Hi, I am new to the forum, currently living in Western Australia, having moved here 18 months ago from UK. A beautiful place here but we have not really settled, mainly due to my husband's work situation (he is a plumber/gas fitter) and we really feel that this is not the place for us. This has upset us as we spent so long researching and working hard for visas etc, I'm sure many of you will understand when we say that the visa process was one of then hardest things in our life to do and we were so relieved when it was over. The thought of doing it all over again for Canada terrifies me so I thought I would ask some advice on a good agent to contact and have a chat about our options with?

Also, if anyone would like to offer their experiences of moving to Canada, where they settled, what life is like. Some info on us - we are married both aged 31, we have a 5 yr old son and a 10 yr old daughter. We would hope to settle somewhere which is family orientated but still has a bit of oomph in it.

I would ask what you mean by 'not settled' and the 'why' of it. When you say, "mainly due to my husband's work situation", what does that mean? Are you not happy because he can't find work or what? Also, what is is you think will be different in Canada?

The industry is completely different in Australia. He doesn't fit gas central heating anymore for obvious reasons. He changed direction and is in desalination/reverse osmosis now and is very successful in the water treatment industry but he hates it. He has been a plumber/gas engineer since leaving school. Perth is now one of the top five most expensive cities in the world. To give you an idea, he earns over $110,000 a year but after we have paid all our bills we have barely enough for food and petrol. We had spent years researching Perth and although we knew it was expensive we had no idea how expensive it was going to become. My husband works FIFO on a 2/2 roster. So for two weeks of the month I am home alone with the children and for the other two my husband is here but we have no money to go anywhere so are housebound. We have never gone out for a meal or for a few drinks since we arrived here. I am only 31 as is my husband. Some may say we should be happy he is in a comfortable job but when he hates this job and misses his family and we are unable to save for a deposit for a mortgage I just don't see the point anymore. He was offered a job in Canada years ago but we had already started the Australian process and had paid out a lot of money to an agent so did not want to ever off track. I suppose what we would want from Canada would be my husband doing the job he loves and for us to have a little bit extra money left after payday to save so we could buy a house or take the children to the cinema or for a treat now and again. It's coming into winter here and although we don't have snow the storms get pretty bad and it gets very cold so we won't be able to take the children to the beaches or parks which are free.

As a plumber and doing gas/heating there are several streams he could apply under. You don't really need an Immigration Consultant or Lawyer unless you have a complex background.

One thing to be aware of is that most Provinces require plumbers to be registered and/or also trade certified - a few Provinces don't. He may need to challenge the Inter-Provincial Red Seal Exam.

You may find it's different in Canada too.

You may like to take a look at the "Truth about Canadian winters" thread...

I truly don't want to rubbish your projects/dreams about immigrating to Canada. However, I *do* think you need to look at why you originally decided to emigrate, why you aren't happy in Australia, why you think Canada would be better for you.

The above suggestion is not a request for answers to be given on the forum, BTW. Unless posting them helps your thought process.

SB

Yes, I couldn't agree more with this post.

I can fully understand the urge to emigrate, change and experience a different life...what I would worry about is if Australia hasn't ticked all the boxes, which boxes were they and why do you feel Canada might do the trick?

Well I know nothing about Australia but I am capable of using Google. I found this quite easily: http://mattcowgill.wordpress.com/201...ncome-in-2013/

In it, it says that the median HOUSEHOLD income was $69k in the 2009-2010 tax year. If your husband earns $110k a year obviously you are well above that. So if you then tell me you 'barely enough for food and petrol' after paying your bills, then I have to say you appear to be living beyond your means. That isn't a fault of your income. So complaints about Perth being expensive are just a red herring to me.

The average plumber's salary in Canada is around $52k a year. The median household income is much the same as in Australia. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tabl...il108a-eng.htm

The cost of living in Toronto vs. Perth seems to be about 20% lower but the salary as noted above may well be lower as well. So I don't see any reasonable expectation of being better able to afford the lifestyle you want to be able to afford.
http://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-li...tralia/toronto

There's not much use having prices 20% lower if his salary may be as much as 50% lower. That assumes he goes back to 'what he loves to do', being an ordinary plumber doing typical plumbing work in houses etc. It sounds to me like his job in the water treatment industry pays far better.

I think there is more in your statement, " he hates this job and misses his family and we are unable to save for a deposit for a mortgage I just don't see the point anymore" than in anything else you have written.

He's well paid, you should be able to afford a decent lifestyle on that but still aren't happy. It really sounds to me like your expectations are beyond your income for one thing. Hating his job won't change by coming to Canada unless he chooses to go back to a lower paid plumbing job. Missing family and friends won't change at all either.

I really agree with Shirtback that, "
I *do* think you need to look at why you originally decided to emigrate, why you aren't happy in Australia, why you think Canada would be better for you."

That's why I asked you the questions I did to begin with.

On a completly separate topic really I also have to say that with $110,000 a year of income and yet barely being able to afford food and petrol, you have serious expectation problems in terms of what you can afford. You have a gin and tonic budget, not a beer budget but it sounds like you want a champagne existence.

Kia Pra from New Zealand & welcome to British Expats.
This caught my eye as my husband is also a career plumber/gasfitter.
Yes, the trade down this part of the world is different to the UK. My husband now works on new build houses and commercial work in the main. He is happy enough with the work but the pay isn't all that really compared to the NZ CoL these days, so I do understand that feeling of not having enough disposable income to enjoy a new lifestyle - if there is such a thing.
I doubt when you were in the throes of emigrating, you thought you would be spending less time together as a family.

I'm not up on Australia Immigration policy. Is it possible for you to move states within Australia. Perth is reputed to be a very expensive place to live. I'd no idea it became extremely cold in winter although I knew it was the 'rainy season' with storms likely.

I'm not sure that jumping entire countries may be the way to go at this moment. You may find yourselves from the fat to the fire.

What did you originally hope for when looking to emigrate.
Weather? Outdoors lifestyle?

If you are thinking to move , then let's get back to basics

Really? Clearly you know a lot more about them than anybody else then.... Presumably you too have lived in the area with their particular set of circumstances?

Are you religious Dulci? Ever hear of don't judge til you've walked a mile in their shoes?