Throughout the recent decades, Canada has been a highly desirable residency location for millions of new immigrants. For many Canadians this comes as no surprise – Canada offers its inhabitants a beautiful landscape along with plenty of opportunities for career work and recreation.
All in all, the country’s high living standards and abundant multiculturalism is the reason that hundreds of thousands of people each year decide to migrate to Canada.
We’ve created this brief guide to give you an overview of what you can expect if you’re planning on migrating to Canada. Fortunately, opportunities here are so plentiful that there are tons of great places to set up residency.
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After performing a comprehensive review of Canada’s strengths and weaknesses, it’s no wonder that US News places Canada in the top countries in the world for highest overall quality of life. And if you’re able to speak fluent English and French, immigrating to Canada is even more attractive.
There are several key factors that are important to consider whenever you are immigrating, and Canada manages to excel in each one.
Whether you’re a working class individual or the decision maker in a family, it should be your top priority to reside in an area that is safe and secure. Relatively speaking, Canadian major cities have very low crime rates compared to similar sized metros around the globe.
It’s also worth mentioning that Canada’s political security is just as sturdy as its legal security. Aside from being one of the world’s most stable economic powers, Canada’s history details low levels of government corruption and a functioning democracy.
Naturally, for most individuals (who aren’t ridiculously affluent) another important consideration is a location’s affordability. Generally speaking, the cost of living in Canada is lower its southern counterpart, the United States.
While you’ll definitely find unfavourable home prices in capital cities like Vancouver and Toronto, many prices in the surrounding areas are still reasonable. Living expenses in Canada are also much friendlier than the US thanks to free provincial healthcare and a decent social welfare system.
Canada’s healthcare system – officially referred to as Medicare – is a very extensive healthcare coverage plan that is paid for by the public. As a result, Canadian permanent residents and citizens can avoid paying hospital bills that stem from the public health sector.
Canadian Medicare is not an “all inclusive” coverage plan, while it does cover a generous amount of health-related services there are many yet that you are not financially shielded from. For example, Medicare does not directly cover cosmetic medical work (such as orthodontic teeth braces) but you can supplement Medicare with a privatized healthcare plan that your employer may offer.
Another factor that Canada excels in is the quality of schooling. A study performed by the “Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development” attributed Canada’s educational success to the system’s highly inclusive structure. Both immigrants and nationals can achieve considerable accomplishments in all levels of schooling, regardless of their social or cultural background.
The provinces of Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta stand out in particular for their learning opportunities, specifically in terms of University/College reputation. On a nationwide scale, Canada also features tons of educational bursaries and government grants to their students.
Even though Canada’s job market is not quite the most extensive in the world, it’s about as diverse and well-established as any other economic powerhouse nation’s job market. In simple terms, finding career success in Canada is entirely reasonable (relatively speaking).
There are plenty of booming economic sectors in Canada to this day that offer high-paying jobs in manufacturing, finance, natural resources, and the service industry. As long as you’re considered a skilled worker, you can find opportunities anywhere across the country – although it’s worth noting that most wealthy positions are scattered across the nation’s five major cities.
Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, and Calgary are the primary “hubs” where you’re likely to find the highest number of job postings. However, seeing as Canada is a growing nation, you can certainly find work to make ends meet in smaller towns and communities.
*Please note: All the data in the chart was retrieved from US News which can be found at this source
Based on the subjective chart data above (obtained from US News) Canada is a great country to immigrate to. As of 2020, the country’s overall score was bumped up to 99.4 which places it as the second best overall nation to live in out of 80 developed countries.
The country ranks very high in work culture categories such as entrepreneurship and business life, and it more than makes up for its relative lack of cultural heritage with a strong sense of citizenship. For a more detailed description that contains category breakdowns, we recommend visiting the links provided.
Now that we’ve gone over the general factors that make Canada a wonderful place to live, we can examine the country in more detail. For optimal living, it’s important to find a city/town that properly suits your individual needs and meets your comfort requirements.
