Immigration to Canada from UK
This is my story, although I know it will not exactly match everyone’s situation this should give you enough general information to assist in someway through the minefield that is called immigration!!!
Getting started
There are only two real methods of starting the process to emigrate from the UK to Canada.
Points System
The first is to determine your eligibility through the points system while in your home country. Points are awarded for age, education, language etc. This system can change from time to time depending on the skill requirements within Canada so it is always best to check the web site. At the time of writing this you need a minimum of 67 points to be considered to enter the program. Once you have gained the points you complete the application for express Entry and wait to find out if you are selected. If you are selected or not for Express you should not do anything or gain any further information until you are requested to by Canadian immigration. Many requested documents such as medicals and police checks have a timeline on and if you obtain them to early you will have to pay to have them done again! I will pick this section up again when talking about Permanent Residency.
Working Visa
The second is if you are able to obtain a work Visa – there are many sorts, so again you need to check if you can apply. The most common and the process that I went through, was to obtain a sponsored Visa through my employer.
They will first need to complete a Labor Market Opinion (LMO) This is where the position you will hold has been evaluated by the Canadian Labor market and the Company can prove they have tried to hire the required skill / knowledge base within Canada and are unable to do so. During this process the position will also be given a code which will determine what sort of visa can be issued (this is a NOC code)
Once you have been award your LMO you are able to enter Canada to work, however you are not a landed immigrant at this time, you are classed as a temporary foreign worker (this is important to remember as you have little rights other than to work!)
As a TFW you are awarded a Temporary Social Insurance Number (SIM) this usually starts with a 9.
Permanent Residency
Once you have been in Canada with a Work Visa for a min of 12 months you can apply for Perm Res via the Express Entry system – Canadian Experience Class. This is where the points system and the Visa process merge as both now follow the same process.
There are different classes under the Express Entry system, if applying from outside Canada you will likely take the Skilled Worker program, if you are 12 months in Canada with a Visa you are likely to take the Canadian Experience.
You now need to complete all the forms, make sure you download the check list guides as you need to ensure the forms are filled out correctly – if not they will be sent back to you and you need to start the process again.
There is no need to use a immigration lawyer, as they will not speed up the process, however they will ensure you have the right documentation and that you have used the correct entry application. They can be very expensive though so be aware of this.
You will be asked for all your proof of education, your family details (including documents such as Birth and Marriage so get these forms asap.)
You will need lots of passport size photos too.
This is a black hole process, so when your application goes in you hear nothing until they want something!
They will start to ask for Police checks and medicals around 12 to 18 months after your application has been acknowledged – in-between this time they will ask for information that is detailed to your application only.
Once they ask for your medicals then the process is coming to an end, your ill have paid all your fees at this point too.
You will need to pay for everything during the process, your English exam with cost round $300, your medicals around $100 your police checks around $50 to $150 per country (the UK costs $150 and needs to be paid in pounds)
This process takes a long time and all you can do is sit it out and wait!!! NOTHING will make this go faster so don't worry about it!
Landing
When you have finally been approved you will receive your PRR, your Perm Res documentation! This is indeed a great day!!! You will be on top of the moon so enjoy it and go out and get drunk!!! However your process is still not over so short break before you get back to it!
If you are going to Land from outside Canada then you need to bring all your documentation with you – all the documentation you used for the application, your PRR, your passport etc etc You will also need to bring a note of all items you are bringing with you (no food products!)
If you are shipping then your shipping company will complete the documentation – however remember that most electrical items will need an adapter plug and some may not work all together – also it is expensive to bring items across so you may want to consider buying new for large items like sofas etc etc.
If you are landing from inside Canada – then you need to leave and come back in! Most people will take a trip to the US and do what is know as “Around the Flag Pole”
For our Flag pole we walked over rainbow bridge at Niagara Falls, so many people do this daily that they even have a process for it! You are not allowed to Enter the US but they send you back across the bridge with a Round the flag pol document that you hand to immigration and then you complete your interview!
Either way the Landing process is fairly straight forward, however if you land at a major point you will need to give plenty of time as there are many queues for immigration. At Pearson airport you should give yourself about 3 hours for this whole process.
The interview if straight forward, they will ask you questions around criminal record, funds to support yourself etc etc. Just ensure that you have the information and any back up documents and you will be fine.
You will need to give an address in Canada where your Perm Res Card will be sent to – this arrives about 6 weeks later.
Once you have Landed you will need to go and get your new SIN number (you need to visit a Service Canada for this), this is to be given to your bank, your employer and you will need this for your Medical Card (OHIP for Ontario)
Place to Live
This is not as easy as you may think!
Your credit rating does not come with you from the UK, and in Canada your credit rating is far more important than it is in the UK.
