Hi, my husband has been offered a job in Canada and I won't go without my pension aged parents. Has anyone any info/experience they can share in this area, pensions and health care costs seem to be a big issue?

Thanks

Debbie

So you are putting all the burden on your husband, how does he feel about this, you realise you guys are going to have to cater for all their needs, no help from the province?

It's the same as sponsoring your parents and other family members here, its your job to cater for them for 5yrs, and I mean all their needs. For spouses, its 3yrs.

Hi Debbie, welcome to the forum

You are correct on both counts, most insurers will not cover preexisting conditions, and may think twice before offering new insurance to an older couple. Also UK state pension will be frozen, no inflationary increases for non residents, so pension will become an issue, there have been recent legal challenges to this that failed at the house of lords.

Until you are here as a PR you cannot sponsor family members anyway, so they couldnt come with you, only follow later, and you will be financially responsible as the sponsors. Check out the cic website for sponsorship details www.cic.gc.ca

Have you talked to your parents about this? It seems a shame to miss such a golden oportunuity (most of the people waiting for PR would kill to have a job offered to them), and they may well feel its something you should at least try for. Canadas only a 8 hour flight if you need to return to the UK after all.

All the best

Iain

I sponsored my parents, now age 68 and 64 two years ago. Mum loves it, Dad hates it. Both are having a hard time settling and my Dad's health has suffered as a result. Things are VERY different here, despite the perception that the cultures are similar. The wrinklies find it hard to toss away a lifetime of living one way and with familiar things to having to adjust to the ways here. My Dad, like me, is a Londoner and dislikes the West intensely. He finds it insular and cannot believe he meets people his age on a daily basis who have never left the province let alone the country. He said just last night that he misses the chat in his local and the travelling he used to do. That has ground to a screaming halt since they got here because of the cost. On the plus side, he has a gastric ulcer that bled out this week and the medical care he eventually received was great - despite the fact he had to collapse in the waiting room at the hospital after waiting for nearly four hours in the ER. He visited TO with me a while back and decided he liked that better, so they will move with me when or if I do East.

The cost of maintainng them is not that high - their UK pensions go slightly further here, despite the fact that they are frozen. The increases they will miss at their age are minimal really. I help out with housing but that is about it. Medical was covered in BC after three months, but they have to pay out about $600 a year for prescriptions that would be free back home.

I think it would be hard to move parents that age anywhere, but especially from one country to another. Another example - my husband and I have been trying to get our parents to move to BC for years from Ontario. They are a little younger than yours....and very young at heart.....but would never hear of moving away from their bridge clubs, bowling days and their friends that they have known for many many years. My dad said at one point, he has no intention of writhering up and dying with no friends and grandkids around him. Now both my parents are immigrants, so have been subject to moving from one country to another....but when you're young, perhaps it's easier!!!!

Thanks for the info. We are considering BC, I have read the climate is milder in central parts, at present we live in a quiet area in the South Of England full of wrinkles! We want a property that is 90 miles or less from a main airport as my husband travels alot. Are there any areas you would recommend, mild weather, reasonable house prices and facilties for families as we have three kids I know it's a tall order! but any info would be helpful.

Thanks

Sent you a PM.

If you are coming to Canada on a work permit (via husbands job) then I think it will be difficult to bring your parents with you on a ‘permanent’ basis. They can visit for a max of 6 months at a time (nip down to the US/UK for a few days then back here for another 6 months – but this is a risk as if you get the wrong immigration officer he may just turn them back). In any event the medical costs are very high – my wife and I are paying ST£5,000.00 per year for EMERGENCY cover only, run of the mill illness costs a visit to the doctor approx. $50 plus medicine.
If you are landing as permanent residents then after 12 months you can sponsor your parents (given your hubby earns enough - and that depends on the size of your family, about $41,000.00/yr if you have one child) and in the mean time they can for 6 month and then apply for extension of stay up to the expiry date of their UK passport, but you can’t predict how long immigration will allow - AND you still need the medical insurance until the sponsorship of your parents has turned them into permanent residents - this could take 18 months to 2 years from your first landing so insurance can be a high expense.
Anyway – good luck with whatever you and hubby decide to do