Living in Canada

One of the biggest government contracting companies in Canada is called Calian.

https://bts.calian.com/en/career_jobs/SearchResultsNew.asp?RegionCode1=500&RegionCode2=900&location=Ottawa&JobTitle=&reqid=

Poke around on their job boards to see what they ask for.
Those jobs are going to assume your are already legally eligible to work in Canada.

gkca

IronmanX wrote: »

One of the biggest government contracting companies in Canada is called Calian.

https://bts.calian.com/en/career_jobs/SearchResultsNew.asp?RegionCode1=500&RegionCode2=900&location=Ottawa&JobTitle=&reqid=

Poke around on their job boards to see what they ask for.
Those jobs are going to assume your are already legally eligible to work in Canada.

Network Support Specialist - Level of security clearance: Reliability Status
SQL Server DBA/Developer - Key responsibilities: MUST hold SECRET Level ClearanceSystems Administrator - surprisingly, no clearance requirement listed
Senior Systems Engineer (M&S) - Valid Secret clearance, A degree from a Canadian* university
Senior Systems Engineer (IT) - Valid Secret Clearance
Senior Network Engineer - Valid Secret Clearance
Senior Enterprise Architect - Must have a valid Government of Canada security clearance

So, pretty much one position that doesn't require any clearance, one that requires reliability status (5 years traceable history in Canada) and the rest require secret clearance (10 years traceable history in Canada) - that's the reason people settle in GTA/GVA where most of the businesses are.
Calgary was booming until recently as well, but then the oil prices tanked taking down the Albertan job market and the dollarette with it...

Fulcrum45

I've got nothing but love for our friends to the North but that tax rate is something else. 35-39%? I pay somewhere in the neighborhood of 15% and I feel a little swindled at times

Imagine at 140K, you are taxed at almost 50%.

Quebec income tax is quite high.

Quebec
$0 – $42,390
$42,391 – $84,780
$84,781 – $103,150
over $103,1510

16%
20%
24%
25.75%

Ontario
$0 – $41,536
$41,537 – $83,075
$83,076 – $150,000
$150,000 – $220,000
over $220,000

5.05%
9.15%
11.16%
12.16%
13.16%

Alberta
$0 – $125,000
$125,001 – $150,000
$150,001 – $200,000
$200,001 – $300,000
over $300,000

10%
12%
13%
14%
15%

BritishColumbia
$0 – $38,210
$38,211 – $76,421
$76,422 – $87,741
$87,742 – $106,543
over $106,543

5.06%
7.7%
10.5%
12.29%

**^table shifted over on me but you get the idea.

and then the federal rate:

15% on the first $45,916 of taxable income, +
20.5% on the next $45,915 of taxable income (on the portion of taxable income over $45,916 up to $91,831), +
26% on the next $50,522 of taxable income (on the portion of taxable income over $91,831 up to $142,353), +
29% on the next $60,447 of taxable income (on the portion of taxable income over $142,353 up to $202,800), +
33% of taxable income over $202,800.

Looking at the US for comparison is

$90,751 to $189,300
$18,481.25 plus 28% of the amount over $90,750

then you have state income tax which looks to be pretty confusing.

California:

$51,530-$263,221
$2,268.50 plus 9.3% of income in excess of $51,530

When I see this, I wondering why I stay in Quebec lol ?

SteveLavoie wrote: »

When I see this, I wondering why I stay in Quebec lol ?

Cheap Daycare
Cheap Car insurance
Cheap booze
Cheap electricity
Cheap tuition
Cheap houses (2nd biggest city in Canada and one of the cheapest major cities for housing)

There is probably more things that are cheaper in Quebec.
You do get benefits for those high taxes.

kalimuscle

bigdogz wrote: »

greg9891,

No offense with Canada, why can't you relocate in the states?

Remember the taxes including the GST / PST that you have to pay out as well.

I don't know where you live but there are other cities with a lower cost of living.
You can also apply for grants and low interest loans to help with your education.

Its because of trump

An African friend of mine that visited America for some training said that he was called the N word more than a lil wayne hip hop music video

greg9891

Thanks for all the advice guys. Will work on preparing all the ground work to move to Canada. its just a matter of which part of Canada I would like to move to. Any thoughts?

greg9891 wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice guys. Will work on preparing all the ground work to move to Canada. its just a matter of which part of Canada I would like to move to. Any thoughts?

That is a though one.

For tech jobs and schooling I would suggest south western Ontario.
The Waterloo area is a bit of a tech hub. They use to call Ottawa silicon valley north but my impression is that the south western area of Ontario has more tech companies. For example Google has offices in Toronto (GTA 6.5 million people), Montreal (4 million people), Waterloo (575K people).

Waterloo is probably the best school in the area for technical education.

