britishvixen21

For the longest time now I have been really unhappy here, I dont dislike Canada it is just time to go home. I am taking Canadian hubby with me but I had a few questions for the ones who have taken the leap

Firstly I wondered how easy it was to exchange your Canadian drivers license and if there was a fee attached, also I would only have had my full license about 2 months when we leave, would they make me do a test again?

How did you find getting a job? was it good that you had foreign experience or did it put some off? I have been away for 5 years now but I have excellent experience.

Credit - How easy was it to get credit, I have zero credit in the UK and my hubby is Canadian / British so wondered how easy it was to get a credit card, will taking my credit report from here be of any help?

Housing - did any of you get a house before you went back? how was that process?

Benefits - This is just a query but is there a waiting period for returning resident to be able to claim job seekers allowance?......just a thought

Thanks gang!! We have gone back and forth in our heads about going back for a good 18 months now and its a great realisation to be actually going!! D day for me is the 20th May 2007, or 36 weeks LOL

britishvixen21

23 views an no one responded!!!! was my post that boring!! LOL

dewdrop

No I don't think it is boring...LOL....may just take sometime to find the right person to answer..Do you have family there that can possible help you once you arrive with accomodations?

for drivers liscense I think all you need is to exchange your canadian for a british....there is a website all on this(google it)..I'm sure JAJ will know it.

we are wanting to move back too...we have an account in Canada HSBC for british-pounds..and hoping this will help us with some credit(as they have this bank over there)...all though, from what i hear you still need a bill or something to bank account...Ive heard Nat West was quite good.

Housing check out rightmove, or Vebra...shows current house prices in your specific area.

good luck. I know im not much help....we are from the Toronto area too!

JAJ

For a driving licence, http://www.dvla.gov.uk unless you plan to live in Northern Ireland. Have you previously had a GB licence?

One thing you should be aware of is that you can keep your Canadian permanent resident status indefinitely as long as you are accompanying your Canadian husband outside Canada. Unless the law changes etc - stay in touch.

northernbird

Get yourself on the electoral roll as soon as possible. having a bank account and credit cards doesn't mean you will get credit and your credit report from Canada will be of no use whatsoever. On our return to UK from Canada I couldn't even get a 15 quid a month mobile phone contract until I was on the electoral roll.

Sunshine Girl

Hi, I don't know if this will help or not, but I'm sure others will be along to post their experiences.
We have been in Canada for over 4 years now. We have secured citizenship, because it made absolute sense to do so.
You said that you had been in Canada for 5 years, but JAJ mentioned PR Status (maybe I missed something...sorry I'm not a regular).
It does make sense to gain Citizenship, especially as your eligable, and who knows. never say never..eh!
I'll try and redress some of your questions.
1. There is a reciprocal agreement between Canada and U.K. insofar as driving licenses (shame the same can't be said for Insurance).
You will find that your Canadian driving experience will be recognised in the U.K. for insurance purposes.
2. Credit. At the time I was returning 'Home' it was to work. Regulated profession, so never secured employment in Canada.
Because I was 'working', back in the U.K. but had no 'home' of my own, credit was problematic. However I was able to open a bank account (TSB), giving my mothers address as a fixed abode. I guess the complication for me was living in Canada, and with no 'utility bills' in the U.K.
3. I was working in the U.K. in order to secure a morgage. I was informed I needed to prove ability to pay the morgage.
Unfortunately whilst I was in the U.K. I was involved in a car accident, so was never able to pursue the morgage, because I could'nt comply with the 3 months salary requirement.
Just waiting for the compensation to put me back in the position I would have been had it not been for the accident, ie 'Home'.
So currently stuck very unhappily in Canada.
Benefits...sorry I have no idea. I'm sure that somebody will be along shortly that does.
Whats D Day 20th May? Just 'co I'm a nosey bonk!
Regards.

