US American Family gathering information about moving to Canada... (low income, real estate)
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So, I know I've seen a few threads on here about US people moving to Canada... but I thought I'd post another and see what other info I can pick up.
We are young (late 20's/early30s) couple with a 3.5 year old son and hopefully anther child soon as well. We currently live in Arizona, but are originally from Ohio and are strongly considering a move to Canada. We are really up in the air about what part to move to. We obviously, prefer the climate of the west but have extended family in Ohio, so the east - specifically Ontario is well within driving distance for us. We would prefer to stay out of the BIG city, but aren't really suburbanites either. Ideally, we would like to find a smaller town that has a culture and flare of its own. (As a US comparison) we are typically drawn to college towns that have a good arts and music scene and good public education. We like areas that are family oriented but also diverse and progressive. We both hold degrees (my husband has an advanced degree) but neither of us use our degrees in our respective lines of work. Currently, I am in real estate and my husband works part time as a substitute teacher while working on some creative projects of his own. We are pretty open to different work / career option. But the possibility of us getting a company sponsorship/ transfer is probably non-existant. So, (I think) we would need to apply for a permanent work visa and find jobs when we get there.
Here are some basic things I would like to know:
1. Suggestions on cities/ town to check out, based on what I mentioned above.
2. Any info on the schools would be very helpful. Are they generally better than US schools? We prefer public to private if the public schools are reputable.
3. Any tips on applying for visas etc. We have read a little bit - but are still fuzzy about what we would need to do. I've been reading lately that it is highly advisable to hire an immigration attorney.
4. Would we definitely need to have work lined up before they will approve our visas, or can we be approved and look for work when we arrive?
5. I'm also curious about whether our credit would start over again in Canada. I know when Canadians come to the US, it does and they have to re-build credit. And generally they need a huge lump of cash in order to purchase a home b/c the banks have no credit history to go off of. If this is the case, we would like to put more effort into saving cash so that it makes purchasing items (like cars or a house) easier when we get there.
6. I'd like some info and / or opinions on the health care system. I've heard both good and bad. Do people's experience differ based on where they live (ie. maybe not as good in large cities b/c more people needing services)???
I think before you give up on USa you should look some more especially if you do not understand the implications of socialized medicine. Google Canada immigration laws and also their citizenship requirement. The last time I looked it was quite telling.I think you will be surprised.
I think before you give up on USa you should look some more especially if you do not understand the implications of socialized medicine. Google Canada immigration laws and also their citizenship requirement. The last time I looked it was quite telling.I think you will be surprised.
Linicx... what has been your experience with it? Not good? What specifically turns you off about it?
If you don't have a job lined up, Canada will take their sweet time to get to your immigrant papers. I'm talking years. This is just for the permanent residency. Citizenship even longer, and that's after the residency.
Your degrees and experience may help, but without a job lined up...*shrugs* The employer also has to prove they cannot find a suitable Canadian citizen to hire before hiring you. So the first thing to do is to find a Canadian company to hire you even before you consider moving to Canada.
Hiring an immigrant attorney is highly recommended. It's a pain in the ass.
Your credit start fresh in Canada. You need to be issued a SIN first before you can apply for credit. If you have a job lined up in Canada, you will bypass the $10,000 CAD liquid assets requirements. I'd rent for a while before buying.
Public schools are typically superior in Canada over the USA.
Like linixc said, you will need to understand how health works in Canada. It's NOT free. I repeat, it's NOT FREE. Oh, I should mention this -- taxes are much higher in Canada. You most likely will still need to file taxes in the USA long after you have moved to Canada.
I am an American that has lived in Canada for about 18 months now. Here are some of my thoughts...
PR is the way to go if you can't get a job offer and favorable LMO before moving here. An attorney will make the process easier on you but it is certainly not difficult to handle on your own. The PR process, without arranged employment, should take a couple of years before you can move up to Canada. Here is more info on PR...
Aside from the weather, my only two complaints about Canada are the very high taxes and the healthcare system. There are divided camps when it comes to healthcare. What works for one person, may not work for another. I happen to hate the Canadian healthcare system. Generally speaking, the Canadian healthcare system favors people with low incomes.
Buying a home here is easy. Just bring your 20% down payment and most mortgage companies/banks can work off your US credit resports. I found the purchasing/mortgage process to be on equal terms as in the US.
Moving to Canada is not an insignificant event. Chances are, unless you have family or a specific [and truly amazing] job up here, you would probably be better off moving to someplace else in the US.
What is it that you hope to get in Canada that you cannot find in the US?
So, I know I've seen a few threads on here about US people moving to Canada... but I thought I'd post another and see what other info I can pick up.
We are young (late 20's/early30s) couple with a 3.5 year old son and hopefully anther child soon as well. We currently live in Arizona, but are originally from Ohio and are strongly considering a move to Canada. We are really up in the air about what part to move to. We obviously, prefer the climate of the west but have extended family in Ohio, so the east - specifically Ontario is well within driving distance for us. We would prefer to stay out of the BIG city, but aren't really suburbanites either. Ideally, we would like to find a smaller town that has a culture and flare of its own. (As a US comparison) we are typically drawn to college towns that have a good arts and music scene and good public education. We like areas that are family oriented but also diverse and progressive. We both hold degrees (my husband has an advanced degree) but neither of us use our degrees in our respective lines of work. Currently, I am in real estate and my husband works part time as a substitute teacher while working on some creative projects of his own. We are pretty open to different work / career option. But the possibility of us getting a company sponsorship/ transfer is probably non-existant. So, (I think) we would need to apply for a permanent work visa and find jobs when we get there.
