I have been offered a job in Vancouver by an employer, and he has done the HRDC paperwork, and it is a confirmed job.

I am considering coming out on a Work Permit, Then applying for Permenant Residence once in Canada.

Am I doing the right thing?

My wife and I have the worry that if the job does not work out as thought, we will have burned our bridges in the UK, and being able to afford to buy back into the UK housing market will be a nightmare!

Now, do you all think that we are right to be worried in this way, or will our lives never be the same again once we reach the hallowed shores of Canada?

Our main worries are as follows:

1. Job fails - we come back.

2. Job fails - finding another job.

3. Is $50K before tax enough to live on in BC until the wife finds a job? (Me the wife + 2 Kids)

4. We know the price of real estate around Vancouver, but would rent until PR comes through. Are there decent properties at a reasonable rent available?

Any info that anyone can give me would be most helpful.

Thanks.

Hi Liftman,

I know for us it was the idea of saying in 15 years time - "if only we'd tried Canada...." We did not want to have that regret.

yes, it is a huge financial commitment to come over.

1. ok

2. Can you swop jobs with a work permit?

3. Yes, don't go mad - and don't convert back to Sterling!! (You are being paid in dollars and the "bargains" arn't!)

4. Rentals - there are loads. You can get a town house in North Vancouver (for example) for around $1800pm (there are even cheaper ones. We had a 3 bed suite for $1350 incl heating ... )

Something you might want to check. What are the benefits with your job - do they included extended medical and dental? In BC (not sure about the rest of Canada) even for children's prescriptinos and dental everything has to be paid for!

Lastly, join B2V (address is part of my tag line) - now that the Spring weather has started we're are getting back to being sociable and I am sure that people will be able to meet up with you when you visit or land!

Clare

Thanks for that Claire.

I/we intend coming over very soon, end April/beginning May, to actually see the man who wants me (not just for my body!).

The job is actually in North Vancouver, but we have been looking a property as far away as Maple Ridge in the Valley.

Can you suggest good places to look?
Where would you avoid? Where would you not set foot??

We need to consider that where we rent will probably be where we end up buying, as we will not want to disrupt the kids education again!

I will join the group on your tagline, and hopefully get more great info like you gave me.

Thanks

Grab it with both hands. I came on a work permit and will be a citizen in a few days time. IMO work permit is ideal to test drive the country. If its not what you though you can go back to the UK and at least say you tried, without being hugely out of pocket from the application process itself.

Is it possible to rent out your UK property to hold onto it for now? Gives you a safety net if it doesnt work out, and as you say the UK prices are rising so fast. Might even be worth holding onto permanently as an investment if you can, but check into tax implications. There is a specific "Do you own foreign property in excess of $100k" on the tax return. If you need ready cash for the PR application you might be able to release equity from the UK home based on the increase in value and the money you have already paid into it.

As Clare says, make sure the benefits are watertight, and cover you immediately until provincial cover kicks in. and try not to convert to pounds (its really hard not too, but all those bargains add up in the end)

50k should get you by just, but dont expect anywhere too nice. Further from the center the further it will go. Thinking apartment rather than house will save a few $$$.

Apply for PR as soon as you can once over here in case the job falls through, work permit is good for that job and employer only. I was here on a workpermit for 2 years, and about 3 months after my PR was finalised I was layed off. I shudder to think what would have happened if I was still on the EA. Almost certainly would have had to leave the country I dont think work permits entitle you to Unemployment payouts, but I could be wrong.

Do you know what similar jobs pay? It seems sometimes there is a tendency to low ball a bit on salary in these cases, so you might be able to get a bit more, also try and negotiate holiday allowance up, employers seem to be a bit more flexible now than in the past. Two weeks basic is frustrating when there is a whole country to explore. Dont squeeze too hard though, dont want to lose the offer

Good luck...go get'em!

Iain

Maple Ridge will be about an hours commute to the North Shore ...

Have you considered Port Moody?

Clare

Hello,

My family and I are emigrating to Burnaby, Port Moody area next month, but we have a P.R. We have investigated rents etc. for houses and have discovered that $1800 per month does seem to be an average price for these areas. Burnaby is even more expensive. We looked at Maple Ridge area also, but my husband and children did not like it, the houses there though were a great deal cheaper. We are incidentally going to stay in North Shore for the first couple of weeks in an apartment which has cost us around $1000 for two weeks. What is your line of work, are you a skilled tradesman etc.? Perhaps you could contact an employment recruiter as we did and so far my husband has had two job offers, Doing this may help you earn more to start with and money won't seem so tight. Good Luck

Let me be the first here to say congrats!

Hi Liftman

We went over last year to Vancouver on a work permit whilst our permanent visa application was being processed. The job didn't quite work out and we had to return to the UK . We were fortunate because we did not sell our home yet. I wouild advise you to hold off if you can before you sell up because you cannot get another job on
your original permit. If your wife can get an open work permit it will also be quite beneficial because if your job does not work out she can work; in hindsight we wish that we had done that Anyway we are still looking forward to returning to Vancouver.

Let me be 2nd to congratulate you then!

I've been a 'landed immigrant' since Oct 2000 and remember being told by the immigration officer that I could get my Citizenship after March 2003. Well, I've now decided to go for it and am looking to start the application process.

Iain (and anyone else!), could you give me some idea about the timeframe, the citizenship test (a written exam?) and anything else you may feel is helpful?

Thanks!

Thanks, I will be sworn in in early May. My timeframe (via Kingston) was 11 months start to finish. Another poster in a recent post in "immigration" had it down to less than 7 in Kitchener, so it can vary depending where you are. Usual is 10 to 12 months. My detailed timeline breakdown is posted fairly recently in immigration. http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...hreadid=225492

I believe it is three years you have to be here (1095 days), so you cant apply till October,or later if you have spent any time out of canada. Dont know why the immigration officer said March.

The test is really easy, mostly common sense, ignore the stupid answers and only one is left mutliple choice. You might have to learn a few dates, no biggie. Pass mark is fairly low (60% ish), with only 2 questions on voting procedures you have to get correct.

They send a study book with your AOR, and all the answers are there. The library in Richmond BC has an on line test based on the questions that is pretty representative...
www.yourlibrary.ca/citizenship/

Good luck

Iain

That's great! Thanks very much.

Jonathan