No matter which city you ultimately decide to reside in, you can be sure to find an excellent quality of life if you’re an ambitious person. Work opportunities, immigrant social benefits, and multiculturalism are all becoming more widespread across the nation as infrastructure improves.
Located in Alberta, Calgary has the largest immigrant community in the entire province. Furthermore, the city of Calgary is widely regarded as the most diverse metropolitan zone in the area in regards to quality of life.
Calgary has a lot to offer its inhabitants regardless of how they choose to live and work – in other words, the city is known for its considerable lifestyle variety. The city has a few top level sports teams, rock/pop music culture, and a beautiful landscape to boot.
Only about an hour away from the Rocky Mountains, Calgary is one of the best Canadian cities for working-class adventurers. While the inner city’s structures can be magnificent, it’s the neighbouring outdoors and suburban paradise where Calgary really shines.
Coincidentally also located in the Albertan region lies the sprawling city of Edmonton. Edmonton is not just a massive metropolitan hub near the west coast; it’s actually a very popular city for Canadian immigrants on a country wide scale.
Edmonton’s economy capitalizes on the natural resource industry (specifically gas and oil) to offer ambitious workers plenty of career opportunities. On top of that, the city includes an impressive post-secondary education opportunity within the University of Alberta.
The great Edmonton outdoors includes the winding Saskatchewan River and an associative large stretch of river valley, which makes the Greater Edmonton Area a delightful exploration during any season of the year.
Found in the heart of the French-speaking province of Quebec, it’s no wonder that the inclusive city of Montreal is sometimes referred to as Canada’s cultural capital. This francophone city is a massive multicultural hub, arguably one of the largest in the country, and it has the highest bilingual rate per capita.
Inhabitants of Montreal often report high levels of life satisfaction, primarily due to Montreal’s entertainment city reputation. There are plenty of fun activities for those that can’t seem to get enough downtown living, such as visiting art museums and the historical Old Montreal.
In terms of economic development, Montreal provides a plethora of jobs for individuals with an English-French (bilingual) background in multiple industries. A few specific ones that are more prevalent in Montreal include, but are not limited to: medicine and pharmacy, general services, and even the space industry.
Known locally as Ontario’s “Hammer,” Hamilton has built up a reputation of being Canada’s central steel producer and processor. The city’s inhabitants can find plenty of work in the civil manufacturing sector, especially for individuals who have obtained an engineering degree.
Apart from being largely industrial, although Hamilton’s factories are mainly near the lakeshore, the city integrates a great degree of natural elements. The Hammer is populated with numerous nature trails and waterfalls for those who like hiking.
The city’s infrastructure, although not quite as developed as other Canadian metros, is fairly well established. It has a decent public transportation system so there’s no immediate need to purchase a car for work travel (especially if your day-to-day life is spent in the downtown core).
Most likely if you’ve heard of Canada then you’ve also heard of the national jewel – the city of Toronto, Ontario. With over 6 million inhabitants it’s hard to not discover a welcoming immigrant community. Similar to Montreal, Toronto’s multiculturalism is virtually unmatched by any other major Canadian city. In Toronto, literally anyone (immigrants from any country) can find areas where they will feel right at home in their community.
Toronto’s public transportation system is very well developed, and it includes buses, subway lines, and even streetcars! The city is also home to Canada’s financial district, so those with a business/finance background can really take advantage of some higher paying careers downtown.
Unfortunately, home prices in Toronto are not for the average income earner. Similar to Vancouver, prices are very high to live in the main city – fortunately there are still plenty affordable residences in the Greater Toronto Area.
Since you’d be moving to a country that uses the Canadian dollar as native currency, you’ll probably need a cost-efficient foreign exchange service to convert your funds.
KnightsbridgeFX is a safe, secure, and reliable financial institution that specializes in international money transfers. KFX guarantees exchange rates that will beat the major banks along with fee-free conversions on orders of $2000 CAD or more.
Looking to exchange over $2000 CAD? You could benefit from free wire transfers, no hidden fees, and rates that you could lock in.
Need to apply for Canadian permanent residency? Click here to learn more before you get started on your application.
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