Question for the Canadians

[Dasquian Belargic]

How long is a non-Canadian citizen allowed to stay in Canada when they...
a) have no job?
b) have a job?

I'm guessing that the answer to b varies depending on the job type, but if you could just assume that the job would be a fairly unskilled one - working on a tourist resort, in a bar, or something.

In addition, I have heard that the cost of living is low in Canada when compared with the (average) wages you're paid. Confirm/deny?

Thanks in advance.
:)

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Well, I know a stay-at-home mom who's been living in Canada for decades and only just got her citizenship...whether being married to a citizen changes the circumstances or not, not a clue. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

[Travis North]

Being Canadian myself... I don't know but I'm sure this site will help. http://canada.gc.ca/main_e.html it's the governments official site and has almost everything you need to know about stuff like this.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

I thought you rotjaws still owned Canada, complete with the ability to quarter redcoats at will?

[Morgan Evanar]

Nah, thats just Quebec.

[Zasz Grimm]

the people i live with are from canada, and have gone back and forth between the US, and such. They told me the max you could stay / visit was 6 months. Unless your taking a work visa, or a student visa for college.

that and there's a thing about canada immigration (there's a website). I can ask them more, if you ahve a question- as I didn't ask the other cause i forgot. XP

[Tear]

Getting a work visa would probably require you to have a specific and in need skill that a company in Canada couldnt get locally. If its a common job i think it would be pretty hard to get a work Visa. I think thats how it works anyway.

The average wage i think is ...8 something an hour? If you've never worked before though you get paid 6 until you complete so many hours. I dont know if that applies to immigrants or not though.

Comfort level for living compare to the average salary is alright i suppose. It really depends on which province your in though. Right now i believe...im not sure but i think Alberta is the cheapest place to live in Canada right now, plus their job demand in booming.

I think B.C is the most expensive place besides Ontario.

If you have any more questions or are curious about anything else feel free to send me a pm.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Getting a work visa would probably require you to have a specific and in need skill that a company in Canada couldnt get locally. If its a common job i think it would be pretty hard to get a work Visa. I think thats how it works anyway.

I read up a little on this. All you need to get a work permit, from the way the site explained it, was a job offer. Skilled jobs didn't require a work permit. The site wasn't very clear on visa's, but it didn't really look like residents of the British Isles needed one to get in. I'll probably have more questions in the future, so I'll definetly drop you a PM Tear, or another post in here :)

[Marcus Telcontar]

Most Commonewealth countries have workign holiday (AKA Backpacker) visas that allow you to work and stay in the country for a year.

[imported_Natia Telcontar]

The cost of living here in Canada will very from city to city in each Province and Territory. Where I live, the cost of living is pretty high. As for the comment of the average wage, it's actually minimum wage which is $8.00 per hour unless you've never worked or have worked less then a certain amount of hours, then it's $6.00 per hour. As for working and staying in Canada, that I don't have a clue with since I was born here in Canada.

[Darth Viscera]

$6.00 per hour? $6 CAD or $6 USD?

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Canadian. That's what, $3 US? $4?

[Darth Viscera]

about $4.50 or so. the minimum wage law around here is like $6 (for DC i mean)

it's surprising to me because I assumed that Canada, a country which is more left-leaning than the US, would have stiffer minimum wage laws in place.

[Charley]

They're too busy giving out "free health care" lol

[Tear]

The minimum wage starts at 6$ mainly because it gives someone who is presumably new to the work place a better chance of being hired by someone. For the simple fact they would be only have to pay the worker 6$ an hour until the employee raked up enough hours to begin the average minimum which is 8 something

[ReaperFett]

Originally posted by Cirrsseeto Raurrssatta
I thought you rotjaws still owned Canada, complete with the ability to quarter redcoats at will?


Originally posted by Charley
They're too busy giving out "free health care" lol
Do you have ANYTHING useful to say?

[Charley]

Originally posted by ReaperFett
Do you have ANYTHING useful to say?

1. Nationalist humor.

2. More of the same, with political commentary.

[Marcus Telcontar]

Originally posted by ReaperFett
Do you have ANYTHING useful to say?

Someone's sarcasm detector is broke.

$6 an hour?? Is that junoir or adult minimum wage? It's more like $13AUD here, which is I think at least $8 USD. Hell, I was on $13 per hour 15 years ago. That just seems awfully low to me

[Charley]

Originally posted by Marcus Telcontar
That just seems awfully low to me

Not only that, but I'd say dubious. Its like a legal undercut to immigrant or entry-level labor.

Wouldn't this cause one hell of a lot of turnover for low wage earners? Like you let workers go when the wage rises, and supplement these with new labor?

[Dasquian Belargic]

$8.00 per hour unless you've never worked or have worked less then a certain amount of hours, then it's $6.00 per hour.

:eek That is like... slave labour!! Even under-qualified, inexperienced teens (i.e. me) get paid a minimum $8 (Canadian) per hour, but then...


Originally posted by Charley
They're too busy giving out "free health care" lol

Yeah. I would rather have low wages/free health care then high wages/huge doctors bills. It'll be more like home that way :p

[Tear]

Originally posted by Charley
1. Nationalist humor.

2. More of the same, with political commentary.

Its funny because a lil while back when i did it you said i was "Faggin up the thread"

Suppose were equal now though.


Not only that, but I'd say dubious. Its like a legal undercut to immigrant or entry-level labor.

Wouldn't this cause one hell of a lot of turnover for low wage earners? Like you let workers go when the wage rises, and supplement these with new labor?

Thats true and im sure it does happen. But thats almost the point of it as well.

A big problem here is that when someone new to the work place mainly being some teenager wants to get a job, its hard. Mainly because an employer would rather have someone with experiance in the work force not to mention experiance in whatever job their applying for.

