgewater is a great place to live and small community feel to it. Liverpool is so quiet you wouldn't want to live there. It is an beautiful town with big old houses and close to the sea. They have all the main stores there but thats it. It is very quiet. Now that I think about it, there is a great English pub in Liverpool but the name escapes me. This guy immigrated from England and decided that what he was doing. He has also expanded on the business by putting in a small live theater and a small area that you can just buy fish and Chips. He is doing a great business.
To drive from Halifax from Bridgewater is about 1 hour so add about 15 minutes more to get to Darmouth. Liverpool is even further down the highway so alonger commute.

Hi there again, I wouldn't commute from Halifax to Bridgewater or Liverpool certainly not in the winter time, I think you are overthinking where to live, if you concentrate on employment opportunities when you come and then base your search for where to live on the commuting distance to work, you will find there is LOTS of space just outside of HRM, maybe you are thinking that Halifax is a big city, with no green space when just about a twenty min drive will take you to somewhere with space....never far from the ocean here!
also depends on budget, how much do you want to pay for housing and if you are outside of city do you want to own and insure and put gas in two vehicles! these are decisions you can make when you know where you jobs are.. I know that Northwood http://www.nwood.ns.ca/careers.html was trying to hire on the PNP program here in Halifax, also i know I already mentioned this but the Provincial Nominee Office right here in Halifax will give you some valuable advice that can steer you in the right direction before you hand over any money to a consultant. By the way we live right in the city and we don't get any problem with blackfly.... and yes the summers and Indian summers are wonderful here...

If you would like info on discount on hire cars and Zoom flights , I will be going to Sandown Show but not any others..PM me.
June

Recce - Halifax to east Lawrencetown, up east coast, across to Sherbrooke, over to Antigonish, down to Pictou, down to Tatamagouche down Fundy to Digby via Annapolis Valley and Bear River, across to Liverpool, up to Bridgewater back to Halifax.

Halifax area has 1.5% Deed transfer tax to add on house prices. Add HST at 13% to new houses. Some rural areas (parts of Colchester, Cumberland and Pictou) do not have tax. 55 of the 60 new Condominium projects are outside of the Halifax area showing how there is growth/work in other regions.

Everyone knows I love the North Shore - warm seas, fog free, great scenery, low traffic, no crime, good schools, oneandhalf hours HAlifax airport, same time to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Property prices very cheap but rising. Look up Tatamagouche, Wallace-by-the-Sea, Pugwash, Malagash and Pictou.