Immigration Research (II)

By: Dave Lympany

A huge step forward is to identify the area you wish to settle in and then tie in your (and your partners) skills to see if any of the local industry is likely to hire you. You can easily research any of the local companies by using the yellow pages (link), town/city chamber of commerce and the main job searching sites and see who is in commutable distance and whether they are likely to be hiring. If the area of your dreams does not have the industry that applies to your skills is there anything you can offer the companies that are there or do you need to change your plans and move to where the work is?To be honest, we moved to the area of our dreams and now I have a lengthy commute to work – this becomes an issue in the winter and provides a longer work day.

Would I change it? No, but I think plenty of other people would.All this is in YOUR control before you move and forewarned is forearmed as they say. It is always better to know what lies ahead, if your qualifications transfer (do you have to retrain) will there be a chance of work in my chosen profession. Etc. so you can plan for it. Once you have moved, you are at the mercy of the local job market and if your settling funds diminish as fast as ours did then it won’t take long for the panic to set in!!Another vital aspect of your move is the budget – the chances are you will be selling most of your possessions and moving with your life savings. Choose a conservative exchange rate to work out your settling funds and make sure you account for all of your expenses to move (legal fees for house sales/purchases, shipping/storage, house deposits, replacement of goods you sold to move, flights, hotels, pet shipping costs, rented accommodation, insurance.)

This is where your research will pay extra dividends. If you know the area you want to settle in, housing costs, local taxes, which are the most likely employers and what they are paying, then you can fairly accurately forecast your budget. The following table demonstrates our average monthly outgoings for an 1800 square foot family house:Life insurance ($250,000 on each parent) = $60Pet Insurance (for a Dog) = $30Local taxes (approx 1% of house value) = $215Cell Phone (family plan 2 phones) = $55Local town bill (water, recycling, sewage) = $65Gas (heating + hot water) = $75Electric (power and cooking) = $70House phone (long distance + features) = $80Cable TV and high speed internet = $110.00Total monthly = $760.00

Then add your mortgage/rent (allow $1,000 for a family house) and living costs (family of four about $250 per week) and it soon adds up. Your wages will see the Canadian Pension Plan, EI and federal/Provincial taxes deducted along with any Provincial healthcare premium that may be applicable. Total deductions will be around 45% of your salary (depending upon the Province you move to) so always bear that in mind too. This is a conservative estimate with everything rounded up but is an honest picture of the level of outgoings you can expect to see. Add in activity costs if you have kids - hockey equipment is expensive with the season ice fees normally in excess of $500.00 and you see the picture.

This is an illustration based upon our experience and will be different for each area – believe me, the effort involved with this research will pay you back and then some!!!More detailed information and links to great resources can be found at http://www.onestopimmigration-canada.com/immigration.html

About the Author:
The author immigrated to Canada in 2003 and has constructed a free information website http://www.onestopimmigration-canada.com about Canadian Immigration and life in Canada based on his family’s experiences.