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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Some Americans move to Canada in search of less polarized politics and reduced risk of gun violence.</li><li>Two people who moved said they faced long waiting lists for healthcare and still-high housing costs.</li></ul>Born in the South, Mahlena-Rae Johnson moved to Los Angeles after graduating from high school. She eventually found a partner and a community of people who made California feel like home.Johnson, a 42-year-old Black woman, said she felt a turning point when <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> beat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 US presidential election. She said she felt it laid bare profound political and ideological divisions within the nation, which resulted in a growing intolerance toward non-cisgendered Americans.In 2018, she and her partner <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moving-to-canada-from-us-differences-pros-cons-guns-drugs-2023-12">relocated to Canada</a>, seeking what they perceived to be a more politically progressive and secure environment to raise their children."I watched videos of people who moved to Canada, and one man who had moved years ago said that he liked living in a place where he knew his country wasn't constantly at war," Johnson told Business Insider. "It is overall a place where I feel safer with my family."According to Google Trends, searches for "moving to Canada" tend to spike following polarizing events, such as the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?geo=US&amp;q=move%20to%20canada&amp;hl=en-US">presidential debate</a> between President Joe Biden and former president Trump on June 27. After that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-happened-biden-trump-debate-takeaways-2024-6">disastrous debate</a>, Biden stepped aside, making way for Vice President <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a> to eventually become the Democratic nominee.Similar spikes have been observed during <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2016-11-01%202016-11-30&amp;geo=US&amp;q=move%20to%20canada&amp;hl=en-US">the 2016 presidential election,</a> the bitter <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2020-09-01%202020-10-31&amp;geo=US&amp;q=move%20to%20canada&amp;hl=en-US">debate between Trump and Biden</a> during the 2020 presidential election, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2022-06-01%202022-07-01&amp;geo=US&amp;q=move%20to%20canada&amp;hl=en-US">the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade</a> in 2022. Searches for "moving to Canada" had already started to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today%201-m&amp;geo=US&amp;q=move%20to%20canada&amp;hl=en-US">increase during the month</a> leading up to Election Day 2024, per Google Trends."Usually when there's an election cycle, or when people don't like who is elected, Americans in particular want to move to Canada," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.visaplace.com/">VisaPlace</a> CEO Michael Niren, an immigration lawyer with more than 25 years of experience in Canadian migration, told BI.A smaller number of Americans actually follow through on their internet dreams and make the move. According to <a target="_blank" href="https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/f7e5498e-0ad8-4417-85c9-9b8aff9b9eda">immigration data from the Canadian government</a>, 93,095 Americans were granted permanent residency between 2015 and the end of the third quarter of 2024. The number of Americans granted permanent residence has increased almost every year. In 2015, 7,655 people got it; in 2023, 10,640 people did. 2021 saw the largest number: 11,955.Two Americans who recently moved to Canada told BI they did so to escape polarized and divisive politics, escape inadequate healthcare, and feel safer in their communities.While they said their overall quality of life had improved, they found the grass wasn't greener in every arena: There can be long waitlists for medical care, and it's very expensive to buy a home.<h2 id="8b3f63f9-a520-43d6-a1bc-b0b4a1463883">One mover said Canada's schools were better, but its free healthcare was still flawed</h2>Johnson, who primarily wanted to escape American politics, said she discovered some advantages of Canada's schooling system once her children enrolled.In LA, she said, "many of the schools are in trailers instead of actual buildings," but in Canada, "children can go to school and not worry about having a place that is safe or not being in an actual building."Johnson said she and her family had also enjoyed Canada's universal, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/international-health-policy-center/countries/canada">publicly funded healthcare system</a>, under which citizens and permanent residents get most medically necessary care and medications for free or at a very low cost.She added that there were some frustrations, including <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/waiting-your-turn-wait-times-for-health-care-in-canada-2022">lengthy waiting periods</a> for medical care. "During the pandemic, doctors couldn't see patients as regularly and non-emergency procedures were postponed, so there's a backlog," she said.Niren, who has lived in both the US and Canada, voiced similar concerns. He said his own mother, who needs a hip replacement, was on a waitlist for 18 months."There are people who have to fly to other countries — including the United States — to get cancer treatment because it takes too long," he said. "In the US, you can get a specialist appointment in two days."Niren also said Canadians paid elevated taxes to support such a comprehensive healthcare system."People call it free healthcare — it's not free," he said. "It's very expensive because you're paying through the taxes."<h2 id="8af511bd-4cef-4447-96f8-e2383dcbf3f4">An American found relief from the US's violence and opioid crises in Canada</h2>Chris Ouellet, 40, left Portland, Oregon, for Victoria, British Columbia, in 2020. It wasn't his first-choice destination, he said, but he ended up finding the peace and safety he was looking for.He and his partner had planned to move to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-moving-to-new-zealand-california-nature-quality-of-life-2023-8">Wellington, New Zealand</a>, but were unable to because of pandemic border lockdowns. A lot of the characteristics Ouellet was looking for in New Zealand, he said, he found in British Columbia."We love the Pacific Northwest, and Canada is not far up the road," Ouellet told BI. "It's very similar weather, and they have a lot of the things that we wanted and what we were looking for in New Zealand, which was a lower cost of education, socialized healthcare, and politics that weren't so incredibly polarizing."Ouellet, who works for the provincial government at the Ministry of Health in British Columbia, spoke glowingly of Portland but did point out the "pretty bad" violence and opioid crises he witnessed in the US overall. Before Portland, he and his partner lived in Chicago. The violence they would read about or see on their daily commutes prompted them to move west and eventually out of the country altogether, he said.He hasn't had the same worries in Canada."In British Columbia, the regulations for being able to own a gun are extremely tight," he said. "When you're out in public, and you hear a noise, no one runs, no one checks over their shoulder, no one thinks that it could possibly be gun violence."He added that there was still an opioid crisis in British Columbia, but it wasn't as striking as it is in Portland. Ouellet said that in the three years he'd lived in British Columbia, he'd seen one syringe on the ground, compared with Portland, where he saw dozens a day.Ouellet said he had no regrets about moving to British Columbia, but <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/canada-housing-crisis-bubble-imploding-real-estate-prices-rent-decline-2023-11">Canada's housing crisis</a> have so far sidelined his dreams of homeownership."The house that we had in Portland was three bedrooms, 2 ½ baths. It was about 1,800 square feet, and we bought it for $265,000. You can't find a place for that price here," he said. "Most condos are around $500,000 to $900,000. Single-family homes are almost a million."As Niren said, "Canada is one of the greatest countries in the world, but it's no utopia."This story was originally published on December 5, 2023, and was updated on November 5, 2024.Are you an American who moved to Canada? We want to hear from you. Reach out to the reporters, Alcynna Lloyd at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:alloyd@businessinsider.com">alloyd@businessinsider.com</a> and Jordan Pandy at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:jpandy@businessinsider.com">jpandy@businessinsider.com</a>, with your story.

