red_onion

Hi, I apologies in advance if this has been asked before. My background is as follows. I've been working in IT for over 12 yrs. I live in London and work for one of the big players in IT consultancy. Married with two kids, mortgage etc. I am on the verge of a job offer to join a similar company in Ontario. Learning from the good people of this forum it could take anything between 12 to 18 weeks to get LMO which the company don't mind waiting. My preference really is to immigrate to US and I have posted a few questions on the US section of this forum. Due to job market etc that is yet to materialise. My question I guess is living in Toronto better than London? If so in what aspect? Or do I just wait until I get an opportunity to relocate to US? Does being a Canadian PR/Citizen has any advantage in moving over to US long term? Does anyone has any regrets moving over from these shores? I guess these things are more of a personal experience/account than anything else but I take all advice.
Many thanks

Former Lancastrian

The question to ask yourself is why do you want to move if you are already employed in the UK?
There is no guarantee that either Canada or the USA would be any better or worse.
Having Canadian PR wont necessarily help you in relocating to the US at a later date.
What are the chances of being relocated on an Intra Co Transfer as opposed to quitting your job and then securing another either in Canada or the USA.
Only you will be able to make the decision. Given the job markets in both Canada and the US I feel you will run into problems with a company willing to offer you a job and especially seeing both countries have lots of people just as qualified or better qualified than you who might be unemployed at the moment.
Certainly Canada is becoming more stricter on the hiring of foreign workers than it used to be.

Novocastrian

I can't answer your question but I suspect neither can anyone else, unless it can become more specific. OK, you're specific about the potential Canadian location because you can be, but the US isn't, despite the prejudices of some, exactly homogeneous.

I've lived in LA and Toronto and (greatly) prefer the latter. I haven't, to pluck an e.g., lived in Chicago, New York or Kansas City. I might prefer any or all of the above to Toronto (although likely not Kansas City).

Again, it's not relevant to you, but for me I wouldn't choose to live anywhere in the States since the over-reaction to 9/11 has changed it so much for the worse.

Piff Poff

Moving to Toronto, might be the best move you could ever make, or it could be the worst, best case scenario it would be better than London, same could be said for a move to the US. No one can answer that for you and you won't know until you actually make the move, we have seen people on this this board who have done so much preparation into their move and so positive about it and watched them hate their 'new life' and returned to the UK and others who have just moved on a whim and love it. And yet more (like me) who initially loved it but now has grown to feel neither love or hate but just tired of it all. One thing I have learned is that we are really happy to have chosen Canada over the States, nice to visit but I wouldn't want to live there - but that is my personal feelings.

ExKiwilass

what appeals to you about the States over Canada?

dbd33

I've worked in most States. I lived, in Canada, for seven years or so with an American, making frequent visits to the US. I can't see that there's much to choose.

If you have, or anticipate having, illnesses choose the UK or Canada. If you like warmth choose the US. If you expect to be poor choose the UK.

BristolUK

This should be a slogan or something on the front page of the site.

james.mc

Excellent summary!

red_onion

thanks for taking your time to reply. I am aware that these things are down to personal experiences hence I am kind of looking for a more general answer. Former Lancastrian Intra company transfer is an option which I am looking at to US but it not looking good due to things being slow. I dont quite know what you mean by why move if employed in the UK. Lack of job is not my primary reason for wanting to move rather life and scenery change both the wife and kids. Again I dont quite get what 'you will run into problems with a company willing to offer you a job' mean but I guess if the company found someone more suitable locally they would employ this person rather than me. US is more appealing to us due to family connections nothing more but what I dont know is whether passing an opportunity like this worth the wait. Again thanks for your time.

Novocastrian

On an LMO application the employer has to prove that they could find no-one (Canadian or PR in Canada) equally suitable to you as the foreigner. If they can do that, OK, you get your TWP.

If, say, six months later they either don't like you or the market contracts or whatever, they can simply let you go and you (and your family) are up shit creek without much in the paddle department.

Steve_

Difficult to say, depends what you mean by "living in Toronto", if you live downtown you're still in a tiny box and traffic around Toronto is epic, I can't remember anywhere that's worse (mmm... Vancouver), certainly as bad as the M25 at rush hour. I suppose gas is cheaper though. Obviously it's colder during the winter, but it's usually warmer during the summer.

Wait for what though. The immigration reform bill increases the quota for H-1B but makes them harder to get: http://www.cis.org/north/big-it-comp...any-h-1b-visas

Mainly because of Infosys abusing them.

"Systems Analyst" is a listed NAFTA occupation, so if you are a Canadian citizen this does make it easier to work in the US if you are one. You enter as TN-1. Read 8 CFR 214.6

Although it's easy to get (you basically just need a job offer letter from the US employer and proof of your qualifications), I've seen various people come to grief using it, because it's a temporary category and you have to maintain non-immigrant intent, which means maintain ties to Canada. This is a good example.

Steve_

This is a point really that should be in every single thread about immigration on this forum and every immigration forum really, it's just it's so obvious that no-one ever says it.

If you're on a work permit, you are tied to that employer and you essentially have the Sword of Damocles hanging over your head.

It's not a good idea to be on a work permit under any circumstances in any country really if you can avoid it. I mean if you're just nipping over the border like a lot of Canadians do (cross border commuter) it's not so bad but moving from another continent is highly risky.

Forget whether they like you or not, what if they go bust? Or take advantage of you in some way?

For example I remember meeting an American in Calgary who was here on a TWP in the construction industry and his employer basically refused to sponsor him for PR status because they knew given the job market for construction at the time that he would almost certainly leave them. So he ended up moving back to the US.

dbd33

Houses are cheaper than in London.

Siouxie

If they have PNP nomination and approval then they can get a work permit on the back of that - no LMO required - whilst PR is processing.

red_onion

I can't stress enough how important it is to hear your views as uncomfortable as some of may seem as myself struggling to make the right decision. If the company choses FSW2 route wouldn't that allow me PR status sometime in future? Would that still tie me to the company?