I moved to Toronto (it is similar in Vancouver) the housing market is very very buoyant for both buying and renting. I would always suggest to rent for a short time so you can find the right location for you as there are many different neighborhoods with different cultures. The issue is getting a 6month or 12 month rent is not easy if you are new as rental applications will require a credit rating letter – this you do not have as the UK credit number means nothing! You also will not have previous references so this again makes your application less attractive when there is so much competition (most rental apartments go in 3-5 days and most house rentals go in a day!)
It is a good ides to bring any information you can with you as it may help, but expect to give a much larger deposit then normal. The normal is your first and last month as deposit and most people move either the 1st or the 15th so plan your financials around these dates. For you first house I suggest you use a realtor to help as you can explain your situation and they can work with individual landlords on your behalf.
I got a short term holiday let for 6 weeks when I first landed, I paid this is full so no need for credit application etc. I then got a ref from work, opened a credit card and got my Drivers license all changed to help my application. I did get a house for 12 months but I did have to give a larger deposit of first and last three months!!!
Rental in Toronto depends on what part of the city you are in (Vancouver is a little more expensive) The average 2bed 2 bath condo will be around $2000 - $3000 per month. Houses are hard to come by and go very fast indeed, but you can expect to pay around $3000+ for a house.
You will have bills too, some condos offer all in prices, but if not you will have Hydro and Gas to pay. Sometimes you may have a water waste to pay too. If you are buying then there will also be Condo fees.
Pay
Most people are paid bi weekly in Canada, some may be weekly for tips etc but on the whole it will be Bi Weekly.
A direct comparison to the UK you will be paid less job for job, so a Junior Manager of around 10 staff can expect C$45 to $65k per year, Snr Manager around $80k - $100k and a director around $130+ depending on your business. An entry IT support desk role would pay in the region of $40k - $50k
Tax is a little higher than the UK, you will set up your Tax levels with your employer, however you still need to file your taxes at the end of every year. You will be sent all the forms you need to file your taxes. You will receive a T4 document from your employer, this is the main document you will need. However if you have savings in a Canadian savings account (other than RRP’s) then you will receive a T5 that will need to be included in your file. In Toronto you get tax benefits if you use Transit (TTC is the Toronto Public Transit company) If you buy a monthly pass either do a monthly plan or keep the Cards you can present these as part of your Tax file.
You will need to file your Taxes every year around End Feb early March. You can do this on line but for your first one I suggest you go to an accountant who can walk you through the process.
Driving
You will need to swap out your UK DL. The good thing for Brits is you don't need to take a test if you have a full UK license. You just go into any Service Ontario (DL are provincial and different depending on where you live) You will do a simple eye test and have a photo taken, pay your $75 and you DL will come through the post in a few weeks.
You need to swap your license within 20 days of landing otherwise you may need to complete a test!
Here’s the fun part! Cars are cheaper than the UK, but the Insurance is very high! Get a proof of driving from your insurance company before you come, however they will not give you the same number of driving years. I was driving in the UK for 20 years but was only award 1 year of driving history which makes insurance very expensive indeed for the first few years!
Gas is much cheaper than the UK, however remember that most cars are Gas and not diesel, this movement has not taken off here yet!
Health
This is by Province, but for Ontario you need to go to Service Ontario for your OHIP card. This is your medical card, this does not pay for everything though so you need to check with your company what heath cover you get. You will then normally present both cards (OHIP and you company Health insurance Card) when you first visit a doctor or a hospital. The two cards together should cover you for most of your health issues. Make sure your company covers dental, if not you are wise to obtain some private dental cover as this is very expensive indeed without insurance. Again, make an appointment and give your health card for cover.
The good thing with dental is – if you and your partner have two different covers then you can present both to the dental office and they will claim on both polices for you so you usually never have to pay for most dental operations.
Life
Canada is a great place to live and has many benefits, however it is not the UK and don't be fooled into thinking that because Canada speaks (a version) of English then it is the same! Its not, and a lot of words either mean different things or has no meaning at all!
You will find the culture is so very different here that sometimes you are not understood at all! Humor is totally different and Canadians get offended with much of the British humor / culture e.g. fondly making fun of someone is not considered the done thing in Canada.
But you will enjoy life if you start to learn how things work and Canadians are very friendly indeed!
Final Comments
Immigration is not for the faint hearted, you have to be 100% committed to the process as you will have low periods!
Actually getting into Canada is great but there is much to learn about your new home and its very expensive to get all set up and into everyday life!
But if you do all of this and go through the pain you will love your time in Canada and what it has to offer!
I love my new country and I am now starting to look at becoming a Canadian Citizen in 2 years time!
