I want to move to Canada or NZ help

Factual Questions
1

Hi, let me explain
I have one year left of high school. I get about a 3.0. and if you havn’t figured it out, I want to move out of the country. I have nothing against America, but I wish to spred my wings and rebel in this way other than become a dope smoking degenerate.

  1. Would it be possable to go to college with these grades in a different country (I got a 27 on my ACT.)?
  2. What kind of visa would I have to get?
  3. What are the job markets like there, I have sales expertese in Computers and High end stereo Equipment (Apple computer, Krell, NAD, Mark Levenson)
  4. Will they even allow me into the country (I never have been an any trouble of charged with anything)
  5. What is the economic situation like in Canada and New Zeland?
  6. What about Helifax NS? What is it like up there?
  7. What would I do for health care because their systems are nationalized? Would I have to buy coverage?
    I have always wanted to live in a different country and figured it would be better to start out in an English speaking country. (I will try for Pakastan later)
    Thanks,
    Ben
2

I investigated moving to Canada years ago, and found it tough. You have to be “sponsored” by a company that wants to hire you.

Going in on a visa is easy, of course, and perhaps you could network yourself into a job of some kind, but that could lead to dead-end work and eventual expulsion should you be caught.
Otherwise, try going to the source. Here’s a link from google (“emigrating to Canada”)

http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/canada/visa-02-e.asp

3

A few links to information on student visa/permit requirements for NZ :

one

two

three

More detailed information (including information relating to medical insurance) can be found on the

NZ Immigration Service website.

4

Speaking about Canada, since I live here,

>>1. Would it be possable to go to college with these grades in a different country (I got a 27 on my ACT.)?

I was told at the college I went to that they LOVE getting foreign students… the reason being is that they pay 100% of the fees… a resident only pays something like 20%, with the govt. paying the rest… but that takes time… the import students pay the whole whack upfront… if you’ve got the cash, you should be OK to go just about anywhere…

>>2. What kind of visa would I have to get?

Other countries have student only visas… I’m sure Canada does also… check out the Immigration Canada website.

>>3. What are the job markets like there, I have sales expertese in Computers and High end stereo Equipment (Apple computer, Krell, NAD, Mark Levenson)

Very similar to the US really… in the IT area, things have really slowed down in recent months… a friend in the Maryland/DC area says things are just the same there…

>>4. Will they even allow me into the country (I never have been an any trouble of charged with anything)

If you’re a US citizen, it’s very easy… if you’re from somewhere else, you’ll have the check for visa requirements…

>>5. What is the economic situation like in Canada and New Zeland?

See above… Both countries have very weak currencies for what it’s worth to you…

>>5. What about Helifax NS? What is it like up there?

I’ve not been there personally, but it’s no secret that the economy in the Eastern part of Canada is much weaker than Ontario & Quebec… Everyone tells me that people there are super friendly though…

>>6. What would I do for health care because their systems are nationalized? Would I have to buy coverage?

This I don’t know… a landed immigrant (alien to Americans) or a citizen is covered… I don’t know how it works for students or people on temp work visas…

>>I have always wanted to live in a different country and figured it would be better to start out in an English speaking country. (I will try for Pakastan later)

If you’re interested in working somewhere for a year or so just to see it, I’ve been told it’s fairly easy to get temp visas in places like Australia, UK, Ireland…

Good luck!

5

I have lived in Halifax for about a year and yes, the economy is a bit weaker in Atlantic Canada although Halifax does alright. You should be able to find a job with your skills if you can work out the visas and medical insurance. If you are to believe the forecasts, Halifax will become a boomtown very shortly due to offshore oil. It is predicted that within 7-10 years the population of the Halifax region will double to bring it to 1 million! Already there are signs of it, there are lots of Albertans and Texans buying up tons of properties and crazy amounts of new developments happening.

6

i live in Canada.

If you get a student visa, you can’t work. There may be an exception, but if there is, i don’t know it. We have alot of foreign students at my school, and i’ve been told that they aren’t allowed to work.

You do pay twice the tuition as a citizen, but it’s still not that much. I paid about $5000 canadian to go to school last year at the university of alberta including my books. So you would pay about $10 000 cdn, about $6500 us a year. Pretty good deal.

Atlantic canada isn’t the greatest place to go in terms of it’s economic situation. Ontario and alberta are the places to be. The potential oil boom in the east in 7-10 years is all well and good if you’re going there in 7-10 years. Right now, it’s not good.

As for healthcare, a friend of mine from germany had to buy heal;th insurance from a company in germany. He didn’t have to pay canadian healthcare fees.

7

If you’re interested in studying in Canada, I would strongly recommend you look at this guide provided by Immigration Canada and become familiar with its content.

pure: Foreign students in Canada are allowed to work in the following areas:

– as a graduate assistant;
– as part of a course of study, e.g., a cooperative programme;
– on the campus where you study; or
– after graduation, in a study-related job for up to one year.

So you won’t be able to work in computer sales, unless it’s on campus (what a loophole eh?).

