How to immigrate to Canada (Trump Part Deux)

 

We moved from the USA back to Canada in 2016, and given the Trump re-election, there seems to be a lot of interest in immigration to Canada by Americans.  So how do you do it?

You can check out my previous posts on lessons learned and differences between the USA and Canada for some info, but I will try to make this more of a step by step description.

1. Canada wants immigrants, but the government has handled immigration badly over the last 4 years so there is some pushback now.  It is directed mostly at bogus refugees and temporary low wage foreign workers. This is Canada and there are rules to be followed.  We don't like it when people don't follow the rules.
1. You may have a family connection that entitles you to Canadian citizenship.  If so, go for it.
2. You may qualify for a NAFTA visa if you can get a job in Canada.  Check out this link.
3. You can apply for immigration and you may get special status if you have particular skills.  Check out this Government of Canada link. 
4. You could get your company to transfer you to Canada and they will handle the paperwork - this is an ideal solution.
5. You could try it out by living in Canada for under 6 months as a tourist.
2. Once you have status to immigrate, you need to do all the usual things that you would do in the USA if you were moving, except there will be some more paperwork and some differences.
3. Finding a house is easy.  Get a realtor in the Canadian location of your choice.  Alternately, search for a rental.  Put your US house up for sale.
4. Canada uses lawyers to do property paperwork, not title companies.  Your realtor will be able to refer you to a real estate lawyer.
5. Visit a Canadian bank during one of your visits before you buy your house or rent.  Talk to the branch manager.  Explain that you are an immigrant.  You will be surprised at the reception because they deal with immigrants all the time, they will probably offer you special incentives to bank with them.  Talk to them about getting a mortgage, the process is similar to the USA except you do not have a credit score in Canada, so you need the bank to help you out and get your US credit rating, check out your assets, then pre-approve a mortgage.
6. Talk to the bank about getting a good exchange rate for the large amount of money you will be transferring from the USA to Canada after your US house sells.  If you pay the standard exchange rate, you will lose 3%, which could be a lot of money if you have equity in your US house.  Most banks can offer a lower exchange rate through their brokerage department or through a special arrangement.
7. Get a US credit card that does not charge for foreign transactions, like the Capital One World Mastercard.  You will need it until you get a Canadian credit card, which might take a while.  Don't close your US bank accounts right away, you can close them later over the phone.
8. Call some Canadian moving companies and book your move (see previous blog post here).  Most are part of an international group like Allied and they will get the local Allied affiliate to do the estimates in the US.
9. You will not be covered under the government health plan in Canada for 3 months so you need to buy travel insurance in the USA for the first three months you live in Canada.  It is not too expensive.
10. You can bring your cars with you when you move to Canada, but it is not easy or useful in all cases.  See this blog post and this post.
1. If you have an older US car, bring it, you will likely pay a nominal amount at the border
2. If not, you will likely get a better trade-in in the USA and you can then buy whatever car(s) you need in Canada.  
11. Call a Canadian insurance company before your move to get car and home insurance.  Canadians love insurance, there are lots of options.
12. When you arrive in Canada with your furniture, there will be a few unusual activities:
1. You will have to go to the local Canada Customs office with your moving truck driver to clear your furniture.  It costs nothing but takes a little time (an hour or so).
2. There could be a wait if the border gets backed up so you may have to adjust your move-in date
13. You will need to transfer your drivers license to Canada, similar to the USA.
14. Go to your provincial services office to sign up for health care (there is a 3 month wait, see above).
15. Go to the federal government service office or call them to get a Social Insurance Number (equivalent to the US Social Security Number).  You will notice that the office is much nicer than the equivalent US SS office and the employees are smarter and happier - welcome to Canada, where we love our government and want it to function well.
16. It is cold in most parts of Canada, just sayin

Don't Ask Me About Trump Voters

As a dual citizen of Canada and the USA who has lived in both countries for many years, Canadians often ask me why Trump garners so much support from voters. It's reached a point where I'm tempted to just shrug my shoulders in response.

Previously, I've rambled about tribal tendencies, racism, white nationalism, tax aversion, celebrity worship, ignorance, anti-immigrant sentiments, misogyny, and evangelical support. After such discussions, I feel like Norm from Cheers, wasting time trying to appear knowledgeable.

I've realized that I truly know nothing about Trump supporters. I'm clueless about why they vote for him, what they desire, and who they are, although I can sometimes spot a few by their bumper stickers and roadside tributes in Upstate New York (see below).