Here are some basic things I would like to know:
1. Suggestions on cities/ town to check out, based on what I mentioned above. Perhaps check into the London area of south-western Ontario
2. Any info on the schools would be very helpful. Are they generally better than US schools? We prefer public to private if the public schools are reputable. Education standrads are established by each individual province. Ontario has established a uniform base curriculum applicable to entire province. Is a Canadian education better? THat would depend on what one considers better, but the curriculum is certainly going to oriented toward different material than in the US.
3. Any tips on applying for visas etc. We have read a little bit - but are still fuzzy about what we would need to do. I've been reading lately that it is highly advisable to hire an immigration attorney. Hiring an attorney is a personal decision, but, based on my experience, the Canadian immigration system is not particularly difficult; it's more a case of reams of paperwork which require careful attention. Canada's immigration system is based on a points formula. Go to the Citizenship and Immigration Canada web site, take the test and view the various immigration categories.
4. Would we definitely need to have work lined up before they will approve our visas, or can we be approved and look for work when we arrive?
5. I'm also curious about whether our credit would start over again in Canada. I know when Canadians come to the US, it does and they have to re-build credit. And generally they need a huge lump of cash in order to purchase a home b/c the banks have no credit history to go off of. If this is the case, we would like to put more effort into saving cash so that it makes purchasing items (like cars or a house) easier when we get there. Typically, US credit ratings do not transfer to Canada. Interestingly enough, mortgage payment history does not affect one's Canadian credit rating.
6. I'd like some info and / or opinions on the health care system. I've heard both good and bad. Do people's experience differ based on where they live (ie. maybe not as good in large cities b/c more people needing services)???
The Canadian health system is neither free nor perfect. It's based on a need basis rather than an ability to pay basis. This can be frustrating at times when limited resources are in play. Rural areas typically have fewer facilities than urban counterparts.
Smart move if you can pull it off-your children will bless you in the future.
Two overlooked places in CA-IMHO the best two- are Halifax and Ottawa-both have it all.
We have been on the fence about retiring to Victoria, B.C. for awhile. I deplore the fact that so much of our tax dollars are spent on the military-industrial complex while so many people don't have health insurance. Those of us lucky to have such insurance pay $1,000 per month for coverage (on top of all the taxes) plus whatever the twenty-percent balance is after eighty-percent of the bill is paid plus the deductible. I don't see an end to it.
Our findings: US Schools are more advanced than Canadian
There are important facts for US ex-pats to know about the Ontario/Canadian Public Elementary School system that are difficult to understand until you experience them. We have learned thru experience that the Ontario Public School system is different and weaker than the US/Michigan system. (Comparisons were made primarily to the Michigan Curriculum due to our particular needs)[/font]
Indeed, our experience in the Oakville Public Schools, an affluent and educated community, has been the only disappointing factor in our ex-pat move to Canada. Upon arriving and experiencing the Oakville public schools we have learned that the Ontario elementary curriculum is behind the Michigan curriculum. Our children spent the 2007-08 school year in Oakville ina highly rated school based on Ontario’s EQAO tests. It was apparent within the first month that the Ontario Curriculum is approximately one to 1 ½ years BEHIND the Michigan curriculum and the school we came from. This surprising discovery led us to dig deeper into a comparison of the Ontario schools and ultimately to pull them out and put them into a Private School we felt better matched the US education/curriculum[/font]
There is some belief that Ontario public schools may catch up with the US in the High School years, due to a 2-track high school system - University Bound vs. College Bound - and the potential for a 13th year.[/font]
The differences in expectations in mathematics at the lower elementary level are significant. With every grade level, the Michigan Curriculum is significantly more demanding than the Ontario Curriculum. The below chart illustrates the difference in expectations. You can do the same comparison with your own US state by researching curriculums on the web. Though Language Arts is moe difficult to analyze, talk to both systems about expectations on Writing, Novel Studies and Vocabulary and Spelling and you will see dramatic differences[/font] Math
Michigan Curriculum vs Ontario Curriculum[/font]
Gr. 1 - Proficient with Numbers to 110 vs [/font]Gr. 1 - Proficient with Numbers to 50
Gr. 1 - Decompose numbers to 30 VS Gr. 1 - Decompose numbers to 20
Gr. 3 - Read & Write numbers to 10,000 VS Gr. 3 - Read & Write numbers to 1,000
Gr. 3 - Identify place value to 9,999 VS Gr. 3 - Compose and decompose 3 digit numbers
Gr. 3 - Add and subtract …thru 9,999 VS Gr. 3 - Add and subtract 3 digit numbers
Gr. 3 - Solve division problems involving remainders VS Gr. 3 - Multiply /divide fluently to 7x7
Gr. 3 - Multiply and divide fluently to 10x10 VS Gr. 4 - Multiply to 9x9
Gr. 4 - Read and Write numbers to 1,000,000 VS Gr. 6 - Read and print…numbers to 100,000
Gr. 4 - Understand the magnitude of numbers up to 1,000,000; recognize place values VS
Gr. 6 - Solve problems from real life that relate to the magnitude…of 1,000,000[/font]
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Our findings: US Schools are more advanced than Canadian
