# US residents new to Canada



## Tstuts4679 (Aug 12, 2011)

Hello:
I'm new to the group and would like to hear from anyone from the US who has moved to Canada in the last year. I would love to hear all about your experiences and to pick your brain...
My wife and I are from Indiana and would like to end up in Canada on a small farm with Crown land around us.
Thanks for any help and have a great day!


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## Snodge (Apr 17, 2009)

Tstuts4679 said:


> I would love to hear all about your experiences ...


That's a bit of a wide open question, kinda hard to even know where to start. After a year (almost to the day, 362 days today!!) here in BC I can say that it's all I hoped for, I keep finding myself blown away to be so fortunate. It's trite to say it but we're living our dream.

I haven't been on the site much and just got one of the email updates which caused me to come check out whats happening here. Since i got a lot of great info and guidance here I figured I should pass a bit of the good karma on. So go ahead and ask your questions.

A few from me: how much research have you done; do you have a viable way to get a visa, where are considering settling?

Roger


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## Tstuts4679 (Aug 12, 2011)

*Hi Roger!*



Snodge said:


> That's a bit of a wide open question, kinda hard to even know where to start. After a year (almost to the day, 362 days today!!) here in BC I can say that it's all I hoped for, I keep finding myself blown away to be so fortunate. It's trite to say it but we're living our dream.
> 
> I haven't been on the site much and just got one of the email updates which caused me to come check out whats happening here. Since i got a lot of great info and guidance here I figured I should pass a bit of the good karma on. So go ahead and ask your questions.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the reply!
I have so many questions I really don't know where to start....
To answer your questions first:
1. I've been doing research for about two years now. I've looked at other countries but so far Canada has everything I feel that we are looking for plus I'm not to certain about moving to some third world country. I was in the Navy for 6 years and traveled to enough of them that I really do not care to go back.
2. My wife and I are both in school right now. She is just finishing up her Associates degree in Human Services and I'm in my third year of studies for Psychology. She will be going on for her Bachelors degree, not sure of a major yet. She wanted to stay with Human Services but there have been a lot of cut backs in this field. She is thinking about going into teaching. I'm not sure about going on for my Master's yet. I guess we would be looking at comming as skilled workers. I'm in the process of filing for disability (bad back) if this gets approved would it hurt our chances in getting a visa?
3. We have been looking in the Cochran area due to land prices being cheaper. I'm looking for about 150-160 acres with crown land around it. We want to have a small farm so good soil and water is important. We plan to build our own home and out building unless we could happen to find the right place already built for an affordable price.

Now for my questions:
1. How did you end up in Canada? We're just fed up with all of the crap going on here and want to go back to a simpler way of life. Living off-grid and raising our own food.
2. How long did it take you to get approved?
3. What did you do while you were waiting? We thought that once we found our property, we would go back and forth (the 6 month thing) working on the land until we got our visa's.
4. What are you doing to support yourself?
5. What is the cost of living like compaired to here?
6. Do you know of any homesteading or country living magazines in Canada?
7. Do you know of any sources for locating land for sale? I've looked at some and their prices are insane. 300K-400k up to over a million dollars!
8. Any thing important you can think of that might help.
I'll stop with these for now, don't want to overload you...
Thanks again for any help you can give and have a great day!
Troy


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## Snodge (Apr 17, 2009)

Yowza! I was afraid of a big list like that. But let me dig right in.

First off I hate to say it but you might need a bit of a reality check. You mention getting a skilled worker visa but if you're both students doesn't that mean you're lacking the skills and experience needed to gain enough points to qualify? If you're not experienced with a job on the current list of jobs (last time I heard it was the "list of 34" or some number) that Canada is short of then you won't be eligible for the skilled worker program. 

That's why I asked how much research you've done. It sounds like you've been hunting for a place to live without looking at the CIC website; go here Welcome to Citizenship and Immigration Canada and read up. If you already have then I apologize for sounding like pontificating jerk. 

Perhaps another option for you could be the entrepreneur class? For that you need a few hundred thousand dollars and a plan to start a business employing Canadians. See the CIC website for details 

Moving along to your next item, your back. As part of the visa process you have to pass a physical exam showing you're in reasonably good health. My guess is if you're on disability you'd fail, but thats just a guess, really no experience there.


