# Moving to Canada, please help.



## honeybunny (Apr 28, 2008)

I've lived in Dubai for a year and half and I'm contemplating migrating to Canada. I have an MBA in HR from a US university and lived there for several years. 

Dubai salaries are correlated to whatever passport you carry. Being Kenyan, I'm not on the receiving end of this (archaic) arrangement, no matter how smart and able I am. I'm not bitter about it but do not feel like sticking around till the tide turns

I've done a lot of research and want to move to Toronto coz of the relatively warmer weather. What is the HR job market in Toronto like? Any estimate on the salary ranges are? Finally, any suggestions on how I could find a job from here so I could move sooner? If not possible, I'm still waiting to migrate and look from there.


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## MichelleAlison (Aug 25, 2007)

honeybunny said:


> I've lived in Dubai for a year and half and I'm contemplating migrating to Canada. I have an MBA in HR from a US university and lived there for several years.
> 
> Dubai salaries are correlated to whatever passport you carry. Being Kenyan, I'm not on the receiving end of this (archaic) arrangement, no matter how smart and able I am. I'm not bitter about it but do not feel like sticking around till the tide turns
> 
> I've done a lot of research and want to move to Toronto coz of the relatively warmer weather. What is the HR job market in Toronto like? Any estimate on the salary ranges are? Finally, any suggestions on how I could find a job from here so I could move sooner? If not possible, I'm still waiting to migrate and look from there.


Are you sure the weather in Toronto is warmer than Dubai?


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## honeybunny (Apr 28, 2008)

michelle, 
To other canadian cities...


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## honeybunny (Apr 28, 2008)

Relative to other canadian cities.....


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## oddball (Aug 1, 2007)

*moving to canada*



honeybunny said:


> Relative to other canadian cities.....


 Toronto is a high cost place to live , not one of the best job markets at this time , warmer than some Canadian cities , but still bl###y cold for too many months unless you consider temps dropping to minus twenty at times to be 'Warm' .Most of Canada is an ice-box for 3/4 months of the year , snow storms , ice storms , freezing rain that pulls huge trees to the ground , warm to most people who live in high temp countries would likly consider temps in the low twenties to be warm . the country is fairly well geared to this weather but will you be ? Colin .


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## MichelleAlison (Aug 25, 2007)

Did anybody read the British newspapers yesterday? The Canadian government are now opening their doors to immigration, especially British immigration. They are looking for 50,000 professional people........................


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## skimadchippy (Jul 2, 2008)

Thats good news for me then, i cant wait to leave the uk its becoming a bloody joke trying to make an honest living here.


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## MichelleAlison (Aug 25, 2007)

skimadchippy said:


> Thats good news for me then, i cant wait to leave the uk its becoming a bloody joke trying to make an honest living here.


Hi and welcome to the forum.

Everybody I talk to in the UK say the same thing. What a total mess the country is in and I am really happy not to be part of it. 

Regards

Michelle


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## honeybunny (Apr 28, 2008)

Colin,

Thanks for the response. That's why I said I'm contemplating moving there...the weather bit would be a huge obstacle for me. 

May have to stick it out here.....dealing with the weather, plus not being certain about the job market does not make the move attractive.


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## flush (Jul 3, 2008)

skimadchippy said:


> Thats good news for me then, i cant wait to leave the uk its becoming a bloody joke trying to make an honest living here.


Me too. The UK is a total joke at the moment and I am seriously worried about bringing my children up here.

The Wife and I have now decided to looking into Canada seriously but its a daunting process.


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## MichelleAlison (Aug 25, 2007)

flush said:


> Me too. The UK is a total joke at the moment and I am seriously worried about bringing my children up here.
> 
> The Wife and I have now decided to looking into Canada seriously but its a daunting process.


Hi and welcome to the forum.

You just need to get organised - it took us 11 months to move from the day we decided, although we didn't have the hassle of getting visas before we left. We just came on tourist visas and did everything this end. Now that Canada has opened its doors, hopefully the visa process will be a lot easier, quicker and cheaper than the Aussie process.

Make a list of everything you need to do and work through it. Your list will keep growing but eventually you will get through it. Honestly.

Regards

Michelle


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## louiseg (Nov 17, 2007)

flush said:


> The Wife and I have now decided to looking into Canada seriously but its a daunting process.


Initially it seems like that, but once you make the decision, it no longer seems that way, just becomes a series of tasks, (admittedly frustrating at times) that you work through to make your dream become a reality.

My biggest tip would be - to be sure that you know what you want out of the move, and why you want it. Focus on what you are moving to and not on what you are moving away from. 
Can't drive looking in the rear view mirror, you are sure to crash!
Louise


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## flush (Jul 3, 2008)

Thanks guys.

We are just so fed up of living in the UK because of what the country is becomming.

The biggest problem is we have 2 young children who are happily settled in a good education. IN my line of work (construction) it would be difficult to get a firm job offer prior to being in Canada and thats the biggest hurdle. The risk of moving out and not finding employment. My wife works for the NHS in child care so I think she would be ok but I am the biggest wage earner by far.

