# It's official, we're off to Canada!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 13, 2006, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-were-off-to-canada/339799 "2006-01-13T08:25:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-were-off-to-canada/339799/1 "2006-01-13T08:25:32Z")
This has been a year and a half in the making. Looks like we’ve got a timeline now. My wifes job in BC has been secured. The clinic has two or three group sessions a year that all new hires attend. The next one is May, after that is Sept. If our Visa’s come through in time, we move in May. Well, she moves in May. I’ll stick around for another month and let our daughter finish up the school year. If no visa by May, we’ll have them by Sept. So, at the moment, 5-9 months. Granted, there is always a chance she’ll land another job and we’ll move sooner than 9 months - but I doubt it. She really wanted this one job over the others she applied for. It sounds like I’m taking my job with me. The company I work for is seriously considering allowing me to telecommute. I think at the end of the day they’ll realize it’s easier to keep me than find someone else who can wear all my hats. Man, Canada is one hard country to move to when you follow all the rules. I’m a happy Seven! 😃😃 ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-were-off-to-canada/339799/2 "2006-01-13T08:40:33Z")
> [@Seven](#): > > If no visa by May, we’ll have them by Sept. Now would be a good time to consult with your accountant,if you are able to keep your current job by telecommuting, I believe that you anyways ,will be generating both your 1040 as well as having to submit a T-4 for Ottawa , plus list all your overseas assets. While I don’t think that you are going to be double billed tax wise, and you may even be taxed less as none of the provinces (not sure bout quebec), and cities have their own versions of income taxes that are separate from the federal (ottawa collects everything , divys it up among the lessers), but anyways , now is the time to start asking the questions so you are prepared. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-were-off-to-canada/339799/3 "2006-01-13T08:54:29Z")
We’ve looked into it. It seems you only pay the highest amount of tax (depending on US or CA) but you do pay both countries. To make some simple numbers… Based on my income, if my US tax was $1000 and CA tax $1200. I pay $1000 to US and $200 to CA. As soon as we get settled I’ll be looking for something local. But the telecommuning job will be nice for some security. Even on the off chance my current job says no to full time telecommuting, they will have a few jobs here and there for me for several months. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-were-off-to-canada/339799/4 "2006-01-13T14:18:32Z")
> [@Seven](#): > > Man, Canada is one hard country to move to when you follow all the rules. You should try getting into the US. Congratulations on your move! ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-were-off-to-canada/339799/5 "2006-01-13T14:48:51Z")
> [@GingerOfTheNorth](#): > > You should try getting into the US. It wasn’t so bad. I just crawled out of momma and, voila!, here I am. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-were-off-to-canada/339799/6 "2006-01-13T15:27:50Z")
Welcome (in advance)! 🙂 > [@](#): > > My **wifes** job in BC has been secured. The clinic has two or three group sessions a year that all new hires attend. The next one is May, after that is Sept. If our **Visa’s** come through in time, we move in May. Well, she moves in May. I’ll stick around for another month and let our daughter finish up the school year. You realise, of course, that apostrophes can be a very political affair in Canada? The department store Eaton’s had to change its name to Eaton in Quebec, so as not to inflame the separatists any further. To get a feel for this, take a look at the [Angloman](http://www.northguard.com/angloman/anglo.html) (“making the world safe for apostrophes!”) website. Of course, you are moving to BC, so that may all appear to be a tempest in a teapot, far over the eastern mountains. ---
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-were-off-to-canada/339799/7 "2006-01-13T17:38:49Z")
Ah, British Columbia. The Hydroponic Garden Province. How I miss it… …I think. Where in BC are you going to be, if it’s not too impertinent to ask? ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-were-off-to-canada/339799/8 "2006-01-13T18:12:50Z")
> [@GingerOfTheNorth](#): > > You should try getting into the US. It was no problem. We got married, filed the applications, and waited for the permissions to come in the mail. Of course, this was before 9/11. I don’t know how hard it is now. **Seven** , when you see Canada, please give it my regards, and tell it I don’t miss it a bit. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-were-off-to-canada/339799/9 "2006-01-13T18:19:12Z")
> [@fishbicycle](#): > > It was no problem. We got married, filed the applications, and waited for the permissions to come in the mail. Of course, this was before 9/11. I don’t know how hard it is now. > > **Seven** , when you see Canada, please give it my regards, and tell it I don’t miss it a bit. We filed post 9/11. A year later some friends applied through the K-1 process (fiancee) and had one hell of a time, worse than us. All us Canadians are spies and troublemakers, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-were-off-to-canada/339799/10 "2006-01-13T19:26:54Z")
Geez, the first rule of Canadian Spy Club is “DON’T TALK ABOUT CANADIAN SPY CLUB, EH!”. Nice going. No Tim Horton’s for you! One year! ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-were-off-to-canada/339799/11 "2006-01-13T19:35:56Z")
Watch out - I hear they have a lot of Loonies up there! ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-were-off-to-canada/339799/12 "2006-01-13T19:38:06Z")
