A business can ask for any notice period they like, but at the end of the day an employee can phone in and say 'I won't be in anymore' and that is the last you see of them.

A notice period for an employee to give is a courtesy, an employer is legally bound by employment standards and common law. A contractor is bound to the client by the contract.

The norm in Canada for employee to give notice is 1 -2 weeks for lower level jobs, more for managerial. It is good practice for an employee to give and work notice if one wants a reference.

Silly question... Does your email have .co.uk on it? Cod yahoo.ca is free and it takes about 2 mins to set up. I'm not saying lie about which country you live in but if you aren't asked then there's no reason to tell.
If they ask for references or current employer you can explain that you are legal to work in Canada and have an upcoming trip during which you intend to secure lodging car job etc. but get their interest first

You can't help growing older but it is up to you if you grow up or not.

My point was your only as young/old as you feel.

You dont have to have settled down by 35!

I didn't go back to the UK once I left.
My old employer required one months notice, so by the 11th month I knew I was going to stay here so I sent an email to HR stating I was giving my 4 weeks notice and that was that. They posted all the necessary documents to me after that.

But deciding to stay or go was so hard. I got my PR in 2007 and did the landing thing to trigger my PR (which had to be done within one year of my medical), then started the five year countdown.
It took me two years to finally pluck up the courage and move.

If you got a job here you wouldn't have to go back, just give your notice and leave!

Best of luck

Did it take you a while to get a job? Il be honest the winter frightens me but I see that they carry on with life there so I must be able to.
I thought I'd let you all know I've written my resignation letter with Monday's date :| and plan to fly out in July! I'm not even scared anymore it's just something you have got to try and reading all your posts just confirmed it

Like I said it all depends, add in some health issues not common until most are in their 50's and at the end of that day that 35 feels like 55..

If I didn't have the health stuff, I'd agree 35 isn't that old.

On that basis when you're 55, you'll feel like 85. So enjoy 35 while you still can!

Yes indeed, unless of course they come up with a cure that makes it go away by then...lol

There's a well known British remedy. It's called alcohol

This with bells on.

Er no you don't or you wouldn't have asked complete strangers on the internet if you should quit!

I moved to Toronto in 1989 when I was 24. I had no job and I also didn't have PR (so you have that advantage at least). My girlfriend of 4 years (a nurse) was offered a job in Toronto and asked me if I wanted to go with her. So we got married in the UK and off we went - me with whatever visa allowed me to accompany her. I was young/naive and didn't know how the Canadian immigration system worked. I thought all I had to do was get a job offer and they'd give me a work permit (after all that's what they did for my wife!).

I'm in software development and had at least contacted a recruitment agency beforehand to get a sense for how likely my skills would be in demand (I'm a naturally cautious person at heart). The recruiter told me there were lots of opportunities for someone with my skill set (that turned out to be a little white lie!). Of course this was before the internet, so it was difficult for me to verify. I was suspicious when he only had 1 job interview lined up for me but he picked me up from my hotel the day after we arrived and drove me to the interview. I was offered the job on the spot. Then I learned about work permits and the fact they just don't give them to you just because you got a job offer! Luckily my new employer had been advertising and interviewing for over a year to fill the position so my work permit was quickly approved.

I'm older and wiser now and I look back at this and shake my head at my naivety! I gave up a good job in the UK and left a city (Manchester) that I loved living in. But I don't regret my decision. We only intended on staying in Toronto for a year (smh again!) but we really enjoyed our time there and ended up staying 7 years (during which there was a brief move to Vancouver that didn't work out so we returned to Toronto). Two of our kids were born in Toronto and, after the 7 years, we returned to the UK (London; adding another kid). We loved London but got itchy feet after a couple of years and moved to the US where we've been for the last 17 years (adding another kid). This time I already had a job lined up as I didn't want to move from the UK to the US with a wife, 3 kids and no job.

And therein lies the moral of my story. Follow your dream (whatever that really is - only you can decide). Do it while you're young because it usually becomes harder to do when you're older. Most people tend to become more cautious and conservative as they age. Add in kids and other responsibilities and it becomes tougher still to make a big move.

It's much better to hunt for jobs in person. Most Canadian employers are not going to be fully engaged in considering someone who is emailing them from the UK. If you are still cautious and worried about employment (and most people are in this global economy), then perhaps you can line up some interviews (maybe with the help of a recruitment agency), take some time off work in the UK, travel to Toronto, and attend some job interviews.

Anyway, good luck!

It didn't take me too long to get a job.
I had researched a lot, so I knew chances were I wasn't going to get a job at the level I was at, so I resigned myself too starting near the bottom. (You can't get a job without Canadian experience and you can't get experience without a job.)
I worked in warehouse logistics back home so I found a job doing inventory for Walmart. In the meantime I kept looking for jobs. I probably went to four or five interviews before I landed a good job with a large company.
I've been there five years now and love it.

As for the winter, yes it's cold, yes it snows and yes by March you just want to see green grass, but everyone (inc. me) just gets on with day to day life. You just dress for the weather.

If you've written your resignation letter....well done! I remember that being the hardest thing to do...just to write it!

I know I said Monday but I handed it in on Friday. My last day will be mid July and in spending time with my family then flying out to start my life in Canada by August.
I've got money saved for a down payment but will be staying at my aunts for a while until I get stable with a job and other things.
Wanted to thank you all!
I feel so glad I've made this decision I knew it was something I had to do..

Congratulations! Exciting times. Whatever happens, make the most of the opportunity.