Some Americans think moving to Canada will solve all their problems. But Canada has its own issues.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Interest in moving to Canada has spiked among Americans after the election.</li><li>Beyond the physical move, there are financial considerations that potential movers should know of.</li></ul>The result of the 2024 elections left about half of the US displeased. As Donald Trump prepared to return to the White House, many Americans began considering a move up north, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today%201-m&amp;geo=US&amp;q=moving%20to%20canada&amp;hl=en-US">Google search traffic</a> at least.Interest in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/we-moved-to-canada-not-perfect-but-prefer-over-us-2024-11">moving to Canada</a> tends to spike after big political events such as the <a target="_blank" href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2016-11-01%202016-11-30&amp;geo=US&amp;q=moving%20to%20canada&amp;hl=en-US">2016 election</a> and the <a target="_blank" href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2022-06-01%202022-06-30&amp;geo=US&amp;q=moving%20to%20canada&amp;hl=en-US">overturning of the Roe v. Wade</a> Supreme Court ruling.This phenomenon doesn't just live on the internet, either — some US residents are seriously considering the move."Even when Trump was elected last time, a lot of people felt that they weren't as comfortable staying in the States, and so we actually did see an influx of people moving to Canada," said Tiffany Woodfield, a senior financial advisor at SWAN Wealth Management of Raymond James.Moving, especially across borders, is a big decision and shouldn't be taken lightly. While the physical act of moving is complicated enough, Woodfield points out that there are a lot of financial considerations to be aware of."I think sometimes it can be a knee-jerk reaction," Woodfield said of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/we-moved-to-canada-not-perfect-but-prefer-over-us-2024-11">moving to Canada</a>. "If they don't plan ahead of time, they can fall into traps that end up costing them money."<h2 id="c4feab40-7084-4563-951b-72a890ad2b58">You need to file US and Canadian taxes</h2>US citizens residing in Canada might not realize that even on the other side of the border, they're still not free from their tax obligations to Uncle Sam.If you are a US citizen, you still need to file federal US taxes and report your worldwide income to the IRS no matter where you live. In Canada, taxes are based on your residency status, so if you spend more than 183 days of the year living in Canada, you owe the Canadian government taxes.To prevent ex-pats from getting taxed twice on their income, the US and Canada have a tax treaty that provides a foreign income tax credit for any income tax paid to the other country, Woodfield explained. That means you can offset your US tax liability with taxes already paid to Canada, but you still need to file two separate tax returns — one to Canada and one to the US — to receive a tax credit.Additionally, the promise of free healthcare in Canada might sound enticing, but that does come at the cost of higher taxes, so be aware that your Canadian tax bill will probably be higher than what you paid in the US. You also don't have the option to file joint income tax returns with your spouse in Canada, Woodfield warned.<h2 id="7d31b42f-84db-43c3-b2f8-4f871c9958bf">Some Canadian investments have complicated tax implications</h2>"As a US person living in Canada, you don't want to invest in Canadian mutual funds or Canadian ETFs," Woodfield said. That's because these investments are considered Passive Foreign Income Corporations (PFIC) by the US government.PFICs are subject to unfavorable tax treatment from the IRS. The associated tax forms are lengthy and complicated, and you may end up paying high tax rates. If you're still a US citizen, investing in a Canadian mutual fund or ETF simply isn't worth the hassle.<h2 id="0333acc5-88aa-436b-bf74-7cb1b79b71b0">Bringing your retirement plan over the border can be tricky.</h2>401(k)s are a popular way to save for retirement here in the US, but Canadian employers offer a different type of retirement plan: the Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP).Once you move to Canada, you won't be able to actively manage the holdings in your 401(k), according to Woodfield. One workaround is to roll your 401(k) to an IRA and have it managed in Canada. US citizens should also be aware that, in most cases, they won't be able to contribute to their IRA once they move to Canada.Another option is to transfer your US retirement account into an RRSP. However, if you choose this step, make sure you're committed to moving to Canada permanently, as you cannot move RRSPs to IRAs, Woodfield said.You may not be able to bring your brokerage accounts over the border, either. Some people don't realize this until they update their address with their US brokerage account after moving and receive a letter informing them that they have to close out their account.<h2 id="2d468c1f-efc0-45a8-9a7c-53c03c550ff1">You'll need a new financial advisor…and a lot of time</h2>US financial advisors are prohibited by law from providing Canadian residents with financial advice, as they aren't licensed in Canada. If you want expert advice, you need to work with a dual Canada / US licensed advisor.The earlier you start preparing for your cross-border move, the better — ideally, one to two tax years before moving, Woodfield said. That way, you can plan certain taxable events ahead of time and realize the greatest amount of savings, such as liquidating mutual funds. It's also easier to sell your home while you're still in the US, Woodfield said.If you've already begun the moving process or you're already in Canada, don't panic. Woodfield has worked with plenty of people after they've already moved, but the more time you give yourself, the better.Moving across the border is no simple feat, so make sure you're confident about your choice."I've had clients that have moved, and then after the fact, they think, 'Oh, I shouldn't have done this,'" Woodfield said."It's very hard to go back, so people need to be aware of that."

Americans moving to Canada should be aware of these 4 tax and investment implications

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Canada will reduce its target number of new permanent residents in 2025 from 500,000 to 395,000.</li><li>Justin Trudeau said the new target will pause population growth in Canada over the next few years.</li></ul>Canada has announced cuts in the number of immigrants it allows into the country after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he "didn't get the balance right."At a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFIwUQ6SgY">news conference in Ottawa</a>, Trudeau took the unusual step of acknowledging his policies had placed a strain on the economy.He said Canada needed to "pause population growth and let our economy catch up," adding that while immigration was "essential" for Canada's future, it must be controlled and sustainable.Under the new plan, the number of permanent residents arriving in Canada in 2025 will be reduced by 21%, from the initial target of 500,000 to 395,000.The long-term goal is to reduce that number to 365,000 new permanent residents by 2027.<h2 id="80880aaa-7718-4595-8c66-00b430baa1bd">Slowing down population growth</h2>Canada's immigration policy is often offered up as a model for other countries, with foreign-born people making up nearly a quarter of its population, according to the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-canadas-immigration-policy">Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).</a>"Immigrants have helped the country counter aging demographics and fuel economic growth, though some Canadians have expressed concern about the increasing strain on housing and social services," the CFR report said.Canada's population hit <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2024/10/government-of-canada-reduces-immigration.html">41 million in April</a>, with immigration accounting for almost 98% of population growth last year.Since 2019, annual targets for new permanent resident admissions increased by nearly 41%, according to figures from the<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/annual-report-parliament-immigration-2024.html"> Canadian government.</a>While its population has been growing, Canada has been grappling with a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/canada-housing-crisis-bubble-imploding-real-estate-prices-rent-decline-2023-11">housing crisis</a>, increased costs of living, and rising debt.Canada's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://tradingeconomics.com/canada/unemployment-rate">unemployment rate </a>was 6.5% in September. Meanwhile, housing prices increased prices by more than 355% between 2000 and 2021.According to a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://assets.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/sites/cmhc/professional/housing-markets-data-and-research/housing-research/research-reports/2023/housing-shortages-canada-updating-how-much-we-need-by-2030-en.pdf?rev">2023 report by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation</a>, Canada will need 3.5 million more homes on top of what's already being built to restore affordability."These pressures have required us to adapt our immigration levels planning to the current climate," said Immigration Minister Marc Miller."Our annual plans must take into account the capacity to settle, integrate, and retain newcomers—which varies across the country—and monitor system-wide pressures in critical sectors such as housing and health care. At the same time, immigrants make significant contributions to the labor market and are part of the solution."In an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-24/canada-s-economy-won-t-take-a-hit-from-immigration-curb-minister-says">interview with Bloomberg</a>, Miller said he was not worried about the slowing population growth from immigration cuts having a negative impact on the economy."We do have an aging population and whatever you see in the next three years with the neutral population growth is counteracted by the quite large growth that we've seen in the last three years," he said. "If it goes on too long, you have a concern, but we're not in that situation, far from it."The immigration cuts come as Trudeau faces challenges to his leadership. An Ipsos poll conducted between September 5 and 9 <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" class="" href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/approval-trudeaus-performance-just-33-canadians-call-parliament-focus-cost-living">put</a> his approval rating at 33%. Two-thirds of Canadians disapproved of his leadership, citing disappointment with the cost of living and housing crisis.

