Canada - British Expat Forum

Hi All, Im new on here and me and my family are looing into moving to Canada, will have lots of questions over the next few months so a big thanks to all that reply in advance!
My first questions are:
1,any recommendations to where any why? (province)
2,Are there any differences in house prices, salarys ect for each province?
3,How long do you have to be in employment in Canada before you can apply for a mortgage?
4,Is the UK driving licence valid in Canada?
Thanks again and many more questions to follow soon!
Lee

welcome

you are not alone in wanting leave UK, or more appropriately wanting to live in Canada

however, it's odd that you seem to have such a desire with so little knowledge of the country, can I assume you have never visited canada? if not, I strongly recommend that you do before making such a monumental decision

also, please fully research this website because, for example, your question about driving licences is fully answered in the forum on driving

also the internet is full of useful information about Canada, google will navigate you, even a travel guide can help you better understand the various provinces

best wishes with your dream...

[Edit: please don't quote the entire posting in its entirety. There's no need - we've all just read it and know what you're referring to, and it's tedious to have to scroll through it again. Please read the posting guidelines. Thanks, Kay, Site Admin.]


Hi John,
i can assure you its no "DREAM"as you put it!
we have been thinking about it for some time and just need that little "push" for us to say YES let do it!
We do have knowledge on Canada, but for me at least the more i read and reasearch the more undecisive i become on where to try and go!
We have long family friends in BC so that was our first thoughts! we also have very good friends in Northern California so it seemed a logical choice!
However, there seems more job oppertunities for me and the wife in and around Quebec? the House prices seem much cheaper over that side too! or are we looking on the wrong sites?
But all this info is off the internet and would prefere it to come from the Horses mouth so to speak!
Like the Driving licence question i have posted, read on here several different experiances! whats true?
As you stated, it a massive move and cant afford to make the wrong decision, so trying to get as much info together as possible!
Thanks for the reply,
Lee

Hi Lee

Welcome to the forum and good luck with your move.

I agree with John. Many of your questions may already have been answered - and if they haven't been, then please post them on the appropriate boards.

Quote:

But all this info is off the internet and would prefere it to come from the Horses mouth so to speak!

I must admit I'm mystified by this comment. This is an Internet discussion forum. If you don't want to glean your information from the Internet then I'm not sure what you hope to gain as a member here.

It's inevitable that people will have different experiences. They all have different circumstances. You will need to read carefully and sift through the information that's relevant to you. The other choice is to perhaps pay a professional consultant to advise you. Most people here are DIYers and can only relate their own experiences in the hope of helping others who are following the same path.

LRMEV2 wrote: 1,any recommendations to where any why? (province) 2,Are there any differences in house prices, salarys ect for each province? 3,How long do you have to be in employment in Canada before you can apply for a mortgage? 4,Is the UK driving licence valid in Canada? Lee

Lee, with respect these are pretty open questions but if it helps here goes:
1. Depends what you want out of your move, your location may be governed by where you can get a job, or where you can afford housing, or whether you like the mountains or ocean or speaking french
2. Yes, nova scotia is probably cheapest, followed by Manitoba and Sask, toronto and BC (stands for Bring Cash!) are highest. Salaries will be different in each province for the same job for the most part, but I do not think that the differences are as significant as the real estate prices. Currently the average price of a property in Manitoba is $205000, which apparently is $90000 less than the national average!
3. I believe if you have a substantive job, you can probably get ome straightaway. You cannot in my experience get an unsecured credit card though!
4. It depends on the province. in manitoba you can drive for up to 3 months with your UK licence, then you can hand it in and swap for manitoba one. It costs you $60 annually.

I hope this helps a little.

I've shifted this to the Jumble sale because there are so many different questions together on a single topic.

Lee, please have a read of the posting guidelines, which explain why we ask people to follow the golden rule - one subject per thread. It makes things easier for everyone to find the information they're looking for. Thanks.