How would this salary be in toronto (health insurance, living in)

[mistymountain]

My dh and I are considering a move to Canada from the US. We live in Alaska right now. I have looked into the information on CIC and his occupation qualifies for a skilled worker. I know the applications take a long time and it was 2 years recently for processing times.

Anyway I was looking up his job and one of the postions he qualifies for paid 73,443.00 – $95,213.00 in Toronto. We are a family of 5 with three kids 5 and under. I know we can't live in the city but would we be able to live in the GTO and take mass transportation and do good on that salary? We like the idea of living in Toronto and have family on the east coast of the US. I know it is very expensive to live in Toronto and the cost of living is high.

I read you can do a dual intent and apply for a temporary work visa and a permanent residence card. Could he potentially apply for both and once we gets the work visa look for jobs? We would not move without a job. I worried about the health insurance if we do that because it will take 3 months once we become permanent residence to get it and the application takes a long time even though it will be expidited if he has a job.

[dougie86]

You'll find most of what you need to know on the official website of Ontario Immigration for new comers. But keep asking, as others may have better and more practical information.
"Some household spending surveys estimate that the average family will spend C$55,000 - C$65,000 per year. "
You'll need to get a private health insurance package for the first 3 months until your OHIP kicks in. Information about health newcomers to Ontario can trust

Some people find this useful.
http://cewc.ca/images/budget-tracker.pdf (broken link)

Another useful site from the Ontario Government.
http://www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/eng...bile/live.html

[dougie86]

Originally Posted by mistymountain

I have looked into the information on CIC and his occupation qualifies for a skilled worker. I know the applications take a long time and it was 2 years recently for processing times.

I read you can do a dual intent and apply for a temporary work visa and a permanent residence card. Could he potentially apply for both and once we gets the work visa look for jobs? We would not move without a job.

We would be applying for permanent residence status under the skill worker class. My husband works in the insurance industry doing claims and adjusting and has 8 years experience. His field is one of the 29 qualify fields. We both have bachelors degrees and are proficient in English. I think that will allow us to apply. I looked and there are jobs in his field that he would qualify for.

The problem is that he could get a job but it still would take months to a year to get permanent residence status and no employer would wait that long. We want to secure work before moving. It looks like you can do both a temporary visa and a permanent residence under dual intent. Would he be able to start the application process for both then look for jobs then work under a temporary visa while he is applying for permanent residence? Would a company hire a non Canadian?

I'm not aware of the "dual intent and apply for a temporary work visa and a permanent residence card" at the same time. It is kind of confusing. Do you mean that you can apply for both:
- a Canadian temporary work visa, as well as
- the Federal Immigration under "skilled workers" category?

But I suspect what you were advised is that once you are here working under a Temporary Visa, you will get a SIN card (social security card, not a PR card) and OHIP coverage after the first 3 months.

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If your husband can find someone willing to offer him a job, his employer will find ways to get him in to Canada. See the "eligibility to apply for a Temporary Work Visa from outside Canada.
Working temporarily in Canada: Eligibility to apply
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Or your husband's prospective employer can go the route of
Federal Immigration "skilled workers" category, Arranged employment.
Skilled workers and professionals - Who can apply

Normally when you do it on your own without a pre-arranged job, the processing times for application submitted through Buffalo/USA are around 23 months.
Processing times for federal skilled worker applications processed by visa offices outside Canada

The processing times are shorter if you opt for the PNP program (Provincial Nominees) - 14 months through Buffalo/USA.
Processing times for provincial nominee applications processed by visa offices outside Canada
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Hope this helps.

[mistymountain]

We meet the criteria on that site and passed their quizes. No I didn't think you could get on the health care system with a temporary visa. You need to be a permanent resident for 3 months. We would hopefully be able to get private insurance in the mean time. I hope that would be affordable. I was wondering if he could apply for a job and then get in on a temporary visa while also in the process to be a permanent resident. We meet the qualifications for both if job was able to hire foreign workers. The processing times would even be pretty long if he had a job it shortens it but I don't see an employer waiting around for months. We were thinking of the provincial program too but you need a job and I can't see an employer waiting 14 months.

I am just wondering if we should apply and wait the 2 years or if he should try to get a job before applying. There are plenty of jobs out there in his field. We would not come without jobs.