Suppose you are thinking of moving to Canada. In that case, you may be one of these people who constantly searched for “Canada immigration,” “tips to move to Canada,” or “Canada citizenship” back in 2016 when Donald Trump was elected as the Us president. Searching topics related to freeing from the US was among Google Trends during the whole election period, and now as there was a big chance that Trump would be selected once again, people started to worry about these issues again and searching for ways to survive from his reign and flee to Canada returned in the Google trends.
Although the new president is already elected, you can still move to Canada as there are so many related perks. As for now, Canada remains one of the most popular destinations with safe and beautiful cities and one of the happiest nations on the Earth with numerous additional benefits, such as the Northern lights or polar bears. That’s why we will try to provide you with tips about everything you need to know before you move overseas to this country. You may gain certain benefits, but also there are some things you should keep an eye on.
Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash
Table of Contents
Taxes
Think twice before planning to move to Canada because you will have to pay more taxes than you can imagine in the country. People moving from the US often imagine that a better life is waiting for them, but the reality is different. Moving to Canada won’t save you from US president tax charges, and in addition, it can be even more complicated from abroad. This is because there is a worldwide income approach in the US for its citizens, and you have to pay the government from wherever you are and whatever you earn. Although Canada has an agreement with the US to avoid double taxation, filling out these forms takes a lot of time, and also, flaws in the policy can still generate tax bills. Even if you obtain permanent Canadian citizenship, according to the IRS, sometimes you still have to file annual US income tax returns and pay Canadian taxes as well.
Outdoor and leisure activities
Generally, opportunities for outdoor and leisure activities are quite a lot in Canada. You can find many benefits for employees, and work-life balance is one of the greatest advantages for the residents. People can easily find time to spend with loved ones and friends, which is a vital factor for a high quality of life. Therefore workers can give a perfect balance between career responsibilities and leisure activities. Everybody can plan weekends away from busy city life but maintain high salaries without second jobs.
Besides, the government of Canada plays a big role in helping its citizens to maintain a better work-life balance. For this, there in the country, workers are paid for leave days, they have ten national holidays, remote working opportunities, unemployment insurance fund, and generally, better working conditions. But still, there are further important issues you should pay attention to before you decide to move to Canada.
When we talk about online entertainment, Americans tend to find better alternatives. For instance, for many people, online gambling regulation in Canada was a positive feature that they viewed when moving there. Unlike America, online gambling is legal in Canada. That’s one of the reasons why platforms like VegasSlotsOnline.com keep growing so fast. Apart from listing the best online casinos in Canada, they also offer the users information on online casinos separated by provinces.
Cost of the immigration
First of all, immigration in Canada can be difficult and pretty expensive too. Specifically, an adult who permanently wants to remain in this country will have to pay $550 to apply for the status. But becoming a Canadian citizen is a hard task as you can’t automatically gain citizenship by marrying a country resident. However, fortunately, there is an Express Entry program for those invited to Canada as experienced workers. The reason for this difficulty of becoming an official resident of the country is the increased rate of false marriages for immigration fraud. As a result, the government tries hard to check the status of every immigrant, and this usually takes up to two years. This is why you should find out first if you are eligible to immigrate and live permanently in Canada.
In addition, hiring an attorney to help you in the process of becoming a full citizen of Canada can add anywhere from $400 to $7500 depending on whom you hire and the size of your family. It also depends on the kind of immigration status you aim to obtain. An average time for a skilled worker to become Canadian is about six to 2 months, while the time is longer for live-in caregivers or self-employed people, which is why sometimes it isn’t even worth waiting.
Higher housing costs
Another concerning issue for those who want to move to Canada is that most of the Canadians living in urban areas say that the cost of leaving and buying real estate in their neighborhood is unreasonably high. According to the Big Mac Index, prices in Canada are 97% higher than those in the US. And the same applies to the many different items such as transportation, gasoline, and various other things, which are usually far more expensive in Canada than in the US.
However, despite these disadvantages, there are plenty of pros about living in Canada, and among those benefits are a free public healthcare system, job opportunities for immigrants, a good education system without any fees to pay, national sports like Ice Hockey, and just the fact that it’s the safe and peaceful place to live in with tolerant and open-minded society. So, if you plan to move from the US to Canada, take a great look at its pros and cons before you finally make a wise decision.