Maybe someone else knows the answer, not me.

Trump Shrine in NH

Work From Home Observations

 I retired a while ago but I liked to work from home when possible in my later work years.  I liked it for the obvious reasons: no commute, I could handle domestic issues like the plumber, and, sorry to say, I could goof off at times.  

Was I as productive as I was at work?  Probably close, given my job and the fact that I was physically at work 95% of the time and WFH was usually for a day or two every few weeks.

Were there downsides?  Yes, my wife considered WFH to be a secondary activity compared to domestic chores like taking out the garbage, walking the dog, etc.  

Other issues?  I worry about a few things if WFH becomes the majority of work time.

• Loneliness will be an issue for some folks.  There is a social side to work and there is a personal support benefit to being around people.  If you screwed up on a project, are your coworkers going to effectively help and support you via video?
• Learning on the job is extremely important and we hear that remote learning was not good for children at school, will it be equally bad for new employees or people in new jobs trying to figure out their new role?
• The WFH fans also seem to ignore a few economic downsides.  If a company is 100% WFH, they don't need workers in the USA, they could just as easily outsource work to low cost countries.  Also, employers will figure out that it is cheaper to hire a WFH person in Arkansas than in Silicon Valley and pay them less.  It will also be easier to fire or lay off a person that you have rarely met and you can let them go on a video call.
• Career progression will be an issue.  Out of sight means out of mind and promotion criteria will change. In the past, visibility was critical for promotion and the new WFH world may be better, maybe worse.
• Disruption risks are much higher.  You are completely cut off if the Internet at your home or your computer goes down.  Hacking is also a risk.

But never mind all this, I am just an old retired guy.  The work world will figure this out and I look forward to business media articles about the downside of WFH once the euphoria dies down and the labour market softens.

Observations on Getting Old

 The last year or so was terrible with lots of "growing old" happening.

• My best friend died after a long illness
• My older brother had a stroke and died after months in hospital
• We moved my mother with dementia to a memory-care retirement home
• We sold our childhood home (mother's home) and had to clean it out
• I turned 65

It has caused me to reflect on growing old and the differences between life at 30 and life at 65.

When you are 30, all your friends and relatives are alive, healthy, and carrying on normal lives.  You are working hard on your career, family, and many other challenges.  It feels like you are struggling at times, but your health is good, there are lots of new challenges and opportunities, and plenty of new things to learn and do.

When you are 65, your career is over, you have experienced a lot of things, your children are off on their own and busy with their lives, and hopefully you have a secure financial foundation and life situation.  Your health is not as good, your partner's health is not as good, nothing much seems new and interesting, or the new challenges are for the vigorous young.  Some of your fiends and family are gone, some have moved on and you don't hear from them anymore, some have changed, and the people you meet often have their own networks.  Of course the pandemic, war in the Ukraine, and problems in the US have not helped.

I am trying to figure out how to make the golden years "golden".  So far, I have tried reviving hobbies (a little success), traveling (good), making new friends (tough), and volunteering (not fun so far).  I need to make a bigger effort.

Why do Immigrants Come to Quebec?

 A few things to clarify:

• I don't want this to be racist or anti-French
• I grew up in Montreal Quebec, left in 1984 at age 27, but have visited family in Montreal regularly since then

English Canadians wonder why immigrants who don't speak French come to Quebec, particularly Montreal?  This is my thinking.

In the early 60s, French and English were widely accepted in Quebec and many businesses operated almost exclusively in English.  If you spoke English, you did not need to learn French, although most English had some French proficiency.  Many English Canadians English immigrants moved to Quebec and the percentage of English was about 13%.

In the 1970s, the Quebec government took steps to strengthen French and weaken English.  All signs must be in French, all professionals (lawyers, accountants..) must pass a French test, all immigrants must attend French schools, all large businesses must do business in French and were inspected, and a few other laws.  This upset the English Quebeckers and recent immigrants and many businesses and people decided that it was better to move to English Canada. Population of Montreal declined, house prices plummeted in English areas, and employment decreased, although there were other reasons for unemployment.

Today, you must know French to function in Quebec.  Unilingual English Quebeckers are generally the old, the disabled, and a few others who could not or would not learn French.  It is almost impossible to get a job, go to school, go to the store, or live without a good knowledge of French.  Only 8% of bilingual Quebeckers list their first language as English.

