You may have to move to a different country for a longer time at a particular stage of your life. Regardless of the reason – higher study, job, or family migration, Canada can be a wonderful place to stay.
For years, Canada has been ranked as one of the top countries to live, based on safety, quality of life, and security. While there are multiple reasons to move into this country, the relocation process isn’t as smooth as you think.
Before you make the final decision about moving to Canada, there are some things that you need to know. Having a clear idea about these things will make it easier for you to cope with the environment and culture.
Things to Know Before Moving to Canada
How you need to prepare yourself for the Great White North depends a lot on how long and why you’re moving there. However, there are some common things you must consider if you have a plan to stay there for a long time.
The Legal Requirements
If you want to move permanently to Canada, there are two ways for that – family reunification and economic immigration.
If you are looking for family reunification, you must have a relative in Canada who is minimum 18 years old and either a citizen, a permanent resident, or living under the Canadian Indian Act.
For economic immigration, there are few ways like the Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Program. You can go there as a skilled worker or as an investor.
Whether you’re going for economic immigration or family reunification, you need to go through a legal process. Hire a good immigration lawyer who can guide you regarding the process.
The Relocation Process
Relocating to another country is far different than from to a new state or city. If you’re planning to live in Canada for a long time, you need to transfer almost everything you have at your current location.
Starting from packing your belongings to finding a storage solution and transporting them to Canada, all these need to be done very carefully.
Doing all these things on your own can be difficult for you. In that case, hiring a good moving company such as International Van Lines can assist you with their international relocation services.
Setting Up Your Finances
With thousands of bank branches and the highest ATM’s per capita, Canada is considered one of the safest banking centers in the world. It’s quite easy to open a bank account there, even if you’re a temporary visitor.
The best part of having a bank account in Canada is, it’s quite easy to send money to your Canadian bank account. Some reputed money transfer services will let you save money on cross border payments.
Some of the money transfer services in Canada are so awesome that they even let you store and manage your money in multiple currencies and pay to any country anytime you want.
Accommodation
Unlike some other North American countries, it’s relatively easy to find a reasonable accommodation in Canada. This country offers several options including furnished or unfurnished homes, short or long-term rentals, and many more.
There are several ways to find a suitable home for rent in Canada. While most of the people rent their homes online, you can also search in the newspapers and community bulletin boards.
Depending on the city and province you’re living in, the house rent will vary. While the house rent is quite low in Windsor, living in Vancouver will be quite expensive.
Healthcare System
Getting sick is the last thing you want to be while moving to a new country. However, you must have a clear idea about the healthcare system in Canada in case you are faced with an emergency.
Unless you’re a citizen or permanent resident in Canada, you won’t get any free treatment. So, if you’re an expat without a permanent residency, make sure your international health insurance covers these fees.
However, the Canadian healthcare system is impressive and provides outstanding treatment to whoever needs service. So, even if you need to pay for some medicines, you can expect to receive high-quality treatment.
Education of Your Children
If you’re thinking about your kids’ education and future, moving to Canada might be the best decision of your life.
Being one of the most educated countries in the world, Canada has an abundance of international schools, kindergartens, colleges, both in government and private sectors.
While both types of educational institutions offer one of the best quality education in the world, the significant difference is the cost.
While the Canadian Government funds the government educational institutions, private institutions are a bit costly.
Learning The Language
If you’re fluent in English, then moving to Canada won’t be a tough job for you. However, moving to Quebec province can be a bit challenging as French is the official language there.
We highly recommend that you become fluent in at least one of these two languages before coming to Canada. You can try some online language courses to learn French. Also, each province offers multiple language courses for both children and adults.
Canadian People
One of the many things you will love about this country is its people. Canadian people are incredibly polite and friendly, meaning that you won’t feel lonely after reaching there.
The indigenous people are quite welcoming to foreigners. They believe in gender equality and don’t show racism towards anyone. Making friends with these people will make your relocation process smooth and hassle-free.
Final Thoughts
Whether it’s for a job or higher education, moving to another country is always a challenging job to do. While Canada is one of the most popular countries to move in, you still have to go through a lot of processes before you can finally get there.
It’s vital to have a proper idea about the people, culture, law, and everything else about a country before moving there. Knowing some of the basic things can be helpful, particularly if you’re from a country with an entirely different culture.