"Notable Waterloo-based high-tech companies include:

Many other high-tech companies, with headquarters elsewhere, take advantage of the concentration of high-tech employees in the Waterloo area, and have research and development centres there. SAP, Google, Oracle, Intel, McAfee,NCR Corporation, Electronic Arts and Agfa are among the large, international technology companies with development offices in Waterloo."

greg9891 wrote: »

It would open my family to much better opportunities in regards to health care and education.

I second this. No disrespect, but this can only be true if you are currently living in 3rd world country. Any EU country has way better health care system.

SteveLavoie wrote: »

Compared to USA, the only advantage to come to Canada is health care and security(low crime rate, gun law, less racial conflict)

Security yes, health care no. If you are in USA you will have private health care plan provided by employer and can go to doctor and the job right away than wait 6 months for appointment in Canada.

greg9891 wrote: »

Interesting......I like the info guys keep it coming.

What kind of position you are in?
Tech support 1, makes around 40 000 plus take out 20% tax and calculate 1200 rent, 100 for cell + utilities... you might end up having more staying at home. Now this depends on the city too, but then if you are in GTA or GVA rent will be sth like 15-1700 month.

IronmanX wrote: »

Just googling
In Canada " A Computer / Network Support Technician earns an average salary of C$42,181 per year. "

In US "Computer Technician 6,527 salaries reported $15.15 per hour"
"Network Technician 3,428 salaries reported $23.95 per hour"

In Canada I would say from what I have seen around me low $20 an hour is a normal starting wage in a area with average $300K homes.
Jobs are harder to get in the smaller cities, but that is probably the same in the US.

Toronto and Vancouver are very expensive and 2 of the biggest cities in Canada, but out side of those 2 cities house affordability is not so crazy.

Ottawa and Montreal have lots of IT jobs.
Ottawa and Montreal average house prices are around $350K.

The exchange rate is about 35%. 1 US dollar = 1.35 Canadian dollar. Which ends up making most things more expensive in Canada.

Most of the jobs in Ottawa/Montreal require french if not native proficiency at least moderate/advance + security clearance. Not really helpful for new immigrant.

SteveLavoie wrote: »

In Montreal, you can live and work without speaking french. Almost all IT guy in MTL are either english speaking or bilingual. However outside Montreal, you need french, english is the bonus thing to have, you will work in french, but have to call customer or supplier in english.

For federal governement work, being bilingual is a very big bonus specially in Ottawa, often it is the edge to keep or get the job. That what someone told me because he work in IT in a federal institution.

Side note, as far as I know if your kids are not born in Canada and you live in quebec they need to go to french speaking school. Whereas in other provinces is your choice.

greg9891 wrote: »

This is some good stuff guys! Also do you get tax breaks for being married, having children? and which area of Canada would you guys recommend me moving to or at least attempting to move. Is Alberta is nice place?

Use to be in not that distant past. Not anymore. Calgary unemployment is around 10%, people are leaving province. Go to Alberta when oil hit 100$ barrel. Not now.

greg9891 wrote: »

This is some good stuff guys! Also do you get tax breaks for being married, having children? and which area of Canada would you guys recommend me moving to or at least attempting to move. Is Alberta is nice place?

Ireland/Dublin are always good option. Tons of IT companies.

IronmanX wrote: »

Cheap Daycare
Cheap Car insurance
Cheap booze
Cheap electricity
Cheap tuition
Cheap houses (2nd biggest city in Canada and one of the cheapest major cities for housing)

There is probably more things that are cheaper in Quebec.
You do get benefits for those high taxes.

Excellent food/restaurants. Most European part of North America. Cheap rent.

Replicon wrote: »

Security yes, health care no. If you are in USA you will have private health care plan provided by employer and can go to doctor and the job right away than wait 6 months for appointment in Canada.

I'm guessing your Canadian. Most Canadian think this way I know I did.

Even if you have health insurance paid for by your company you still have to pay a portion of the insurance and then when you have something done you have to pay again.

"The average premium for family coverage is $1,462 per month or $17,545 per year. These amounts are generally split by the employer and employee."

I believe the split depends on the company you work for.

Then there is the yearly deductible which I think is at least $2000 per person.

And then once you reach your limit there is copay.

We have it pretty good in Canada.
Yes wait times are longer but that it is probably due to us paying nothing at the time we use it (we pay in taxes weather we use it or not)

"As reported by the Health Council of Canada, a 2010 Commonwealth survey found that 39% of Canadians waited 2 hours or more in the emergency room, versus 31% in the U.S.; 43% waited 4 weeks or more to see a specialist, versus 10% in the U.S. The same survey states that 37% of Canadians say it is difficult to access care after hours (evenings, weekends or holidays) without going to the emergency department over 34% of Americans. Furthermore, 47% of Canadians and 50% of Americans who visited emergency departments over the past two years feel that they could have been treated at their normal place of care if they were able to get an appointment."

