emigrating to Canada?

Question

I hope to be sponsored by my daughter when I retire in a few years time and go and live in Canada. Would appreciate any tips about this especially about if it is possible to have state and private pensions paid directly into a Canadian bank account or if it is possiblle for a British bank to transfer the money monthly into a Canadian bamk account.
Also how does the cost of living compare with Britain on essentials like food , heating etc.
Is the cost of shipping personal items to Canada expensive and what items should I take with me?

Thank you for any advice.

Answer 1

You wrote:
Would appreciate any tips about this especially about if it is possible to have state and private pensions paid directly into a Canadian bank account or if it is possiblle for a British bank to transfer the money monthly into a Canadian bamk account.

Yes and yes. But Canadian banks are notorioiusly incapable of handling such transactions. Use the Toronto Dominion which in my experience is very much more reliable than the Bank of Montreal and the Bank of Commerce. I've no experience of having had personal accounts in the Royal Bank of Canada, though experience with business accounts there hasn't been great. Toronto Dominion are really good, though, and the only Canadian bank with which I currently maintain accounts.
-----------

You wrote:
Also how does the cost of living compare with Britain on essentials like food , heating etc.

Depends on whwere you're going and you haven't told us. The cheapest city in North America is Ottowa and in some of the small towns within an hour's drive of Ottawa the cost of living is VERY low. On the other hand in the big cities, and in the Golden Triangle and in very remote areas the cost can be as high as the UK. Dairy products are as dear as the UK. So are cars. Healthcare costs. Virtually everything else ( in spite of how they moan about it) is significantly cheaper. $1 Canadian actually buys a lot of things in the real world. 50p, on the other hand, will hardly buy you a newspaper.
------------------


You wrote
How does the cost of living compare with Britain on essentials like food , heating etc.
Is the cost of shipping personal items to Canada expensive and what items should I take with me?

Take with you? Whatever's of sentimental value. A containerfull is a lot and isn't that expensive.

If you're taking table or standard lamps, be sure to take with you

1) a supply of 200 watt Bayonet Cap bulbs if they'll fit physically -- BC bulbs can't be obtained and a 200 watt bulb gets transformed into a 100 watt bulb at 110 volts

2) a supply of converters to allow the use of ES bulbs in BC lampholders.

Alternatively you may be able to source in the UK ES lampholders with a suitable thread in the base to match the thread on your lamp. That's a better solution if you've got a friendly electrician.

Answer 2

A few more points of information to what other Answerers have informed you so far:

Britain-based HSBC Bank has offices in Canada (the USA, also) so I suppose it would not be difficult to have your pension deposits transferred here.

Our total VAT ranges from only 6% to 14% depending on the province.

Feinschme... is incorrect about Ottawa being the cheapest city. Because of low housing costs Montréal is a bit cheaper (and a much more exciting and cosmopolitan place). I am surprised also at his statement that U.K. and Canadian dairy prices are comparable as they are kept high here (almost 50% higher than in the States) by a market quota and control system. Chicken also.

For bringing in personal items: Canada Customs requires that you list what you wish to bring on a prescribed form so that you are not charged duty for value beyond regular exemption.

Answer 3

The answers to the first two questions are : yes.
The cost of living: varies from one area to another. e.g. housing, etc. Food: I guess is almost the same range, not too much difference.
Cost of shipping: it could be quite expensive. Just bring items which you have sentimental attachment to them. Avoid bringing bulky ones, e.g. bed, book shelf, table, etc...unless, otherwise, are antique, and unique.

P.S.
Halifax, Nova Scotia, makes a good place for retired person. Unless, otherwise you prefer close to your daughter place.

It's a small city, with all the amenities but. People are wonderfully friendly, the surrounding countryside is beautiful and it has a great 'seafaring' history.
It's also much more like the UK in many respects, i.e. sense of humour, drinking culture etc.

Answer 4

That's a banking issue, not a Canadian one.. don't see why not!
My wife recently spent a month in London and was appalled at costs, food, fuel, housing a LOT more expensive there. For example, gasoline (regular unleaded) is running about a pound and a half/Imperial gallon, a pop in a machine, 1/2 pound at most... housing varies a lot, depending on where you settle... Alberta is awful at the moment! A 50,000 pound bungalow in Nova Scotia would run double there....
Any help??

Answer 5

Maria is not on her "high horse". She is being blunt, but accurate. What you are proposing to do is come to Canada "pretending" to be a tourist. Then you choose to just stay and work. That is indeed illegal. UK tourists are allowed to come to Canada without a visa for up to six months, after which you are expected to leave the country. While in Canada, you are not allowed to work unless you have obtained a Working Holiday Visa or a Temporary Work Visa. If you chose to come to Canada using a "temporary resident visa" (tourist visa) and overstay your allotted time, you are considered to be in the country illegally, and the moment you are discovered, you will be deported back to your place of origin and barred from re-entry to Canada for at least five years. You would not be able to get a job in Canada because all employers will expect you to provide a social insurance number (SIN) when hired, which they use to notify the government about how much money they are paying you for income tax purposes. If you don't have a SIN, they won't hire you. The only people who would hire you is someone looking to get a job done "under the table" (undeclared). They might do this in order to be able to pay you less than minimum wage or to not have to pay medical benefits or other taxes or fees. That means you end up doing babysitting, housecleaning, gardening, or stuff like that. And you have no recourse if you get hurt on the job, or even if they decide after you did the work that they won't pay you at all. So while you consider that some people may be giving you a "snotty" reply, we view people who propose what you proposed as ignorant and insulting to those who are waiting two years to get a chance at coming to Canada to live and work here through the PROPER channels. How do you feel when someone butts into the line ahead of you at the movies, a checkout counter, or ordering at a coffeeshop? Same type of thing, except it's not about paying for my loaf of bread, but someone's future life and career. EDIT: No worries, dear. No offense taken. Just wanted you to realize why some people were indignant at your question. And you can ignore the ones asking you if you were American or Mexican. If you saw some of the nasty things these trolls were saying in other questions, you'd totally let it not worry you.

Answer 6

I'm not sure about the bank account, but keep your UK account open, I did the same with my US account

The cost of living is cheaper!, especially rent, which is like 30% of the UK, heating is usually included, is more expensive in the winter of course

As a general rule, everything is like 50% the cost in the UK, if a soda in the UK is 1 pound in Canada is like 1 Dollar, that's a general rule, but it is pretty much cheaper, I've been to both places and you notice the difference in the UK straight away

Answer 7

I cannot tell you at this moment in time but I will soon edit the answer when I ask my bessie mate who's brother's bessie mate moved to Canada. Happy Emigrating! =)

Answer 8

i want to move there too, they have free health care for the elderly, that is the way it should be, my grandma spends so much on medical care!!!!

Answer 9

canadian immigration will get u