But the 6$ is an incentive of sorts for that employer to take a chance and hire the experianced kid. So the kid gets a job and the employer gets to pay him less.

I cant remember how many hours it requires for the new employee to start earning minimum wage but after he or she does reach the hours needed they can never be paid 6$ again. They stay at 8 no matter where they go. So its a one time deal.

Plus i cant remember the proper name for it but theres a workers union type thing that insures people arent simply fired for reaching the the 8$ hour mark.

Their employer needs a valid and proper reason to fire the employee most of which are listed. If the employee disagrees he or she goes to the workers union and they settle it.

That keeps the employers from just firing off employees who start to reach 8$ an hour. Although if for some reason that person does get fired they have already reached 8$ minimum so they keep that wage plus they have some job experiance for their resume.

[Dasquian Belargic]

It wouldn't take longer than say, two months, for the wage to go up, would it? I'm not planning in staying in more than one place for too long.

[Tear]

I believe the amount of time it takes is 500 hours. :( Im not positive but i believe thats what its at. So thats pretty much 2 months if you work 8 hours a day.

But if your a waitress or something you can work off tips nicely.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Yeah, this tipping system. How does that work? Is there a standard % people are expected to pay? I read something about having to tip in bars, even, when you're just ordering drinks.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

You know there's a way to avoid big doctor bills. Don't get sick. :)

[Sanis Prent]

Originally posted by Dasquian Belargic
Yeah. I would rather have low wages/free health care then high wages/huge doctors bills. It'll be more like home that way :p

Here's a hint. There's no such thing as "free" healthcare, and if you don't pay for it up front, then you'll certainly pay for it when the tax man comes, sick or not.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I'm aware that it's not "free", but I'd rather just have some money deducted from my wages than have a single, big payment if something were to happen to me, because I know that I wouldn't be able to afford that.

Anyway, this is all irrelevant.

[Sanis Prent]

Originally posted by Dasquian Belargic
I'm aware that it's not "free", but I'd rather just have some money deducted from my wages than have a single, big payment if something were to happen to me, because I know that I wouldn't be able to afford that.

You'd rather have the money deducted from an already abysmally-low minimum wage? What about if you could find a competitive medical coverage plan instead? Does the marked increase in involuntary taxation outweigh incremental premium costs, or what you may have to spend on a medical co-pay?


Anyway, this is all irrelevant.

If you're considering moving to Canadia for any extended period, I'd say its pretty relevant to weigh these options. But then again, the "free" healthcare's already been decided for you, so its not like you can change that I suppose. You should still take it into account if you start planning for yourself financially.

[Tear]

You pay a monthly fee for health care. For my mom, since she has two kids its 80 bucks? 80 bucks goes toward any prescription medicine we need, which in itself can easily be over 100 for a simple bottle of pills. It also covers doctors appointments and anything you need to have done at the hospital. No matter how long you stay there it doesnt cost you more then the 80.

If your single and living on your own its alot lower then 80. Especially if your only earning minimum wage. The health care price is tailored to your living standards.


Usually its customary to tip 20% of the bill(some say 15%*shrugs* I think its preference). So most people tip that but you do get people who dont like to tip. But then again if you do a good job waitressing you get some people who give you more then the average.

[Sanis Prent]

Originally posted by Tear
The health care price is tailored to your living standards.

You mean affluent households flip the bill for it. :D

I mean, they won't mind doing it. Look at all the money they have. Nobody needs that much right?

[Darth Viscera]

Originally posted by Dasquian Belargic
Yeah, this tipping system. How does that work? Is there a standard % people are expected to pay? I read something about having to tip in bars, even, when you're just ordering drinks.

In the 3 states that I've lived in, Texas, North Carolina and Maryland, everybody tips 15%, that I've noticed. When I visited L.A. in November 2003, I think I stayed at the Marriott, right across from LAX. They had a really aggravating system in place for room service. There was a first tip (15%) that was mandatory, then an additional $2.00 delivery fee, then an "additional tip". Oooh, that made me so mad! Who do they think they are, to unilaterally demand a level of tipping that far exceeds the tips that are customary throughout the civilized world?

Anyway, it's 15%. This 20% business was a social experiment that occured while everyone was partying like it was 1999, along with the macarena, and like that crazy dance thing it died before the year was out. Everybody tips 15% again, save for some holdouts like Tear who have yet to accept the one true tip. As for Tear, he will be dealt with.

[Tear]

Originally posted by Sanis Prent
You mean affluent households flip the bill for it. :D

I mean, they won't mind doing it. Look at all the money they have. Nobody needs that much right?


Actually my moms boss, hes a veterinarian(very wealthy) ends up paying the same amount my mother does. He has a wife and a one or two kids too I think i cant remember.

My moms not very happy about it but...there you have it.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I tip according to service. Usually 15%, sometimes more, sometimes less, sometimes not at all. I used to tip my roommate 50% everyonce in a while, usually when I owed her money. :uhoh

[Marga Alton]

Tips, really, what ever a person wants to tip, but technically you're supposed to tip 20%.

For healthcare, the more money you make, the more you pay. Me, I make nothing except what the gov't gives me (which I'm working on changing since I don't want to be considered a bum) so I don't pay anything for heathcare unless it's cosmetic work. But appointments, prescriptions (generic ie, I have asthma so I need an inhaler. Instead of having the ventolin, I have the generic brand.), things that I need are covered.

[Darth Viscera]

Originally posted by Marga Alton
technically you're supposed to tip 20%

no no no no no! 15% is the standard tip. If they do a shoulder touch and a squat, then you gotta go 20, no doubt about it. But if it's a no shoulder, no squat kinda service, then it's 15.