***I've never lived in the US but i hear this is the way it works, so feel free to correct me.

At least in Canada, you don't lose your home because you are sick. And you can be sure that your care will not be tied to your insurance company or to your employer. I have heard of so many family torn because some dad got fired and have sick kids.. or other horror story.

IronmanX wrote: »

Cheap Daycare YES!
Cheap Car insurance YES!
Cheap booze NO... LCBO is cheaper.
Cheap electricity YES
Cheap tuition YES
Cheap houses (2nd biggest city in Canada and one of the cheapest major cities for housing) YES, specially if you are outside Montreal or Quebec city.

There is probably more things that are cheaper in Quebec.
You do get benefits for those high taxes.

I think it is more the distribution of taxe to middle-class that make me angry. When I was earning less than 40K-45K, that was fine, now I have the impression that I pay for every smuck/idiot/lazy.

And if you have an higher income like 100K-120K and have a business, there is many way to get around tax, that middle-class can't afford.

Replicon wrote: »

Excellent food/restaurants. Most European part of North America. Cheap rent.

And many guys from other province told me that women are hotter in quebec! But I can't compare, I never lived long enough in the other province.

JoJoCal19

SteveLavoie wrote: »

At least in Canada, you don't lose your home because you are sick. And you can be sure that your care will not be tied to your insurance company or to your employer. I have heard of so many family torn because some dad got fired and have sick kids.. or other horror story.

This is the single most aggravating thing about our healthcare system, that someone can be so close to financial ruin and losing everything due to a sudden, even temporary health issue. And I still find it amazing that every business outside of the health insurance companies aren't lobbying the hell out of politicians to implement a single payer system, because it would save them ungodly amounts of money and fatten the shareholders' pockets.

Back on-topic though, one really needs to determine what is most important to them, and do a +/- comparison chart between the US and Canada, or whichever two countries it is you are looking at moving to.

gkca

Replicon wrote: »

if you are in GTA or GVA rent will be sth like 15-1700 month.

I pay $1900 for 2 bedroom condo apartment on the outskirts of the Hogtown, it is considered to be 'inexpensive'

gkca

IronmanX wrote: »

We have it pretty good in Canada.
Yes wait times are longer but that it is probably due to us paying nothing at the time we use it (we pay in taxes weather we use it or not)

That I agree, actually we do have it pretty good here. And the wait times are not that bad when it's an emergency as I've found out last year.

IronmanX wrote: »

I'm guessing your Canadian. Most Canadian think this way I know I did.

Even if you have health insurance paid for by your company you still have to pay a portion of the insurance and then when you have something done you have to pay again.

"The average premium for family coverage is $1,462 per month or $17,545 per year. These amounts are generally split by the employer and employee."

I believe the split depends on the company you work for.

Then there is the yearly deductible which I think is at least $2000 per person.

And then once you reach your limit there is copay.

We have it pretty good in Canada.
Yes wait times are longer but that it is probably due to us paying nothing at the time we use it (we pay in taxes weather we use it or not)

"As reported by the Health Council of Canada, a 2010 Commonwealth survey found that 39% of Canadians waited 2 hours or more in the emergency room, versus 31% in the U.S.; 43% waited 4 weeks or more to see a specialist, versus 10% in the U.S. The same survey states that 37% of Canadians say it is difficult to access care after hours (evenings, weekends or holidays) without going to the emergency department over 34% of Americans. Furthermore, 47% of Canadians and 50% of Americans who visited emergency departments over the past two years feel that they could have been treated at their normal place of care if they were able to get an appointment."

***I've never lived in the US but i hear this is the way it works, so feel free to correct me.

Compared to the states it better in sense that is free and you don;t have to worry if you need to go to surgery. That is huge. What I don't like is that you don't have the option to pay privately to do the test right away. Like you want to check your vitamin D, you can't. The doctor will not give you requisition. I am ready to pay out of my pocket coz I want to heck it, but I can't go to lab and do that. They don't accept. I which they were private hospitals that will offer everything, so you keep public system and if its not urgent you can wait, but sometimes you want to do some checking for sake of doing them even thought the doctor things you don't need, so it would have been nice if you have the option to do them privately. That is what I like for usa, you can check blood work any time.

SteveLavoie wrote: »

At least in Canada, you don't lose your home because you are sick. And you can be sure that your care will not be tied to your insurance company or to your employer. I have heard of so many family torn because some dad got fired and have sick kids.. or other horror story.

You are sick you don't get paid. What you mean? There is EI, I am not sure but they give you something for few weeks/months if you are laid off. But other than that you are on your own.

SteveLavoie wrote: »

And many guys from other province told me that women are hotter in quebec! But I can't compare, I never lived long enough in the other province.

well french