Canada Travel Guides

This may be a good review of moving and living in Canada for folks who intend to work there. Unfortunately,

as someone who is looking for information on ‘How to move to Canada, I found this book to be very disappointing. The book is 217 pages long, but only 47 of those pages deal with ‘How to move to Canada’. The other 170 pages deal with ‘What is Canada’. If you’re interested enough in moving to Canada to even look for a book on how to move to Canada, then it’s extremely likely that you already know what Canada is and where in Canada you’d like to move to.

As for the remaining 47 pages that deal with ‘How to move to Canada’, about 75% of it is stuff copied from the somewhat confusing website for Canadian Immigration. There’s a few anecdotes thrown in that may or may not be helpful to you (they weren’t for me), but no real clarification on some key information gaps I encountered. I would have liked to have seen more information on everything. I’m pretty confident there are a lot of people who fall into this description who are looking for answers. This book does not have those answers. It offers no real information for retirees wanting to live or relocate there as well.

Rating: 2 / 5

Great book that provides comprehensive information on Canadian Immigration process. Also covers the different immigration rules in different provinces of Canada. The book also sites good online references. A useful resource for Americans who wish to immigrate to Canada.
Rating: 4 / 5

Myths about Canada abound: it’s a “fake country,” it has a population of 20, people are allowed to marry moose, it’s one big year-round hockey tournament, it doesn’t really exist, everyone speaks a vulgar form of French, and they have free healthcare but you’ll perish waiting in line for service. Canada gets taken for granted. As such, many south of “the other border” know little about the enormous country that sits on top of them. And so myths perpetuate like Yukon snow. But moving to Canada? That assumes one already acknowledges its existence and possesses at least a speck of knowledge about the land with the maple leaf flag. “How To Move To Canada” only assumes the former. Those with no, or very minute, familiarity with Canada will drown in the historical, cultural, and political knowledge contained in these thick 200 pages.

Though its subtitle, “A Primer for Americans,” remains a bit of a misnomer (since Canadians are also Americans), this book nonetheless provides a great launching pad for those wanting to immigrate to the Great White North. Note that this book assumes readers want to permanently move to Canada, or at least obtain dual citizenship (only a recent possibility). But those who merely want to “try it out” via a temporary work permit will also benefit from the information within. Both groups will learn about the steps to long term settlement, the long process, and the potential legal roadblocks. Such questions as “when do I need an immigration attorney?” and “how long does citizenship take?” get addressed throughout. A handy “Immigration Time Line” outlines the steps from deciding to move, to permanent residency, and ultimately to Canadian citizenship. But again the underlying assumption is that the reader wants to immigrate, not just get a job. That’s an important distinction the book doesn’t address very clearly. People can move to and work in Canada without immigrating. Section Two does mention work permits, but briefly. It also contains another very short section on retiring to Canada. Those looking for detailed information on those subjects should look elsewhere.

Hopefully those considering moving to Canada have already done their homework about where and why they want to move. Regardless, “Moving to Canada” contains droves of information on Canadian history, healthcare, politics, climate, differences from province to province (and territory to territory), employment, crime, economy (including housing prices) and demographics. No previous knowledge required. The final section, which makes up more than half the book’s bulk, outlines basic information for all ten provinces, three territories, and many major cities. A word of caution: this book was published in 2006, but much of its information dates to the most recently available data. Some dates to 2001. Laws and the economy obviously fluctuate, so readers should consider that while perusing this book’s figures. Canada’s immigration website, frequently mentioned in the book, remains a good up to date resource.

“How To Move To Canada” contains far more than immigration instructions. It encompasses a historical and cultural survey of North America’s placid giant. Expect to learn things like “why do people in Quebec speak French?” “does Canada have a Queen?” “how did Canada become what it is today?” but especially “how do I move there permanently?” This book even serves as a great reference for those who don’t ultimately immigrate. As such, “How To Move To Canada” remains a great and easy to read introduction for anyone.
Rating: 5 / 5