> [@Dante](#): > > Ah, British Columbia. The Hydroponic Garden Province. > > How I miss it… > > …I think. BC: the other Col\*mbia. 😃 > [@Dante](#): > > Geez, the first rule of Canadian Spy Club is “DON’T TALK ABOUT CANADIAN SPY CLUB, EH!”. And the second rule of Canadian Spy Club is, “Don’t talk about not talking about Canadian Spy Club! Eh!” (Or in cereal-box French: “Ne parlez-vous pas de ne parler sur le club spionnaire Canadien! Hé!”) ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-were-off-to-canada/339799/13 "2006-01-13T23:52:34Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > You realise, of course, that apostrophes can be a very political affair in Canada? The department store Eaton’s had to change its name to Eaton in Quebec, so as not to inflame the separatists any further. To get a feel for this, take a look at the [Angloman](http://www.northguard.com/angloman/anglo.html) (“making the world safe for apostrophes!”) website. > > Of course, you are moving to BC, so that may all appear to be a tempest in a teapot, far over the eastern mountains. I have nothing for nor against the humble apostrophe, but the West Coast US apostrophe mine has been coming up dry these last few months. I was only given 300 in my last apostrophe ration and that is supposed to last me until March. That said, I have a surplus of commas (they get those from the sea you know). It is a funny world. ---
**Author:** ![Cherry2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cherry2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cherry2000)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2006, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-were-off-to-canada/339799/14 "2006-01-14T03:50:06Z")
Hey **Seven** , if you feel like posting about what you needed to do to be able to move up there, I for one would be interested in hearing about the process. BF and I have talked about trying to move to Canada, but I’m not so sure it would be as easy as he thinks. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2006, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-were-off-to-canada/339799/15 "2006-01-14T07:31:09Z")
It’s all my wife’s doing. She’s a nurse and nurses are in short supply. It seems RNABC (Registered Nurses Association of British Columbia) helped us sidestep some of the regular obstacles with immigration. In one way we’re getting in as “skilled worker” but we don’t need to provide proof of funds because my wife has been hired already. Her nursing background allows her to begin working on a temp BC nursing license. The process is [here](http://www.crnbc.ca/Default.aspx?DN=171,73,12,11,5,Documents) We will both get work visas. After a bit of time (I forget how long) her employer can request she receive permanent resident status. We can also apply for a family sponsorship. I have family up in BC and they’ve offered. The fees going this route are more than what we’re doing. If you are considering moving, the best place to start is [url=http://www.cic.gc.ca/]Citizen and Immigration. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2006, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-were-off-to-canada/339799/16 "2006-01-14T07:47:32Z")
Opps. I mussed that last tag. Try this [Citizen and Immigration](http://www.cic.gc.ca) Also, I should add we’ve gotten a fair amount of help from [Health Match BC](http://www.healthmatchbc.org/). In fact [this page](http://www.healthmatchbc.org/hmbc_nurses.asp?pageid=630) does a better job explaining the process than my tired brain did in my last post. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2006, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-were-off-to-canada/339799/17 "2006-01-14T17:29:30Z")
Warnings/ announcements from a yank in month 6: “Canadian maple” donuts rock-- they’ve got cream in. Blinking green lights-- still somewhat mysterious. Vague and fuzzy bureaucracy mixed with laid back= confusing and slow. I still haven’t figured out my damn benefits or even gotten the old voice-mail off my office phone and checked my messages. Drivers in Vancouver are insane. Make the mental switch that you will be driving in, say, Portugal or Hungary, and you should be fine. The sun is out RIGHT NOW so I’m by the south-facing window getting my 23 minutes for the month. The Cuban place on Commercial is good for breakfast, but it doesn’t happen until 11. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2006, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-were-off-to-canada/339799/18 "2006-01-14T18:30:37Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > While I don’t think that you are going to be double billed tax wise, and you may even be taxed less as none of the provinces (not sure bout quebec), and cities have their own versions of income taxes that are separate from the federal (ottawa collects everything , divys it up among the lessers), but anyways , now is the time to start asking the questions so you are prepared. > > Declan Huh? I didn’t think Ontario was THAT different, so I checked - you should find “Ontario Tax - form ON428” in your tax package. It starts off “Step 1 - Ontario tax on taxable income”. Further down it has “Step 2 - Ontario non-refundable tax credits”. Alberta has a similar form, and I assume all the other provinces do as well. You basically do the federal forms first since they determine among other things what your **taxable** income is, and then fill out the provincial form (one page in Alberta - looks to be one page in Ontario) to figure your provincial taxes out, copy those back to the federal forms, add everything together, and send the feds the money (or wait for the refund). I understand Quebec is much more complicated and you have to send their Quebec tax forms and money someplace different, but that doesn’t alter the fact that even outside Quebec you **do** pay provincial as well as federal income taxes every year. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2006, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-were-off-to-canada/339799/19 "2006-01-14T18:33:25Z")
Sorry - should have stuck this in the last message. The feds then send the provincial taxes to the provinces. You’re not getting that confused with federal transfer payments, are you (which are something completely different)? ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2006, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-were-off-to-canada/339799/20 "2006-01-14T20:12:03Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > Huh? I didn’t think Ontario was THAT different, so I checked - you should find “Ontario Tax - form ON428” in your tax package. It starts off “Step 1 - Ontario tax on taxable income”. Further down it has “Step 2 - Ontario non-refundable tax credits”. Alberta has a similar form, and I assume all the other provinces do as well. Yeah , I do em at the same time and on the same sheet as the Fed tax, like everyone else, but the money goes to the feds first and they divy it up, not like I send a second check to Toronto for McSquintys cut. Declan [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-were-off-to-canada/339799.md?page=2)