Good luck to you all!
This is my story, although I know it will not exactly match everyone’s situation this should give you enough general information to assist in someway through the minefield that is called immigration!!!
Getting started
There are only two real methods of starting the process to emigrate from the UK to Canada.
Points System
The first is to determine your eligibility through the points system while in your home country. Points are awarded for age, education, language etc. This system can change from time to time depending on the skill requirements within Canada so it is always best to check the web site. At the time of writing this you need a minimum of 67 points to be considered to enter the program. Once you have gained the points you complete the application for express Entry and wait to find out if you are selected. If you are selected or not for Express you should not do anything or gain any further information until you are requested to by Canadian immigration. Many requested documents such as medicals and police checks have a timeline on and if you obtain them to early you will have to pay to have them done again! I will pick this section up again when talking about Permanent Residency.
Working Visa
The second is if you are able to obtain a work Visa – there are many sorts, so again you need to check if you can apply. The most common and the process that I went through, was to obtain a sponsored Visa through my employer.
They will first need to complete a Labor Market Opinion (LMO) This is where the position you will hold has been evaluated by the Canadian Labor market and the Company can prove they have tried to hire the required skill / knowledge base within Canada and are unable to do so. During this process the position will also be given a code which will determine what sort of visa can be issued (this is a NOC code)
Once you have been award your LMO you are able to enter Canada to work, however you are not a landed immigrant at this time, you are classed as a temporary foreign worker (this is important to remember as you have little rights other than to work!)
As a TFW you are awarded a Temporary Social Insurance Number (SIM) this usually starts with a 9.
Permanent Residency
Once you have been in Canada with a Work Visa for a min of 12 months you can apply for Perm Res via the Express Entry system – Canadian Experience Class. This is where the points system and the Visa process merge as both now follow the same process.
There are different classes under the Express Entry system, if applying from outside Canada you will likely take the Skilled Worker program, if you are 12 months in Canada with a Visa you are likely to take the Canadian Experience.
You now need to complete all the forms, make sure you download the check list guides as you need to ensure the forms are filled out correctly – if not they will be sent back to you and you need to start the process again.
There is no need to use a immigration lawyer, as they will not speed up the process, however they will ensure you have the right documentation and that you have used the correct entry application. They can be very expensive though so be aware of this.
You will be asked for all your proof of education, your family details (including documents such as Birth and Marriage so get these forms asap.)
You will need lots of passport size photos too.
This is a black hole process, so when your application goes in you hear nothing until they want something!
They will start to ask for Police checks and medicals around 12 to 18 months after your application has been acknowledged – in-between this time they will ask for information that is detailed to your application only.
Once they ask for your medicals then the process is coming to an end, your ill have paid all your fees at this point too.
You will need to pay for everything during the process, your English exam with cost round $300, your medicals around $100 your police checks around $50 to $150 per country (the UK costs $150 and needs to be paid in pounds)
This process takes a long time and all you can do is sit it out and wait!!! NOTHING will make this go faster so don't worry about it!
Landing
When you have finally been approved you will receive your PRR, your Perm Res documentation! This is indeed a great day!!! You will be on top of the moon so enjoy it and go out and get drunk!!! However your process is still not over so short break before you get back to it!
If you are going to Land from outside Canada then you need to bring all your documentation with you – all the documentation you used for the application, your PRR, your passport etc etc You will also need to bring a note of all items you are bringing with you (no food products!)
If you are shipping then your shipping company will complete the documentation – however remember that most electrical items will need an adapter plug and some may not work all together – also it is expensive to bring items across so you may want to consider buying new for large items like sofas etc etc.
If you are landing from inside Canada – then you need to leave and come back in! Most people will take a trip to the US and do what is know as “Around the Flag Pole”
For our Flag pole we walked over rainbow bridge at Niagara Falls, so many people do this daily that they even have a process for it! You are not allowed to Enter the US but they send you back across the bridge with a Round the flag pol document that you hand to immigration and then you complete your interview!
Either way the Landing process is fairly straight forward, however if you land at a major point you will need to give plenty of time as there are many queues for immigration. At Pearson airport you should give yourself about 3 hours for this whole process.
The interview if straight forward, they will ask you questions around criminal record, funds to support yourself etc etc. Just ensure that you have the information and any back up documents and you will be fine.
You will need to give an address in Canada where your Perm Res Card will be sent to – this arrives about 6 weeks later.
Once you have Landed you will need to go and get your new SIN number (you need to visit a Service Canada for this), this is to be given to your bank, your employer and you will need this for your Medical Card (OHIP for Ontario)
Place to Live
This is not as easy as you may think!
Your credit rating does not come with you from the UK, and in Canada your credit rating is far more important than it is in the UK.
