Moving to Toronto (best cities, health insurance, job market)

[hthrcm2000]

I'm thinking of moving to or near Toronto in a few years after I finish college. I'm from the Buffalo area. I was wondering if anyone had any advise or if there's anything I should know before moving there.

[Cornerguy1]

As has been mentioned more than once on the forum, there's a little more to it than just packing your suitcase and popping across the Rainbow Bridge.

Assuming you're an American citizen, you'll need to met some Citizenship and Immigration Canada criteria before being legally allowed to reside in Canada.

There are several avenues open to you: you could obtain an offer of employment in Canada and qualify for a work visa; or you could apply to immigrate as a Permanent Resident.

The easiest course of action would be to simply come across the border and not leave, but that would leave you without the ability to work legally, and it would exclude you from eligibility for Ontario Health Insurance.

To get information on all the options available to you, please visit the Citizenship and Immigration Canada web site: Citizenship and Immigration Canada | Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada

As with anything government related, the wheels of bureaucracy turn slowly, so it's best to set your plans in motion as far in advance as possible.

[M.R.]

I was raised in montreal (15yrs) and then moved to toronto (6yrs) to New York (3yrs) to New Jersey (6yrs) and now live in chicago (6yrs). I travel alot and from my last 15 years experience, the two best cities for me are toronto and chicago, however I have stopped comparing them since they are in two very different countries. You have to experiece both and then decide. chicago by far is my decision over crowded and expensive toronto. feel free to email me [email]karmasutraway@hotmail.com[/email]

M. Raza.

[theterribleone]

Do what cornerguy1 says...but come here first and look around. Always know where you are moving.

[ThroatGuzzler]

I'd say come over and visit the city first and experience it yourself before you make any permanent decisions.

[theterribleone]

Toronto is a great choice OP. We have the longest commute in the world, but we do have a great city with a fantastic atmosphere

Good luck in your search!

[kkgg7]

Originally Posted by M.R.

chicago by far is my decision over crowded and expensive toronto. feel free to email me karmasutraway@hotmail.com

M. Raza.

I have always been confused about how come Toronto is so much more expensive compared with Chicago, a much more affluent city with better infrastructure, downtown and job market. Maybe it is more of a Canada being more pricy thing.

That being said, Toronto is a great place to live, despite its various shortcomings. The OP should spend a summer here to get some flavor. You will like it, especially when you don't mind the long winter and love medium-sized city life.

Regarding the longest commuting time, there is always a solution. For example, I live within 1km to my office and won't even have to deal with TTC. I don't know why people working in downtown choose to live in somewhere outside the city boundary. Yes, you get the space but spending more than 40 minutes each way every day just to go to work is unimaginable and completely unacceptable to me.