Canada Move Discussion (2014 FSW - People in USA on H1B)

[sk13]

Hello Friends,

Since most of the people in this forum are from USA(on H1B) or CAN(moved from US or went to CAN directly), I would like to share some of my thoughts and questions, and also it would be great, if you could contribute your thoughts to help each other.

Why Canada?

Here are the reasons for Canada? (Feel free to correct the things):

a) Not sure of GC, and employer troubles (H1B, pay, job and Insurance)
b) Canada Health insurance for life (US Insurance is a big deal, when you are out of job(even if you have GC or citizenship))
c) From day 1, I have PR in Canada, so I can work on my own, and I am independent. I would be happy
d) Schooling is better atleast equal to US, and Canada schools most of the time out perform US schools
e) Schooling in US for your kids depends on your income basically the neighborhood you live in and the school they attend. Canada is different in this case, all public schools get same standard and education irrespective of school location.
f) No fear of recession because of the economy structure (yes, there will be an impact but not as drastic as US)

Since I almost got PR(tracker got activated yesterday night), and my monkey mind started swinging between US and CAN, and I feel eventually I start living in CA and working in US (border city). Not sure, but keeping an open mind?

I would like to know other people opinion who are in my situation. Would you rather prefer to move to CAN and work there instead of balancing on both boats? if so why, and if not why not? Please share your thoughts so that we all could make a good decision based on collective knowledge.

Note: Even though CAN looks attractive with all options and PR, initially I did the PR as a back up option, then explored all other advantages. Now in a dilemma what to do. Please share your thoughts to enlighten me with your views. Thanks once again.

Thanks!

 

[nishant322]

Hello sk13,
I am in the same boat. My PERM is under audit and will hopefully hear about July. I am on h1b and I have applied for Canada PR , received my PER. I am willing to rather live in canada with PR than H1b in USA. I always wanted to do something on my own and the h1B is very restrictive in that regards. With PR , like you said, you can do whatever you want from day 1, buy a house, start a business, whatever makes you feel good, instead of having to be employed and not able to do your own thing until the green card battle is won, which is by the way a very uncertain and long course.

Thanks

 

[Carmageddon]

Very interesting points!
Personally my priority is the US, but getting an H1B visa is so hard, and getting a GC from is is far from guaranteed, that is why I focus my efforts into Canada ATM.

Does your employer refuse to sponsor and submit the required documents for giving you a GC?
Otherwise about Health and Education, you've got some fair points (in general), but they are not relevant to people of our profession - we should have much better health and education in the US, since we have more average income than the general Americans, so the schools and medical services we'd receive are far greater than those in Canada.

So it comes down to this:
If you are rich (or well paid as an High Tech worker), your quality of life in the US is the very best in the world.
else - Canada gives you better quality of life for certain (as in the US you could even be homeless..)

That is considering equal footing - PR vs GC status.

If you cant get a GC, its no brainer of course.

About your idea of crossing the border daily to work - I dont know, check whether CIC considers those days as days you have been present in Canada, so you would not end up loosing your PR some day.
Same for GC - check with KCC.

 

[sk13]

Hello sk13,
I am in the same boat. My PERM is under audit and will hopefully hear about July. I am on h1b and I have applied for Canada PR , received my PER. I am willing to rather live in canada with PR than H1b in USA. I always wanted to do something on my own and the h1B is very restrictive in that regards. With PR , like you said, you can do whatever you want from day 1, buy a house, start a business, whatever makes you feel good, instead of having to be employed and not able to do your own thing until the green card battle is won, which is by the way a very uncertain and long course.

Thanks

You are right nishant, so what are your plans once you get PR?

 

[rpishere]

My 2 cents - I am in similar boat as you sk.

I'd any day choose freedom then restriction being put on me, by this so called H1B visa and certainly restriction on dependents H4 to be not allowed to work. Not only it is restrictive, it has implications if economy is bad and your employer suddenly ask you to leave. So Canada PR is no brainer, whether you move or not is definitely a personal decision.

Also to note, one very important point -

If you get US GC or Passport and you return back to your home country in future, then you pay US tax on Global income. So any money you earn in home country, you pay taxes in the US. You might get some refunds if there's dual taxation agreement, but that's fuzzy.

If you get Canada PR, you only pay Canada taxes as long as you live there and income originates from Canada. If you move to your home country with Canadian passport, you're expected to pay taxes in country where you are living.

Another point -

Live 4 years in Canada, you get Canadian passport. Depending on your class of processing, you would wait 5-10 years to get the "GC"; not citizenship - which is another 3 4 years. I don't want to wait for 15 years or give freedom for that much time to get a country's passport.

These are just my views...so hope it helps you further in your thought process.

 

[sk13]

Very interesting points!
Personally my priority is the US, but getting an H1B visa is so hard, and getting a GC from is is far from guaranteed, that is why I focus my efforts into Canada ATM.

Does your employer refuse to sponsor and submit the required documents for giving you a GC?
Otherwise about Health and Education, you've got some fair points (in general), but they are not relevant to people of our profession - we should have much better health and education in the US, since we have more average income than the general Americans, so the schools and medical services we'd receive are far greater than those in Canada.

So it comes down to this:
If you are rich (or well paid as an High Tech worker), your quality of life in the US is the very best in the world.
else - Canada gives you better quality of life for certain (as in the US you could even be homeless..)

That is considering equal footing - PR vs GC status.

