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Moving to Canada – What You Need to Know

So, you are moving to Canada!

Whether you are emigrating, taking a short term assignment or joining family in Canada we have put together the information you will need to make your move a smooth one.

Financial Basics For Newcomers To Canada

The first step for many will be to open a bank account. Services such as depositing money, receiving loans, and issuing credit cards are all important for newcomers establishing themselves in Canada. These services allow you to receive paychecks, make major purchases like cars or homes, and build credit. In Canada, there are several…

Health Insurance For Expats Doesn’t Have To Be Daunting

If you’re moving abroad, there’s a lot to think about. It can be a stressful process and one that requires a lot of time and energy – and that’s before you even arrive in your new country. Arranging healthcare might seem like another daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. …

5 Tips For Expats To Maintain A Healthy Lifestyle

Leaving your country to live in another one is a childhood dream for many. But when we actually shift to another country we realize what a challenge it is. Moving to a new country can open better opportunities for us and helps us grow bigger in terms of our professional capacity but living as…

7 Fitness Tips For Expats In A New Country

Moving to a new country is a challenging task. It means starting a new chapter in your life, changing your environment as well as your habits. While it’s a great way to broaden your views and explore new cultures, it also presents unique challenges. Everything is new and exciting, but also stressful. Additionally, you…

Wanting To Work As An Expat Partner? Do You Really Want To?

When your partner is offered a career enhancing opportunity abroad and you decide together to take the step, the family will enter a whole new phase in family life. If you are happy to leave your job behind and look forward to spending more time with the family and building a new life in the…

10 Reasons To Learn French

Let’s face it, anyone who tells you that learning French is an essential part of the changing global landscape is either French themself, or trying to sell you something. That doesn’t mean that speaking “la langue française” isn’t cool, cultured and a hell of a party trick however. With French in your arsenal, you’ll certainly…

The Impact Of Giving Up Your Job To Become An Expat Partner

Not everyone outside the expat community responds positively when you talk about being an expat. Sometimes judgement is apparent; you can be seen as a spoiled, stay-at-home expat partner with no material needs or wants, spending lazy afternoons at the pool-side sipping cocktails with friends. This may or may not have been true many decades…

7 Compelling Reasons To Make Canada Your Second Home

Canada is known for its welcoming immigration policy and as a wonderful place to live. But did you know that it also offers a Canada residency by investment opportunity? This allows overseas investors to make the country their second home and offers a plethora of personal and business benefits. Read on…

How To Maintain A Healthy Lifestyle As An Expat

Being an expat is both a challenge and a great experience. People who have been living abroad for many years have experienced countless adventures and have faced every opportunity for a better life. While these are just some of the positive impacts of living in another country, there are still considerations to reflect upon,…

5 Tips For Dealing With The Stress Of Moving Abroad

It is easy to get the travel bug when everyone on social media posts photos of fantastic vacation spots. The idea of moving abroad and living as a nomad, moving from one country to the following sounds exciting and utterly glamorous. Still, when it comes to actually taking the step and moving away from your…

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.