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Should we move to NZ or Canada?

Should we move to NZ or Canada?

Old Jul 15th 2016, 6:52 pm
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Default Should we move to NZ or Canada?

Hello! I am new to this forum so apologies if this has been answered before.

My husband and I have always wanted to emigrate (with our two young children) to either NZ or Canada. We have decided that now, with the age of our children, it would be the perfect time. However we are having a real dilemma which to aim for. Any recommendations/experience greatly appreciated.

The pros of NZ for us are predominantly warmer climate, more house for $$, outdoor lifestyle, ie opportunities for cycling etc.

Pros of Canada for us are closer to UK for visiting family, proximity to USA so perhaps greater career opportunities and future university options for children?

Please help! We really want to feel welcomed and settled somewhere.
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Old Jul 15th 2016, 7:08 pm
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Default Re: Should we move to NZ or Canada?

Hi there, this really is a 'how long is a piece of string' question. What might be the awesomest decision ever for one family could very likely be gigantic mistake for others. It would be irresponsible and arrogant for anyone to assume what worked / didn't work for them will work / not work for your family.

I would suggest reading thru pages and pages of this thread and the Canadian equivalent, make notes of the concerns / positives that strike a chord with you personally.

I have lived in the UK 15 years, returning home to NZ soon-ish but still very nervous of the unknown ahead of us.
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Old Jul 15th 2016, 7:10 pm
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Default Re: Should we move to NZ or Canada?

Also visa / entry requirements would be fundamental, do you qualify for both countries?
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Old Jul 15th 2016, 8:24 pm
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Default Re: Should we move to NZ or Canada?

Originally Posted by amybeans
Hello! I am new to this forum so apologies if this has been answered before.
Its not like there is a single right answer.

I love NZ. I have no knowledge of Canada. YMMV
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Old Jul 15th 2016, 9:01 pm
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Default Re: Should we move to NZ or Canada?

Originally Posted by simonsi
Its not like there is a single right answer.

I love NZ. I have no knowledge of Canada. YMMV
Thank you. Yes I know it is very subjective, but I am interested to heat what people like / dislike about living in both... ☺
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Old Jul 15th 2016, 10:42 pm
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Default Re: Should we move to NZ or Canada?

There will be very few people who have experience of both; it's incumbent on you to determine what most appeals to you about these too countries other that a desire to leave the UK and live 'somewhere' else that speaks the same language.

How did you narrow it down to NZ and Canada, have you looked at Aussie or other countries? Why draws you only to be considering NZ and Canada?

NZ and Canada I daresay are vastly different, I haven't ever look at or been to Canada but might like to go the one day for holidays but never was going to be an option as a place for us to live due to extreme cold. However, I often rue the day I chose NZ due to the often extreme level of rain - there's no happy medium.

People that I do know that have lived in Canada and other places or countries that are colder than NZ, actually feel the cold much more in NZ (include myself in the latter),

It seems that it's easier to cope with / live with the cold in Canada, as folks are clearly not in denial about the climate and housing is built to suit. In NZ we largely have housing that wouldn't go a miss in a climate of Queensland and California with no heating, insulation or double glazing and it can be a lot of hassle and expense to retro-fit and bring an existing house up to a level of comfort that you would be accustomed to.

You also have to look very closely at your criteria. e.g. Warmer climate and more house for $$s is certainly not a given in a lot of NZ and will vary greatly depending on which part of NZ you are talking about.
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Old Jul 15th 2016, 11:26 pm
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Default Re: Should we move to NZ or Canada?

really chalk and cheese, even the south island of NZ is different from the North Island. Canada is such a large country they will also have their differences from the North or South. really impossible question.

as already pointed out the visa options/process are also very different.

Do you qualify for both?

what are your skill sets and at least we can answer questions on NZ's visa process
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Old Jul 16th 2016, 1:42 am
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Default Re: Should we move to NZ or Canada?

You first need to look into visas and which country you can get in to. Everything else regarding lifestyle, cost of living, climate, education etc are all moot points until you establish whether you can get in or not.
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Old Jul 16th 2016, 2:20 am
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Default Re: Should we move to NZ or Canada?

Originally Posted by amybeans
Thank you. Yes I know it is very subjective, but I am interested to heat what people like / dislike about living in both... ☺
There would be very few people that have lived in both. We sometimes get people asking same question on the Australia forum but I can only think of two posters that would be in a position to answer and one of those because she is Canadian not British.

I think you need to first of all check the visa situation and then if you do qualify for both countries you need to decide what it is you hope to achieve and then look to see which can better provide that. I would never have equated NZ with cheap housing by the way.
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Old Jul 16th 2016, 6:13 am
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Default Re: Should we move to NZ or Canada?