For health coverage, since you’re not a citizen, you’re not covered by our universal medical coverage (sorry, but that’s how it works). On the other hand, health insurance here (Canada) is probably no more expensive than the U.S. Most (all?) universities (in Canada anyway) have their own health insurance policies and require that you sign on to them unless you can prove you have coverage elsewhere. Most of the time, coverage elsewhere would be more expensive than the university plan anyway. Much the same as in the U.S.

My recommendation is, scope out programmes and find one you love. Take a look at some other countries too, like England and Australia (or even South Africa). Don’t rule out Pakistan – most higher education there (and in India) takes place in English, although the local accents might take a lot of getting used to. Lots of places looking for bright students. If you like them, and they like you, there should be no serious problem entering the country (you’ve already mentioned your lack of criminal record).

8

i work in a clinic in toronto, ontario. we charge patients without canadian health cards (plus those with quebec cards, as the province tends to not pay ontario back) anywhere from $35-$45 a visit, then have them get any re embursement by the company they have health coverage with.

but the doctors at work own the place and are cheap. but then again, from what i hear, most in the city are.

however, saying that…we get students from the nearby campus of the university of toronto who have forms with them. they pay, but i think they have, as most universities here do, health plans and such.

9

whoa! i’m moving to vancouver to go to school (i live in minneapolis)! its crazy. i’m not really sure what all is involved, but UBC has a ton of international students, and i talked to a lady from there, and she said that they kind of walk you through everything that needs to be done. im not moving until the summer of 2002, so i’m also in the process of finding out all that stuff.

10

Here in B.C. medical coverage for foreign students is, IIRC, bundled in with your tuition. The exchange rate for quite a while has been something like 3-for-2 (although it varies), so your US dollars go a lot farther.

The college I work at, http://www.kwantlen.bc.ca, offers a very good two-year Computer Information Systems program, mostly transferable to the local universities, which includes a co-op option. If that qualifies under the rules MrDeath cited above, you could work for two terms over the length of the program. (We also hire students under a work-study program, but that’s minimum wage and limited to 15 hours a week.)

And of course there are Dopers here in Vancouver, and one more in 2002! Welcome, zensi!

11

As far as New Zealand goes you will need a student visa. This will enable you to work full time during holidays and to a limited number of hours during the academic year.

If you have the money, you will be paying full tuition, and OK grades you should be able to get into any course at any University you want. Some courses have limited numbers but these are mostly law, medcine and such like. Let me repeat this if you have the money academic institutions will welcome you with open arms. Educating the nationals of other countries is a money making business here.

The economic situation here OK at the moment but NZ is a small country and much of the economic future of the country is determined by outside factors. For example the interest rate I pay on my house has as much to do with the US economic situation as what the NZ Reserve Bank is trying to do. In saying that it is a very good country if life style is more important to you than making money.

Health care is goverment funded here although like all govt. funded health care systems there is never enough money. If you want a better level of care you would need to buy health insurance but this is not expensive. As a student you would have acess to on campus Student Health Care.

12

I used to work in a part of the Ontario health care system, and IIRC, citizenship was not a requirement for coverage. Residency was, though, and anybody was qualified for coverage after living in the province for six months.

While waiting for the six months to be up, you had a few choices if you needed some sort of health care:

– Pay for it yourself.

– Use the health insurance plan of the province you came from (not an option in this case though).

– Use foreign health insurance (may be the best option in your case, renigademaster.) Yes, American insurance plans were accepted, so maybe you should make sure that your US health insurance remain valid for at least six months after your entry to Canada. Although, as Delilah points out, you may have to pay the provider up front, then seek reimbursement from your insurer.

I believe insurance policies for people in this “six month” situation were also sold by outfits like Blue Cross and by other insurers.

As I said, this is in Ontario, and things may have changed here. Regardless, you should confirm the rules with whatever province you move to.

I think if you’re coming here to a college or university, you should follow up on the suggestions of the others and see what kind of health plan the school has. They would have something in place, and as a student, you would likely be covered immediately.

13

No, it doesn’t work that way. Someone living on a student visa is technically not a resident (stay with me here) they’re merely a guest on a visa.

For a foreigner to qualify for health coverage, they would have to actually become a “Landed Immigrant,” e.g. someone permanently moving to Canada who might eventually become a citizen. That’s a different bag of worms from a student visa. You’d also have to go to the trouble of applying for and getting your health card, unlike the total idiot I saw in an Emergency room just two weeks ago:

NURSE: “Health card, sir?”
TOTAL IDIOT: “I don’t have one.”
NURSE: “You don’t have a health card at all?”
TOTAL IDIOT: “No. My eye hurts!”
NURSE: “Do you have some other form of insurance?”
TOTAL IDIOT: (Hands over card.)
NURSE: “This isn’t insurance. It’s a welfare drug plan card. And it’s expired. How long have you lived here?”
TOTAL IDIOT: “Two years. My eye hurrrrrrrts!”
NURSE: “You’ve lived here for two years and you never got a health card?”
TOTAL IDIOT: “No.”
NURSE: “You’ll have to pay $300 to see a doctor. Cash or credit?”
TOTAL IDIOT: “I don’t have $300.”
NURSE: “Sorry, can’t help you.”