We are at the start of a very long process I think. Thanks for your replies however.


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## louiseg (Nov 17, 2007)

flush said:


> The biggest problem is we have 2 young children who are happily settled in a good education.


surely that is good and not a problem, is the move about you are them?



flush said:


> IN my line of work (construction) it would be difficult to get a firm job offer prior to being in Canada and thats the biggest hurdle. The risk of moving out and not finding employment. My wife works for the NHS in child care so I think she would be ok but I am the biggest wage earner by far..


construction industry work is in demand in many areas of Canada. 
Emigrating is not easy, and there are always lots of hurdles, it is the proccess that sorts those who are really committed from those who would like to but aren't prepared to do what it takes.
If you want it enough there is always a way.... keep positive and you will get there.


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## flush (Jul 3, 2008)

> construction industry work is in demand in many areas of Canada.


I'm told that Construction Trades are in demand, but I am in Construction management.

Thanks for all your reply's.. it is sooo helpful to hear from people who have done the move and people who are in Canada as opposed to wading through websites.

I'll be a regular here I think, pestering you knowledgeable people.


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## Alminka (Jul 11, 2008)

wow, Honeybunny, i am amazed at how quickly - between 1st and 3rd of july - in a matter of 2 days you have made a life-changing decision to move, then not to move to Canada, you must be a very decisive person!  it took me several years to make similar decision and pursue it but i'm now in canada and enjoying it very much. even though job market is tough here, too, quite possible even worse than in Dubai, i still like it very much, a very beautiful country, green and warm, not hot, and great fresh air. I love 15*C on a july morning with 25 to follow in the afternoon

The key is to move to Canada in the late spring -summer time, so you get used to it and perhaps even find a job befoe winter strikes you Anyway, just in case you change your mind again, try to seek job on workopolis dot com. Good luck!


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## tsj1 (Jul 12, 2008)

Me and my family dont want to bring up our kids in this society, kids getting knifed to death, immigration taking its toll. Life here in the uk is getting worse and worse, give it 5 years, it will never be the same.
Hence were moving to canada, we will be safer, relaxed, and more important the kids future will lokok lot healthier than the uk....
tony


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## tsj1 (Jul 12, 2008)

*cambridge ontario*

I have received immigration papers by a agent in canada to emmigrate there, I have decided to move to cambridge, ontario, as that is where I close relatives living there, I have visited that area on a few occasions, and loved every minute of it.
The residents were friendly, malls were fab, more choice than the uk, and the food I thought was cheap too, either etaing in or out.

Could anyone who lives nearby, tell me what the whole neighbourhood is like, houses, livng daily costs, gas, elec, tv, etc etc.

We are aiming to move there next year, as the process take about a year, no hicups along the way permitting...

HOPE SOMEONE OUT THERE CAN GIVE ME THE LAST FEW ANSWERS I NEED

Look forward to hearing from you, hopefully a new canadian citizen..xx


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## Canadadreaming (Aug 15, 2008)

_The Wife and I have now decided to looking into Canada seriously but its a daunting process_.

An old saying is " The journey of a thousand miles begins with just one small step" or " How do you eat an elephant...one piece at a time"
I am nearly there, and others have gone before me. So, if we can do it, so can you. You just need to get your head down, accept that it will take a while and be patient.


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## Deeana (Jul 13, 2008)

Canada is a great country it is true, and there are lots of reasons why this is the case. But for people considering going there "for a better life" - and that's why we all do it, right? - please believe me when I say, the job market is very competitive and your qualifications and experience from the UK will most likely count for much less than you anticipate so you might end up working for peanuts at first. If given the choice of a Canadian or a Brit to do any given job who would you, the Canadian employer, choose? The Canadian who knows the system, has local or at least Canadian experience, and was probably recommended by a friend or other employee - or a Brit from an unknown background?

I emigrated in 1990. I was a teacher with an excellent degree and experience in the UK, Europe and the Middle East, able to teach Science, Languages and English as a Foreign Language. I had to go back to university in Calgary and retrain as a teacher from scratch, and even then I couldn't get a job - not within the Calgary Board of Education or the Catholic Board - too much competition from better qualified local applicants. I ended up working at Office Depot for $8 an hour. After that became too much I went to TELUS Mobility as a call centre slave, and was on $10 an hour (1997). Then I got sick (cancer) and had the best medical care anyone could wish for, had a year off on unemployment to recover. Then the unemployment money stopped and I managed to get on to the books of a temporary agency as an office worker. I had a few dreadful jobs and one good one and then basically burnt out. The weather in the winter in Calgary gave me asthma and the stress was literally killing me. Our finances failed - our capital from the UK had run out and we had built up tremendous debt - and we were forced into bankruptcy. I went back to the UK to try to get a job there again but six months later I went back to Canada. But I didn't get another job again, having been ill I was terrified of the stress. We lived in Canmore at that time and by then - 7 years after emigrating - my husband had finally landed a job that gave him enough money to break even on. He's a mechanical engineer with a BSc and at that time had 20 years experience in his field. 