Justin Trudeau, a champion of immigration, says he overdid it and strained Canada's economy

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ron Allanach and his partner Ben Lorgeranon moved from New England to Vancouver to Mérida, Mexico.</li><li>They've found Mexico has much lower prices, better healthcare, and high-quality food.</li></ul>Ron Allanach, 74, and his partner Ben Lorgeranon moved to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-xer-moved-japan-build-house-countryside-slow-life-expat-2024-9">Vancouver</a> from <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/small-town-in-maine-hidden-gem-northeast-belfast-2024-7">New England</a> in 2005, thinking they would stay there for their retirements. However, the city's rising prices and their desire to explore the world pushed them much further south.After a year abroad, the couple purchased a home in 2017 in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moving-to-mexico-from-us-merida-safety-cost-healthcare-2023-11">Mérida</a>, a large city in southeast Mexico, and split their time between there and Vancouver. In 2020, they moved there permanently.Allanach said with each day, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moving-from-us-to-mexico-what-surprised-me-2021-7">Mérida</a> feels more like home. The city is safer than he imagined, prices for nearly everything are much lower, and healthcare is more reliable. Allanach said they've tried to immerse themselves in the local culture instead of keeping just to fellow expats."Mérida has significantly improved its infrastructure, and many people are moving here. There is also a very significant gay community," Allanach said.<h2 id="9cf8a6cf-f8fd-44b6-bd65-c0ea999b3b66">Moving to Canada, then Mexico</h2>Allanach was born and raised in Portland, Maine, where he started his career as a journalist. He worked on the police beat for a local newspaper, which led him to become a police officer after a short stint at the US Postal Inspection Service.For over twenty years, Allanach worked in the police force, eventually becoming a police chief in the Portland area. He then earned master's degrees in public policy and education psychology and held positions as an education administrator and behavioral therapist.He met his partner in his master's program, though Lorgeranon, who is from <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/expat-bangkok-thailand-better-life-low-cost-living-culture-home-2024-5">Thailand</a>, couldn't secure a residency in the US. Allanach suspected life in the US would be challenging as a same-sex couple, noting he became "quite disenchanted" with the country.Ultimately, they decided to move to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/living-in-city-where-tv-shows-are-filmed-vancouver-canadian-2024-2">Vancouver</a>. Allanach found work in the educational psychology department of various schools. Allanach and Lorgeranon agreed they lived a "wonderful life" in Vancouver with many friends and cultural opportunities.However, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moving-from-boston-nyc-brooklyn-worth-increased-costs-genz-2024-9">living expenses</a> started to rise, and he said his income was taxed at $12,000 one year. Even with a consistent salary, he couldn't see a comfortable future in Vancouver, knowing how rapidly the city was developing. At the time, he said healthcare was expensive, especially for dental care, and it was difficult to find open slots for medical appointments.Additionally, he found his area's politics shifting more toward the conservative viewpoint, and he felt increasingly uncomfortable.After retiring from the school board, Allanach put their 820-square-foot Vancouver condo on the market, selling for over a million Canadian dollars, and decided to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/visited-all-50-states-best-worst-nyc-weather-kansas-washington-2024-8">travel the world</a> for a year, figuring expenses would be more or less equivalent to staying in Canada. They owned another apartment that sold for almost $600,000 CAD in 2014, though it's now valued at over $1.4 million.They traveled to many European countries, staying in France for four months, and they spent time in Thailand with Allanach's partner's family.Allanach wanted to move to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/relocate-chiang-mai-thailand-affordable-quality-of-life-best-city-2024-7">Thailand</a> for his retirement, but Thailand only grants permanent residency to 100 people per country each year. Allanach added the country often changes its rules surrounding visas, meaning living there long-term wouldn't be feasible.They visited Mérida, the capital of Yucatán state in southeast Mexico, a few times starting in 2015, noting it was popular among expats but still had a vibrant local community. Allanach said they felt safer in Mérida than in the US or Canada, and prices were lower. Mérida has a population of about 1.2 million as the financial capital of the Yucatán Peninsula.In 2017, they bought a 1920 colonial home in Mérida from a Vancouver couple. They stayed there between trips back to Vancouver, and they moved to Mérida fully in 2020."One of the things that's just a disaster for people moving to a foreign country is going there and expecting that you're going to make it like your home where you came from, and that's just not what happens," Allanach said.<div type="image" title="View from Ron Allanach's home" height="3024" width="4032" msid="113093468" hostid="261" sizebytes="1302272"></div><h2 id="d22c938b-122c-4810-a317-f51331644007">Getting accustomed to Mérida</h2>Once Mexico opened to tourism after easing pandemic-related restrictions, Allanach met an architect from Los Angeles who moved to Mérida and brought his practice with him. The architect built them a 2,800-square-foot home, which they have lived in for three years. The home cost them $238,000 and has three bedrooms, a full bath, a dining room, gardens, and a pool in the city center. Still, Allanach said home prices have risen fast as more expats come.Allanach and Lorgeranon bought a car to explore the city and surrounding areas — which they park outside their home without any worries. They have tried to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-moving-living-mexico-what-expats-should-stop-doing-2024-1">immerse themselves</a> in the culture and history of the Mayan people; Allanach said they became very close with a local Indigenous family and paid tuition for their kid's school."We meet people who say, I'm moving to Mérida, but I know nothing about it," Allanach said, noting he's valued integrating into the community instead of only staying in expat areas.Allanach said he's been impressed by Mérida's medical system, as he's often able to see a physician within an hour without being rushed. Many pharmacies near him are open 24/7, and he often gets 30% to 45% off his prescriptions. He said doctors often make house calls in his part of the city, and seeing a doctor at a pharmacy costs just $2.50.<div type="image" title="A Mérida street with vintage cars" height="3024" width="4032" msid="113093471" hostid="261" sizebytes="900368"></div>They often get fresh produce at the Mercado Lucas de Gálvez, though they often shop at Costco for larger purchases. He estimates their grocery bill is much higher in Mérida than in Vancouver, given many items are imported. While there are many affordable restaurants, he said some restaurants catering more to tourists are "very expensive."He saves hundreds of dollars yearly on auto insurance, which is $500 in Mexico for a new SUV, whereas he paid over $2,500 in Vancouver. Whereas property taxes were about $1,700 a year in Vancouver, they're just $160 a year in Mexico. They use solar energy, which was a one-time expense of $5,500, though Allanach said the electric bill during the summer could cost $250 to $500, as the heat is sometimes difficult.Other costs include $38 yearly for trash pickup, $30 monthly for 5,000 TV channels, $35 for pool service, and $60 monthly for their phone plan."We love the routine here. We love the predictability," Allanach said. "I see what Canada is offering for $900,000, and it's half my living room. I almost feel nauseous."Have you recently left the US for a new country? Reach out to this reporter at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:nsheidlower@businessinsider.com">nsheidlower@businessinsider.com</a>.

