Moving to Canada, Need some Advice

I think that damn cod slipped me the tongue

 

Did you do any research on this beforehand?

Health care is available in both countries, difference is in Canada is more socialized for all ages so they take it out of your taxes instead of you writing a check. Both countries offer socialized health insurance for 65+.

As for jobs... current Canadian unemployment is 6.9%, US unemployment is 6.3%.

I was born in Canada and now live in the US (lived in 5 other countries in between then and now) and while I plan on moving back to Canada eventually, it's not some magical Wonderland. But if you do go to Canada, be sure to swing by Wonderland as it's a lot of fun.

 

I'm just curious, why Digby? I usd to live there years ago. It's a nice town, but there's really nothing there. The fishing industry has gone to shit. What line of work are you looking for??

Our winters aren't that bad really. NB gets reamed up the hoop harder then we do, and unless your TRD Sport is very different then mine, your truck will handle it, but GET IT UNDERCOATED!!! Yes, the taxes are high, but like WoadWunnrer said, the Annapolis Valley is beautiful! Especially this time of year when the apple blossoms are starting to come out. We also have toothless/bearded women, guys out in the hay field behind their cattle with their pants around their ankles, but they only come out of the woodwork around exhibition time.

 

What did the blind man say when he walked past the fish stand?

 

I would definitely secure a job before moving to Canada. I would think it isn't the easiest of tasks to land employment in another country unless you have a high skill set and/or quite a bit of money.

 

excuse me ladies

 

Close enough.

Had to... again

 

My son and his wife went to New Zealand to live for a while and they HAD to have insurance and had to prove they have a certain amount of money to stay there. Of course here in America you can come naked, homeless and broke and we will let you in.

 

West Coast all the way baby.
Practice apologizing even when it's not your fault
Remember to thank your bank machine
Embrace multiculturalizim.
And finally: Lard bye tunderin' Jezus goood luhck wit da locul dywealec. Bye Tunder.

Maritimers ironically are held high as the most Canadians out of all of us but if they had it to do over I think they would have said no to confederation.

 

Might be kind of hard to find a job there. A lot of East Coasters come to the West to find the good jobs.
Air transit in Canada is very expensive. I can fly to Europe for cheaper.
Being a Non-Canadian will hurt your chances of landing a job, and if you do get a job, your new employer is not obligated to pay you the same as a Canadian. Lots of foreign workers here in Alberta, I think the law says that the employer only has to pay 80% of what he pays a Canadian, for the same position. The government has recently made it harder to get and keep work visas. To become a Canadian Citizen is a little harder of late as well. It's based on a points system, and you earn so many points for so many months worked. If you are working in the health industry then you earn more points than the girl working at Tim Horton's. However it still will take a few years to earn enough points to become a landed immigrant. Landed immigrants have pretty much the same rights as Canadian Citizens except they can't vote.
All this information is on the Government of Canada websites. It is a Canadian law that this type of information has to be readily accessible, correct and free. It costs nothing to download the forms and send them in to be processed. Files are processed in the order of which they are received. I have worked with people who have used immigration lawyers, and spent thousands. THIS IS NOT REQUIRED, DO NOT USE AN IMMIGRATION LAWYER! They have no special powers, they can't get your file processed any quicker, they don't know any tricks to get you into the country any quicker. A person who can use a computer effectively and take the time to work through all the online forms can do just as good a job as an immigration lawyer.

I went through all this because my wife is a "New Canadian." She got job working for the government in justice making sure that all these forms and the information contained in them is correct.

 

Start watching hockey

 

You might also consider drinking 50% less beer than normal! our Canadian stuff will knock you on your ass unless you are used to the extra alcohol content.

 

8.9% in Nova Scotia

 

have fun man! If I were you I would head up to Dawson City.

 

I live in Southern Alberta, half or more of the farm labor force is Mexican Menonite and they never seem to have any problems staying here. I also have an American friend who gets paid the same that I do for the same job, I think it all depends on your employer. I know if someone with a Class 3 license and a clean driving record walked through our door, they'd have a full paying job immediately regardless of there nationality... as long as they speak english lol.

 

Boondocks

 

Nova Scotian here. I have no idea what you're talking about.

Confederation was a Maritime idea, originally intended as a Maritime Union (thus the Charlottetown Conference), and then Ontario talked its way in. The rest of you followed.

 

What kind of work do you do? Want to do?

No matter what it is, you will have way more opportunitites in the West. Look at Saskatchewan/Alberta/BC. I've lived in Alberta/BC/Ontario and I travel for a living across Canada/USA so I feel I can speak on this topic.

OZ is right, buy a jacket and watch hockey. You'll also need a toque. Sterdog is right, You'll get paid just fine being an American here, there is still a labour shortage and with some skills it won't take long to find work. Start here: www.indeed.ca

Welcome to Canada, where we still have a middle class .........

 

Nova Scotia is a beautiful and amazing place, but is currently economically depressed and doing a lot of soul searching to figure out how to move forward. The people are mostly very friendly and outgoing, and the Annapolis Valley is gorgeous (I grew up about an hour East of Digby). The pace of life is very different.

BUT:
-Taxes suck.
-Jobs outside of Halifax aren't great. The Valley is really not doing well.
-Brain drain: a lot of the skilled/educated population has left to work out West. Thus, there are a lot of Village Idiots running around unchecked.
-Private sector employment refuses to pay on par with the rest of the country.
-Massive, out of control "Not In My Back Yard" Syndrome. Anything that hasn't been in the province for 200 years already is usually immediately met with negativity.

Plus side:
-Absolutely beautiful and not overdeveloped
-Water. Water everywhere (I hope you like boats)
-The local food movement is very strong (veggies, meat, wine/booze, etc)
-Price of land and houses compared to the rest of the country is fairly cheap

If you are serious about moving here, I'd suggest taking two weeks off in the summer or fall (the fall is awesome here), tool around Halifax, do the Cabot Trail, drive down along the South Shore and Yarmouth, and come up through the Annapolis Valley. See what you think.

Otherwise, I'd say consider Western Canada unless Nova Scotia really grabs you and you can make it work.

 

This. Good stuff too.