I moved to Toronto (it is similar in Vancouver) the housing market is very very buoyant for both buying and renting. I would always suggest to rent for a short time so you can find the right location for you as there are many different neighborhoods with different cultures. The issue is getting a 6month or 12 month rent is not easy if you are new as rental applications will require a credit rating letter – this you do not have as the UK credit number means nothing! You also will not have previous references so this again makes your application less attractive when there is so much competition (most rental apartments go in 3-5 days and most house rentals go in a day!)
It is a good ides to bring any information you can with you as it may help, but expect to give a much larger deposit then normal. The normal is your first and last month as deposit and most people move either the 1st or the 15th so plan your financials around these dates. For you first house I suggest you use a realtor to help as you can explain your situation and they can work with individual landlords on your behalf.
I got a short term holiday let for 6 weeks when I first landed, I paid this is full so no need for credit application etc. I then got a ref from work, opened a credit card and got my Drivers license all changed to help my application. I did get a house for 12 months but I did have to give a larger deposit of first and last three months!!!
Rental in Toronto depends on what part of the city you are in (Vancouver is a little more expensive) The average 2bed 2 bath condo will be around $2000 - $3000 per month. Houses are hard to come by and go very fast indeed, but you can expect to pay around $3000+ for a house.
You will have bills too, some condos offer all in prices, but if not you will have Hydro and Gas to pay. Sometimes you may have a water waste to pay too. If you are buying then there will also be Condo fees.
Pay
Most people are paid bi weekly in Canada, some may be weekly for tips etc but on the whole it will be Bi Weekly.
A direct comparison to the UK you will be paid less job for job, so a Junior Manager of around 10 staff can expect C$45 to $65k per year, Snr Manager around $80k - $100k and a director around $130+ depending on your business. An entry IT support desk role would pay in the region of $40k - $50k
Tax is a little higher than the UK, you will set up your Tax levels with your employer, however you still need to file your taxes at the end of every year. You will be sent all the forms you need to file your taxes. You will receive a T4 document from your employer, this is the main document you will need. However if you have savings in a Canadian savings account (other than RRP’s) then you will receive a T5 that will need to be included in your file. In Toronto you get tax benefits if you use Transit (TTC is the Toronto Public Transit company) If you buy a monthly pass either do a monthly plan or keep the Cards you can present these as part of your Tax file.
You will need to file your Taxes every year around End Feb early March. You can do this on line but for your first one I suggest you go to an accountant who can walk you through the process.
Driving
You will need to swap out your UK DL. The good thing for Brits is you don't need to take a test if you have a full UK license. You just go into any Service Ontario (DL are provincial and different depending on where you live) You will do a simple eye test and have a photo taken, pay your $75 and you DL will come through the post in a few weeks.
You need to swap your license within 20 days of landing otherwise you may need to complete a test!
Here’s the fun part! Cars are cheaper than the UK, but the Insurance is very high! Get a proof of driving from your insurance company before you come, however they will not give you the same number of driving years. I was driving in the UK for 20 years but was only award 1 year of driving history which makes insurance very expensive indeed for the first few years!
Gas is much cheaper than the UK, however remember that most cars are Gas and not diesel, this movement has not taken off here yet!
Health
This is by Province, but for Ontario you need to go to Service Ontario for your OHIP card. This is your medical card, this does not pay for everything though so you need to check with your company what heath cover you get. You will then normally present both cards (OHIP and you company Health insurance Card) when you first visit a doctor or a hospital. The two cards together should cover you for most of your health issues. Make sure your company covers dental, if not you are wise to obtain some private dental cover as this is very expensive indeed without insurance. Again, make an appointment and give your health card for cover.
The good thing with dental is – if you and your partner have two different covers then you can present both to the dental office and they will claim on both polices for you so you usually never have to pay for most dental operations.
Life
Canada is a great place to live and has many benefits, however it is not the UK and don't be fooled into thinking that because Canada speaks (a version) of English then it is the same! Its not, and a lot of words either mean different things or has no meaning at all!
You will find the culture is so very different here that sometimes you are not understood at all! Humor is totally different and Canadians get offended with much of the British humor / culture e.g. fondly making fun of someone is not considered the done thing in Canada.
But you will enjoy life if you start to learn how things work and Canadians are very friendly indeed!
Final Comments
Immigration is not for the faint hearted, you have to be 100% committed to the process as you will have low periods!
Actually getting into Canada is great but there is much to learn about your new home and its very expensive to get all set up and into everyday life!
But if you do all of this and go through the pain you will love your time in Canada and what it has to offer!
I love my new country and I am now starting to look at becoming a Canadian Citizen in 2 years time!
Good luck to you all!