A boomer who lived in the US and Canada before retiring to Mexico shares how life down south is much cheaper and safer

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Forks, Washington has seen a tourism boom over the last two decades.</li><li>The small city became famous as the setting for "Twilight."</li></ul>Almost 20 years after the publication of Stephanie Meyer's "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/twilight-movie-15th-anniversary-2023-11">Twilight</a>," the small Washington city that serves as a backdrop for the literary sensation is still going through a tourism boom.However, not all residents of Forks' roughly 3,400-strong population are happy about the attention their hometown is getting, with some locals hitting out at "vampire tourism," <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/where-twilight-set-forks-washington-visit-airbnb-9qms7v0p7">The Times of London</a> reported.When the first "Twilight" book was released in 2005, Forks had just 5,000 visitors, but that figure soared to 66,000 last year, per The Times of London. The number of tourists who checked into the Forks Visitor Information Center reportedly hit <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/twilight-in-forks-by-the-numbers/">73,000 in 2010</a>.Leslie Graham, a local resident, told The Times of London that her "kids will never know the quiet little town I grew up in," adding that you "get some odd characters roaming around.""I saw someone in Sully's Burgers with sharpened teeth. And the local hardware store sells out of flashlights all the time, as people buy them to go hunting vampires in the woods," she said.She added that she was "not against progress or tourism. But it does make me annoyed that the streets are clogged with cars."Another resident, Dora Maxfield, said that the presence of out-of-towners in the small community still made her feel uneasy."When we see people roaming around there, it's kind of eerie," she said. "I work at the local school — which the Twilight characters 'went to' — and they'd be out there, crying about how much they loved this vampire guy.""Sometimes they'd try and walk into the school," Maxfield continued. "It's not safe for the kids."<div type="image" title="US, La Push: &quot;Welcome Twilight Fans&quot; is the sign on the road between La Push and Forks. About ten years ago, the &quot;Twilight&quot; saga, which was set on the west coast of the US state of Washington, was a worldwide success." height="3456" width="5184" msid="111884831" hostid="261" sizebytes="627868"></div>The "Twilight" book series quickly established itself with readers, and as of 2021, it had sold nearly 160 million copies worldwide, according to Publishers Weekly.Meanwhile, the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/twilight-movies-interesting-details-you-never-got-and-fun-facts">movie adaptations</a> starring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart were even more popular, grossing almost $3.4 billion worldwide, <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/showdown/sd2503865860/">according to Box Office Mojo.</a> (They were actually filmed in Oregon and Canada).At the height of the "<a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/twilight">Twilight</a>" hysteria, Forks wasted no time in embracing its new fame, with new <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/twilight-tours-by-team-forks-forks-2">"Twilight" tours</a> showing off famous locations from the films.Some people have even made permanent moves to Forks after being inspired by the series.Lissy Andros, a fan who moved from Texas to Forks after falling in love with the books, defended the influx of tourists."There are absolutely people in town who don't support this, or the tourism," Andros said.But "there's a misguided view that the town would thrive without it. "We are very fortunate to have this gift. People come to Forks and love it like their own home town," she added.Meyer <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://stepheniemeyer.com/the-story-of-twilight-getting-published/">chose to set "Twilight" in Forks</a> after searching Google for the place with the highest rainfall levels in the US."I pulled up maps of the area and studied them, looking for something small, out of the way, surrounded by forest," she wrote on her blog."And there, right where I wanted it to be, was a tiny town called 'Forks.' It couldn't have been more perfect if I had named it myself," she added.The spot provided the perfect setting for her vampire characters, who mustn't be exposed to sunlight, so they could go about their lives without being detected by humans.It was while researching the history of the area that Meyer discovered the La Push Native American Reservation, which inspired the characters of the shapeshifting Quileute tribe.

'Twilight' put Forks, WA, on the map. Now, local residents want to put an end to the 'vampire tourism' boom.

<keyword id="19896882" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="canada" source="keywords">Canada</keyword> is looking at the possibility of putting a cap on the number of international students to help reduce the surge in demand for housing and fix the system that has gone out of control, Immigration Minister <keyword id="19946179" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="marc-miller" source="keywords">Marc Miller</keyword> has said, a move that is likely to affect Indian students. The remarks by Miller came on Sunday as the federal government of Prime Minister <keyword id="1740494" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="justin-trudeau" source="Orion">Justin Trudeau</keyword> faced criticism for welcoming an increasing number of immigrants - both permanent and temporary residents - while the country faces an acute housing shortage. In an interview with CTV News, Miller said the federal government will need to have talks with provincial governments "to make sure that the provinces that have not been doing their jobs actually rein in those numbers on a pure volume basis." "That volume is disconcerting," Miller said, in reference to the number of international students in Canada. "It's really a system that has gotten out of control." A cap on international students would not be a "one-size-fits-all solution" to housing shortages across Canada, Miller noted. But he did not reveal the size of the reduction the government is planning on making. India was the first among the top ten origin countries of study permit holders in 2022 in Canada, with a total of 319,000 students. Meanwhile, new reporting by The Canadian Press news agency - citing internal documents obtained through an access to information request - shows the federal government was warned by public servants two years ago that its ambitious immigration targets could jeopardise housing affordability. The Liberals have set targets aiming to bring in 485,000 immigrants this year, and 500,000 in both 2025 and 2026. Temporary residents, largely international students and migrant workers, are another part of the equation, with more than 300,000 of them arriving in Canada in just the third quarter of last year. Miller said he will be looking in both the first and second quarter of this year at possibly setting a cap on international students to help reduce the demand for housing. When asked why the government is only considering a cap now, when the idea of one has been floated for months, Miller said there's a need to sort out numbers on a federal level before looking with "a little more granularity" at what individual academic institutions are doing in different provinces, possibly profiting off bringing in more international students. "We need to be doing our jobs and making sure that we have a system that actually makes sure people have a financial capability to come to Canada, that we're actually verifying offer letters," Miller said. "And now it's time for us to have a conversation about volumes and the impact that that is having in certain areas." When pressed further on the number of international students coming to Canada far outpacing the number of homes the federal government has announced it's planning to help build, Miller also said housing is only part of the calculation when it comes to immigration targets. The pressing need to bring down the average age of the workforce also needs to be taken into consideration, he said. And while he wouldn't give specifics, Miller said a cap on international students is something the federal government is considering, "and will continue to consider." "We have a sense of what those numbers would look like, what the reduction of those numbers looks like, out of courtesy to my colleagues in the provinces, those are discussions that we're first going to have around the negotiating table," he said, adding the financial needs of academic institutions is also a factor.

