Granma Nessie said:
I am so pleased for you, Nanapush, wonderful news. Next year will be like a dream come true for you being with your family at long last.
I have booked my medical for this Friday (St Andrews Day) very appropriate me being Scottish! The chest x rays have to be done at a different location in Glasgow so I will arrange that next week too.
I have downloaded the new police checks forms version 18 and hopefully I will get them sent off next week as well. I remember last year it was at this time they wanted all the background forms completed and it was a rush to get them done before Christmas so they were not delayed in the backlog of Christmas mail and hey ho this year it will be the same panic!
It is exciting times for us but I have a few worries on how I will manage financially living in Canada as unfortunately I will have to get my own accommodation as my daughter does not have the room for my to live with with the family long term.In 2008 when
we applied,the Canadian dollar was 2 to the British pound and it has now lost a quarter of that value. I will be hard pushed to live on my pensions without getting a job of some kind but at age 62 not sure if that would even be possible. I wonder how all the other parents/grandparents of this forum will manage with housing etc. Will most of them be able to stay with their family? I have always been able to support myself and I would reluctant to ask my daughter for any financial assistance although she and her husband are technically supposed to support me for 10 years. I will try and stay positive, however.
You will have so many things to sort out now you are planning to go in the New Year. I wish you well.
Granma Nessie
We have been and are lucky that there are 2 of us with teachers pensions (reduced as we retired early) and I also have a state pension and my husband gets his next year. Even so the exchange rate is not always favourable and has to be borne in mind. I assume you know that the UK state pension isn't index linked when you move to Canada so in effect it loses value year on year.The expat tax pressure group has fought for years to get that changed but it's never likely to happen,especially now.
We have a house to sell so can be independent. I believe that some parents will live with families and others will be able to be independent depending on their financial circumstances.
We have quite a lot of experience at how our money works in Canada having spent 6 months there each year over recent years but we are looking closely at what happens to our income in regard to tax and are taking advice on where we will pay tax as the UK has a tax agreement with Canada so you can't be taxed in both countries.
There are a lot of things that have to be sorted out before we make the move permanently and after we land in january (hopefully) we'll need to be back later in the year to finalise our move.
I think where you are going housing is not so expensive as in the Vancouver area so hopefully that's an advantage you have and you never know ,the exchange rate may improve .
I hope it all works out for you and that you too are able to reunite with your family very soon.We meet so many people these days who are facing the same decisions about joining family in other countries and not all are as accommodating as Canada so i think we are lucky in that respect especially since the door is now closed to new applications for the time being. I certainly believe that our kids and grandkids are better off living in Canada than in the UK .
