British Expatriate Network

Hi there - I was about to research this on the internet but thought you're a resourceful lot - so I'll start here first! My question is that we are (in all honesty) struggling financially living here in the U.S. My husband's H1B visa does not allow me to work and the company is very slow in getting greencards sorted and in my opinion never will. I was considering returning to the UK temporarily just to help pay off our UK credit cards, when I had a stroke of genuis - perhaps Canada would provide a compromise. My main questions for any of you fellow genuises are- 1. If hubby gets a job in Canada, are the Canadian visa's restrictive too, ie will they allow the spouse to work and/or start a business? 2. What are the holidays like - ie are they the measly 10 days you get in America? and 3. Are there any rules with moving pets in to Canada from the U.S?

If anyone can answer these, they'll be a great help - if not, I'll just have to get my mouse clicker and surfing gear ready!!

Cheers, murtle smile

I was once "head-hunted" by a Canadian province to go and live/work there when I was in the UK. It was Manitoba and after I picked myself up and thought about it, I ended turning it down because it looked a bit too cold for my liking. Still, it was a nice thought at the time and they were paying all expenses - I think their government was short of some computer people and as a former COBOL programmer, I must have got dredged up in some database.

I know this doesn't answer your question but you reminded me of times past.

I think Canada has some restrictions too - I seem to recall considering it when my wife and I were looking at our options.

Hi Pilgrim - thanks for your post - you reminded me that my grandmother was born in Manitoba so I s'pose that makes me a watered down Candadian!!

Anyway - for anyone who is in a similar situation, the surfer genie has been busy and this is what she has found so far...

1. You can enter Canada relatively easily (this may have changed since Sep 11th so worth confirming though). Basically, you apply on a points system - if you have a good education, several years work experience and can speak English (I'm not joking!) then you've a very good chance of getting in. Also, a little knowledge of French will add to your brownie points. You don't need a job pre-arranged but will need to prove you have the financial security while you look for one - I think the guide is 10,000 Canadian dollars plus 2,000 per dependant. Once you are in you have permanent residency and can leave and re-enter freely. You do not need a professional service to appy for you, although there is a fee and it takes around six months from what I understand. If you fancy checking to see if you qualify copy the following link -

http//www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigr/guide-ce.html

2. The holidays in Canada seem to be on a par with Europe, and crime is lower than the U.S too!

3 Pets can be moved into Canada from rabies free countries like England, Ireland and most of Europe. Dont despair though - if you have pets in the U.S and have proof of rabies vaccination ie certificates, tags and vet records then you can still import your pet from the U.S or other 'rabied' countries! See the following link-

http//www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/import/dogse.shtml

All for now, but if anyone has other info. let me know.

Best wishes, murtle wink

Murtle - Nigel may be a bit miffed with me for inserting this link here, but I once mis-typed this site and typed in;

http//www.britishexpats.com

Currently on the homepage it has a Canadian flag and info on how spouses can legally work in Canada! Also there is a very informative forum page on Canadian immigration & work permits too (not all contributions to this forum are from Brits though).

Hope this helps!
Dawn

Hi Dawn - thanks for your info, I'll certainly
be checking that out soon! :smile: I'm glad you posted - I've been meaning to congratulate you on helping to get TOTP up and running. Was it you who mentioned once before that you've been hassling BBC America? I'm glad you did - it made my day! :wink:

I've been doing some more research and it's probably good to point out for anyone in similar positions that the point system has changed since Sep 11. You must now accrue 80 points rather than 75 it was before and you have to either have a degree, good fluency in French or a labor certified job offer to gain the extra points needed. Life is never simple eh? Also the fees are pretty huge - I think (just working from the top of my head) that they were $500 (Canadian) per applicant and the landing fee is something horrendous like $975. If companies sponsor you then the fee is only $150.

<!-- BBCode Start --><font color=#800000>
Sorry - me again! I just wanted to mention a link which disusses the latest point system and its flaws! http://www.webimmigration.com/newsdec182001.html </font><!-- BBCode End -->