Patsy

Heres a scenario for you....

If you had been unsure over the years that you wanted to live in canada but your wife really really wanted to go and you came to a crossroads in your life were you think, 'well actually, it may be an adventure' would you think 'but it's too late now, i'm too old'?????

OH thinks he is too old to uproot and live in canada and regardless of the current job situation, he says he is too old now anyway to be taken on by new employers. That is his only reason for not going otherwise he would give it a go. As we are unsure what part of canada we would love to live in, do you think it would be a good idea to look into jobs in Autism within Canada rather than focus on an area to live first? What do you think the chances are of him seeking employment in Autism within Canada, or do you think like him and think "Dont bother, too old".
He doesn't have formal qualifications (it's me who has the points) but he has worked in Adult services and Children services in Autism for years and is very very good at it. It is, as far as im concerned a vocation rather than a job. I'd really appreciate your honest comments.

Auld Yin

1)Do you both have decent jobs/incomes in the UK?
2)Are the jobs relatively secure?
3)Do you have decent/good accomodation?
4)Do you regard yourselves as having an acceptable/good standard of living? 5)Are you, as many seem to be, totally disenchanted with the UK?

You do not say how far on the wrong side of 50 you are.

If the answers to the first four questions are yes or probably, then I think you should be staying in the UK. As far as question 5 is concerned the present situation will eventually improve and be close to the way it was two years ago. While Canada is reported to be weathering the recession better than other countries, it does exist here and layoffs are taking place all around the country. Canada does not have anything like the social welfare net existing in the UK

triumphguy

I think Auld Yin has a point.

At 50 you've got 15 years left to save for retirment.
15 years worth of CPP will leave you begging in retirement.
Your British pension will have been frozen and will not be indexed to inflation.

If you can come here with equity, not lose your savings and get good jobs and continue to save I(ie., not slide backwards) you'll be OK.

You can't afford a few bad years.

Patsy

Thanks for your replies.
1.we both have jobs, my income is good, i'm a teacher, his is ridiculously low!
Both jobs are secure,
2 His may not be secure within the organisation he is in now, but he reckons there will always be work in this field. People retire from, say the police,and get taken on in his place.
3. We have good accommodation, not a brilliant area, but not bad either despite media coverage on Liverpool, good big house, infact now that the kids are grown,if we dont go off somewhere, we will probably downsize.
4. UK? Take it or leave it, don't love it, don't hate it, always been unsettled though since visiting Canada
and the last point...he is 54

Moggiemiss

I moved over here three months ago on a skilled worker visa and have just turned 55. Fortunately I was able to release some capital from my house to buy a small property outright here and I have a UK occupational pension that keeps me afloat.

I am loving the experience, but I would agree with the previous postings, it is not easy to find employment, I am unable to register with a doctor and shovelling snow after heavy falls is no fun.

If you do come out here, you don't have to stay forever and if you have already got good pension provision, you could have a wonderful experience and then return to the UK, if you wanted at a later date.

chumley

Please note everyone your pesnion is not frozen the day you leave the uk but the day you reach pension age so it is in fact index linked until you qualify for it

chumley

over 50 to late RUBBISH !!

heavens above he is nowt but a spring chicken and way to soon to start saying its to late to do anything in life you want!!

what about the likes of john mc cain ( cant abide him by the way) he was just about to take on the worlds most important job in his 70's

my grandmother will be 100 in october and she still digs her land and plants her veggies

54 years is no age you are as old as you feel and if canada is a dream then do everything it takes to get here

huge luck

Auld Yin

always been unsettled though since visiting Canada

Obviously I do not know the details of your Canadian experience, but I have found myself inclined to see through rose-tinted glasses when on vacation, no matter where that may be. I can understand your desire to try something different, after all we're here for a good time, not a long time, but as triumphguy pointed out, your years left until retirement are dwindling, and fast.
It appears from your answers that you have a more than satisfactory life in the UK. If Canada is still on your radar why not come for a 1-2 month reccie, rent a car and see/learn as much of the area that interests you. Emigration is a massive step, even when you are young, it becomes even more massive when older.
Good luck in your decision, whatever it may be.

Novocastrian

And how old are you? Never ask a lady etc., OK, but as a teacher be aware that in most if not all provinces it'll take at least a year to get your teaching qualifications recognized by the relevant professional body (you can't start the process until you are already resident). You will then be faced with a long climb up from the bottom, starting with supply teaching, through part time before you get a full time job (if indeed you ever do). The duration of this slow climb will likely be several years, and you'll most probably never be able to get to the top pay scale levels before retirement.

If you're much (much!) younger than your OH, this is less of an issue, but if you're 50-ish too and you are the main wage earner at present, do your research very, very carefully.

chumley

I seem to have the opposite view to most on this thread each to their own etc

to me life is not about money once you have your minimum needs met
and certainly at 54 or whatever I would not dismiss my dreams on the grounds of a few extra dollars on my pension

we dont know whats around the corner
I certainly wont be depriving myself of anything on account of perhaps living to pension age and getting my money back

Ill worry about retirement income when I retire and not until then

I live for today every day and im a glass half full and all that

When Im old and doddery I would far sooner have had a wonderful life of memories, adventures and dreams met than a fat pension!!

Auld Yin

to me life is not about money once you have your minimum needs met and certainly at 54 or whatever I would not dismiss my dreams on the grounds of a few extra dollars on my pension

So are you prepared to disclose your age? It would add some value to your post.

riosangel

I can't see what difference it would make by disclosing his/her age???

ann m

Most people are more cautious though - myself included. It would be no fun at 70 wishing I could have double my pension if only I'd thought a bit more about it at 40 or even 50. ( Edit - I do however accept I could be dead by next Wednesday - but that pre-planning is the risk factor I am happy with)

Yes, life is what you make it, and life is short, and life is too short to be miserable, and any other cliches I can think of. My glass is usually half full too - but I don't want to spill it!

People come on here and ask opinions of other posters. I am a cautious person and I'm happy with my 'sometimes a little reserved' advice. Personally, I'm aghast and cringe at the "what the hell, go for it, what have you got to lose" comments on here though. Sometimes one can lose a lot, or everything. And there are quite a few sorry tales on here to balance out this thought.

Everyone obviously has to make up their own minds, based on their own circumstances. If I pack up and go home tomorrow, I might have lost about $80k in the process. I'm OK with that (ish). Others would completely sink. and yes - money isn't everything - but it bloody helps out, and I'd rather have a little (or a lot) than bugger all

To the OP - can you have a bit of both? A career break and a 6 month visit perhaps? Dip your toe more formally, but not give up everything?

Auld Yin

He/She is advocating that the OP throw all caution to the wind. To me it is somewhat analogous to an investment counsellor advising younger vs older people as to how riskier their investments should be. The advice to an older person should be to take much less risk, given they have much less years to recover from market downturns.

Patsy

Im 46, its not my burning desire to teach, but it does help with the part of getting in, in the first place