Hi all,

Looking for some help please. We are looking into the possibility of emigrating to Canada. My sister tried Vancouver 2 years ago and it did not work out (not for want of trying). This however is not going to deter us. We are a family of 4 (36, 31, 7, and 2). We have set a target of 12 to 24 months to have everything prepared in England (home sale cars sold etc) in preparation. I feel getting into Canada could be our stumbling block. My experience (work wise) has been in logistics for the last 18 years. All office based. My partner is a child minder (very good one at that) who has experience working in a hospital as and auxcillary Nurse in care homes with the elderly and children with learning difficulties. if need be i can tile and plaster (would use this initially but would not wish to do this long term unless the work was coming out of my ears). What would be our chances as they stand now? Is there work? How is child care in Canada? Is ther anything we can do in the next 12 months to better our chances. Are there any youg families out there prepared to tell us their story as to how they coped. If we do this i cannot afford to fail my kids. Many thanks in advance

Start here ...

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Quick_...an_Immigration

Howdy and welcome - take JonboyE's advice and take a look at the wiki and then pop back and ask away! Things can look very confusing when you start looking into the whole process and the Wiki really is a useful tool :0)

Where in Canada do you plan on living?

1. As per the others, research whether you can actually gain access to live and work in Canada
2. Think long and hard <snigger> about your reasons for wanting to move. Be honest with yourself cos the UK aint that bad.
3. Think clearly about your impact threshold on being far away from family, friends, etc
4. Spend some serious time in differing areas of Canada to give you as truer perspective as possible of each place
5. Be clear and honest of the sacrifices you are willing to take (lower paid work, demotion, distancing children from family, etc)
6. Understand your aversion to risk cos, if you end up like your sister, it's an expensive journey both financially and emotionally.
7. Once you're clear and comfortable with the above, and you decide to do it, enjoy the journey

.

Very good advice.

I cannot emphasise enough,DO NOT EVEN THINK OF MOVING TO CANADA.
Canada is very much a low wage economy.Lots of Mcjobs .Child minding is right down there with cleaning houses.It pays almost nothing.Why on earth would you want to move from England?I have to assume that you have not seen much of the world.There is no better country to live in than the U.K.Why leave a country full of culture and history for a backwater like Canada.I have to think you must be under the impression there is money to be made there.There is not and to be honest is that all you are interested in.Sure take some time to go to Canada and see what it is like but be prepared to move back to the U.K.

I cannot emphasise enough DO YOUR RESEARCH. Otherwise you'll end up like Arrroobbbbbbbiiiiiieeeeee.

^^^ What they said

Oh, and read the wiki too, so what JonBoy said too...

Thanks to you all. I don't know where anyone gets the impression i'm doing this to make money. If i want to make money i could stay in the uk. Both my partner and i make a good living financially in the UK but there are more things to life than money. This is about a better and safer future for us as a couple and my children when they grow up. If we were to take this further i would research as much as i could and visit several areas of the Country. My sister failed only due to relationship breakdown. She would have never returned to the UK but for this and would love to return to Vancouver. Myself (having never been) but researched a bit would like to look at Ontario first but jobs would probably determine where we ended up initially (if we end up at all). I think for all the negative people out there (still out there) it would be only when you return that you think it wasn't bad after all and you would actually realise the UK is not as good as you think.

I just got back from a couple of weeks in the UK as it happens. If you have a decent job and live in a nice area then there is very little that Canada has to offer in the way of a better and safer future for you kids. Visiting family and friends I saw plenty of very happy well adjusted kids.

Think long and hard about the effect on you and your kids of leaping into the unknown, leaving good paying jobs and a lifetimes worth of family and friends to support you. For some people its a step up, for others its very frustrating. Dont underestimate the challenges you will face and the stuff you currently take for granted.

the information attached by jonboy is perfect information- please, please please read it, understand it and apply it.
There are lots of very well qualified Canadian citizens here right now whio are also looking for work-
btw, you dont say why you want to leave UK.
Come out and test the waters here first but dont burn any bridges in uk
good luck

Try before you buy!

Come for a visit and live like a local. Sure you can go see the lakes and mountains or whatever else takes your fancy, but try to dodge the tourist traps.

Don't luxuriate in restaurants every night and try to suppress the 'holiday mood' that would inevitably accompany you. Spend time in rush hour traffic and Safeways.

You will have your reasons for having Canada in your sights as perhaps a target for any migratory ambitions; you may have a disliking for the UK to motivate an 'anywhere but here' mentality right now, or you might just fancy a change. Either way, the decision is based upon personal preference, so what can anyone else say to help?

Point is, the advice in this place is wicked awesome and was very useful to me, in our navigation of the protracted and often complex immigration process, even though it is not always bang on accurate.

Ultimately, this is a big step / challenge to take on (well duh!) so make sure your mind is resolute. And then for phucks sake, DO IT!

Buona Fortuna!

Some of us have been back, and lived back in the UK

You don’t even know if that statement might be true, but in my informed opinion it’s false !

In response to the OP, I personally find Canada "fits" me better than the UK did. The reasons I, or anyone else, may love or hate Canada might not be relevant to your way of thinking. Most of the complaints I see about Canada really don't bother me in comparison to what I consider bad points in the UK.

In terms of Canada as a whole, you'll have to look through all the provinces and even cities individually, as they all have their own lifestyle and good and bad points, and decide whats important to you.

Personally, we love it here in Canada and have no intention of returning to the UK. It's wrong for people to say don't do it. Each to their own. What's right for some isn't right for others. You just need to do your research, try to have a couple of visits if you can and make up your own mind.