Experience - Our first 3 months in Canada

It is over 3 months since we landed in Canada via the skilled immigration express entry program. A lot of people ask me about my experience so far. So, We thought of writing about this. It has been great. 

 Disclaimer - This is our experience in Halifax and others may have it differently.  So, take it with a grain of salt.

How easy was it with government offices?

While immigrating to Canada is one of our biggest decisions, we found that the system in place completely eased it. Right from the time we landed, the officials were easy to interact with and they gave us pertinent information of the next step. The officers at the SIN, health card and driving license government offices were very helpful and we got our cards easily.

How welcoming are the people in general?

This is one of the big apprehensions that many people have. Here in Halifax,  the people were really immigrant-friendly and welcoming. They guided us at every place i.e. be it the government offices or different stores or even apartment hunting. In Halifax, we have the pier 21 museum where they recognize immigrants as hard-working and the fact that it takes a lot of courage to face challenges in a new land. The same was our experience at work. They totally understood that we were immigrating and gave us time to settle in. Work-life balance is important like it was in the US. Depending on the province you land, you 'd find people of different nationalities. 

What was the experience of renting an apartment?

We found that the rental websites here are not updated instantly.  Some of the good apartments were not available online. Either ways, we zeroed in on a nice one in just a week after looking at around 10 apartments. We got good inputs from the managers of the leasing offices, who were honest in terms of what amenities were available. They also referred us to other apartment complexes, which could satisfy our needs.

For folks immigrating from US, there might be a slight "downgrade" if you will in terms of renting. The popular websites like rent.com in the US were always upto date. You might have to do some manual hunting before you settle in on one. Apartment buildings in Canada are high rises for the most part because they would want to share the heat in winter. This was different than our experience in the US (Even in Boston and Connecticut areas in the north east, there were just 2-3 storey buildings).

How was the banking experience?

Even in terms of banking, if you have never been to Canada and don't know how it works then you have to continuously visit the branch. In the US, we never had frequent bank visits. But here a lot of bank visits for us until we figured out tangerine. The bigger banks don't have great online banking experience. That is why we settled for Tangerine. However, with my blog you would be better informed. More in a later post.

So far so good but what about sales taxes?

Speaking of something that everyone dreads - taxes!!! Every province has it's own sales tax %. Nova Scotia has 15% and Alberta about 4%. But you are not taxed on essentials like fruits, vegetables etc but on non-essential things. The conclusion is that you are rewarded to cut down unnecessary expenses. But here is the upside to having taxes. You get free healthcare, a good transport system, free schooling for smaller children and some good investment vehicles like TFSAs to be able to save for your retirement. So, it teaches you to optimize your expenses.

Tell me more about healthcare!!!

Free healthcare is one of the highlights of Canada! Unlike my friends in the other parts of the world, you don't have to worry about health insurance if you have to visit a doctor. Infact, you can call 811 for nursing emergencies too. You have walk-in clinics and get minor procedures done within a couple of days. This is something unheard of in the US. Obviously, there will be some odd experiences too but the fact that you don't have to pay for it at all really nullifies the small inconveniences you may have. 

One thing to note is that dental and vision care is not free. You would have to buy these or pay attention to how much your employer benefits cover. The rest is out of pocket. The bottomline is that you need to pay close attention to your teeth and eyes!

How expensive is the food?

For a family of 2, we typically spend less than 200 CAD a month on food. We cook daily and have a meal or two outside in a week. You would be impacted immensely if your lifestyle is to do a takeout daily. A simple wrap with taxes costs 7 CAD. So do the math. :) Eat in frequently and stay healthy!

Overall what is the cost of living?

The cost of living was similar to what we were used to in the US. By and large, it is good if both earn. If only one person has a job then you might not have the cushion for additional expenses.  If you have PR, then there is nothing stopping you from starting a side business or a part-time job.

Do I really need a car?

We arrived here in summer and for the non-winter months, we have used our car sparingly. It is convenient for groceries and weekends. But we were pleasantly surprised with the transport system here. There are multiple options here. Many people take the bus and is often populated. Some people carry groceries too in the bus. If you land here in spring or summer, it is totally manageable! Without a credit history, it won't be possible to buy a car on loan and you would need to pay the complete price. If it is not an option for you, then bus is manageable. There is the option of car share too, which some of our friends have used for a year! You can get your groceries done whenever you need a car.

Last but not the least, we would like to share some of our site seeing experiences. It is very well known that Canada has the largest reserve of fresh water. In the US, many of the places we could visit, were not too close to our place. Besides, it is expensive because we had to plan to rent a room and spend a lot on the entry fees. We were really amazed at how many things we could do around Halifax. Within 15 to 45 mins radius of our place, we have over a dozen attractions and places of natural beauty. The entry fees for Parks Canada has been relaxed and so a lot of places are accessible for no fees or nominal fees.

Final take 
We liked our 1st city in Canada. But keep in mind that there are various factors for your family to like a place.  It is not uncommon for people to move to another place should you not like it. Keep an open mind.

Hope this gives you a good idea of what you can expect in the 1st 3 months in Canada and eases some of your apprehensions that you may have!