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Originally Posted by speedfreak01 Digging up an inactive thread, does it make sense to migrate to Canada now ? Wife is a dental surgeon and the prospects seem good to shift and work there. Ofcourse there is the initial phase of struggle when you move to any country. But is it really worth while to sell everything and buy new house or properties in Canada and permanently move there especially from the view of a health care professional ? Any health care industry people in Canada from Team - Bhp ? |
I did take the plunge in August this year. I worked in India for 10 years and was doing well and was not sure if I should hit the reset button. I have a job but its what I was doing 7 years ago. So in that sense I do have to start again but I'm almost certain that it won't take another 7 years to go back up the ladder. It will be sooner, I hope. As far as a doctor is concerned, it might be different. You might have some exams etc to clear before you can practice here (not sure).
The benefits that I see here
1) Cleaner air
2) More open areas (compared to Mumbai at least) -- and you do see a lot of green spaces around you.
3) I guess the quality of food is better too. I just realized that the quality control on milk and meat (white and red) is one of the best in the world. No hormones are allowed. The birds aren't confined to cages either and are not tortured by debeaking etc.
4) Since this is a thread on TBHP, I cannot help but mention that cars are a lot cheaper compared to India. I was mentally prepared to buy a 330i this Diwali if I hadn't moved here. I'm guessing it would cost me about 46-48 L in India. The 340i with x drive and all the fancy packages costs about 33-34 L INR. Spend 5 L more and you can get a 5 series. It's another story that I can't afford either right now with all the establishment costs and a new job. But the hope lives on.
5) Education is free and better. The kid is given all the possible help to get up to speed and adapt to the new system. There are proper processes to welcome newcomers to the school board and you have settlement workers helping you figure out what's what.
6) You are covered by the state for medical too. There is a little bit that isn't covered but nothing that your add-on insurance from work won't cover. Dental, prescription drugs are all part of the add-on.
7) People are super nice. It's much better than the US and I say this having lived in the US for over 2 years. The bay area is different but if you were to live in certain "not so Indian" places then you do feel like you're being looked down upon.
8) Canada mostly stays out of trouble and minds its own business.
9) People say its a small economy and it is in absolute numbers but if you see the people to GDP ratio then its right up there with the US.
10) Plenty of natural resources.
11) Less traffic compared to Mumbai and it gives you an additional couple of hours a day with your family.
12) Plenty of things to do with community centers providing recreational activities like swimming, gym etc at extremely low prices. Library is probably free.
13) Low to no inflation.
The Cons
1) Depending on where you are you could see cold to extreme cold. I have experienced snow and -21 Celcius (with wind chill) so far. However, its not bad if you have the right jacket and shoes. You will get used to it.
2) Property prices in Toronto and the neighbouring areas are very high. Same in Vancouver. I guess Vancouver is a little more expensive but that's the price you pay for the awesome weather and natural beauty that it offers. However, its not anywhere close to being as expensive as Mumbai.
You can get a really nice 4 bedroom house (independent) with a basement and a backyard in a good area for about 4-5 crore and upwards. Low interest rates too.
3) In winters it gets pitch dark at around 4:30-5pm. Its getting dark in Toronto at about 5 pm these days and the days will only get shorter going forward. In summer you have daylight till almost 9pm.
Overall, I am happy that I moved. Yes, the sheer number of career opportunities in India are immense and will only get better but if you work hard enough here then you will provide a much better standard of living to your family.
If you have a PR and an appetite for a small risk then I suggest try it out. You live only once. The worst thing that could happen is you go back to India in a year or so and pick up from where you left off. You don't want to be an old man in your deathbed thinking "what if?" .
The line from 3 idiots my friend "chitthi haath mein thi, taxi gate pe thi. Zara si himmat kar leta to zindagi kuch aur ho sakti thi".
Have no regrets. Go live!!