Moving to Ontario - Some Questions

[babyblues27]

Hello,

My husband will be repatriating to Canada next year and we have a few questions regarding the cost of living and quality of life. My husband was born to Greek parents in Toronto Canada but moved to Cyprus when he was 8 years old. I was born in the UK and also moved to Cyprus at a young age. We've been to Canada on holiday and really liked the country, diversity, climate, and people. My husband would like to move there in February to look for work. He has relatives in Toronto and and will have a place to stay. I will have to come over with our three pet's at a later date. We've looked at a several areas in Ontario, including Barrie and St. Catharines. I was wondering if anyone could perhaps recommend some areas that are reasonably cheap and safe for families. It would have to be in an area where my husband could find work. He's a computer technician with ten years experience. He did not complete his computer studies program at college, but he is A+ certified and MSCA certified. We have looked at some job listings online and these certifications are preferred in his line of work. I have heard that they like to see thing's on paper in Canada, so I worry about his lack of college education. I work for a Veterinary Clinic as a receptionist and have administrative experience. I don't have a college diploma either, but I'm quite flexible and wouldn't mind working in a Mall or at Pet Smart.

My husband will need to find a house to rent after he has secured a job. Will it be difficult finding a place considering we're new to Canada and have two dogs and a cat? What is required from landlords? We would hope to buy something of our own in a year or two, providing we feel that Canada is an ideal place to raise a family. We will have around $35,000 CAD saved for a downpayment.

My main concern is that my husband won't be able to find work. Could we survive and live quite comfortably with our combined salaries?

Should we open a Canadian bank account and transfer some money over? How could we get a good credit rating before the move? Would I need a work Visa considering my husband was born in Canada and has a Canadian passport?

Sorry for the many questions - we're quite nervous and excited about moving to Canada. It's difficult leaving family behind, but life is too short to not try new thing's. I wonder if anyone was in a similar situation and could give us some reassurance? Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thankyou.

[babyblues27]

Surely someone can answer some of my questions?

[redmaple]

I too hope someone will answer your questions. I will probably return to Canada next year, been living in the US since 1998. I thought I'd find a lot of information here, but so far I haven't been able to find much. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places?

Lets hope someone sees this.

[Bevdeforges]

Hi, and sorry you haven't gotten a response in the last couple of days. We do have a few members living in Canada, but they seem to be offline at the moment (or maybe on vacation).

From what I know of Canadian immigration, your husband will have to find a job (and presumably a place to live) before he can sponsor you for a visa. This site should give you the details on that: Sponsoring your family: Spouses and dependent children

It shouldn't be too difficult to find employment as a computer technician, though I don't really know how the pay scales are in Ontario at the moment. One way to check those out would be to peruse the help wanted ads in the Ontario newspapers online to see what sorts of qualifications they are looking for. (You can also scope out what sorts of jobs are available to get some ideas for planning your own job hunt.) Check with his family (the ones he'll be staying with) to get the names of some of the local papers, and maybe even the names of some of the computer publications in Canada - those often carry job ads, too.

There's no reason he couldn't send out a few CVs with a cover letter mentioning that he will be over there from February of next year. If his qualifications are of interest, he may get some positive feedback (like, "please call when you get here") - and it certainly never hurts to have a few potential interviews lined up when you arrive.

I don't think there's much you can do about transferring your credit rating or experience to Canada. No country these days gives much credence to "foreign" credit ratings. It wouldn't hurt to get a letter of introduction from your bank before you go - just stating that you've been a good customer and you don't overdraw your accounts, and you've been responsible with your credit cards, etc. It may not count for much formally, but it does seem to make the account opening process a bit smoother.

As far as renting with the pets - usually there's an additional deposit required to cover any potential damage the pets might do. Check on the local laws regarding pets - some communities require dogs to wear collars and tags, and it might be necessary to find a house with a fenced in yard if there are local leash laws. If you demonstrate some sensitivity to the local regulations, you're more likely to get a landlord to allow the animals.

That's as much as I can help you with from here. With luck someone from Canada will wander by soon.
Cheers,
Bev

[babyblues27]

Thanks so much for your responses. Seeing as my husband was born in Canada, and has a Canadian passport - will he still need to sponser me for a work visa? I called the Canadian embassy in Cyprus and they asked me to contact the Canadian embassy in Syria as they do not deal with enquiries pertaining to citizenship and immigration. I called Syria and was told that I would not need a Visa, because my husband was born in Canada. She said we could live and work in Canada without a problem.

I am slightly confused. It would totally suck if I had to wait months before I was able to work. The lady at the embassy did not seem very knowledgable, nor very helpful for that matter. It would be nice to talk to someone who can explain the exact requirements and proceedures for our situation.

Thanks again red and Bev.

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by babyblues27

I am slightly confused. It would totally suck if I had to wait months before I was able to work. The lady at the embassy did not seem very knowledgable, nor very helpful for that matter. It would be nice to talk to someone who can explain the exact requirements and proceedures for our situation.

In general, the people who work at the embassies and consulates report to one ministry and the folks who deal with immigration back home report to a different one. So it's not at all uncommon to have the Embassy give you information that is dead wrong. (I had immigration problems in coming to France for precisely this reason.)

If I read the CIC site correctly, you do indeed need a visa, as the non-Canadian spouse of a Canadian citizen (this is typical for most countries). It doesn't say so specifically, but I suspect your working privileges are more or less automatic on the granting of the visa - and you could go over to Canada with him, and then apply for the spousal visa when he finds a job.

Take a good look at that site I indicated in my first message. It's not a terribly onerous process and it shouldn't really take too long for you to be fully "street legal" in Canada. (In fact, you can download some of the forms you need - maybe even start the process before your husband goes over.)
Cheers,
Bev

[pinkkristen]

hi, we have just been to toronto to check out potential areas to live in. Barrie, i have heard is quite beautiful but quite far from commuto areas ( and lots of bugs!). We spent time in waterloo/kitchener, which is a city 1 hour west of toronto. I really liked this area, it has loads to do for children, safe place to live, cheaper than areas closer to toronto, it has a city feel, but you have the countryside on your doorstep, lots of lakes and parks etc. The city has a lot of diversity to it.
The other areas i liked were milton, guelph, these were slightly nearer to toronto. Renting in Canada in not cheap, i would advise doing it for as little time as possible, thats what we intend to do. Good luck with it all, i can't wait to get out there!

[pinkkristen]

I have just written a load of stuff, but you mentioned about the visas. We are in the same position as you, ie i am a canadian citizen, my hubby is not. You could both move out to canada (you on a 6month temporary visa) then when you get out there you're husband sponsors you, you should get a work visa within 42 days, then your sponsorship would take around 8-12 months to come through to get your permenent residency. This is how i understand it to be. If i'm wrong please someone tell me as our house is on the market and we're ready to go!!

[Elisa]

Hello, I live in Mississauga just outside Toronto. One thing about Canada if you want to work you will find a job!

Areas that are close to the city and affordable are to the west...Milton, Georgetown, Brampton, Burlington and going north of Toronto there is Maple, Alliston and Barrie. To the east of Toronto there is Oshawa, Whitby, Scarborough and many small towns in between.

I don't really know anything about the immigration laws but I think if you are canadian by birth you don't loose any of your rights.

In case you want to see what the rent is like you can google the websites for our local newspapers:

The Toronto Star
The Sun
The Globe and Mail
The Mississauga News

The Brampton Guardian

I hope this helps,,,any other questions please let me know@

[redmaple]

Thanks for the replies.