So you want to move to the northern country of Canada, where everything has to be written in French and English, maple syrup flows freely, and ice hockey is the biggest sport.
But now you’re wondering, what is involved in relocating to Tim Horton’s capital of the world? Here are some interesting facts about the country of the great north.
Canada is the second-largest country by total area and has six time zones! There are three major metropolitan areas: Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. The capital of the country is Ottawa.
The country is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy in the Westminster tradition. The head of government is a prime minister.
Canada is a Commonwealth realm and actually ranks amongst many of the highest in international measurements, including:
Canada is a country that is advanced in many aspects and is wealthy regarding natural resources.
For many South Africans, Canada might not be their first choice for relocating. But Canada is a fantastic country.
So, what are your options if you plan to relocate to Canada?
For those planning on relocating to Canada, there are several considerations to think of when planning on moving. Namely, is this a temporary or permanent relocation?
In regards to staying in Canada temporarily, you will be applying for:
For a more permanent stay, you can take one of the following routes:
In most of these situations, you must meet specific requirements. Let’s tackle situations where you’ll only be staying in the country temporarily.
Before you make the final decision, make sure you remind yourself of all the amazing reasons people choose to live in South Africa! We do have an amazing country!
For those looking at working in Canada, you must obtain a Canadian work visa (or work permit) to work within the country legally. You will need to interview for a role and work with an employer to obtain a document called a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) before you can begin to work within the Canadian borders.
This document serves as proof that your employment in Canada is legal.
If your South African company has international ties to Canada, you can apply via an Intra-Company Transfer Program, which allows international businesses to transfer key employees to Canada without acquiring an LMIA.
Only executives, managers, or hyper-specialised employees are eligible to bring their family members via this program.
International students are allowed to work while studying in Canada, which means if you’re on a scholarship, you can build up some savings before returning to South Africa.
The Express Entry immigration selection system is a process where an individual can become a citizen within six months. Generally reserved for individuals from the USA, South Africans have a strong chance with the program due to our strong English language skills.
Canada is home to ten provinces, which have their jurisdictions. In most cases, these provinces have more autonomy than their southern counterparts in the USA. This means provinces can accept international citizens to their area if they possess specific skill sets, work experience, or funds.
For South Africans possessing a specific skill set, this is a tempting route to secure citizenship and land up permanently staying in Canada.
If you’ve been allowed to be accepted into the program for immigration to Quebec, most South Africans might be apprehensive due to the fact it is a French-speaking province.
But Quebec is unique as it offers a truly European lifestyle in North America, and it is just a matter of hours away from the USA’s largest cities, like Boston and New York City.
Most immigrants to Canada will be arriving as sponsored spouses or common-law partners.
The Canadian government is currently emphasizing what they are calling family reunification, or family sponsorship, which means you can relocate your family to the country.
Canada also recognises same-sex marriage and partners are also allowed to apply to be reunited with their spouses.
South African business owners can relocate to Canada through the business immigration program. There are several business programs.
Canadian provinces have separate entrepreneur programs. In British Columbia, their entrepreneur immigration program is for individuals with a minimum net worth of around ZAR R7 million).
In Ontario, their Entrepreneur Stream programis accessible to individuals with a minimum net worth of between ZAR 9 million to ZAR 17 million. Another buy-in program is from Manitoba’s Business Investor program, which comprises the Entrepreneur Pathway and Farm Investor Pathway. Depending on the pathway, or program, you can buy into it with ZAR 8 million to ZAR 3,5 million.
Another avenue for landing a permanent residency in Canada is via the federal business and investor immigration programs. These were developed to attract individuals with business acumen and entrepreneurial skills.
There are three main programs at the moment, which include:
Canada is a country that prides itself on being accepting of all immigrants, and with so many active programs it’s not surprising.
But what would be the general costs involved in relocating to Canada, other than the programs for business owners?
These costs are separate from other immigration costs. For those who are working as federal skilled workers, you will need to pay settlement fees and an additional cost.
The immigration cost is estimated on the number of family members you will be bringing into the country and pay for government logistics and doesn’t include third-party costs like moving costs or plane tickets.
If you are relocating alone, the cost will be roughly ZAR 23,000, and if you’re moving as a couple, the cost doubles to roughly ZAR 46,000.
With additional family members, it starts to climb at a slower rate, with three members setting you back ZAR 50K and four costing ZAR 60K.
These are rough estimates but will show you how much capital to set aside.
Now that we’ve spoken about the costs and methods of relocating to Canada let’s make a quick checklist of tasks to sort out before leaving South Africa.
It can be near to impossible for those who have relocated to North America to sort out admin issues in South Africa. It’s best to sort them out before leaving the country.
Now, what should you do before leaving:
We all gather numerous contractual agreements. From cell phones to medical aid, it’s time to start cancelling them. Be aware that many of these contracts will have fines attached to them being cancelled early, like your cellphone.
Make sure to give yourself a month or two to ensure that you have cancelled these contracts, as issues can compound and draw out the entire process.
In some regards, we all love our possessions, but the fact is you will need to leave some items behind.
Make a list of items that need to be moved with you to Canada, and sell off items you’re planning on leaving behind or gift them to a charity.
Getting a company to move your possessions across borders is going to be tricky. Also, if you need to store your items you need to find a mover with storage.
Luckily, this is one of the easier tasks on this checklist.
It’s often the last thing on the to-do list, but where will you be staying on arrival? Make sure that either you or your new employer has organised accommodation.
When booking your accommodation, also ensure that you take out travel insurance for your first 90 days, just in case you are involved in a medical emergency.
As you’d expect, you need to gather several documents to start applying for a new driving licence and prescription. Make sure you have copies as well just in case.
You may be required to start saving for your new adventure. As you can tell, this isn’t a cheap experience.
Make sure you save up and create a moving fund.
Once you’ve saved enough money, the only thing to start doing is to find a new job in Canada. Moving to a new city isn't easy, but with the right support and advice, you can do it! Welcome to your new home - SA will miss you!
If you've changed your mind and you feel like maybe moving a new city in SA might be the best bet for you, then Wise Move is ready to help!
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