Ling_Noi

I flew into Pearson's airport last week on the old Federal Skilled Workers program.

I had a tonne of paperwork with me to prove that I had secured a job here and that me and my wife were married etc. I was panicking that they'd send us back to the UK for some reason but they never asked to see any of it. They simply asked how much cash I had access to and the $9000 I had seemed enough.

I'd never stepped foot in the Americas before last Friday and I was initially hit with the fact that Canada is far more like the US than the UK. I'd naively thought that British influence over Canada would have more prominent than American, but I was very wrong. That only stands for infrastructure, retail etc.

Since I was due to start work next month, the first thing I needed was an SIN. I went into Toronto city hall and they issued one the same day. I was worried that having no permanent address would be an issue but they were happy to take a hotel address.

We then went to RBC and opened an account, banking isn't free here like the UK, but I'd been paying for my account in the UK for the last 8 months anyway, so that was no big deal. Customer service in RBC was miles better than any bank in the UK. They opened the account with no address and arranged to have all the cheque book etc sent to the branch. They also gave me a credit card with a $2500 limit to get me started on building a Canadian credit record. They also threw in a free iPad mini if I kept the account for 12 months. The only negative thing about Canadian banking is that you have to use their ATMs, not just any like we can back home. I think they should just bite the bullet and create a common network free of charges but there's probably some reason (read profit) that they don't.

Then we went on the hunt for an apartment. I'd been told about Kijiji and went on there to look for a place. I emailed about a dozen people to get viewings and more info. A couple of places were very close to where I was working on Yonge/Finch. After viewing 3 - one was clearly a building site and the landlord was bending over back (Emerald Towers in Sheppard) wards to get us in, which made me very suspicious.

We ended up in the 2nd place we viewed. Very nice quality compared to the UK and significantly cheaper than London and only marginally cheaper than Liverpool. No council tax (owners pay) and water hot/cold included. I've got Rodgers coming on Monday to fit the interent.

So that's the current situation. We went to Walmart in Thornbury to get some key electricals - kettle, toaster etc. Employees in there look run ragged.

Now I'm waiting on my PR card and first paycheque to get this placed furnished.

I'm pretty sure I'll need a car as well. It's not was easy to get about here as it is in the UK.

Overall I'm loving the place though. The food is amazing and my wife is very happy which is one of the reasons we moved here. She loves the easy access to asian cuisine and nobody bats an eye when seeing a white male hand-in-hand with an asian woman here.

magnumpi

Were did you came from that they do "bat eyes"

Yonge finch is great for Kareoke bars, see loads of em there when I pass thru

scilly

Glad to hear that you found it so easy, and are getting yourself organized.

I'm a bit surprised at your comment re "batting eyes" .......... but that maybe because Vancouver has close to 40% Asian population, and our closest community Richmond has over 60% Asian, Thus it is quite common to see mixed couples, and has been for many years.

Just as a matter of interest, what made you go to RBC? Did you investigate any of the other banks?

Ling_Noi

2 weeks before we left for Canada some kid pulled his eyes upwards as to emulate a Chinese person's eyes and muttered some Chinese nonsense while I was walking with my wife. This wasn't the first incident and if I'd stayed it wouldn't be the last.

I'm not rosey eyed and I know there are bigots here too, just far fewer of them it seems.

I had researched other banks a different wanted to go with Tangerine. I'll move eventually but for now I need branches so I can go in and solve any problems.

magnumpi

I don't think u have any issues here regarding mix marriages in Toronto. You should go down town to spadina College area (China Town) it's crazy down there lol. Some great food though.

scilly

Tangerine does have a few brick-and-mortar branches in Canada, including one in Toronto

They call them Tangerine Cafes, but they just have ABMs in the vestibule ....... the Toronto one is at the corner of Yonge and Shuter.

I found the Vancouver one just a couple of weeks ago, as I rarely go into the business area downtown ......... plus I gave up my ING/Tangerine account in December.

Most of us who used ING which then became Tangerine used it as an "add-on" .......... we had regular accounts in one of the standard banks, and used ING/Tangerine for savings, transferring money back and forth between the two as necessary.

I hope you have better luck with RBC in Toronto than I have had with branches in Vancouver and Halifax. I think the Vancouver branch closest to me is staffed by the discards from all other branches, the ones who don't understand banking or even know what services the bank offers!

Ling_Noi

President's Choice is another free one that I've read about. They let you use Scotiabank ATMs.

RE: mixed marriage. I lived in Brighton before moving back home to Liverpool and didn't have any problems there. Brighton/London is far more progressive than the rest of the country.

JGK

Make sure you are sitting down when you ask for the quote for the auto-insurance premium. Even if you don't black out from shock it will take your breath away.

JamesM

Enjoy the honeymoon period.

BristolUK

I think you mean CIBC machines. For non PC/CIBC machines there's a charge.

Siouxie

Welcome to Canada - and BE!

Glad to hear you are settling in well and enjoying life.

Just to let you know, you can use any ATM machine - not just RBC's - but you will be charged for doing so.

Novocastrian

The OP has been a member since 2008, but the welcome to Canada is echoed from me.

He is doing well having already discovered the Walmart in Thornbury, whereas I've never even heard of Thornbury.

Ling_Noi

Thornhill sorry.

Ling_Noi

$6000 I've got. More than double what I was paying in the UK.

JonboyE

Almost 20 years ago it was commonplace outside of London.

Yes.