Answers to your questions:

1.Over a period of 15+ years I'd been coming up to BC. First on annual sailing trips then later sea kayaking. I was always struck by the beauty of the place and the friendly, gracious nature of all the Canadians I'd met. Eventually I met and married my wife whose brother lives in Victoria and that meant more trips to visit and on one such trip we hatched the idea to try and move to Vancouver Island. Luckily my wife had a skilled job and enough points to be eligible and we applied. We managed to just beat a deadline that would have killed our dream as two months after submitting our application the list of 34 came out and my wifes profession was no longer on it. For me, leaving "all the crap" was simply a bonus and once I got here I realized that the current political system and power structure here bears a shocking resemblance to the money driven, corporate favored system south of the border.

2. For us, under the old system it took over 2 1/2 years, but the new skilled worker program (SWP) should take a year or less.

3. We continued living in the states and visiting Canada for vacations. I guess your plan would work, you'd need to see the requirements for visitors to Canada. Once again, read up on the CIC website.

4. I was very fortunate to move in next to a Contractor who needed a carpenter and hired me within weeks of my move. While there have been some slow times I've worked more here than the last couple years back in the states.

5. That depends on where you're living, well at least for housing costs and such. The small town I live in is relatively affordable for housing but Vancouver is comparable to San Francisco (sorry for the west coast bent, that's what I know) Groceries, gas, and beer/booze especially, are all noticeably more than the states. But in my trade, wages are a bit higher than in the states.

6. Nope, but I think I remember seeing one in the magazine rack on the ferry? Try google?

7. I dunno, maybe a realtor? The numbers you quote don't seem too insane for 150 acres surrounded by crown land but then again I'm a carpenter not a farmer. Just like in the states it's all about location. Try looking a bit farther off the beaten path if you don't like what you're seeing. Cochran is in Alberta right? There's a lot of oil patch $ floating around out there I think, might be driving up real estate prices?

8. I'd tackle the visa first. If you don't qualify now come up with a plan to do so, maybe you can target your final bits of education to a job on the list.

Wait a minute, I just had a thought. Have you even visited here yet? If not, then do that first. 

Anyway, hope this helps. sorry if I'm a bit of a downer.

Rog


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## Tstuts4679 (Aug 12, 2011)

*Hi Roger*

Thanks for the info.
Yes, I've crawled all over the CIC website. I asked questions that they cover because I know that there is always the book way and then the real way of how things are done.
As far as work experience, I'm 49 and my wife is 43 we both went back to school after loosing jobs due to downsizing. We both have years of experience in several of the listed skilled jobs but we are both changing careers with our choice of majors.
As far as property goes, I've been dealing with one company who constantly has 150-160 acer properties next to crownland for about 30-40K. I just do not know if the area (around Timmins and such) is what we are looking for.
Neither of us have been there for several years but we know that we could never have what we want here in the states. At one time yes but not any longer.
Anyway, thanks again for your help and I will keep plugging away at it.

Have a great day!
Troy


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## G-Mo (Aug 17, 2011)

You are talking about Cochrane (with an e) if it's near Timmins. I lived there for a year. Did you realize it snows there anytime from mid-August to mid-May?

From Wikipedia "Marginal farming also exists around Cochrane. Though the soil is considered to be of good quality, the growing season is too short to have substantial crop production."

You can look at REALTOR.ca -Welcome for real estate.

Unless you have the cash to fund building your own place or are a certified builder, banks here rarely grant a mortgage for owner builds.

The disability filing (back) could definitely hurt your chances, however, only ONE of you needs to get the skilled worker visa, the other gets their PR as spouse or partner of the skilled worker.


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## Snodge (Apr 17, 2009)

G-Mo said:


> The disability filing (back) could definitely hurt your chances, however, only ONE of you needs to get the skilled worker visa, the other gets their PR as spouse or partner of the skilled worker.


Yes, that's true and thats how I got my visa; my wife was qualified and I was granted a visa as her spouse. BUT I also had to take and pass a medical exam as part of the application process.


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