Should i emigrate to canada

For an expat, it is easy to settle into life in Canada as acceptance and respect are very much a part of national psyche. If you are willing to get out, meet new people and embrace your new country, Canada is ready to embrace you. It has long been a pioneer of civil rights and was the first country outside Europe to legalized same sex marriage over a decade ago. The OECD has even named it the best country in the world for acceptance and tolerance of minorities.

Canada has long realised the benefits skilled immigrants can bring to their country and, in particular, their economy. Their sensible and fair immigration policy gives anyone truly willing to make a successful life in Canada a good chance of achieving their goals.

As a result, Canadians are able to travel the world relatively freely, safe in the knowledge that they will be welcomed wherever they go. The postcard images of spectacular lakes and mountains are undoubtedly alluring, but anyone moving overseas must consider the practical and financial benefits of any possible destination.

Luckily, Canada has one of the strongest economies in the world and has a huge variety of career options for any ambitious expat. This financial security allows Canada to offer a good quality of life for the vast majority of residents and has the second highest standard of living of all the G20 nations. Medical treatment is mostly free at the point of use and funded by government taxes. Each province is given a health budget to administer locally and issue health cards to all eligible residents allowing them to access healthcare.

Depending on which sort of visa you have, an expat may be granted a health card, but it is worth researching before hand in case you need to take out private insurance.

There can be lengthy waiting times for some procedures, however this is a small price to pay for access to some of the best staff, facilities and treatment methods in the world. With almost 10 million square kilometres of stunning countryside, Canada is the second largest country in the world and undoubtedly one of the most beautiful. While the new system takes the pressure off candidates, the biggest drawback is that friends or couples cannot apply together for visas, and applicants must not be accompanied by dependents.

This means one or more of a family or friendship group can be left waiting much longer than others for their application to be selected. There is no guarantee that they will get a visa before the end of the year, even if their friend or partner applied at the same time and has been accepted. More information on how to apply for an IEC visa can be found on the Citizen and Immigration website.

Applicants now also have to complete a biometric test photograph and fingerprints as part of the application process. This can be done at the Canadian Embassy in Dublin. Currently the service is only offered two days per month, but his will increase to five days a week from January 7th. See www. Visas are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Successful candidates have a year from the date of issue to enter Canada.

Irish-run information website Moving2Canada. Applicants for three economic immigration programmes Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades, and Canadian Experience Class are able to create an online profile to express their interest in gaining permanent residency PR in Canada.

There is no deadline to complete a profile and there are no caps on the number of candidates that will be accepted to the pool for consideration, but once created, profiles are valid for one year. Profiles are ranked according to various factors including language proficiency, education, work experience, and age. Those with existing ties to Canada through family or previous work or study, or who have a job offer in Canada already, are also given a higher ranking.

Once a candidate receives an invitation to apply, they have 60 days to submit a complete application for permanent residence. Invitations are issued to the highest-performing candidates in draws that occur around every two weeks, meaning that the highest performers will be invited within at most a couple of weeks of entering the pool.

Provinces and territories select candidates for Provincial Nominee programmes from the Express Entry system. Successful candidates then need to complete the immigration process, which includes health and security checks. Rather than a first-come-first-served basis, applications are processed based on score. The majority of applications are processed in under six months.

Federal Skilled Worker Class: For applicants with skilled work experience for occupations in demand in Canada. Applicants must have at least one year of paid experience in a skilled occupation and fulfil certain criteria including a language test.

Qualifications must be assessed by an independent accreditee, for an additional fee. Federal Skilled Trades: For workers with qualifications and experience in a trade in demand, identified under certain sections of the National Occupational Classification NOC system, including: industrial, electrical and construction workers; maintenance and equipment operation workers; supervisors and technical workers in natural resources, agriculture and related production; processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators; chefs and cooks; and butchers and bakers.

Click here for more information. Employers can apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment LMIA on behalf of a worker if they can prove they cannot find a suitable Canadian candidate to fill a position. The LMIA allows the person to work for one specific employer and can provide a stepping stone to permanent residency, but does not provide security for the employee if they lose their job. They must pass a language and medical test. It takes six months to process but it is possible to get a bridging visa until the CEC is issued.

