Re: Pros and Cons of Emigrating to Canada from UK
 

The one good thing about Toronto, DBD33, is the fact that it as well as Canada appears quite ethnically diverse (in a good way) and extremely accepting of new immigrants.

Re: Pros and Cons of Emigrating to Canada from UK
 

I grew up with two sets of grandparents, one in the UK and one in Florida. Seeing the ones in the US twice a year for a couple of weeks at a time just didn't compare to having the other ones there for everything, whether that was school plays, sports days, just looking after us, walking the dog with us, or coming for Sunday lunches.

For me, I was very close to my UK grandparents and barely knew the other ones (and vice versa, they barely knew me). Even in this day and age of FaceTime etc, I don't think that compensates for just not being there personally, and I didn't want that for my children.

Again, this is just my opinion though, and I was very much influenced by growing up with grandparents a days travel away that we saw infrequently.

Re: Pros and Cons of Emigrating to Canada from UK
 

Re scoring on the EE, we are at 69 (thanks to my wife given her finance background etc). I should have taken a bit more care with my IELTS score since I came in one short at 66. :)

Re: Pros and Cons of Emigrating to Canada from UK
 

Also I scored zero points for my age at 44.

Re: Pros and Cons of Emigrating to Canada from UK
 

That's the FSW score, which is fine, but what do you score on the CRS? That's what I was asking about earlier, with reference to whether or not you needed a job offer to get PR - Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) - tool

So I was just checking you scored over the 450-480 required to get PR without one, as that may well be a factor in researching areas.

Re: Pros and Cons of Emigrating to Canada from UK
 

I'm not sure what the CRS score is unfortunately but I do know that we don't need a job in hand to secure the PR. We are using an organisation called Canadian Visa Expert to help us with our Visa application.

Re: Pros and Cons of Emigrating to Canada from UK
 

Ugh. I'm sorry, but I really wouldn't rely on what they're telling you. Double check the score yourself on the link I gave you, that way you can know for sure that they're giving you accurate advice. You'll need above approx 450-480 to be able to get PR without a job offer.

And unless you have complicated circumstances, there's no need to use a consultant (or a 'visa agency' as they are), so if you've not paid them yet, it might be worth looking at going it alone as most on the forum do. You can check the application info on the CIC website to see if you feel comfortable completing it yourself.

HTH.

Re: Pros and Cons of Emigrating to Canada from UK
 

Toronto, yes. Canada, not so much.

Re: Pros and Cons of Emigrating to Canada from UK
 

Thank you, Christmasoompa. I shall check out the CRS.

Also thanks for the input re Toronto, DBD33. That is a big plus for us.

Re: Pros and Cons of Emigrating to Canada from UK
 

I'm born and raised in the GTA but lived in Vancouver for 4 years before moving back to the GTA to raise my children for a few years before emigrating to Australia. (Holy run-on sentence, Batman!)

Anyway... I've been in Australia for 10 years and it's getting to be time for me to move on. I could very easily head home to Canada where my family lives but I'm in fact looking to possibly move to North Yorkshire. Below is my pros and cons list of Canada vs. UK (bear in mind I've never lived in the UK but my partner is English and has lived in Australia for 30 years)

Canada Pros
1. Close to family
2. Close to the US
3. Cheaper to fly anywhere - more variety of nearby destinations
4. Better shopping than Australia - more variety in stores
5. Less 40+ degree days
6. Decent insulation and double (triple) glazed windows
7. I won't forever be asked Where are you from? How long have you been here? Do you like it? Why would you leave Canada? Did you marry an Australian? Is that how you got here?
8. They don't all have Australian accents

Canada Cons
1. Close to family
2. Close to the US
3. Snow
4. They all (mostly) have Canadian accents

UK Pros
1. Closer to family than Australia
2. Easier to get to either Canada to visit family or Australia to visit family
3. Cheaper to fly anywhere - more variety of nearby destinations with Europe on the doorstep
4. Better shopping than Australia - more variety in stores
5. No 40+ degree days
6. Decent insulation and double (triple) glazed windows
7. They don't all have Australian accents
8. The business I'm looking at getting into would be much more viable in North Yorkshire than the Toronto area

UK Cons
Other than leaving my children and grandchildren in Australia I can't think of any. Oh wait! Maybe the accent thing. I'll still have people asking about my accent.

Re: Pros and Cons of Emigrating to Canada from UK
 

There are pros and there are cons

Re: Pros and Cons of Emigrating to Canada from UK
 

Thanks, Dorothy. Best wishes for your move to North Yorkshire.

Re: Pros and Cons of Emigrating to Canada from UK
 

Do you see more Pros than Cons to residing in Can over UK, Paul?

Re: Pros and Cons of Emigrating to Canada from UK
 

Depends on the day and what I'm doing. I miss the Cotswolds but if I was there I would miss certain things about here.

The individual never really knows until they have 'lived it".

Re: Pros and Cons of Emigrating to Canada from UK
 

I think by most measurements the outcomes are broadly similar. By some measurements the Canadian system even scores higher. The obvious difference to the UK is that school starts one year later and bachelor degrees are four years. The extra year makes up for one year less of schooling.

You will see people here complaining that Canadian education is "behind" the UK system. Even if we discount the people who use behind as a synonym of different, chronologically this is true. In the end I think a degree from a good Canadian university is viewed by the world as on a par to a good British university. (Oxbridge possibly excepted.)

Firstly, healthcare is a provincial matter so what is true of one province is not necessarily true in others. The general rule is that a resident of province cannot pay, either directly or via an insurance company, for certain medical services in the province, typically GP visits, specialist's fee and hospital treatment. These are covered by the provincial healthcare plans. (There are grey areas at the margins of what can and cannot be paid for by an individual.)

What your employer is offering is not private health cover but is extended health cover. This is insurance against the costs of medical services not covered by the provincial health care plan. These are costs such as dentistry, prescriptions, eye glasses and so on.

Private medical facilities do exist in Canada. They are used by workers compensation boards and the RCMP. Organizations that want to bypass the waiting lists of the public health services. It works because the fees are paid by the RCMP and WCB not the individual. Private medical facilities are not a big part of healthcare in Canada. You are most likely to encounter it for services that are provided to both the public and private sectors. MRI scans are one thing I can think of.

If you are of a mind that you want to pay to get things done quickly the US border is close by.