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Living Standards in Ontario, Canada.?

Ok, here's the deal... I would like to repatriate to Canada (I was born there but moved to Europe when I was a kid) I haven't experienced the Canadian life, so I would like some honest and optimistic advice from people living in Ontario. My wife and I would like to move there next year. We don't have children yet, so we figured now would be the right time to relocate. My only concern is finding work... this really worries me. I told my wife that I would go alone first, as I could lodge with my relatives while I find work, and a place to rent. She would then follow with our two dogs. We'll have $28,000 for backup. We're hoping we won't need to use that money as we were saving for a down payment towards our own home. I work as a computer technician/systems administrator for a company of 30 users. I have CompTIA A+ and MCSA (No formal education, except high school, and some college) Would I be able to find work in this field in Toronto or surrounding areas? I don't think my wife would have a problem finding a job. She would do something in sales, or work as a receptionist. We're both eager to work... Where we live now, we go from paycheque to paycheque, with very little money left at the end of the month. How are the living expenses in the GTA? Do you think we could get by with our salaries? I would need to get a car, and I know car insurance is expensive for new drivers. We don't expect to start off with a luxury car and a four bedroom house. We will most likely rent for a year until we get the feel of thing's. After that, I guess we would like to buy a 2-3 bedroom bungalow. It would make this whole process easier if I secured a job before moving there, but don't companies prefer to take the easier route of hiring people who are within driving distance, and not a plane ride away? Where are the best places to search for work in this instance? What tips could you give me to ensure our success in Canada? We don't want to set ourselves up for failure. I know many people that have moved abroad without doing research, and act alarmed when they see thing's weren't how they imagined them to be. We have vacationed in Canada several times, and loved the climate, and people etc. I would appreciate any advice you can give me. In response to Melanie B: I was born in Canada, and have a Canadian passport. Really, my wife can't come if she didn't go to college?

Public Comments

1. you will find a job alright. it just might not be in your field. there a good paying jobs here and there are ok ones. try this site to get a feel for some of the jobs. http://www.jobbank.gc.ca. apply to some jobs. they might want to give the "plane-rider" a shot. you never know. there are many menial jobs you can pick up while waiting for one in your field. in terms of living from paycheck to paycheck, pretty much same goes for most of us here. car insurance is a killer for a new driver but sadly there's no way around it. there are some provinces in canada where auto insurance it controlled by the government and so os very affordable. rent in toronto is the highest in the province. houses are cheaper the futher away from toronto. since you were born here i don't think immigration will be an issue. check to see if your wife can come right away or if she needs to go through some immigration processess first. visit them at www.cic.gc.ca
2. You should contact the Canadian Embassy. If you don't have Canadian citizenship it's going to be very hard to come back here. If that's the case you will have a hard time immigrating without a formal education or experience in a trade. You'll have to get a work visa as well. Since your wife has no education it's not likely she'll be able to come. Check out the immigration website for more details http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/index.asp
3. Look at this website from the Canadian Government. It's designed for immigrants but may be useful to you. I'm sorry to say that a lot of people are losing their jobs in Toronto right now. You may do better in Alberta. You will need to get the paperwork for your wife as a sponsored spouse.
4. Most times employers look for degrees, however sometimes experience is MORE valuable than a degree. Take my dad for example, he hasn't had formal higher education. He works for an aerospace and satelite company with contracts with US Army, Canadian Military, Motorola, RIM (Blackberry). He makes over $100,000 annually. You'd think you need a degree for that kind of salary, but experience and willingness pays off. Your wife can come to Canada, you don't require a higher education, especially to re-enter. Also, she'd be with you, as family, so you are OK. The standard of living is very high. I live in a medium sized city currently (I am from Toronto originally), its has about 110,000 people (permanent) in a region of 550,000. Its fairly progressive because of the 40,000 students. Email me, if you have specific questions. I'd be glad to help.
5. Disregard Melani, she is all wrong. She didn't take the time to READ about your being born in Canada, and having a CDN passport. Your wife DOES need a spousal visa, to enter Canada, but that is a formality, and her education is not relevant to her being granted entry to Canada. I'd suggest looking at the smaller cities in southern Ontario, such as Kitchener / Waterloo, which is the home of Research In Motion, the makers of the blackberry , and Waterloo University. Or Guelph, or Cambridge. Of course, if your relatives are located in another Province, try that location first. Jim b. Toronto.