Moving to Canada -Study,Living and PR

[Raj77]

I need some advice on studies , living and Permanent residency process in Canada.Both I and my wife had visited canada earlier
and are deliberating moving to Canada to settle down and integrate with the society there .Let me explain my situation in details.

I have been working as a permanent employee in the UK for about 10 months in the ICT industry .My wife also possess experience in ICT industry and is currently looking out for a job in the UK.Alternatively she is also planning
to persue some higher studies(Masters, MBA etc..).

Now I have suggested my wife to explore studying in Canada . My suggestions are based on the following facts:

-Master's degree of 2 years duration might provide a visa of another 3 years after her study which means she could effectively have 5 years of visa. There is no PSW visa in the UK and the fees for the course as almost the same in both countries.

-As a dependent , I could also get a visa & open work permit for 2 years initially and 3 years after that using which I can look out for job in Canada.

-There is a possibilty of having PR in less time in Canada in comparision to UK . As I understand she can apply for a PR if she has a job (category O,A or B) for 1 year after her graduation.I can apply for a PR within 1 or 2 years if I manage to get a job and remain in the job.My visa in the UK is sponsored by my company(Tier2) and there might be risks in future(another 4 years) before I can apply for ILR .

-Any child born in Canada(we dont have any) will get the Canadian PR by virtue of birth which is not the case in UK.

-I feel quality of life in Canada is better than that in the UK though I like UK very much.We are South Asians and I can speak English very well with UK accent and I also know little French.I would prefer moving to Vancouver BC or the east coast.


I would appreciate if anybody can provide objecvtive feedback on my thoughts mentioned above and point out if my assumptions are incorrect .I am also discussing the options with my friends in Canada.

-Raj

[jawnbc]

I'll speak to the higher ed aspect of your query, since I work in higher ed.

If you are coming from outside of Canada you will pay higher fees--usually 2 or 3 times what domestic students pay--and won't be considered a domestic student unless you acquire PR in the year prior to enrolment. So for the the upcoming year of 2012/13, that means by the end of August in most provinces. Some schools charge higher fees on paper (like UBC), but then grant all or part of the fee differential back as a scholarship or bursary to most international students. But that's in traditional academic programs rather than professional programs like MBAs.

Finally, research the schools before you apply or enrol: there's a lot of good and a few outstanding universities in Canada. There are also some mediocre ones. If the costs are comparable, the value will be found in the better school.

Good luck!