Savings to Emigrate.
 

Hello everyone, I'm new here so I do apologise In advance If this Is a stupid question.

My husband plans to start looking for work In Calgary, a friend of his has already made the move with his family and managed to secure the job while still living In the UK which Is what we are hoping to do (If all goes well), but currently we are only in the stages of paying off our debts here in the UK and saving up what we need. We do not own a house or have anything in particular to sell to raise the money. I've done my best to calculate what we will need to save from income alone (before my husband secures a job) and I'm thinking we will need around £15,000 in the bank to cover flights/visas/initial accommodation for 2 adults and 3 children. Does that sound about right to everyone else or am I way off? I'd just like a rough Idea of how long this could take really!

Thank you.

Re: Savings to Emigrate.
 

I've worked out how the forum search function works and seen a few other posts about the cost of 2nd hand cars, and other things I hadn't considered, so you can ignore my post :) I think I need to re-evaluate what we need to save! Thanks anyway :lol:

Re: Savings to Emigrate.
 

Lol, how much did your friends take?

Re: Savings to Emigrate.
 

I am not sure on exact figures but from memory I think you have to hold a certain amount of savings to be able to emigrate and possibly have that money in your bank for a period of time. In any case the more money the better, you always spend more than you think!! Best of luck for you :)

Re: Savings to Emigrate.
 

The immigration process is certainly an expensive one. At the same time, don't let it put you off working towards your goal. there are stories posted on here of people who've made the move on what others would consider a shoestring. Whether that would be a responsible approach with 3 kiddies in tow I think depends on your risk-taking threshold.

What does hubby do for a living? Is the chance of well paid work a realistic one? If he can secure a job in advance of moving here, maybe your initial lump sum settling in pot need not be as big as if he was unemployed and searching for a new role.

Good luck either way.:)

Re: Savings to Emigrate.
 

I'm not sure bats I'll ask my husband to find out. Thanks Abster I'll try to find out what that amount is!

My husband Is a QSA (a sort of IT security auditor) which I believe is a roll that Is in demand. He has only recently qualified as a QSA so although we've been talking about emigrating for years this is the first time we've been in a position to save up, we are currently crammed into a two bedroom house so It's either stay here and save to buy (however long that might take) or get out while we still can!

Re: Savings to Emigrate.
 

Hi MrsBonzai84

If you look on the CIC website there is a lot of good information on there that can help you.
To move to Canada for a family of 5 people (under the Federal Skilled Worker program) you need to show funds of $23,425 (which isn't a lot of money IMO to move to another country) but if you can prove you have that much saved, that is one of the criteria satisfied.
Not sure which route you plan on taking, but take a look at the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website for more details.

Good luck!

Re: Savings to Emigrate.
 

I think, ehem and i may be wrong here, that if you can afford to save up enough money with which to emigrate then you have a good life already so why rock the boat?

Re: Savings to Emigrate.
 

It's not too much! If your OH has a decent paying job organized in advance it is probably just about doable. The general consensus on here is that your need £25,000 + if moving without job(s). This covers the time to look for work and get your first pay cheque.

Much depends on your motivation and expectations. If you are determined to set up a new life in Canada come what may then you will probably be OK. If you think it all sounds fun as long as you can get a huge house and lots of gas powered toys then it will be a struggle.

Re: Savings to Emigrate.
 

Its difficult to put an exact figure as each situation is different but
I'd certainly advise doing plenty of research regards the
general cost of living in Calgary / housing costs / transport costs / salary expectations. Housing costs can be high in Calgary and affordable rentals are
thin on the ground as demand is high.
Cheap & Calgary are not two words that go together :)
All the best

Re: Savings to Emigrate.
 

I don't think that cheap and Canada are two words that are bandied about often either. Whatever the figures say it costs more, mainly because you don't know the first thing about where you are living and therefore everything costs more anyway. It is scary being in a new place with none of the back up knowledge at your fingertips. I am starting to feel more confident about my shopping and living expenses, but it has taken time, and has been a costly learning curve.

Re: Savings to Emigrate.
 

I won't go Into details and bore you all, but we are fundamentally unhappy here, although we've had lots of financial problems that's not why we want to move out of the UK. I know we won't be any better off financially, It's our kids future I'm thinking of.

We've agreed on saving £25,000, If we can't raise the money we know It's not going to work anyway, that gives us lots of time to do our research too. Thank you for your replies :thumbup: