Odds odds us being able to immigrate to Canada? (real estate, 2013)
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Hey everyone, we're a young professional married couple who have been wanting to move to Canada for quite some time.
Some of what intrigues us is the climate, the people, the way the country is run and its stances in general, the better education system, greater safety, and there's just generally a lot less international drama that Canada is involved in (as opposed to the US!). Generally, we just want to live in a safe, laid-back, nature-oriented place where we can be productive and can feel safer in the long run. That, and we're both hockey fiends!
A bit about us -- I'm 24, he's 30. He has a Ph.D in Physics, I have a Bachelors degree in Economics/Marketing (double major). But we're both working as software engineers. By next year, we're aiming to have enough money to purchase a house (we've looked at Canadian real estate listings). We have no children, and we're both healthy and fit. Neither of us have criminal records.
We're both fluent in English, and I'm nearly fluent in Spanish. But we're starting on learning French now, which I've been wanting to do for some time anyway. So, hopefully within a year or two, we'll have at least some grasp of French.
I'm looking online to figure out the process, but it's a bit of a maze. But broadly speaking, does it sound like we might have a chance at being granted Canadian citizenship?
Thanks so much!
Last edited by ohhwanderlust; 01-25-2015 at 08:10 PM..
Hey everyone, we're a young professional married couple who have been wanting to move to Canada for quite some time.
Some of what intrigues us is the climate, the people, the way the country is run and its stances in general, the better education system, greater safety, and there's just generally a lot less international drama that Canada is involved in (as opposed to the US!). Generally, we just want to live in a safe, laid-back, nature-oriented place where we can be productive and can feel safer in the long run. That, and we're both hockey fiends!
A bit about us -- I'm 24, he's 30. He has a Ph.D in Physics, I have a Bachelors degree in Economics/Marketing (double major). But we're both working as software engineers. By next year, we're aiming to have enough money to purchase a house (we've looked at Canadian real estate listings). We have no children, and we're both healthy and fit. Neither of us have criminal records.
We're both fluent in English, and I'm nearly fluent in Spanish. But we're starting on learning French now, which I've been wanting to do for some time anyway. So, hopefully within a year or two, we'll have at least some grasp of French.
I'm looking online to figure out the process, but it's a bit of a maze. But broadly speaking, does it sound like we might have a chance at being granted Canadian citizenship?
Thanks so much!
It does sound like you have a good chance, you're educated people with in demand skill sets and good educations. Perhaps try and get a job through an IT outfit and get sponsored. The tech industries in Vancouver, Kitchener/Waterloo, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal are particularly robust, but there are tech companies all over the country, like a game studio in Courtney, BC I was just reading about.
It does sound like you have a good chance, you're educated people with in demand skill sets and good educations. Perhaps try and get a job through an IT outfit and get sponsored. The tech industries in Vancouver, Kitchener/Waterloo, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal are particularly robust, but there are tech companies all over the country, like a game studio in Courtney, BC I was just reading about.
Oh, Vancouver is our top choice! At least to start off with -- we may end up settling down in another province!
I'm looking online to figure out the process, but it's a bit of a maze. But broadly speaking, does it sound like we might have a chance at being granted Canadian citizenship?
Thanks so much!
Hold on a minute. Moving to Canada and getting citizenship are two different things. What you are looking for is permanent residence status. This is a springboard for getting citizenship. With new rules brought in by the Federal Government, expect at least six years between obtaining PR and gaining citizenship.
I got my PR in 2013 after a 10-year wait, and I expect to be able to apply for citizenship in 2018, and obtain that citizenship in 2020. These are ballpark figures. I tend to travel a lot and vacations spent outside Canada tend to lengthen the waiting period.
So, don't even think about citizenship at this point. Your focus is on applying through the skilled immigrant class at this point. The government has created a new category to match prospective immigrants quickly with prospective employers. You may want to look into that.
It took me 10 years to obtain PR because I was a student and then a worker, and neither counted towards the time requirements for PR. It should take you only about ~2-3 years, maybe 4 years if you're unlucky. In other words, estimate about a decade before you get citizenship.
True. I'll add to that though, that being a Canadian PR is not really that different from being a citizen in practice, unlike in the States where I understand the equivalent to be a more precarious legal status. A Canadian PR has most of the rights of a citizen, including access to the health care system, you just can't vote, run for political office, or work in some positions that require high-level security clearance.
Oh, Vancouver is our top choice! At least to start off with -- we may end up settling down in another province!
Basically, you in either Toronto or Vancouver unless you free lance.
We just had a nice neighbor from Syria arrive in Calgary, but it just wasn't able to absorb him in tech.
You're young, no or little debt, and Spanish is really getting handy up here. Most Spanish in Vancouver are actually "elites' from Mexico or Columbia.
Physics wise is a little tougher, though UBC is a real center. I used to hang out with Chinese Physics students at UBC back in the late eighties. They, literally, had never SEEN a pot to **** in, but smart, yes.
They were the "first wave" after Taiwan, and it grew from there.
Border control said it best: "Our job is to get you IN, their job across the tarmac is to keep you OUT".
Same job, different approach.
You are ideal candidates. Get in touch with the Canadian Embassy in your country and find out what you have to do. We can give you all kinds of advice but really you need to find out from the horse's mouth. You can hire immigration lawyers and specialists.
House prices are higher than the sky in Vancouver (median price 1.15 million), and Toronto
( median price $735.000). Montreal is better at median $322,000.
Check out cities like
Regina the capital city of Saskatchewan 200k pop and median house prices of $335,000
Winnipeg capital of Manitoba, 700k pop and median house prices of $307,000.
Saskatoon largest city in Saskatchewan 323K pop and median house price of $343,000.
We're both fluent in English, and I'm nearly fluent in Spanish. But we're starting on learning French now, which I've been wanting to do for some time anyway. So, hopefully within a year or two, we'll have at least some grasp of French.
Thanks so much!
Unless you are moving to Quebec you wont need French.
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At least to start off with -- we may end up settling down in another province!
you'e either Toronto or Vancouver
