MOVING TO CANADA
At Worldwide Move Management, we can offer advice on how to make your move to Canada as smooth as possible
From our offices in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom the management and employees of Worldwide Move Management work alongside partners globally to deliver the best possible moving experience.
It is our aim to ensure total customer satisfaction from the beginning of the moving process to the end, through continuous communication and personal attention at all times.
With Canada being one of the most liveable countries globally Worldwide Move Management offers a full range of moving and relocation services to Canada, including export packing, full household moving, part load moves, storage, and destination services.
Canada is located in North America and stretches all the way from the Atlantic to the Pacific, being made up of ten Provinces and three Territories. The most populated Provinces are Ontario and Quebec with Toronto (in Ontario) being the most populated city.
With a total land mass of 9,984,670 sq km (3,855,103 sq mi), Canada is the second largest country in the world. A country of outstanding
natural beauty, Canada has a wide variety of landscapes: the mountains, the prairies, lakes and rivers with many national and provincial parks to protect the habitats.
There are two official languages – English and French – and Montreal in Quebec is the world's largest French-speaking city outside of France. Almost every product you buy has English and French on the labels and most public services are available in both languages.
The First Nations or Indian people were the original inhabitants of Canada and the name comes from their language and means “Village” or “Community”. The Vikings, who arrived in the 11th century and didn't stay for long, were the first Europeans to land in Canada. More Europeans arrived in the 16th century bringing with them manufactured goods which they traded for furs and native products - because of this they were made welcome by the indigenous people. The two main groups of European settlers were the French, who came first, and then the English. Despite France losing its part of the territory to Britain in a war in 1760, many of the French speaking people stayed. In 1867, three colonies of Britain merged in an event called Confederation; this created a partially independent state of four Provinces. Six more Provinces and three Territories have since been added and in 1931 full independence was achieved. Canada still belongs to the Commonwealth of Nations.
Canada is a Democratic Federation and has both a Federal and Provincial Governments. The responsibilities and powers are divided between the Federal and Provincial Governments which make for a complex political system.
Moving to Canada can be exciting yet an overwhelming experience. A new place to call home means a new way of life and it is important to remember that the captivating culture of a new place carries with it a new set of customs and regulations. That said it doesn’t matter how bad you want to move, it is very important that you do thorough research before you commit to the move, especially if you are moving as a family.
When planning to move to Canada, you might want to consider the 5 important points below;
Canada is a country of four seasons
Canada is truly a country of all four seasons. Depending on where you choose to live in Canada, winters will be slightly different, but they will all be very cold. The average daytime temperature in January is -0.7 degrees Celsius in the day, and -6.7 degrees at night. There is a lot of snow to make up for it, and frozen lakes and ponds to ice skate on, and warm fireplaces with hot chocolate, poutine, and delicious French Canadian pea soups. So make sure you have thick, robust clothing, and be sure not to toss out or give away any of your warm clothes before coming! When spring rolls around, you will know it. The country warms quickly and the snow and ice will melt away rapidly. Grass and trees will green in a matter of weeks and tulips blossom around the country. Summer brings long, balmy days and a lot of happy people out and about around the country. Summer may seem short-lived, but only because you will be too busy enjoying all your free time to notice the time flying. Check out the Canadian Weather website for more information
Your Credit Score is really important
If you already have a credit history in your home country, bring proof with you! This will help banks determine a starting credit score for you and allow you to take out a loan if you want to buy a car or home. If you have never had a credit card or any form of credit history, and you want to get a loan in Canada to buy a home, car, study, or any number of things, you will need to build up your credit score before you can do so. Sign up for a bank account that allows you to open a credit card account, no matter how small the limit. The next step is to pay your credit cards off when they are due. This is vital as missing a payment will negatively affect your credit score. Also put as many of your regular monthly services on your name as possible; utilities, internet, mobile phone contract, etc. Simply paying all these bills on time will also help build up your credit score. The higher your score, the larger the loans you are eligible for.
You will need a Canadian Bank Account
Canada’s banking system has been ranked the world’s safest for the past six years according to the World Economic Forum. Canada’s chartered banks have over 8,000 branches and 18,000 ATMs across the country. The largest and most dominant banks in the Canadian banking industry are known as the Big Five. These are the Royal Bank of Canada, the Toronto-Dominion Bank, the Bank of Nova Scotia, the Bank of Montreal and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. Other large banks include the National Bank of Canada, HSBC Bank Canada and the Laurentian Bank of Canada. The major banks all have specific newcomer accounts with incentives for new arrivals to the country.
The two main types of account available in Canadian banks are chequing accounts (current accounts) and savings accounts. Chequing accounts generally have low interest fees but low monthly fees and a debit card attached to the account, while savings accounts typically offer higher interest rates and may limit the amount of withdrawals allowed per month. Chequing accounts are more efficient for day-to-day banking. In order to open an account you will normally need to bring identification such as photo ID, your Social Security Number and a temporary or permanent resident permit. You may be asked to bring other documentation such as a working permit or proof of address, depending on the bank, however it is not necessary to be in employment in order to open an account. There is also no charge to open an account.