Provincial Nominee Programme PNP : Workers can be nominated for permanent residency based on the immigration needs of the specific province and their intention to settle there. It is an alternative option to the CEC for those who want to stay permanently. Business Immigration Programme: Open to experienced investors, entrepreneurs and the self-employed. In the Federal Immigrant Investor and Entrepreneurs programmes were terminated; however this has been replaced by the Start-up visa for entrepreneurs.

There is also a Self-Employed Persons Program. Permanent residents can sponsor their spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, dependent child or other eligible relative to become a permanent resident under the Family Sponsorship Programme.

Housing in Canada varies greatly between provinces and territories, cities and suburbs, so what can you expect when searching for a home? Where can you go for advice? Most Irish newcomers to Canada will be looking to rent rather than buy.

Properties are rented by calendar month, so it is best to start looking just before the end of the month, rather than at the beginning, when choices will be more limited. The public transport networks are good, but if a couple are moving here together, it is better for them to wait until they are set up with jobs until they decide what area to rent in. Furniture and utilities With the exception of sub-lets, almost all rental properties in Canada are unfurnished, which will add a substantial amount to start-up costs.

Cheap furniture can be found in thrift shops and on websites like Craigslist. Ikea outlets are located in, or close to, most major cities. Cathy Murphy, executive director at the Irish Canadian Immigration Centre in Toronto, advises new arrivals to check what is included in the rent before signing a lease.

If it is electric, your bills are going to be huge, especially when you are trying to keep your home warm during the harsh Canadian winter. Gas will be much cheaper. Landlords will usually ask for references, and some will request employment and income details.

They are also entitled to conduct a credit check to ensure prospective tenants can pay the rent. This is more likely to happen to those who arrive in Canada without a job set up in advance.

Buying a home For those looking at the move as long-term, purchasing a property can be a viable option. House prices in Canada have tailed off over the last 12 months, after rising rapidly during the past couple of years, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association. However this is forecast to fall around 21 per cent by The Canadian Real Estate Association has a useful interactive map comparing prices over the past 12 months between provinces and cities.

Irish people with permanent residency have the same rights as Canadian citizens when it comes to buying a property. Non-residents on a visa will need a downpayment of at least 35 per cent of the purchase price. A good financial adviser or mortgage broker will be able to talk you through your options.

When considering mortgage applications, banks will also ask for mortgage or rental payment receipts for the past 12 months, evidence that you have paid all utility and phone bills on time, copies of tax returns, and statements from an Irish bank account for the past year. These documents should be prepared before leaving Ireland, especially if you intend to buy a property soon after arriving in Canada.

Before you decide you prefer Vancouver to Montreal, read our primer to Canada's most popular destinations. Vancouver With mountains, lakes and the ocean right on your doorstep, the quality of life that Vancouver in British Columbia offers makes it an attractive location for many.

However, it may be possible to exclude some or all foreign income on U. And, if you want to hold onto your American citizenship, that goes for many countries where taxes are far lower than in the U.

Of course, there will be new stores to fall in love with, but some of the most popular U. Analysts described various problems the chain had in Canada, from overestimating how much Canadians would value coupons to higher prices than some competitors in Canada. Many cities in the U. And some items are actually more expensive in Canada than in the U. In the U.

This included police certificates of the countries I had lived in, proof of funds available as well as my education credentials. I was also required to disclose all the countries that I had visited over the last ten years.

Once I submitted my application, a nervous wait ended after just over five months when I received a request to submit my passport at the local Visa Application Centre VAC. After submitting my passport, I received a phone call to pick up my Confirmation of Permanent Residence COPR as well as my passport with a Canadian immigrant visa attached. It was in the car, shortly after I picked up my passport that it hit me.

I felt like I could finally restart my life. By Shelby Thevenot. By Alexandra Miekus. Mohanad Moetaz. Published on December 6th, at am EST. Aa Accessibility. Font Style Serif Sans. Font Size A A.