AlvicBC

This day ten years ago we arrived to a -30 something Saskatchewan, me, my hubby and our two dogs. We really can't believe a whole decade has passed it's just mental......
We lasted five years and two months on the Prairies then moved on to British Columbia which we love and where we are staying. Fingers crossed lol. Although we still miss our little Prairie town and the many dear friends we made in Sask, we sure don't miss those long freezing winters!
Canada has been very good to us, we have worked hard and done very well here, much different than what life in the U.K. would have been.
We have a great quality of life/work balance, we are surrounded with endless outdoor experiences all year long.
We only have been three times to the UK, twice in 2012 and just a few months ago in Nov 2017. Sadly one trip was unplanned in 2012 as we got one of those most dreaded phone calls "come home your dad is not going to make it" as an immigrant this has been the most difficult experience in our ten years and returning to Canada after burying my dad was very tough, my father-in law also went through major heart surgery and it was touch and go for him too, these are the times if we let the guilt wash over us it will sink us.
I personally find the hardest thing being here is watching your UK family grow up and continue on life without you, I haven't been at a family Christmas for 11 years and especially if you are from a close knit family those times can be sad.
We have had many visitors over the years of which we are very greatful, it's wonderful to show them our new home.
And this is our home, I could never live in the UK again, I was just there for two weeks and couldn't wait to come home to Canada. It's quite a weird feeling of being "disconnected" as it were to the place you were born and reared and something I think most expats feel as the years roll on. It's only natural really.
I still get people sick and miss the ocean though I'm just four hours drive from it, yes I too think driving four hours maybe there and back in the one day is totally normal ha ha.
We have not applied for Citizenship yet, I can't really say what is holding us back but perhaps we will get off our butts and do it soon!
Anyway, I don't be on here anymore too busy fishing and camping lol but just thought I'd do an update on our first big milestone eh!!

Shakyuk

Thanks for the share, nice to read a generally positive experience that is well grounded.

BristolUK

Posts like this show it to be an under-used part of the forum.
Citizenship costs an awful lot more than it used to.

AlvicBC

Thanks so much!!! Loving life here indeed for the most part.

AlvicBC

Yes it seems to be under used, I guess some of us wander off enjoying life and others are much more loyal posters!

We have moved about a lot and we're always worried about applications getting lost, having to re-apply etc, actually last June we looked more seriously into applying for Citizenship and I discovered neither mine or my husband's COPR were legible anymore and they have to be to apply. So I applied for new ones. I received mine via email within two weeks and he still has not got his 7 months later and we cannot get any answers from CIC. It's highly frustrating and looking like we might have to re-apply for his.
I've already renewed our PR cards once and they will be due this October again and I'd much rather not have to go through that again lol

BristolUK

I've renewed twice so far and not left Canada at all, so I find it quite easy and inexpensive @ $50 every 5 years. I'm not willing to fork out $630 for something not essential.

AlvicBC

Am I losing my marbles. I thought it cost me around $250 to renew five years ago and it was near as much paperwork as flaming immigrating in the first place. Had to provide the past five years income taxes etc. Please tell me I did something wrong and there's a much simpler way lol. Before we renewed I was under a silly impression it would be like renewing our drivers licence.

BristolUK

$50 for the card. Cost of photos and mailing/courier costs.

I checked my form (still in my docs from last year) just the other day because there was a discussion about how difficult it might be.
I enclosed copies of my landing form and my passport and signed the bit about allowing them to check CRA and immigration records.

Not having been away I had nothing else to do.

AlvicBC

Lol I’ve lost my memory then as I thought five years ago we paid a lot more than $50. Also we had to include photocopies of our past five years tax returns I for sure remember having to do that. Maybe just ticking the box to allow CIC to contact CRA is new then. Will be a lot handier!!

ann m

Congrats on your ten years!

AlvicBC

Thanks. How are you doing??

Verdant

Congratulations! It seems time has flown by for you and it's genuinely great to have the success stories return to share. As we edge ever closer to embarking on our adventure to BC this is something that we have gone over and over to the point that we started to lose sleep over it! Having lost my last parent in February, I had the chance to be there with them when they needed it. As a result of that, I felt that it would be unfair for my partner to not also have that opportunity. Unfortunately, my better half is a single child and that seems to come with even more pressure and guilt. We eventually sat down with the parents and had quite a frank discussion about it and they were pretty adamant that they didn't want them to be a reason for us not going (or even a partial reason). It doesn't make it easier, but we know they very much want to come out and visit as soon as possible - they're talking about this summer which might be too soon.

AlvicBC

I totally understand!!! My Dad was quite ill in the years before we left, we nearly lost him then. I remember saying to him I wouldn’t go if he didn’t want me to and he encouraged me to go on. He did not want us to live with the regret of “what if”. He was able to come twice to visit us in Saskatchewan and we took him to see the Rockies which was a lifelong dream of his. Sadly he never got to see BC for he would have been blown away by it.
I’ve kearnt that life is short and we are only a plane ride away at the end of the day. The guilt is tough but you have to what is right for you. What part of BC are you coming to?

mandymoochops

Congrats friend - some days it seems as though we've been here forever -other says it's just like yesterday Here's to a continued amazing ride xxx

AlvicBC

Thanks Moo. Someday before my 20th Anniversary I will get to come meet you lol. X