Bank opening hours are usually from 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday, and most do not close for lunch, although in rural areas banks may have part-time opening hours. Many banks close on statutory holidays, although internet banking allows you to perform many operations remotely at any time of the day and year.
Finding the right employment
Unless you are retiring to be with family Canada it is inevitable that you will need to find employment. For those that are transferring with their current employer or even for those that are being sponsored by an employer to relocate to Canada your box has already been ticked in this section. For those that are moving to Canada for personal reasons and need to find employment then it is very worthwhile starting their search as soon as possible. That said in order to find a job you should have a work permit, as not having one will severely limit your chances of finding work. A prospective employer can apply for one on your behalf, but more often than not this proves to be more hassle than it is worth for them, as it is a costly legal process. To work in Canada you will need a Social Insurance Number (SIN) which you can apply for on arrival to the country. Also be sure to make sure all of your qualifications and accreditations are up to date and available for assessment by potential employers. Check out these websites to review the most current employment availability in your chosen industry sector - www.jobbank.gc.ca - www.canadajobs.com - www.monster.ca - www.workopolis.com .
Review the cost of the rental market or housing
Many migrants have already decided which city they are moving to well before there Visas have been received. For some the decision is influenced by family and friends for others it is work related. Either way there is a vast difference in the rental market and also the house sale market between cities and also within cities. One of the best resources for researching property rental and sale prices is Realtor.ca Realtor.ca is multiple listing website, where every property for sale or rent in Canada is placed.
Visa Requirements for moving to Canada
Importing used Household and Personal Effects to Canada
You can import your Household goods and personal effects exempt of duty and tax provided they have been used and owned by the importer for at least 6 months prior to importation.
Canadian Customs Form B4 - to completed when importing Used Household and Personal Effects into Canada.
In its broadest sense, Canadian culture is a mixture of British, French, and American influences, all of which blend in every aspect of cultural life from filmmaking and writing to cooking and playing sports. Other ethnicities have added distinctive elements to this mixture: for example, Canada’s large foreign-born population is evident in the splendid and varied restaurants, that line Toronto’s Yonge Street, Vancouver’s Chinese population has given that city a tradition of folk opera and puppetry that rival those found in China, Italian is widely spoken in the coffee houses of Montreal and Canada's indigenous habitants are finding a growing voice through a broad range of fine and folk arts.
Core Canadian values include fairness, equality, inclusiveness and social justice. This is evidenced by the country’s approach to governance, which includes public health care, higher taxation to promote the redistribution of wealth, the legalisation of same-sex marriage, the abolition of capital punishment and the suppression of far-right politics. Canada generally has a very open and accepting attitude towards other cultures and religions.
Did you know this about Canada..?
-
Canada has the largest coastline in the world
-
The USA / Canadian Border is the longest international border in the world and it does have any military defence throughout it's entire length
-
Canada is the second largest country in the world by total area
-
Canada is the world's most educated country with over half its residents having college degrees
-
Yonge Street in Canada is the longest street in the world at 1178 miles
-
Americans have invaded Canada twice, in 1775 and 1812! The Americans were defeated on both occasions
-
Canada has the third largest oil reserves of any country in the world after Saudi Arabia and Venezuela
-
Canada consumes the most doughnuts and has the most doughnut shops per capita of any country in the world
-
Ontario, Canada, has more than 250,000 lakes. They contain about one fifth of the worlds fresh water
-
Montreal is the world’s second largest French speaking city after Paris
-
Canada has six time zones
-
Estevan, Saskatchewan is reportedly the sunniest place in Canada with 2,537 hours of sunshine per year
-
Two of the largest lakes in the world are found in the Northwest Territories – Great Bear Lake and Great Slave Lake
-
Canadians call the one dollar coin the loonie. When in full production, 15 million loonies can be produced per day
-
Whistler, British Columbia is consistently ranked as one of the best places in North America for downhill skiing
-
Ice hockey, football and baseball are Canadians favourite spectator sports
-
Canadian inventions include the game Trivial Pursuit (Scott Abbot and Chris Haney), the telephone (Alexander Graham Bell), basketball (James Naismeth) and the snowmobile (Joseph-Armand Bombardier)
-
The beer named after Canada is called Molson Canadian. Founded in Montreal in 1786, Molson Coors Canada is the oldest brewery in North America and continues to produce beer on the site of the original brewery
Worldwide Move Management provides a high quality professional international moving service to our customers. From initial contact, a dedicated move manager will take care of the complete moving process, to ensure a stress free experience and 100% satisfaction from beginning to end.
Through our affiliation with various industry organisations, our network extends to over 800 partners worldwide, which in turn, means we can offer a most comprehensive service.
There are many different options and modes of transportation used to move your belongings to the Canada. These options are tailored to meet the individual needs and budgets of our customers.
To obtain your personalised relocation plan and quotation for your move to Canada please click here
