[kaindi]

i have been reading lots of forums in expat forun and many people have the same problem as me. I am currently in malaysia but wiuld like to relocate to either melbourne australia and toronto canada. Every week i change my mind based on several factors. I need to make a decision as soon as possible. I have friends in Australia but no friends in canada that is why u cannot compare. My friends in australia say the wages in australia are amazing and i can make lots of money as a student.
Australia wins when it comes to job opportunities while i am studying. IN canada i have to wait 6 months before i can work
Canada winsin terms of scenery and experience due to co-op program. Proximity to USA. I fo not like cold weather but i love the fact that i can experience all four seasons.
I need people from the forum to help me make the decision. Which is a better option for a 24yr old ready to work hard and make money. Also start a family when. i an ready. Less racial discrimination

 

[Riza2012]

i have been reading lots of forums in expat forun and many people have the same problem as me. I am currently in malaysia but wiuld like to relocate to either melbourne australia and toronto canada. Every week i change my mind based on several factors. I need to make a decision as soon as possible. I have friends in Australia but no friends in canada that is why u cannot compare. My friends in australia say the wages in australia are amazing and i can make lots of money as a student.
Australia wins when it comes to job opportunities while i am studying. IN canada i have to wait 6 months before i can work
Canada winsin terms of scenery and experience due to co-op program. Proximity to USA. I fo not like cold weather but i love the fact that i can experience all four seasons.
I need people from the forum to help me make the decision. Which is a better option for a 24yr old ready to work hard and make money. Also start a family when. i an ready. Less racial discrimination

Lol no need to be confuse if you want to go to Canada without job offer, keep dreaming u will never be able to go there, unless u r a chef , crane operator , labourer, etc. Many ppl are not aware of Canada immigration changes since 2010 so they keep dreaming of that place

ur only choice is australia or new zealand, good luck.

 

[kaindi]

What if i am going there as a student? I am not going with a workpermit. I intend to do my masters in human resource then work after that. With my student visa i will only work 20hrs a week.

 

[jb12]

Hi Kaindi,

I would say follow what your instinct is telling you and not so much of what you read in this forum. Just use the information as your guide. Do your pros and cons of each country and what you want to happen to you in the future.

It is probably true that the wages are amazing in Australia to what your friends say. However, have they told you what the cost of living and other expenses are too? Deduct that from your other expenses. I have a relative there on a student visa. His opportunity to work the 20 hours per week would never be enough to pay for tuition, books, housing,etc. on his own. He gets financial assistance from his parents as well.

Do you already have your finances set up to pay for your tuition,etc. and that your working 20 hrs/week is only to pay for smaller items such as food,etc.?

Does Australia not offer co-op program? Either way, having the co-op or internship experience will help when your will be graduating and start applying for a job. This is whether it is in Australia or Canada. Also, why just these two countries, is it harder to get a student visa in the US?

Good luck!

 

[kaindi]

My instinct says australia is better but i do not want to make the wrong decision. My parents will be paying my fees but i would be required to take care of my living expenses.. I should bgin my application process soon because i should either be in australia by july or canada by september.. Wish me luck..
Need advice from people in canada as well..

 

[jb12]

If your instincts say Australia, then you should proceed with that. Like in anything in life, there are times that it's difficult to know in advance if you are making the right decision - it's a risk. But the one good thing about going to Australia is that you already have friends there. They can assist you in somethings that you may need help with. At least you will have some peace of mind.

With going to Canada, it will be an adventure since you don't know anyone. As for which country has job prospects, I think that also is not easy to predict. Your chances in both countries is probably the same depending in what you will degree you will be graduating with since you would need to be sponsored.