Immigrants to Canada can choose where to live, and the majority prefer large English cities like Toronto and Vancouver, due to their knowledge of English and the economic opportunities.  Montreal and other Quebec cities also have opportunities and I notice that large numbers of non-French speaking immigrants are moving to Montreal.  Why?

1. Quebec and Montreal in particular are great places to live, with beautiful scenery, good schools and Universities, employment opportunities, and vibrant culture.
2. Until recently, the cost of housing was much lower in general.
3. Many immigrants come from countries with some degree of oppression: China, Pakistan, Iran..  If you come from countries like this, you would view the French language laws as pretty mild compared to your home country.  You would also know how to cope with more oppressive laws so finding a way to get along in Quebec would be easy.
4. Immigrants usually have a mother tongue (arabic..) and have some English.  Given that you already speak two languages, a third, French, is not a big deal.
5. Quebec society outside Montreal is still a little less accepting of immigrants than the rest of Canada, but that is changing for the better.  Quebec offers free language lessons and many other services to help immigrants.

My Brother David

Me and David in Happy Times

I know that few people read this blog, but it is therapeutic for me to write it.

My older brother David died yesterday from the effects of a stroke, maybe caused by COVID.  I wanted to reflect on his life.

He had a hard life medically.  Born with Hirschsprung's disease, hip dysplasia, and autism.  He endured casts on his legs as an infant, and multiple surgeries until he was 20 or so on his intestines.  He had colostomies at least twice.  The government and school system in the 60's and 70's did not provide any help for children with mental disabilities, other than institutionalization for the severely handicapped.  Our parents struggled to get David the help he needed at learning disability clinics and private schools.  David learned how to keep going no matter what obstacles he faced.

David never reached his full height, was always thin, had lots of skin problems, and suffered from ear problems which eventually caused him to be almost deaf.  He worked at multiple jobs as a young adult but found his calling working at the local TMR library.  He loved re-stacking the books and was a diligent worker, as long as he got to drink his "tea with the library ladies" with 3 to 5 heaping teaspoons of sugar.  Sugar and gravy were his favorite things.  Unfortunately this resulted in a lot  of dental problems and removal of teeth.  He was also an expert on public transit and could navigate the buses and Metro in Montreal to almost anywhere.

He became independent thanks to the work of a local charity, Avatil, and the hard work of our parents and he lived with a room mate for about 10 years in an apartment and then around 10 years in his own apartment.  He always went back to the family home on weekends to visit, do his jigsaw puzzles and baseball cards.  Eventually, he retired from the library and still lived independently but his medical problems were catching up with him - arthritis, skin problems, hearing, teeth, etc.  He still enjoyed his hobbies and never really complained.  He was always happy to see friends or family and would talk the ear off someone he just met.

By this time, our mother was developing dementia and we had caregivers coming to the home.  David would still visit on weekends but we were hearing that he was falling down and his skin was in bad shape.  I took him to the hospital and they kept him for two weeks, cleared up his skin, and did lots of tests.  The discharge report was a tribute to his strength: mini-strokes, kidney stones, arthritis, abdominal masses from his operations, deafness, skin issues, and maybe a few more.  He moved into a retirement home not far from the family home and enjoyed 4 years there, surviving most of the pandemic and not being able to visit our mother.

Then the stroke happened and this was one medical obstacle he could not handle.  I felt so bad for him.  All the things he overcame and now this, he did not deserve it.  After 3 months of rallying whenever the doctors said he would not live, he finally reached a stage where his quality of life was terrible.  Luckily, one of our mothers fabulous caregivers, Lise was with him at the end.  Alan and I were on the road trying to get to Montreal asap.

David, you were a great brother and I always admired your strength and courage.  You are in a better place now and we will miss you.

Recession is Coming

 

In my opinion, a recession is coming.  We have all the ingredients in North America:

• High inflation for both assets (houses, cars) and living expenses (gas, groceries)
• Supply chain issues
• War in Ukraine
• Central bank interest rate hikes coming

What does this mean for us?  It depends on your stage in life.  The usual results of a recession are stock market declines, house price declines, and more unemployment, 

If you are a young worker, best to make sure your job is secure.  Last in, first out usually applies when a recession hits.  Companies that are struggling are also at risk.

If you are a middle aged person, the same provisos on your job apply.  On top of that, you probably have a family and a house.  I recommend building up some savings, and avoiding any unnecessary large purchases like a boat or second home.

Retirees should also be careful with large purchases and be prepared to tighten your belt a little.  If you live on a juicy pension (rare nowadays), there may be little effect on you.