Canada questions

[dogman]

Hi Folks

We're new to posting on this forum.

My OH and I along with our 9 year old son, BIL, SIL and their 3 kids of 12,13, and 15 years of age have been looking into a new start in Canada for a while now, read the books, trawled the internet, visited shows, spoke to immigration agents, discussed it with relatives etc, etc. We are now at the stage where we do it or forget it I would appreciate if any forum members could give us some feedback on the questions below, TIA

I am a time served light vehicle mechanic with trade certificates and 16 years experience, this is the skill I am hoping will allow our family entry to Canada via a TWP initially then hopefully progressing on to PR through one of the government schemes. I have been told mechanics can make $25 an hour in Canada, is this achievable ? Are mechanics only paid for work carried out or a basic 40 hour week ? Would I have to take Red Seal test before applying for any job ? If there are any forum members who have gained PR from working as a mechanic, I would be very interested to hear of their experience.

My BIL is a time served certificated dental technician with around 10 years experience, as above he is hoping this skill will gain his family entry to Canada. Again, if there are any forum members who are dental techs in Canada we would be interested to hear of your experiences, earning potential, job opportunities, etc.

Both familys are looking at hiring a consultant to deal with applications as it seems there are so many options to consider

Financially, both familys will have a budget of around CDN $120,000 each, would this be enough to build a new life in Canada including a deposit for a modest house, furniture, cars, living expenses for the first few months ?

We are planning to keep our house in the UK and rent it out, does anyone know how this would work, ie, am I able to transfer profit to my Canadian bank account of would I have to leave it to mount up in the UK ? Would I have to pay tax on it in both the UK and Canada if I was able to bring the money over ?

We have not decided on any particular area as such but weather wise we don't want the winters to be to extreme which I dare say rules out Manitoba and Saskatchewan. I guess it will depend on the demand for our skills in a given province. We are hoping both familys can be based close to each other but realise this may be a tall order due to the sheer size of Canada and the different job markets. We are planning a recce trip around Sept, Oct once we have an idea where we may end up.

We, like most other people who consider a move of this scale are fed up with the way the UK is going with crime (in particular, yob culture), healthcare, education, opportunities for the kids, taxes, taxes and more taxes need I go on ! We are quite happy with the feed back we've been given on these subjects in Canada Hence as I said at the beginning, its decision time !!!

Once again, thank you for your help

[Bevdeforges]

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

While I can't tell you much about the mechanics or dent tech trades, I can give you a bit of info about the tax situation. There are tax treaties between the UK and Canada, so you shouldn't be taxed twice on the same income. The general rule of thumb is that you pay tax to the country from which the income comes - so in the case of renting out your house in the UK, you would wind up paying taxes there on that income. Transferring money between the UK and Canada is a separate transaction, and won't incur taxes, though the banks involved will take a fee for making the transfer.

In preparation for your trip you might want to check out some of the Canadian newspapers and news magazines online to get a feel for the sorts of issues you'll find when you get there.
Cheers,
Bev

[dogman]

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

While I can't tell you much about the mechanics or dent tech trades, I can give you a bit of info about the tax situation. There are tax treaties between the UK and Canada, so you shouldn't be taxed twice on the same income. The general rule of thumb is that you pay tax to the country from which the income comes - so in the case of renting out your house in the UK, you would wind up paying taxes there on that income. Transferring money between the UK and Canada is a separate transaction, and won't incur taxes, though the banks involved will take a fee for making the transfer.

In preparation for your trip you might want to check out some of the Canadian newspapers and news magazines online to get a feel for the sorts of issues you'll find when you get there.
Cheers,
Bev

Thanks for that Bev, have you any idea roughly what % the bank would be looking for to transfer the money, beginning to wonder if I should just leave it to mount up in the UK and collect a lump sum when visiting parents.

Thanks again

[Bevdeforges]

Last time I transferred funds from my UK bank to my French bank, the charge was something like £20 I think. It's not a percentage (at least not at my bank), but it's enough that you want to transfer a large sum all at once rather than making smaller transfers.

There is also usually a charge by the receiving bank - I think in the US it's about $25. In France it's 18 or 20 €.
Cheers,
Bev

[cbelanger82]

Hi, the fees are usually around 20 pounds per transfer. I don't think my bank in Canada charges me for receiving funds (they're too happy to get the money). You'll find that opening a bank account in Canada is a lot easier than in the UK. As for the 120000$ it should be more than enought. I have a lot to say about Canada as I was born and raised their and moved to the UK only 2 months ago with my husband. I don't know where you live, but we're in the Cambridge area and if you want, we'd be more than happy to answer your question around a cup of coffee or a pint (I have too many things to say to write it all!!!) Cheers and good luck