britishvixen21

Thanks for the responses guys thats awesome!!
Dewdrop we need to do drinks!! PM me if you fancy meeting up for lunch and a whine about how we miss home!
Sunshine thanks for the great post, I hope you werent too badly hurt! I have been in Canada five years but only 2 nearly as a permenant resident. My husband is Canadian so if we leave for the UK without my citizenship I will still be able to return as a PR because there is a rule that if you are travelling outside the country with a Canadian Citizen as your spouse you still keep your PR status. I am eligable to apply for Citizenship in 2009 and quite frankly I cannot wait that long!
DDay is the day of my return to the UK I already had a flight booked for then to go see my Mum so I will just make it one way and upgrade. Hubby will join me a week later.

polarbearmum

Be careful, from my understanding if you exchange your canadian drivers licence then you will be restricted to an automatic licence only in the UK, unless you can prove that you passed your test in a manual car!!!! If you are fine with the restriction then exchanging is the way to go, however if you, like my OH want to be able to drive, and are capable of driving a manual then you will need to undertake a theory and road test in the UK
Of course this is what I have been told. I will let you know for definate next week as we land on Thursday. OH will be off to the local DVLA on friday!!!!!!

(I assume you mean 20th May 2008!! or can you teach me time travel?)

Just checked out the site on behalf of my OH, apparantly an exchange is not possible (I used the online help). You can drive up to 12 months on your canadian licence but then have to do a theory test and road test. Of course being a typical government site it also then goes on to say that you can phone the DVLA directly and ask about exchanging licences...... do they actually know what they are talking about??????? What I did find though is that you can register (free of charge) with the DSA and take two practice theory tests. If you pay 6.99GBP you can get 30 days access to actual questions used in the theory test. The number of questions in the multiple choice has increase to 50 and in order to pass you have to correctly answer 43 questions.

Sunshine Girl

Polarbearmum may be correct in that. In fact I do know that most Candian drivers license are restricted to Automatics, because they mainly drive just automatics. Majority of Canadians are not used to manual or 'shift stick'.
When I exchanged my U.K. driving license I photocopied my original 'paper' license, as it had all my details and the fact that I passed my test on a manual. I passed my driving test in England, so I can just exchange mine back for a manual license.
It follows that if your license is Canadian, insofar as you took your actual test in Canada driving an automatic, then you can still exchange it, as per the recipricol agreement but that it will be restricted to driving automatics only. Makes absolute sense really.
Sorry I may have inadvertently assumed that your original license was English.

britishvixen21

I dont have a english license, (actually dont have one here either, but il pass before we go back as it works out cheaper) we had phoned the DVLA and they had said about it being only automatic, which is fine.,

But thanks for the heads up about the 12 month thing, that might be an idea.

Thanks guys

raine66

Best of luck to you both on your return.

louisasurreygirl

Hi all, I haven't been on B.E. for ages, but just wanted to say thank you for your post BritishVixen. I am in exactly the same position (am also in Toronto too in fact), and I was looking for the same answers to questions as you have posted!

I think the biggest issue moving back will be the credit problem... Might not be so bad for me as I have kept my UK bank account open and a credit card open, but my husband has never resided in the UK. He does however hold UK citizenship, although I don't think that will help much with credit. I read somewhere, that you need about 3 months worth of pay cheques before qualifying for a mortgage. Perhaps someone has more insight with that one? thanks a lot !

polarbearmum

Add your husband to your bank account as soon as possible upon arrival back in the uk. Get registered on the electorol roll as soon as possible.
Depends upon the bank/building society as to how long they want for a qualifying period. We have an appointment to discuss this with a mortgage broker soon.
Problem we've encountered is trying to rent - as we have only just arrived they are requiring a guarantor, either that or us paying 6-12months rent upfront! We are lucky that this might be possible otherwise we will have to use my parents as guarantors and I am not comfortable with this at all.

britishvixen21

This is the same problem as us its a bit like a viscious circle, we cant rent anywhere without a job, we cant get a job without a bank account and cant open a bank account without a house LOL. so we are opening an offshore account with Lloyds in Jersey and we will have to pay 6 months upfront, which is fine, at least we know we will have a roof over our head and an address seems to be the key to everything!! LOL

ann m

What a nightmare !! With all the research we do to emigrate in the first place, you kind of forget how much more you might need to do to go home again. I for one, would be clueless. You just kind of assume you pick up where you left off and everyone will provide what you need. You forget you might have to wriggle and fight for the necessities ! Good luck BV