Canada mulls putting cap on international students numbers; move likely to impact Indians

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Some Americans move to Canada in search of less polarized politics and less gun violence.</li><li>But people who moved said they faced long waiting lists for healthcare and soaring housing costs.</li></ul>Born and raised in the South, Mahlena-Rae Johnson moved to Los Angeles after graduating from high school. She spent decades in the city working as <a target="_blank" href="https://mahlenaspeaks.blogspot.com/">a writer</a>, eventually finding a partner and a community of people who made California feel like home. Johnson, a 42-year-old Black woman, said she felt a turning point when Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 US presidential election. She said she felt it laid bare profound political and ideological divisions within the nation, which resulted in a growing intolerance toward non-cisgendered Americans.In 2018, she and her partner relocated to Canada, seeking what they perceived to be a more politically progressive and secure environment to raise their children."I watched videos of people who moved to Canada, and one man who had moved years ago said that he liked living in a place where he knew his country wasn't constantly at war," Johnson told Business Insider. "It is overall a place where I feel safer with my family."Data shows that Google searches for "moving to Canada" tend to spike after polarizing events, including <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-trump-may-good-toronto-real-estate-matt-elkind/">the 2016 presidential election</a>, the particularly contentious <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/30/how-to-move-to-canada-google-searches-trump-us-debate">debate between Trump and Joe Biden</a> during the 2020 presidential election, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/25/after-the-ruling-americans-ask-google-how-to-move-to-canada">the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade</a> in 2022."Usually when there's an election cycle, or when people don't like who is elected, Americans in particular want to move to Canada," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.visaplace.com/">VisaPlace</a> CEO Michael Niren, an immigration lawyer with more than 25 years of experience in Canadian migration, told BI.A smaller number of Americans actually follow through on their internet dreams and make the move. According to <a target="_blank" href="https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/f7e5498e-0ad8-4417-85c9-9b8aff9b9eda">immigration data from the Canadian government</a>, 79,175 Americans applied to be permanent residents in Canada from the first quarter of 2015 to the third quarter of 2023. The data, which does not include temporary, study, or work visas, is a rough barometer of American movers to Canada.Two Americans who moved to Canada told BI they did so to escape polarized and divisive politics, escape inadequate healthcare, and feel safer in their communities. While they said their overall quality of life had improved, they found the grass wasn't greener in every arena: There can be long waitlists for medical care, and it's very expensive to buy a home.<h2>One mover said Canada's schools were better, but its free healthcare was still flawed</h2>Johnson, who primarily wanted to escape American politics, said she discovered some advantages of Canada's schooling system once her two children enrolled.In LA, she said, "many of the schools are in trailers instead of actual buildings," but in Canada, "children can go to school and not worry about having a place that is safe or not being in an actual building."Johnson said she and her family had also enjoyed Canada's universal, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/international-health-policy-center/countries/canada">publicly funded healthcare system</a>, under which citizens and permanent residents get most medically necessary care and medications for free or at a very low cost.She added that there were some frustrations, including that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/waiting-your-turn-wait-times-for-health-care-in-canada-2022">lengthy waiting periods</a> for medical care had gotten longer. "During the pandemic, doctors couldn't see patients as regularly and non-emergency procedures were postponed, so there's a backlog," she said.Niren, who has lived in both the US and Canada, voiced similar concerns. He said his own mother, who needs a hip replacement, had been on a waitlist for 18 months."There are people who have to fly to other countries — including the United States — to get cancer treatment because it takes too long," he said. "In the US, you can get a specialist appointment in two days."Niren also said Canadians paid elevated taxes to support such a comprehensive healthcare system."People call it free healthcare — it's not free," he said. "It's very expensive because you're paying through the taxes."<h2>An American found relief from the US's violence and opioid crises in Canada</h2>Chris Ouellet, 40, left Portland, Oregon, for Victoria, British Columbia, in 2020. It wasn't his first-choice destination, he said, but he ended up finding the peace and safety he was looking for.He and his partner had planned to move to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-moving-to-new-zealand-california-nature-quality-of-life-2023-8">Wellington, New Zealand</a>, but were unable to because of pandemic border lockdowns. A lot of the characteristics Ouellet was looking for in New Zealand, he said, he found in British Columbia."We love the Pacific Northwest, and Canada is not far up the road," Ouellet told BI. "It's very similar weather, and they have a lot of the things that we wanted and what we were looking for in New Zealand, which was a lower cost of education, socialized healthcare, and politics that weren't so incredibly polarizing."Ouellet, who works for the provincial government at the Ministry of Health in British Columbia, spoke glowingly of Portland but did point out the "pretty bad" violence and opioid crises he witnessed in the US overall. Before Portland, he and his partner lived in Chicago. The violence they would read about or see on their daily commutes prompted them to move west and eventually out of the country altogether, he said.He hasn't had the same worries in Canada."In British Columbia, the regulations for being able to own a gun are extremely tight," he said. "When you're out in public, and you hear a noise, no one runs, no one checks over their shoulder, no one thinks that it could possibly be gun violence."He added that there was still an opioid crisis in British Columbia, but it wasn't as striking as it is in Portland. Ouellet said that in the three years he'd lived in British Columbia, he'd seen one syringe on the ground, compared with Portland, where he saw dozens a day.Ouellet said he had no regrets about moving to British Columbia, but <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/canada-housing-crisis-bubble-imploding-real-estate-prices-rent-decline-2023-11">Canada's housing crisis</a> sidelined his dreams of homeownership."The house that we had in Portland was three bedrooms, 2 ½ baths. It was about 1,800 square feet, and we bought it for $265,000. You can't find a place for that price here," he said. "Most condos are around $500,000 to $900,000. Single-family homes are almost a million."As Niren said, "Canada is one of the greatest countries in the world, but it's no utopia."Are you an American who moved to Canada? We want to hear from you. Reach out to the reporters, Alcynna Lloyd at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:alloyd@businessinsider.com">alloyd@businessinsider.com</a> and Jordan Pandy at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:jpandy@businessinsider.com">jpandy@businessinsider.com</a>, with your story.