I actually work with some Canadians.

They also find NZ very expensive, quiet and they're as confused as us Brits as to why the housing is of such poor quality but still so expensive. They still enjoy life here but these things still bother them.

After being here for 5 years I wish we would have looked at Canada, being able to fly back to the UK much quicker and at much more affordable rates to see family is massive and until you've been here for some time you'll not realise how important it is. We've been back once in 5 years and it's bloody hard.
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Old Jul 16th 2016, 7:09 am
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Default Re: Should we move to NZ or Canada?

Duplicate post

Last edited by Kotare; Jul 16th 2016 at 7:12 am.
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Old Jul 16th 2016, 7:11 am
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Default Re: Should we move to NZ or Canada?

After living for a month in Ottawa (with side trips to Quebec) I couldn't wait to leave. Canadians just as insular as Kiwis and with a major chip ref American neighbours (bit like the kiwi/oz split) :-)

If you can cope with the cold and midges (worse than sandflies) and baseball/ice hockey rather than rugby go for it.
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Old Jul 16th 2016, 7:34 am
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Default Re: Should we move to NZ or Canada?

Originally Posted by amybeans
Hello! I am new to this forum so apologies if this has been answered before.

My husband and I have always wanted to emigrate (with our two young children) to either NZ or Canada. We have decided that now, with the age of our children, it would be the perfect time. However we are having a real dilemma which to aim for. Any recommendations/experience greatly appreciated.

The pros of NZ for us are predominantly warmer climate, more house for $$, outdoor lifestyle, ie opportunities for cycling etc.

Pros of Canada for us are closer to UK for visiting family, proximity to USA so perhaps greater career opportunities and future university options for children?

Please help! We really want to feel welcomed and settled somewhere.
All I'll say is that here in NZ I work with a few Canadians and all of them give the same reasons why they left their home country to come and live in NZ - the weather/climate and the adventure!
I'm working with one of them on night shift tonight and one thing he says to be sure of is you MUST like the winter in Canada. It is long with a whole season generally made up of snow/wind/blizzards and average approx minus 15/20 degrees but you'd get pockets of a week or so when it was minus 25 then the odd day minus 30. He also says the extremes are also something you MUST get used to as it could be like +5 degrees during the day on a sunny winter day but then drop to minus 30 overnight. If that's gonna make you or anyone in your family miserable year on year, then it's not the place for you as there is no let up. If you are going to embrace it and get out despite the weather and do stuff then fine.
Here in NZ the weather and climate is much more temperate without the extremes. You will get snow in the Lower South island is that's where you wanna be but if you come to the north it's unlikely you'll see snow unless you go and drive to Tongariro/Ruapehu for the snow season.
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Old Jul 17th 2016, 4:23 pm
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Default Re: Should we move to NZ or Canada?

This is a very complicated question. Canada is huge, stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and has a massive variation in climate.

For example looking at Climate & Weather | Vancouver Island, BC | Destination BC - Official Site Vancouver Island is nicely temperate and average temperatures don't seem to go below freezing any time in the year.

Alternatively looking at https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather...canada_5992539 the temperature only rises above freezing in June, July, August and September.

Your question about Canada is like a Canadian asking "should I move to Europe or NZ?". Where in Europe? Sicily? Northern Norway? Switzerland?

Canada is much bigger than Europe and stretches roughly from Northern Spain to well beyond the Arctic Circle.

Big issue - coastal or inland?

NZ (like the UK) is nearly all coastal which buffers extremes of weather.

Canada is mainly inland, which means it can be very hot in the summer and very, very cold in the winter.

Anyway, enough of this

You need to tie down a location and look at the job prospects and visa requirements before you can begin to make comparisons.
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Old Jul 17th 2016, 4:32 pm
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Default Re: Should we move to NZ or Canada?

Originally Posted by amybeans
<snip>

Please help! We really want to feel welcomed and settled somewhere.
Does this mean that you don't feel welcomed and settled where you are?

The first question when people say they want to emigrate is "Why?".

What do you think that you will get in NZ or Canada which you won't get in the UK?

It has been said many times, but if you are running away from an unhappy situation where you currently live, moving to a new country will not guarantee that you will suddenly be happy. You are just as likely to be unhappy in a strange country where you are viewed as an outsider.

Despite Brexit rumblings, Europe is still a very large and diverse place. There are also Brit enclaves all over the place if you are concerned about the language.

We can see your decision, but we don't know what has driven it. It would help if we did.

Even simple things like where you currently live, what jobs you do, what kind of place would you like to live?

Then we can start with the "helpful suggestions".
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