 

[Meaganhawkins]

Hi, my name is Meagan and I am Canadian. I live in Winnipeg but have been to Toronto. It is VERY expensive to live in or around Toronto. It is a huge city, it is very fast pace and the opposite of relaxing. You could have a stoke just trying to get on the freeway. I know you say you want to experience the seasons but a Toronto winter is long and very harsh. Gas is expensive and driving is stressful. If you take the bus remember that you will be out waiting for the bus outside in at least -20 degree weather 5-6 months out of the year. During winter the world is all grey or white, no color. It can be very hard on a person. I love Canada and there are many great things about it but if you are coming from a warm climate it can be more of a shock than you can imagine. I think you should do your research and make own decision but I really think Australia would be less of a shock to your system. But that is only one opinion. Meagan

 

[kaindi]

Thanks jb12. I am guessing australia is the best option for me. I feel it in my guts bt i dont want to make a mistake. Thanks for your advice..
At meagan. Thanks for the advice too. Are you in australia now? Can u tell me the difference between living expenses and salaries. Thanks.

 

[Meaganhawkins]

Thanks jb12. I am guessing australia is the best option for me. I feel it in my guts bt i dont want to make a mistake. Thanks for your advice..
At meagan. Thanks for the advice too. Are you in australia now? Can u tell me the difference between living expenses and salaries. Thanks.

Hi, well I guess the first thing is no we are not in Australia yet but I have done tons of research and my little sister attended high school in Perth so my family knows quite a bit. We are planning on moving to Brisbane because that is where the company we want to work for is, and because the cost of living is much lower than some of the other big cities we have looked at. What I can tell you is a house in Brisbane will be about $100 000 more for the same kind of house we live in in Winnipeg, but Winnipeg housing is a fair bit cheaper than alot of the other big cities in Canada. The most expensive places to live in Canada are all of BC, especially Vancouver, Calgary & Edmonton which are in Alberta, and Toronto which is scary expensive! When we move to Brisbane the cost of living will definitely be higher than Winnipeg but I don't think it will be to bad. The thing is my husband will be making more than twice the salary that he does here, but that is not the case with all professions my husband is a geo tech and environmental Driller and Australia has a great need for that right now so we are lucky. You have to remember that yes Canada is a very beautiful country but all that beauty is not right on your door step, we are a huge country and you have to travel a good distance for the kind of natural beauty you are talking about. Especially if you are in one of the big cities. I love my country but winter is hard long and sometimes depressing depending on what you like to do and if you can handle the cold for long periods of time. I can not do it anymore. I hope that helps, if you have any more questions please feel free to ask.
Meagan

 

[kaindi]

I applied to study at seneca college in downtown toronto and also cqu universith in melbourne. I will be studying HR. Im happy for you and your husband as thats quite a good deal. I have heard that winnipeg is alot colder than everywhere else bt toronto is cold as well. I would like to know much more about canada too.

 

[ozbound12]

I applied to study at seneca college in downtown toronto and also cqu universith in melbourne. I will be studying HR. Im happy for you and your husband as thats quite a good deal. I have heard that winnipeg is alot colder than everywhere else bt toronto is cold as well. I would like to know much more about canada too.

I'm from Toronto. There is no Seneca College campus downtown. The closest campus to downtown is the Newnham Campus, which is in a suburban area north of the city and is only accessible by car or bus.

I'm sure this is true of Melbourne too, but the city centre (Downtown) is the really fun and interesting part of Toronto -- the suburbs are pretty bleak and boring. As someone else mentioned earlier, Toronto is a pretty expensive city to live in these days and it also has some of the worst traffic of any city in North America (the average commute time for the Greater Toronto Area is about 80 minutes). The transit system is pretty overburdened and doesn't serve suburban areas very well, forcing people to drive. If you're not living and working downtown, it's pretty much impossible to live in Toronto without a car.

I don't think the winters are that bad, but I could be biased since I'm from there. Temperatures tend to hover around freezing and as long as you're prepared and dressed appropriately (winter coat, hat, scarf, gloves, boots) you'll be fine. The snow is a bit annoying, as is the lack of sunlight (it's very gray and overcast, and days are short with the sun setting around 4:30pm). If you need to drive, make sure you get winter tires and learn to drive in snowy conditions. It's very easy to lose control of your car on snow-covered and icy roads, especially if you don't have appropriate tires.