Visa Routes And The Costs of Moving to Canada From the UK

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Visa Routes And The Costs of Moving to Canada
From the UK
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Canada is one of the most desirable relocation
destinations for UK citizens, as well as for
expats from the US and around the world. The
stable economy, thriving cities, family-centered
communities, and wealth of places to live, appeal
to professionals, families, and retirees
alike. As with any international move, creating
a clear and comprehensive budget, before you make
any plans, is essential. You need to factor in
the practicalities of flights, shipping your
belongings, as well as the legal process of
applying for a visa and work permit. The Chase
Buchanan Wealth Management - Financial Adviser
Canada Team has pulled together a brief guide to
provide examples what a move to Canada from the
UK might cost and why your visa category may
make a difference.
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Visa Routes for British Nationals
Looking to Move to Canada
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The Canadian immigration system offers a variety
of work permits and visa categories. The
investment visas and skilled workers visas are
intended for those filling high-demand roles.
Whereas those holding a short -term contract with
a Canadian employer will need the temporary
working visa. Each year, the Canadian government
sets a target or quota against each visa
category. For example, they can set a maximum
number of expats that they will allow to enter
Canada through the Federal Skilled Worker
Program, using either the Express Entry System or
the points-based Comprehensive Ranking
System. Below, weve worked through some of the
most commonly used work permit and visa
programmes as an overview of how these work and
which options may be most suitable for your
circumstances.
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Canadian Work Permits
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Any UK citizen moving to Canada to work must hold
a valid permit. This document will usually be
either an Open or an Employer-Specific Permit,
with the former allowing an expat to work for any
Canadian business and the latter restricted to
one named company. The Employer-Specific Work
Permit is more typical, and applications must be
supported by a valid job offer, with a permit
valid for four years. However, this may be
adjusted based on the duration of the proposed
employment contract. Businesses employing
foreign nationals may need to complete a
Canadian Labour Market Impact Assessment to
prove that the applicants skills are not already
available in Canada and that their work permit
would not be detrimental to local citizens job
opportunities.
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International Experience Canada Program
This visa is aimed at young British citizens aged
between 18 and 30. It is a two-year temporary
working visa intended to allow aspiring
professionals to gain experience working in the
Canadian economy and business sector.
Applications cost 161 (94) plus a work permit
fee of 100 (58) and a further 85 (50)
biometric charge.
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Business and Investment Visas
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Entrepreneurs and affluent investors can apply
through several pathways, including the Start-Up
Business Class Visa. This offers permanent
residency for start-ups with a minimum angel
investment of 75,000 (43,800), venture capital
funding of 200,000 (116,800), or that it has
been accepted into an incubator programme. The
Business Class Visa is not open to applicants
moving to Quebec since the region has separate
provincial immigration requirements and considers
alternative eligibility criteria, such as French
fluency when deciding which applications to
approve. The Start-Up Visa costs 2,140 (1,250)
initially, plus 1,365 (797) for a partner or
spouse and 230 (134) for each dependent child
included on the application.
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Permanent Residency Programmes
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There are solutions for expats seeking long-term
residency status or citizenship in Canada. Most
expats opt for business, investment, family
sponsorship or skilled worker visas and meet
minimum stay requirements to become eligible for
permanent residence. In most cases expats
living in Canada, with a temporary or renewable
residence permit, must have lived there for at
least three of the previous five years, pass
language fluency tests and achieve a passing mark
on a citizenship examination. Foreign nationals
must also have filed and paid taxes in Canada for
at least three consecutive years, among other
criteria. The charge for a permanent residence
application is equivalent to the Start-Up Visa
fees as above, which also apply to any Quebecois
business immigration application.
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Practical Costs of Moving to Canada From the UK
Alongside your visa application and accounting
for any fees payable, if you are using one of the
regulated Canadian immigration consultants to
compile your application forms, you need to be
conscious of the costs of the relocation
itself. Generally, a flight to visit Canada from
one of the major UK airports in London to an
international airport in Vancouver or Toronto
costs from 600 per person. Other expenses to
calculate include the following.
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Removals and Shipping Costs
If you expect to obtain permanent resident status
in Canada, you will likely wish to move your
belongings and valuables. Charges start from
1,000 for a small number of items and can
stretch up to 5,000 for a full shipping
container, which would have sufficient space for
roughly a standard three or four-bedroom
home. Importing a car into Canada may be more
complex, depending on whether the vehicle meets
the federal standards many foreign cars
produced outside of Canada and the US need to be
modified to be considered eligible for a Canadian
registration plate, which can be more costly than
purchasing a new vehicle.
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Relocating With Pets
Pet transport costs are around 1,400 to 1,500
per pet, depending on whether you are flying with
a smaller animal, such as a cat, or a larger dog.
There are no quarantine requirements, instead you
must comply with multiple health regulations,
such as the costs for immunisation certificates.
This declares that your animal is well and does
not carry any communicable diseases.
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Taking out Private Health Insurance
All visa categories are conditional on the
applicant holding full medical insurance
coverage, ensuring that any foreign national
living in Canada, either temporarily or over the
long term, will not be reliant on the public
healthcare system to cover their treatment
costs. Depending on the terms of your visa, you
may need to demonstrate minimum levels of health
insurance coverage, including a verified medical
certificate, and show that your insurance covers
repatriation back to the UK.
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Budgeting for the Cost of a Canadian Relocation
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The various costs of moving to Canada are
important to consider. You need to think about
your visa application fee, your flights, and the
costs of transporting your belongings, alongside
renting a property and covering your outgoings
while you become established in your new
home. Should you need any further advice about
the costs of moving to Canada from the UK, the
visa categories that may be most suitable, or
about applying for a business or investment visa
and UK pension transfers to canada, please get in
touch with the Chase Buchanan Wealth Management
team in Ontario to arrange a good time?
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