People are moving to Canada dreaming of a utopia with free healthcare and more tolerance. But the reality is Canada has its own set of problems. 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Linda Ofshe, a lifelong Texan, grew weary of the state's heat, gun policies, and divisive politics.</li><li>Ofshe, 71, moved to Washington state in 2019, hoping to live in a more progressive environment.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Linda Ofshe, a 71-year-old retired technical writer who left the United States and moved to Victoria, Canada — directly across the border from Port Angeles, Washington — in 2022. The essay has been edited for length and clarity.I lived my best years in Austin.I moved there in 1970 to attend the University of Texas and lived there for all but 10 years — I spent five years in New York and five years in Houston — until moving to Port Angeles, Washington, in 2019.I left Austin because it was getting too darn hot, and the political climate became unbearable. I'm an old hippie — it was just too much for me.After meeting my husband on a dating site in 2020, I left the United States in 2022. I'm now a permanent resident of Victoria, Canada.At this point in my life, it's 99.9% better for me than the United States.<h2>The weather and politics in Texas became unbearable</h2>Growing up in Texas, the weather was tolerable. However, it was not that way by the time I left.In the last five years, the summers in Austin became extremely hot. It seemed like three weeks out of each month temperatures reached over 100 degrees. I had to curtail all of my outdoor activities, even walking my dogs.<div type="image" title="Linda Ofshe and her dog." height="719" width="1129" msid="107358163" hostid="261" sizebytes="77814"></div>I moved from Austin to New York City in 1985, and then to Houston in 1990. When I arrived in Houston, Ann Richards was the governor of Texas, and the city had a female mayor and police chief.In 1995, I left Houston and moved back to Austin. By the time I left the city in 2019, there were <a target="_blank" href="https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Texas-women-local-government-17056432.php">only a few female leaders</a> in Texas. At that point, it seemed like the liberal advances women had made in the state were really constricting. Policies made on gender and minority rights, as well as the proliferation of guns, were also concerning to me.<h2>I thought Washington state would be a better place for me</h2>In 2019, I moved to Washington because it was more liberal politically, and, similar to Texas, there is no state income tax.At that point, I had been single for many years, so I made the trip all by myself. I loaded all my furniture into a big U-Haul truck and attached my car to a trailer in the back. My two dogs joined me in the cab of the truck, and we took a five-day journey from Austin to Port Angeles.<div type="image" title="Coquihalla Highway in British Columbia." height="716" width="1367" msid="107358168" hostid="261" sizebytes="132208"></div>In 2020, COVID struck, so I couldn't go out and meet new people. Instead, I joined a dating site and set a 60-mile radius for potential matches. I met a Canadian and we started a telephone and Zoom relationship. We later fell in love.In March 2021, we met for the first time at Peace Arch Park in Washington. After the visit, we went back to our respective countries and continued to get to know each other. When the borders opened, we got married that year.<h2>I moved to Canada, and I'm not looking back</h2>My husband and I moved to British Columbia two years ago. He sponsored me in getting my permanent residency, which I received last August. It was a pretty quick process that took only about 10 months.We live in Victoria, which is a small city that is right across the strait of Juan de Fuca from Port Angeles. Flowers bloom all year round here, and the area has a sub-Mediterranean climate. I can see the Olympic Mountains from my living room — it's just absolutely beautiful.<div type="image" title="Pemberton Mountains in British Columbia." height="1074" width="1427" msid="107358172" hostid="261" sizebytes="284244"></div>I live in a three-bedroom, two-bathroom duplex that we rent for $3,000 Canadian dollars (about $2,235) each month. Rents are expensive here — but rents are also expensive in Washington state.I still own a duplex in Austin, and for retirement income, I rent out both sides for about $1,700 each month.<div type="image" title="Linda Ofshe's Austin duplex." height="504" width="633" msid="107358176" hostid="261" sizebytes="47576"></div>Gas is very expensive in Canada; they sell it by the liter. So, if it says $1.53, that's like $5 and some change per gallon. Coming from Texas, which has really low gas prices, it's a lot.Apart from cheap gas, I miss the HEB grocery store chain. I'm sorry to say that is the one thing I miss more than my friends.<h2>I love it here — but Canada isn't perfect</h2>It turns out Canada is a little better than the United States on climate, safety, and politics.There are some extreme politics here, too, but they haven't taken over like they did in the States. The climate here is a lot cooler, of course, and safety is better because they don't allow everyone to carry a gun.However, healthcare is a national concern here.When I was living in Texas, I didn't know much about Canada, except that they had universal healthcare, and I thought, 'Wow, that's great.' But once I got here, as an older person relying on healthcare, I do have concerns about it.I found out there's a shortage of family doctors — what Americans would call primary care physicians. So, you can get an appointment at a clinic, but you may not get the same doctor next time you visit. I've also read articles about there being terrible waits at the emergency room.<div type="image" title="Ofshe and her partner." height="498" width="664" msid="107358182" hostid="261" sizebytes="57056"></div>Despite my medical concerns, I'm happier in Canada than I was in the United States.After being single for decades, I'm married to a wonderful man who loves me very much. And because I'm retired, we go camping and see the most beautiful places that I never knew existed.The food here is just as good as it was in New York City and Houston, which are considered among the best cities for great restaurants. The people here are also wonderful, warm, and open.My life has greatly improved leaving the States, and I don't intend to ever live in Texas again.