This doesn't happen to everyone of course. But it happens to many. You need to be aware of the worst case scenario and believe it, in order to avoid it.

Plus, trust me, there is gang warfare in Canada too. Just yesterday I heard a youth had been stabbed to death in Marlborough, Calgary NE, which is adjacent to one area I lived in (Pineridge). There are plenty of gangs there - and there were in 1990 too, but now they openly use their weapons.

Don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but let's be realistic.
Have a great day!
Deeana


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## barney (Aug 19, 2008)

hi deeana thanks for your frankness im looking to get a truck driving job in canada brunswick disrict no idea what its like we moved to bulgaria five years ago one of the first in the town we moved to lovely country side but at that time trying to get a visa was hell at the time we moved they had no idea on how to deal with brits they still think as communist better know but we are back in uk i think we have been toughened up by our move even the weather is the same as canada in the winter our first bulgarian winter was minus 28 and chopping logs in the snow many thanks any advice would be helpful speak to you soon barney to a brave lady


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## FriendInToronto (Sep 12, 2008)

I am an immigrant that came to Canada 10 years ago. I am married and have 2 kids 6 years and 20 months. I lived in Japan before for almost 4 years and before that in South America where I am originally from. Health, Education and Economy are not perfect, but they are definitely one of the higher in the world. Weather might not be the best, but you can get used to the winter. Multiculturalism is something you must value in this land of immigrant. Moving to Canada was a great decision.


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## dalaney (Oct 7, 2008)

IN my line of work (construction) it would be difficult to get a firm job offer prior to being in Canada and thats the biggest hurdle. The risk of moving out and not finding employment. 

Hi
Try the emigrate2 website theres a list of jobs you can apply for before you get out there. Some of them are agencies that want to charge you an arm and a leg for a job offer but we got lucky with a job offer in Calgary and we moving out in Feb.

Good Luck


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## dj6246 (Oct 25, 2008)

i think what hunnybunny meant to say that toronto is warmer than the other cities in canada? am not sure....


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## dj6246 (Oct 25, 2008)

darn it, i wanna move to canada too!!


what kind of professional people are they looking for? are they more into health, food service, IT, hopsitality? anyone has an idea?


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## Alminka (Jul 11, 2008)

*Canada job search websites*



dj6246 said:


> darn it, i wanna move to canada too!!
> 
> 
> what kind of professional people are they looking for? are they more into health, food service, IT, hopsitality? anyone has an idea?


check out these job sites and you'll get a pretty good idea:
Toronto working.com
Find jobs. Build a better career. Find your calling. | Monster
Bienvenue au Guichet emplois / Welcome to Job Bank

it doesn'tmean that you'll find a job right away thou - good luck means a lot!


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## spaceprobe (Oct 29, 2008)

No, Toronto is not warmer than other parts of Canada. In fact, the winters are bitterly cold. Further south in Ontario (eg. Windsor) is warmer. However, Vancouver and Victoria, on the west coast, have far warmer winters than Toronto.



dj6246 said:


> i think what hunnybunny meant to say that toronto is warmer than the other cities in canada? am not sure....


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## dj6246 (Oct 25, 2008)

Alminka said:


> check out these job sites and you'll get a pretty good idea:
> Toronto working.com
> Find jobs. Build a better career. Find your calling. | Monster
> Bienvenue au Guichet emplois / Welcome to Job Bank
> ...



ok, thanks a lot for those websites!


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## dj6246 (Oct 25, 2008)

spaceprobe said:


> No, Toronto is not warmer than other parts of Canada. In fact, the winters are bitterly cold. Further south in Ontario (eg. Windsor) is warmer. However, Vancouver and Victoria, on the west coast, have far warmer winters than Toronto.



ok, thanks for the info.


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## derrickdavies (Oct 31, 2008)

*Moving to Canada*

We live in Manitoba,plenty of sunshine but it does get cold in the winter,up to -40,on average -20.Toronto gets a lot of rain and gets cold,colder in fact IT FEELS colder than Manitoba as its a damp cold in Toronto,where here its a dry cold.

Suggest southern BC,Kewlona,oakanagan valley.

Dont think that Canada is the land of milk and honey,its not,but we like it.If you can get into the US,that where I would go.


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## dj6246 (Oct 25, 2008)

is it easier for an american to get into canada? 

i heard that they can cross the border from USA to Canada anytime as long as they have a passport with them. 

is that true?


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## DanHoward (Oct 17, 2009)

B.C has much warmer weather than Toronto. Vancouver Island is lovely in the winter.


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## oddball (Aug 1, 2007)

*Casnada/US border*




dj6246 said:


> is it easier for an american to get into canada?
> 
> i heard that they can cross the border from USA to Canada anytime as long as they have a passport with them.
> 
> is that true?


 When I was back in Canada a couple of months ago , yes , that was the order of the day .


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