ScottD

Where you live If you choose between US and Canada ? I never been to Canada but my work is offering me a job there and I have a different offer from a US company

Does the the move to Canada worth it ? I wanna hear from the people who lived in both countries about their experience

Thanks

caleyjag

I have lived in both.

Canada is an enormous place. You need to tell us which city you will be sent to.

What do you do? Are you British? Which city is the US company offering you a job in? Are they committed to taking care of your visa and all the associated expenses for you?

christmasoompa

I haven't lived in both but we've had the same decision to make as hubby had job offers from both countries and we have chosen Canada.

There were various reasons behind the decision but they're fairly personal ones such as our children being given the chance to become bilingual, a love of skiing and outdoor activities that are more easily accessible in Canada, better job security and better salary, the chance of citizenship after 3 years rather than 5, easier immigration, etc. Our reasons may not apply to you!

I think you need to give people more info if you want them to help you make a decision - where are both of the jobs based and what visa will you be on in both countries?

caleyjag

Also, what climate are you looking for?

Both countries are huge. California alone has a massive variety in weather patterns, depending on where you live.

It isn't quite as simple as USA=sunny, Canada=ice packs, which is what a lot of Brits seem to think.

christmasoompa

Another v good thing to consider. We are probably very unusual as we wanted four proper seasons rather than non-stop sunshine - most people would probably have jumped at the chance of a move to California but it just wouldn't have suited us. So that was another reason for us to choose Canada.

scrubbedexpat091

There were various reasons behind the decision but they're fairly personal ones such as our children being given the chance to become bilingual.

Outside of Quebec Canada isn't as bilingual as the US is, in my experience.

I would prefer the US but I am from there, and my wife prefers Canada.

It all depends on what you want, want warm weather all year, Canada isn't for you, want to live in a french speaking area, Canada would be better, and the list goes on and on.

Having lived in BC, Alberta and several US states, California is and always will be my # 1 choice to live. Nowhere in Canada compares to California.

But thats me, you have to decide what you want and which country best offers it.

christmasoompa

They will be going to a French Immersion school, so will be taught in French.

ScottD

I am a US citizen but when my work give me the chance to move to Canada I thought this could be a chance to relax a little bit in life . I feel the life in US stressful and I need to work like a machine till I become 65 and no way to retire early due to the fact that I can not get Medicare before the age of 65 . The offer in Vancouver and currently I live in Florida .

caleyjag

Hmmmm.

Vancouver is brilliant, and strikes me as quite good place to enjoy your twilight years. I've met a lot of happy pensioners there. How old are you now, if you don't mind me asking?

Someone older from those parts can hopefully fill us in on the healthcare situation up there. I am under the impression that Canada has more in common with the US than the UK in that regard, but I don't really know.

I would be wary of the idea that Canadians take it easy though. The work climate is very similar to the US in my experience. It's not the land of milk and honey, but if you want to get some outdoor pursuits on the go, British Columbia is hard to beat.

The scenery is second to none, of course, and certainly blows Florida out of the water!

Property in Vancouver is very expensive, so watch out for that.

scrubbedexpat091

Canada has universal healthcare for basic healthcare needs and BC is no exception but it does not cover everything and there are out of pocket costs.

For folks not considered low income there are monthly premiums that vary from 54 per month to 108 per month depending on family size, and there is no discount for being a senior, however low income folks of any age may be eligible for a partial or full subsidy to cover the premiums.

BC has pharmacare coverage that assists for prescriptions but coverage depends on income, the more income the less it helps so be prepared to pay out of pocket.

Things such as dental, routine vision for adults 18-64, chiropractic (some exceptions.), eye glasses, hearing aids, anything not medically necessary, preventive services or tests not deemed effective such as routine annual exam, prostate specific antigen, whole body CT's etc are not covered.

Services for counselors or psychologists are not covered.

Medical exams or services for employment, school, immigration, life insurance, drivers license etc not covered.

There are exceptions but they are the general things not covered.

The work environment in most of BC is about the same as the more progressive states like Washigton or California, dont expect a ton of time off for the most part and the government doesn't provide extensive workers rights, union employees may differ.

On a whole there is not a huge difference between the US and Canada at the end of the day.

snowbunny

Universal health care for is HUGE - there are opportunities for self-employment, working part-time, or early retirement that don't exist due to the need to keep working in the US to maintain health insurance. And he would be coming from Florida - hardly a "progressive" state (neither is Texas with regard to worker rights).

caleyjag

See that's it right there. I've lived in B.C., Washington and Northern California.

I really find it hard to find much difference between the three, to be honest, which is why I get somewhat stumped with the US vs Canada debates I always seem to get drawn into.

Similarly, Alberta and Colorado seem to me to be very similar. On the other hand, Southern California could be from a different planet.

That's why I tend to now look at North America as one giant mass with many microstates, rather than simply reducing it to two separate countries.

(Obviously with this analysis I am talking about geography and lifestyle, rather than visas and so on).

scrubbedexpat091

I was posting not in direct response but rather a run down of what health care in BC consists of for those who may be interested, not necessarily those in Texas or Florida or those wanting to retire early.

So many associate Canada with free healthcare which is so not the case.

Many provinces have monthly premiums, most wont cover medications not given in a hospital, we have limited prescription coverage in BC but one still will pay a decent amount out of pocket unless low income.

caleyjag

One only has to visit the downtown eastside in Vancouver to see that healthcare in Canada has some way to go to being 'universal'. As Jsmth says, it's a lot more complicated.

While I did say I met a bunch of happy ex-pat pensioners living in Vancouver, I did unfortunately meet a few old Brits who were preparing to return to the UK because their health costs in Canada were spiraling out of control. They were very sad.

Perhaps the OP should be looking at ways to move to Europe.

snowbunny

You gave a good response on expenses. I sincerely hope there aren't a lot of people wandering around thinking universal coverage is "free." However, it does untie health insurance coverage from one's employer, which grants a whole other kind of "freedom" - to be self-employed, for example.

There will always be some people who cannot spare a dollar and will therefore be turned away from a system that charges *any* cost at the point of use. Sad but true. But I still think it best to unlink one's health insurance from one's employer, especially in times when so many people are losing jobs and if lucky, switching (US) employers, who become more motivated all the time to drop health insurance coverage as a benefit.