I'm a boomer who moved to Canada for love and found a great retirement and better weather 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Erin Ventura and her husband moved to Canada following a two-year long-distance relationship.</li><li>The couple bought a four-bedroom, two-story house in Halifax, Nova Scotia.</li></ul>Erin Ventura grew up in Los Angeles, and she describes herself as "a California girl" through and through. So her path over the past few years, after she met her husband, Justin Chiang, threw her family for a bit of a loop.Probably the most surprising change? They gave up on sunny Los Angeles and Vancouver, British Columbia, where he grew up, and she moved 3,000 miles northeast to Halifax, Nova Scotia.After an election season when <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/move-canada-surges-search-repeat-2016-election-result-aftermath-1544795">searches for "move to Canada" spiked</a>, Ventura talked with Business Insider about the culture shock of moving to a small city on Canada's eastern seaboard — and about how the move meant she and her husband could make a lot more money, buy a house near the ocean, and achieve the "American dream" in a different country.<h2>Big cities like Los Angeles and Vancouver were too expensive to live long-term</h2>Ventura, 32, and Chiang, 31, met at graduate school at Indiana University.They both have fairly unusual jobs in the music industry. He plays the euphonium, a brass instrument that looks a bit like a small tuba. She's a professional luthier, or someone who makes or fixes stringed instruments.They met in 2014 and got married in 2018. But since Chiang was a Canadian citizen and Ventura was American, they had to choose which country to live in.<div type="image" title="Erin Ventura" height="1335" width="1780" msid="105821916" hostid="261" sizebytes="158328"></div>At first, they tried a long-distance relationship. Chiang moved back to Burnaby, British Columbia, where he stayed with his family and worked at a job in arts administration.Meanwhile, Ventura lived with her mom in the San Fernando Valley and got a job in a high-end violin-repair shop in Pasadena."We were kind of going back and forth between both countries," Ventura told Business Insider, "because his job was really flexible and mine was fairly flexible. So we were kind of living in two countries for two years."Looking for a long-term place to live was difficult. Moving to one city or the other would mean one of them would lose their job. And their salaries — Ventura said she was making "somewhere in the 30s," while Chiang was making less than 50,000 Canadian dollars — wouldn't go very far in Los Angeles or Vancouver."They're just two really expensive cities," Ventura said.But then her husband auditioned for a job as a musician with the Canadian military and was offered a place in the <a href="http://www.navy-marine.forces.gc.ca/en/about/structure-marlant-units-stadband.page">Stadacona Band</a>, in Nova Scotia."Those jobs are really hard to get, and they don't open up very often," she said. "And we're thinking, like, you know what? Let's try it. Now's the time."<h2>They bought a four-bedroom, two-story house with a view of the ocean</h2>As the spouse of a Canadian citizen, Ventura was eligible to apply right away for permanent residency, and they moved to Halifax together in June 2019.It took a few months for her paperwork to come through, so at first she was technically just visiting, but she started looking for work as soon as she was able to.It might not surprise you to learn that there are not a lot of openings for a luthier in Nova Scotia; there was only one shop in the area, and it wasn't hiring. So Ventura wound up opening her own shop in a spare room in the house they rented."It just completely took off," she said. "I'm so lucky, because I was trained in a nice shop. I do really good work. There's the symphony here, and I've been lucky enough to have some members as customers. I'm very thankful."Ventura said her husband was making a bit over 60,000 Canadian dollars a year playing in the military band. He actually had to join the Canadian navy for the job, so employment security is high.In her first year of being self-employed, Ventura said, she made a bit over 50,000 Canadian dollars.The result is that they're making more money together than they were in cities with a much higher cost of living — and that meant they could buy a house together this past summer.<div type="image" title="Erin Ventura" height="1126" width="1500" msid="105821917" hostid="261" sizebytes="392374"></div>"It's a game-changer," Ventura said. "Honestly, one of my favorite things about moving here is we have this four-bedroom, two-story house with a basement suite, with a view of the ocean. To put a little disclaimer: It's the part where the ships come in, not the pretty part, but I still love it. I love being able to smell the ocean. And our mortgage is around 340,000 Canadian."I just can't believe it. We come from two of the most expensive cities in North America. So the fact that we could even get a house at age 28 or 29, I'm just blown away."<h2>It's less stressful in Halifax — but also less diverse </h2>Of course, moving from a big US city to a much smaller, fairly remote one in Canada (Halifax has a population of about 425,000 people) has involved some significant surprises."It's actually a pretty big culture shock," Ventura said. "It's kind of funny, considering the US and Canada are so similar. But I think in this case it's more of a 'big city, small city' kind of thing. Just the mentality is a little bit slower. And I think people here are not as receptive to outsiders and immigrants as some bigger American cities and bigger Canadian cities would be."<div type="image" title="Erin Ventura" height="970" width="1294" msid="105821920" hostid="261" sizebytes="51974"></div>The big changes she's noticed include less stress — but also less diversity, both in the people who live around them and in their daily lives.For example, Ventura said it was jarring to move from diverse cities like Los Angeles and Vancouver to Halifax, <a href="https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&amp;Geo1=CMACA&amp;Code1=205&amp;Geo2=PR&amp;Code2=12&amp;SearchText=Halifax&amp;SearchType=Begins&amp;SearchPR=01&amp;B1=Visible%20minority&amp;TABID=1&amp;type=0">which is heavily white</a>."My husband's Asian, and it's funny — we have this area in Halifax where we're really comfortable, like the area we live in and the downtown area with all the students and immigrants," she said. "There, it feels totally great. But I notice sometimes, even if we drive, like, 30 minutes outside, people kind of give me a stare or give him a stare, like, oh, you're different. You're probably not from here. Especially like a white woman with a Chinese-Canadian man. I think that's pretty unique here especially. It's just uncomfortable."She said she's also noticed there are fewer choices, from where to shop to where to get health insurance."I miss Trader Joe's. I'm a typical Californian," she said. "I miss Trader Joe's so much. I miss the food trucks. That was another one of my favorite things about LA was that the food is just phenomenal. And I miss that about Vancouver too."But at the same time, she said, there is a lot less stress in her daily life — even with things she hadn't noticed she was particularly stressed about, like the potential for gun violence in the United States, until she was living in Canada."I think a lot of Canadians really take for granted — like, I feel so safe here. It's amazing," she said, adding that gun violence seemed rare enough that the few times it's happened in Canada are still commemorated each year."Like, there was a mass shooting in Quebec at a technical college 20 years ago, and they still talk about that in the news, where in the United States we have something like the Pulse nightclub or Las Vegas and we just kind of forget about those things."Another big change? She said she was used to having men make unwanted comments when she went outside in the US, but that doesn't happen anymore."I have not been catcalled since I got to Halifax. I should point that out," she said. "I have never felt, like, any kind of aggressive, inappropriate energy from any man here, which is amazing. It's much more polite. It's an issue everywhere [in the US], but it was especially in Bloomington."Of course, one of the biggest changes is the weather — going from sunny California to chilly Canada is a big deal.<div type="image" title="Erin Ventura" height="1126" width="1500" msid="105821922" hostid="261" sizebytes="66694"></div>"Canadians are so funny with their winters that they think if it's slightly not terrible, it's the nicest day ever. I'm a California girl, used to nine months of summer," she said. "I adapted, though. You have to get a whole new wardrobe. There was one day last year we got about a foot of snow, and that was the most I've ever seen. I'd never shoveled a driveway before."Despite the weather and the adjustments, Ventura said it's starting to feel a bit more like home."I don't think anybody in my family had ever even heard of Halifax before I mentioned that I was considering moving here. It is so new for them," she said. "We were saying we'd try it out for a year, and if we didn't like it, we'd go somewhere else. But it's working out so well for us. We're really happy here. So yeah, we're going to stay here for a while."This story was originally published on December 30, 2020 and most recently updated on December 7, 2023.

