# Advice needed and appreciated.



## Hart30 (Jan 15, 2014)

Hi there,
I currently live in the UK with my partner both mid 20's and 3 children 8,4,9mnths. My partner is an experienced CNC machinist ( 9years with city and guilds qualifications) but in the area of the uk that we live his salary is not great. 
I have always wanted to move to Canada but neither myself or my partner have ever been...we read books and watch programs etc so we know the area of we would prefer to live- St Catharine Ontario. I have started my research online in relation to household expenses and pay salaries in this area as basically this is what our move hinges on. I guess my partner would need to earn around $30 an hr (roughly 60k annually). Firstly in his line of work is this likely?? Secondly in this area with only my partner working is that annual figure going to give us a good standard of living?? 
Any machinists out there offer advise would be fantastic....but any help will be much appreciated.

If anyone could take the time to let me know what the monthly household expenses in the area of ontario are it would help greatly also.

I look forward to hearing from soon. 

Emma


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## emma.toronto (Jan 15, 2014)

Hello Emma! 

My name is Emma also hehe, I recently moved here with my fiance and we are both in out mid 20's but no kids!
We moved here in October on a IEC working holiday visa for 12 months and I will be happy to give you any advice you may need on moving etc. 

We don't live in St. Catherine's we live in Toronto just north of the downtown core! 
We came out here as my fiance has a trade he wanted to get into here because like you, the wage in the UK just wasnt enough! I however have still not found work because I am not in a trade! 

The cost of living is higher than the UK depending on where you live but then the wage is higher, we live in a small apartment and you are looking at on average for rent and cable each month $1400. 

The price of food here is quite high but there are supermarkets like no frills etc which are Canada's version of aldi etc! 

i must say it is nothing like the books and movies but it is defiantly an experience!


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## colchar (Oct 25, 2011)

I would disagree that the cost of living is higher. First, salaries are higher here so things like groceries, etc. take up a smaller percentage of your income than they do in Britain. Second, depending on where one lives rent can be lower than in Britain.


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## MarylandNed (May 11, 2010)

emma.toronto said:


> Hello Emma!
> 
> My name is Emma also hehe, I recently moved here with my fiance and we are both in out mid 20's but no kids!
> We moved here in October on a IEC working holiday visa for 12 months and I will be happy to give you any advice you may need on moving etc.
> ...


Where in Toronto? I used to live on Sherwood Ave just north of Yonge/Eglinton. Great area and I still miss it!


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## Hart30 (Jan 15, 2014)

emma.toronto said:


> Hello Emma!
> 
> My name is Emma also hehe, I recently moved here with my fiance and we are both in out mid 20's but no kids!
> We moved here in October on a IEC working holiday visa for 12 months and I will be happy to give you any advice you may need on moving etc.
> ...




Many Thanks for the info Emma! I have to say i am very jealous....i wish that i had travelled and worked abroad before having my children. It seems selfish of me to try and make that dream happen now when they are settled here in the uk. We have a good standard of living here in the uk- mortgage, 2 jobs, live comfortably with enough disposable income. So it would be crucial that a move abroad would keep us in that lifestyle ( if not better) And an experience is exactly what i am after, an adventure really! Can i ask how long it took from start to finish to actually get to canada, once a job was offered or did you travel without jobs sorted??? Did your fiances employer help with moving costs? 

I look forward to hearing from you, and once again thanks for the info its reassuring to get advice from someone actually living the life!!!

Emma


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## Hart30 (Jan 15, 2014)

Colchar: Many Thanks for the input, from the research i have done it seems to suggest that costs are between 10% and 20% lower in Canada than the uk excluding groceries which are about 2% higher. Does this seem correct? I also cannot seem to find any info on whether Canada has the equivalent to council tax? Can you advise?
Many Thanks
Emma


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## MarylandNed (May 11, 2010)

Hart30 said:


> Colchar: Many Thanks for the input, from the research i have done it seems to suggest that costs are between 10% and 20% lower in Canada than the uk excluding groceries which are about 2% higher. Does this seem correct? I also cannot seem to find any info on whether Canada has the equivalent to council tax? Can you advise?
> Many Thanks
> Emma


The closest equivalent is "Property Tax" in Canada. This is not something a renter needs to worry about. It is paid by the property owner - although it would almost certainly be a factor in determining the rent the owner wants to charge.


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## emma.toronto (Jan 15, 2014)

I do agree it depends on where you live for prices etc which goes for everywhere, I suppose the cost of rent etc here is different because your electric and water is usually included in the price! 

It took us around 1 year to get the visas sorted etc as they are released in stages and you have to be sat at your pc refreshing waiting for them to be released if you do it DIY, there are some agencies you can pay to do everything for you but im not sure of the cost! 

We came here without jobs and started from scratch 

I must say the standard of living is great, public transport is reliable so far in my experience, even during the winter. The winter here is BRUTAL but in the city everything is pretty much indoors with the subways etc, im not sure what st. catherines will be like with regard to that! :confused2:

Anything else you would like to know just ask and I'll try my best to answer


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## emma.toronto (Jan 15, 2014)

MarylandNed we live just on the yonge & eglinton intersection!


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## Hart30 (Jan 15, 2014)

Hi Emma
Once again thanks for your help. I guess now it comes down to actually going down the official route....after i convince my family to get on board they are 50/50. Maybe a holiday in Ontario when its warm will help!!!
One final question at this stage... can you get a permanent resident visa straight away or do you have to first apply for a temp work visit for a period of time?
Thanks 
Em


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## MarylandNed (May 11, 2010)

emma.toronto said:


> MarylandNed we live just on the yonge & eglinton intersection!


I assume you've been to the Rose & Crown then? That was my default hangout. Or the Duke of Kent? My other fav was Gabby's on Yonge just north of Lawrence.


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## colchar (Oct 25, 2011)

Hart30 said:


> Colchar: Many Thanks for the input, from the research i have done it seems to suggest that costs are between 10% and 20% lower in Canada than the uk excluding groceries which are about 2% higher. Does this seem correct?



I last lived in the UK back in 2008 so cannot really comment in any specific way.





> I also cannot seem to find any info on whether Canada has the equivalent to council tax? Can you advise?



Yes, we have equivalent taxes (property taxes). But if you are renting they should be covered by the owner of the property (I never paid them while renting during university, graduate school, etc. as they were always covered by the owner).


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## colchar (Oct 25, 2011)

emma.toronto said:


> I must say the standard of living is great, public transport is reliable so far in my experience, even during the winter.



Yeah we don't fall apart due to a couple of inches of snow the way Britain does.




> The winter here is BRUTAL



Not always. This year it has been unusually cold but last year wasn't bad. And a couple of years ago winter barely existed at all. So it varies year by year.


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