Canada has plenty to boast about. Not that boasting is something Canadians do comfortably. It’s no wonder Canada ranked first choice migration destination amongst British and Irish visitors to recent Working International Expo’s.
So why do we love it? It has a strong, stable economy that escaped the recession, along with a great education system. The landscape is fantastically diverse and beautiful, having provided the backdrop for many famous films, for example, Twilight, Brokeback Mountain and Titanic. It also has lots of fresh air, literally – Canada’s air quality was ranked 3rd best in the world!
Considering the appeal of the country, here are a few things you may be interested to know should you be planning a move there.
Life in Canada
Healthcare:
Each Canadian citizen and permanent resident is entitled to health insurance in Canada. The system is fair and created to cater for peoples need for healthcare, giving them access to doctors and hospitals, as opposed to focussing on their ability to pay for it.
Schooling:
Education is free of charge in Canada for every child starting at the age of four or five. Children can legally drop out of school once they are sixteen, however, all children are encouraged to stay in school until the age of eighteen.
Pension:
The UK state pension is payable in Canada. However, once you are no longer residing in the UK you will not receive the annual increases. Your benefit will stay at the same rate as when you left the UK.
As a worker in Canada, you and your employer are subject to social insurance laws. There is a three pillar pension system when you retire, it is at that point you will establish your pension entitlements after analysing the pillars.
Immunisation:
You only need routine vaccinations. For those looking to get stuck in with activities that might bring you into direct contact with bats, carnivores and other mammals, both Hepatitis B and rabies vaccinations are recommended.
Weather:
Canada is the second largest country in the world. It can take a week to drive from one part of the country to the other, and it falls within six different time zones. Therefore, it is no surprise that the weather in Canada varies depending on the location. Ontario has notably cold winters and Manitoba is the coldest winter province with average daily temperatures of -25.1 C. Areas such as Victoria in British Colombia tends to have the most temperate weather all year round and experience the hottest summers. However, Canada definitely experiences four different seasons. You will see sun, you will see snow.
Working in Canada:
“This is a country where people are given a chance. We don’t have a class structure like so many other countries in the world. If you are willing to work hard, this country welcomes you.”
– John Sleeman, founder and chairman of Sleeman Breweries
To work in Canada any educational or professional accreditations gained outside of Canada will need to be assessed. These assessments can be made by your employer or an appropriate provincial or territorial regulatory body.
An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) of your complete educational credentials outside of Canada is used to validate your achievements. This process will then make your application to immigrate as a Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) eligible.
Wages:
Here’s a list of hourly wages in Canada to allow you to compare you profession in the UK.
Here’s a list of weekly wages in Canada for a variety of professions. Mining and oil/gas drilling are particularly well paid sectors to enter should you have the relevant skills.
Holiday entitlement:
Most Canadian employers offer 10 – 15 days holiday each year.
Canada has ten national holidays. They are; New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, Remembrance Day, Christmas and Boxing Day.
Most Canadian provinces have a further day’s holiday additional to the national holidays. Residents of Alberta enjoy two days’ provincial holiday and those living in Newfoundland are particularly lucky, with six days of provincial holidays.
How can we help?
If you are at the stage where you are planning your move to Canada we have more in depth information on the documentation you will require, what you can and can’t take and what happens when you arrive on our international shipping and removals to Canada page. We also offer a FREE pre-move survey carried out by our friendly experts.