If you cant get a GC, its no brainer of course.

About your idea of crossing the border daily to work - I dont know, check whether CIC considers those days as days you have been present in Canada, so you would not end up loosing your PR some day.
Same for GC - check with KCC.

My GC is in process, but it is a hassle to followup with employer again and again. Yes, as long as you are present in Canada every day,that should be OK for PR. I agree that US will be good once you get GC, and you are in sound health, with continuous job and income.

But on the other hand, in Canada, insurance and education of your kids won't be a problem, in case of any (you know misfortune). At least you don't have to worry about that as long as you provide to your family. But once again that's too pessimistic, but not unrealistic. I know couple of my friends, who went back to India due to those reasons.

Life won't be as green and sunny as it looks when you are young. In long term perspective, as our friend 'rpishare' told, you are looking at another 15 years just to become citizen. You will be 45+(assuming you are 30+ now) by the time you are really free. And what do we really do at age 45+ (In India, people start thinking about retiring just kidding).

 

[sk13]

My 2 cents - I am in similar boat as you sk.

I'd any day choose freedom then restriction being put on me, by this so called H1B visa and certainly restriction on dependents H4 to be not allowed to work. Not only it is restrictive, it has implications if economy is bad and your employer suddenly ask you to leave. So Canada PR is no brainer, whether you move or not is definitely a personal decision.

Also to note, one very important point -

If you get US GC or Passport and you return back to your home country in future, then you pay US tax on Global income. So any money you earn in home country, you pay taxes in the US. You might get some refunds if there's dual taxation agreement, but that's fuzzy.

If you get Canada PR, you only pay Canada taxes as long as you live there and income originates from Canada. If you move to your home country with Canadian passport, you're expected to pay taxes in country where you are living.

Another point -

Live 4 years in Canada, you get Canadian passport. Depending on your class of processing, you would wait 5-10 years to get the "GC"; not citizenship - which is another 3 4 years. I don't want to wait for 15 years or give freedom for that much time to get a country's passport.

These are just my views...so hope it helps you further in your thought process.

I agree, and +1 for your inputs!!

 

[jisho]

This is scary as I have not been able to decide as well.
My main concern with a Canada move is the cost of living. From the research that I have done, I have seen that Canada is outrageously expensive. Some of my concerns as compared to US are:
- Real estate prices are highly inflated.
- Car insurance/Grocery/vehicle cost/......... are super high.
- Income is less.
- Job Opportunities are far less. Would I be able to work and stay in one location till I retire?
- Initial struggle might be a big prob. Don't want to start from scratch again.
- Some of my friends who live in Canada have suggested against a Canada move because of these very reasons. Somebody that my colleague knows recently moved to Atlanta from Canada is very happy with his move.

I agree, and +1 for your inputs!!

 

[jisho]

At the moment I am just thinking of the Canada PR as an immigration insurance. God forbid, but in case something goes wrong here, I have something to fall back on. If I get my GC and my wife gets a job by this year or the next then we will not move to Canada.

This is scary as I have not been able to decide as well.
My main concern with a Canada move is the cost of living. From the research that I have done, I have seen that Canada is outrageously expensive. Some of my concerns as compared to US are:
- Real estate prices are highly inflated.
- Car insurance/Grocery/vehicle cost/......... are super high.
- Income is less.
- Job Opportunities are far less. Would I be able to work and stay in one location till I retire?
- Initial struggle might be a big prob. Don't want to start from scratch again.
- Some of my friends who live in Canada have suggested against a Canada move because of these very reasons. Somebody that my colleague knows recently moved to Atlanta from Canada is very happy with his move.

 

[Diplomatru]

This is scary as I have not been able to decide as well.
My main concern with a Canada move is the cost of living. From the research that I have done, I have seen that Canada is outrageously expensive. Some of my concerns as compared to US are:
- Real estate prices are highly inflated.
- Car insurance/Grocery/vehicle cost/......... are super high.
- Income is less.
- Job Opportunities are far less. Would I be able to work and stay in one location till I retire?
- Initial struggle might be a big prob. Don't want to start from scratch again.
- Some of my friends who live in Canada have suggested against a Canada move because of these very reasons. Somebody that my colleague knows recently moved to Atlanta from Canada is very happy with his move.

The weather is another big NO.

 

[jisho]

Did you move from the US?

The weather is another big NO.

 

[sk13]

The weather is another big NO.

Diplomatru,

Since you have already been living in Canada, I believe you know issues and benefits a lot better than people living in US. If you have moved from US to Canada then you would even know better. Please could you share your thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[Diplomatru]

Did you move from the US?

No, but I've been to the US three times. The only advantage of Canada over USA that I know of is security. Crime rate is almost non-existant. In everything else US knocks-down Canada.

 

[nishant322]

You are right nishant, so what are your plans once you get PR?

Sk,
My plan is to start an IT business doing everything possible, consulting, building websites, mobile apps, server setup, security auditing etc..and then whatever gains more traction, focus into that....... May be even start a data center of small scale to begin with.. but at least try once , if nothing works out.. after a year.. then go find a job

 

[sk13]

Sk,
My plan is to start an IT business doing everything possible, consulting, building websites, mobile apps, server setup, security auditing etc..and then whatever gains more traction, focus into that....... May be even start a data center of small scale to begin with.. but at least try once , if nothing works out.. after a year.. then go find a job

Well, All the best!