A Californian says they achieved the American dream by moving to Canada: 'It's a game-changer'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Grigory Lukin achieved financial independence and retired early from his Amazon job at age 34.</li><li>He saved a lot of his paycheck and earned relocation bonuses for moving from city to city in the US.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-64547-20&amp;h=bb7ec99aa2aaf8baadc40202fdc2837ba5a390f5610432a376ea96df1c6dec1e&amp;postID=65e1ed114aaa4153d1fbbce6&amp;postSlug=amazon-worker-financial-independence-retire-early-fire-in-canada-cheaper-2024-3&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FLets-Retire-Young-Simplicity-Lean-FIRE-ebook%2Fdp%2FB0C6R1RNJT%3Fref_%3Dast_author_mpb">Grigory Lukin</a>, 37, about his experience saving through the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/financial-independence-retire-early">Lean FIRE method</a> and retiring at age 34 in 2021. Originally from Russia, Lukin lived in different US cities before moving to Canad, all while saving for an early retirement. The conversation was edited for length and clarity.I developed a personal philosophy. It basically amounted to: Earn more, spend less, invest the rest. It was a nice little mantra."<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/financial-independence-retire-early">Lean FIRE</a>" is when you live like a monk or like a grad student. Basically, you don't necessarily have to be broke or be "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-employees-use-frupidity-mix-frugality-stupidy-2022-8">frupid</a>" — when you make stupid decisions just to save money and it backfires. It's just about living within your means and not focusing on consumerism and capitalism, but rather enjoying the little things in life.I spent several years just trying to keep my head above the water, financially speaking, working manual jobs at Amazon warehouses.There's a book by Tim Ferriss called "The 4-Hour Workweek." When it came out in 2007, it was really revolutionary. He wrote about a bunch of things, but one of my favorite concepts was geographic arbitrage. Basically, you can enjoy the same standard of living, or even better, someplace way cheaper and way nicer.My long-term plan was to leverage my Amazon seniority and my skill set into getting transferred to one of our offices abroad. In 2016, I decided to write a five-year plan. It said that within five years I was going to move to a slightly more civilized country with better healthcare and a cheaper standard of living. And that I will be able to squirrel away enough money to set off on the most basic Lean FIRE retirement.I updated the plan every three months religiously and managed to accomplish the plan three months ahead of schedule, in May 2021.<h2>I tried to save almost half of my paycheck and sometimes contributed 90% to my 401(k)</h2>When I was living in Seattle, I did my best to save a big chunk of my paycheck.I was using almost every trick in the book. I would cook at home, I would use my little slow cooker to make some chicken, beans, and garlic, and eat it at work. I think it amounted to about $2 a portion, while all of my coworkers were going out to those food trucks.For example, there's this great huge light show in the sky twice a day every single day — the sunrise and sunset, but how many people actually stop to take a look? If they could charge you money for it, they would.I went to fun local events with my friends, different presentations and art gallery openings — and work presentations — to score free cider and snacks.I almost never bought new books or entertainment. I would just use a local library, which is a severely underappreciated resource.<div type="image" title="A man posing on snow in front of a National Park sign." height="2500" width="1875" msid="108248905" hostid="261" sizebytes="596466"></div>I would maintain a $3,000 emergency fund and put everything else that was left over at the end of the month into my taxable investment account. The percentage varied, but I believe every single month, I would save between 25% and 45% of my paycheck.Sometimes I would squirrel away enough money for a few months so that I could switch my 401(k) contribution from 10% to 90%.My paycheck would look absolutely hilarious. It would basically say $100 after all the fees and taxes. As long as you remember to flip it back to a 10% contribution, it was fine.<h2>I was able to supplement my income with relocation bonuses</h2>I never made even close to $100,000 a year.My salary was about $59,000, and then there would be a variable number of stock options. I was a low-level Amazonian. So if I could do it, anyone could do it.I started at Amazon in November 2009 as a temporary seasonal worker, packing boxes in Reno. I got a permanent position in May 2010 and transferred to Las Vegas in September 2011. In August 2012, I became a quality analyst in the ICQA (inventory control, quality assurance) department. I then transferred and helped launch Amazon's fulfillment centers in Fort Worth and Tampa, in the same quality analyst role. I transferred to Seattle and leveled up to the lowest corporate tier in August 2015: my job title became business analyst on PPT (Production Planning Team). In May 2017, I transferred to FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) and worked there as an investigation specialist. With Amazon, when you work as a warehouse employee, every time they open a new warehouse somewhere else in the country, they give you a $10,000 cash bonus if you transfer there. They take away one-third for taxes right away, so basically, they give you $6,700 cash in your bank account. You have to figure out your own move and just show up in this warehouse. That's how I moved from Reno to Las Vegas to Fort Worth to Tampa, and then to Seattle.Over the course of three years, I tried to transfer to the UK — before Brexit — Poland, Canada, Australia, and then Canada again. And it finally worked. I got a transfer from Seattle to Toronto in March 2019, where I became a financial analyst attached to a nearby fulfillment center. That was an awesome road trip — I just shoved everything into my little Kia Rio.I spent about two years on a work permit until I got my permanent resident status. By then, it was 2021.I quit Amazon in May 2021. I spent 11-and-a-half years working for Amazon altogether. In 2020, I sold all of my Amazon stock, which I had been stockpiling for years. At the time, it was an all-time high and the only stock that was still going up. I used that money to invest in companies that were basically on sale, 50% or 60% off your shopping malls, cruise ships, airlines, and a couple of other companies like that. Within the years that followed, I believe my total return was 293%.<h2>I finally stopped working after moving to Canada, and it's way easier to save here</h2>I would highly recommend geographic arbitrage, or moving to other countries, to absolutely everybody — but I'm biased.Moving to another country was the foundation of my big plan. When I moved to Toronto, I took a 48% pay cut in my total compensation.I was only in Toronto because it was part of the plan to move to Canada. Once I didn't have to stay there because of Amazon, I finally had a choice to make for the first time in my adult life: I could move to any city I wanted to.<div type="image" title="A man taking a selfie." height="2048" width="1536" msid="108248907" hostid="261" sizebytes="282078"></div>In my personal opinion, aside from some similarities, Canada is suspiciously similar to the United States. There are some differences. Instead of guns, they have maple syrup; instead of miles, you have kilometers. But I didn't feel foreign enough. Quebec, on the other hand, was this mysterious province with its own alternate history. I visited Quebec City to do some apartment hunting and just absolutely fell in love.There are some provinces in Canada that have rent control, like British Columbia and Quebec, but Quebec enforces it a lot better than all the others. The cheapest cities to live in are in Quebec.When my lease in Toronto ended in September 2021, I packed everything up into a U-Haul trailer, sold my car, and moved to Quebec City.Saving here is infinitely easier. When I moved, my rent was all-inclusive for a nice large apartment on the second floor of a brick building next to the tourist sector. The rent was about 670 Canadian (or $493), and that's inclusive of electricity, fast internet — the whole thing. Now it's going up a little bit to 730 Canadian plus 40 Canadian for electricity ($567).You can't get anything in the States for that kind of money in terms of your own apartment in a brick, soundproof, building — just beautiful.The entire past year in 2023, I think I've only bought a few new material things: a couple of books, a new pair of jeans, and some socks, and that was it.I gain pleasure from simple things, like learning to cook with my Instant Pot is amazing. I enjoy a very nice healthy and balanced diet. Going out and having fun and all of that definitely fits into a $ 1,000-a-month budget, give or take.I would recommend everyone at least consider geographic arbitrage, if not to another country, then maybe another city or another state. I know a lot of people are rooted to where they are through their community, family, friends. But it's kind of like "Lord of the Rings" — it's little hobbits who are reluctant to leave their village until they absolutely have to.The first time you move is the most difficult, and then it just gets easier and easier every single time. Being this modern-day, nomadic vagabond is a lot of fun if you let it be.

I retired from Amazon at 34 and chose to settle in Canada, where I only need $1,000 a month to live well

<ul><li>Canada has accelerated the process for permanent residency for candidates with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) skills. </li><li>The duration of the permit is two years, after which workers can apply for permanent residency. </li><li>The permanent scheme will benefit companies looking for specialised skills and short-term occupations.</li></ul>A permanent residency visa application to move to Canada can take several months, if not years. It appears now -- at least for technologists -- a faster work permit may bring closer permanent residency. Under its GTS scheme, technologists with science, technology, engineering and mathematics or STEM background, can secure a work permit in certain sectors in two weeks, TOI <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-business/canada-holds-doors-wide-open-for-indians/articleshow/68804155.cms">reported.</a> That is likely to aid in their future PR applications. The duration of the permit is two years, after which workers can apply for PR. The GTS scheme is said to benefit companies looking for specialised talent and those planning to fill short-term positions. For the companies seeking <keyword id="6822620" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="STEM-Skills">STEM skills</keyword>, the minimum annual salary bar will be 80,000 canadian dollars for the first two applications and 1,50,000 CAD for the rest. Canada is the second largest destination for Indian emigrants moving with ‘in demand’ skills, a recent Linkedin report said.

You Searched For "permanent residence in Canada" and got 11 results

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