Judy

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 10 January 2015 - 18:48

Have you been looking at the government website? http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/index.asp?_ga=1.266339278.1562666603.1420898023 Be aware there's been all kinds of problems with the Temporary Foreign Worker program in recent months (some employers were abusing it and treating workers badly) so the government has changed the rules, which may or may not affect you. For sure it would be easier to job hunt if you were in the country and available for interview. Have you been to Canada before or have friends or relative here? Trying to get a job when you're not in country and available for interview is extremely hard (as it is anywhere) unless you have skills which are in very short supply. Good luck!

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Judy

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 10 September 2014 - 15:45

We also use TD (Toronto Dominion), they have a good branch network. If you want to be in a condo and a good school district, look up and down the Yonge St subway line, from Bloor Street to Finch Avenue. There are some excellent residential areas and some of Toronto's best schools. Stay away from downtown (south of Bloor) because the recent condo growth has put a lot of pressure on schools and they are overcrowded. Toronto has a very strong IT and real estate market (my son works in IT, I work in real estate), but for sure you'd find housing more affordable in a smaller city. Kitchener/Waterloo was an IT hub, but since the downfall of Blackberry, there must be a lot of competition for IT positions. Ottawa might be another option to consider.

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Judy

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 07 September 2014 - 17:04

It's been a looong time since I posted on this forum, but someone drew my attention to your question and asked if I would reply. I was born in the UK but made Toronto my home 35 years ago. I lived in Dubai for 7 years (left in 2009) and ran coffee mornings for EW at Mercato for a while (hello anyone who remembers me). Yes, the winters are very cold, but just as Dubai is built for hot weather, so is Toronto built for the cold. You go from heated home to heated car to heated office and heated mall. When I return to the UK to visit family I'm far colder than I ever am here :) The winters have lots of sunshine and all you have to do to keep warm is wear the right clothes when you go outside. Inside you can still wear Tshirts. Private schools are available, but most people send their children to public (state funded) schools. Each school has an area they serve, so if you want to go to a particular one, you must live in that area. The school system is very similar to the American one. Children start in junior kindergarten the year they turn 4. Here are 2 websites which rank schools http://www.compareschoolrankings.org/ and http://www.eqao.com/ Healthcare is paid for by a government run health insurance scheme. It's slightly different in each province, but covers you for the entire country. In Ontario it's called OHIP. If you come here as a permanent resident or on a work visa, you are covered after a 3 month wait period. You do not have to be a citizen. It includes all doctors visits, all hospital visits and stays, but does not cover medication, dental or eye care. Toronto is like Dubai in that it's a very multicultural city. Almost 50% of the population weren't born here. The one thing that's different is that everyone mixes much more than they do in Dubai and nobody will ask you what is your passport! :) Canadians are friendly and very tolerant of diversity. I would suggest that if you move here you should rent for a year until you know your way around the city and feel settled in your jobs. Almost 50% of Torontonians rent and prices are reasonable compared with Dubai. Yes, living downtown is expensive, but may be worth it, if you work downtown, rather than commute. Like everywhere, where you work determines where you live. Right now interest rates are as low as they have been for many years, less than 3% for a mortgage, but you will need a steady income and may have to have lived here for a while before you can qualify. Yes, having a job first will make life easier, but it's very hard to get a job from outside the country. You cannot just move here first and start looking for work, you need the appropriate visas. You can find a lot of information on these 2 websites (including how to avoid fraudulent agents) http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/ and http://www.settlement.org/ I'm happy to answer any of your question. <em>edited by Judy on 08/09/2014</em>

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