Applying for residence to the US or Canada

Well stage 2 of my Canadian Permanent Residency Visa application was posted off yesterday. Another long and nervous wait ahead until I hear back from the visa office. The bad new is if I don't get through this stage it is pretty much game over. Good news is if I get through this stage, then the rest should be pretty easy (Other than the actual move and getting jobs etc, lol).
 
We are planning on initally heading to Vancouver as we will be more likely to get decent jobs there and it should be a decent place to explore the rest of the country from (the western side anyway).


We are mainly moving for a sense of adventure. It is something I have always wanted to do (origional dream was a log cabin in Alaska, this is the more realistic version of the dream, lol). Me and me fiance are both photographers and love the outdoors, so where better to live in the world than beautiful British Columbia.


My view is I would rather try it and it go wrong than not try it at all and regret it the rest of my life. We are currently wihout kids or a mortage, so now is as good a time as any. We have a great life up here in Newcastle, so aren't looking for a better life, but I do believe that you have to keep moving on and chaning things in life to keep it interesting.
 
82Vbi.jpg.png


Bigger version here

Seriously for the US your best option is to marry an American girl. Good luck! :D
 
psd99 said:
Yes something different, no ties, a fresh start, a new beginning and more hope and prospects in my life.

UK seems to be going downhill too much might be a great time to leave while I've got the chance.
Click to expand...

No offence but your basing that on what? Your local surrounds and news coverage of the recession?

I'd suggest you travel England/Scotland....and if your inclined Wales as well. :p

You might find that there are some wonderful places right near you that you have yet to discover. You will find people different also, you don't have to travel to a new country to find what your looking for.

If this isn't what you want, then as people have suggested go and work abroad and see what its like.

If your young, sign up for Summer Camps perhaps?
 
psd99 said:
I didn't realise that lots of OCUK'ers actually live or lived out in canada
pretty amazing that


didn't go ahead with it in the end. Still in my thoughts though.
Click to expand...

Why didn't you go ahead with it? Seems like a lot of people get fed up of their daily monotonous life and think moving to another country will fix that but never actually bite the bullet. You said it yourself , your young have no commitments JUST DO IT!
 
it can take years then you can be denied. My wife used to work at the Visa center processing immigration visa's and a family that had been waiting 8 years finally had their application processed, and got denied.

I was lucky, i married an american :)
 
jrwagh333 said:
Doofski, that doesn't automatically make you be accepted for citizenship does it?
Click to expand...

I belive it does yes , e.g. Green Card (living it usa fine) > 3-5 years (eligible to become citizen) > take test to name things in US history & speak their bad english > 12+ months to process > 100% usa citizen , takes years but if you marry a US girl (and dont get divorced), then your pretty much a us citizen (coming from england or the uk)
:)
 
Last edited:
AmTechFox said:
How accurate is that illustration sammo?

If it is, damn you'll be too old to bother by the time you get a green card. :eek:
Click to expand...

it pretty much is

They dont call it the "American Dream" for nothing.

And dont forget, most of south america wants to live the american dream too. Its why they have such strong controls on the mexico border.
 
damn right

They owe us for letting them have their independence ! The fact they defeated us at yorktown to get it has nothing to do with it ! :D
 
US immigration is a funny one, it's hard as hell to get in properly but there are epic amount of illegal Mexicans and Asians (Chinese, Vietnamese) earning crappy pay doing all the menial jobs, who have either entered illegally or have overstayed their temporary visa and disappeared into the shadow economy...sounds familiar...which most authorities and companies turn a blind eye to because they like cheap workers who have no rights and won't complain. In other words for all the PR about the US having strong controls and the UK lax immigration, they both work pretty much identically and have the same problems and abuses.

And much like the UK, most of the immigrants are accused of being in the US to leech benefits, take up school or health resources etc,
when the vast majority are working to try and pay for a better quality of life, including sending money back to family at home. Again sounds familiar at all....? Lol

And just as soon as the Arnie bill passes that let's someone not born in the US become President and my subsequent election as Pressy, I'll see what I can do about making it easier for Brits to come live here :p
 
Last edited:
AmTechFox said:
No offence but your basing that on what? Your local surrounds and news coverage of the recession?

I'd suggest you travel England/Scotland....and if your inclined Wales as well. :p

You might find that there are some wonderful places right near you that you have yet to discover. You will find people different also, you don't have to travel to a new country to find what your looking for.

If this isn't what you want, then as people have suggested go and work abroad and see what its like.

If your young, sign up for Summer Camps perhaps?
Click to expand...

I agree with this completely. Obviously it's different for everyone, but I've been in Canada for 6 months and personally can't wait to go back to the UK.

I think either Canada is really overrated or the UK is really underrated but this is how I see it:

Everything is way too expensive up here, something that costs 50p in the UK, costs 1$ in the US and then costs 3-4$ in Canada.

Their healthcare is worse then ours, (lol, I don't care what statistics you've read that put France number 1 every single time) but I know from first experience that, one you don't get covered here for lots of things like Eyecare, Physiotherapy, Dermatologists, etc. You have to pay for prescriptions, a pack of pain killers could cost you 30-50 dollars. Oh and if you think waiting lists with the NHS are bad, try getting something as simple as an X-RAY here, you'll be waiting months.

In my opinion, something that really puts me off aswel, besides being a really really beautiful country with great outdoors, they don't care about the environment and everyone and their mother and I'm not joking about the last one, has an SUV, even women here prefer driving trucks and SUVs. Their excuse? Well, the US has a higher population so we can waste more since we still aren't wasting as much as they are. (ridiculous)

and I could go on.

Honestly, before you commit to really living here, just make sure, first of all, if you're lucky enough to get through the immigration stage. (if you're over 35or don't have a university education, you need not apply)

Then atleast live here for 6 months-a year before you commit to buying a house here or setting up a business. Some people may love it but as you can see, it's not the paradise of the world.

and lol I wouldn't even dream about living in the US.
 
G-MAN2004 said:
I'm pretty sure I've heard a lot of Brits are moving back over here from Australia after realising it's not all that they originally imagined.
Click to expand...

You sure ????


"Only 19% of expats say they will return to the UK compared to 26% in 2008 and 89% believe they enjoy a better quality of life abroad according to the third annual NatWest International Personal Banking (NatWest IPB) Quality of Life Report"
 
franco_22 said:
In my opinion, something that really puts me off aswel, besides being a really really beautiful country with great outdoors, they don't care about the environment and everyone and their mother and I'm not joking about the last one, has an SUV, even women here prefer driving trucks and SUVs. Their excuse? Well, the US has a higher population so we can waste more since we still aren't wasting as much as they are. (ridiculous)
Click to expand...

wft are you talking about? SUV's are popular due to the crappy weather in the winter and not soley becuase people like to waste fuel. Over the last 5 years SUV's have become much more efficient than previously and less popular.

I'd say that Canada is up there for environmental care too. There are numerous incentives from recycling to national parks, the maintenance of greenbelt and natural reserves.

I agree with your about the health care, it is not as good as the UK at all.

As with anything though moving to a different country is not for everyone. For me moving from the UK to Canada has been a very good move with the exception of 2 weeks vacation. :(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom