Moving to Canada suddenly seemed like a good idea for a number of people on Election Day. In fact, Canada’s immigration website crashed on the night of the election because of so many visits by Americans.
The website is now functioning properly, but if you’re among those considering a longer-than-usual hop across the border, be forewarned that’s it’s not all universal health care and lollipops. Here’s why you might reconsider a move to our neighbor to the north:
- You’ll have to learn the metric system. That’s right. You’re going to have to leave your comfortable American bubble of miles, feet, pounds and Fahrenheit degrees and learn how the rest of the world measures things. On the plus side, you’ll get good at math and won’t be so confused when communicating with people from other countries.
- Plan to pay a lot of taxes. Taxes in Canada are structured differently than in the U.S., but as a whole, they pay a lot more of it than we do. That “free basic health care” isn’t so free after all. Added to that, unless you revoke your U.S. citizenship, you will have to file tax returns in both countries — the U.S. is among the few countries that taxes based on citizenship, not just residency.
- You’ll have to learn to be polite. Canadians are infamously courteous. Not only are good manners and constant consideration of others a must, but if you can’t say “sorry” for things that are outside your control or are the fault of someone else, Canada may not be the place for you.
- You’ll have to be nice with your actions, too. “Helping others in the community” is listed as an official responsibility of all Canadian citizens, whether it is “helping those in need, assisting at your child’s school, volunteering at a food bank or charity or encouraging newcomers to integrate.”
- Canadian football. It’s a bigger field, more players, different rules and, oh yeah, nobody cares. At least football still refers to football and not soccer.
- Immigration is difficult and expensive. Just because you want to move to Canada doesn't mean you can -- and even if you can, it might take you a while. Determine your eligibility by visiting: http://www.cic.gc.ca/ctc-vac/getting-started.asp.
- You’ll have to say goodbye to your fry sauce. In Canada, it’s normal to put vinegar on your “chips” or fries. Have fun with that. Alternately you can go for poutine, which is fries covered in gravy and cheese curds.
- It’s cold. Canadian winters are notoriously long, cold and snowy. And palm trees don’t grow naturally anywhere in Canada, so if you’re looking for a warm, non-international getaway, you just might have to make due with bumping the heat up a few degrees in your hotel room.
- Medical care is free ... but it can be slow. If you need medical attention, hopefully you like waiting. Many wealthy Canadians travel to the U.S. for health care, even with its full sticker price, because they can be seen more quickly — and with many serious health conditions, shaving months off diagnosis and treatment can make a difference.
- You won’t be able to look to Canadian candy for comfort. Canadian candy is just different. The chocolate is creamier and less sweet, the textures can be odd and the flavor combinations are — well, they’re just not the same. If you’re on a bad day sugar binge, you just might end up with more tears.
