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For more information for newcomers to British Columbia
please go to AngloINFO Vancouver:
http://vancouver.angloinfo.com
The Society of St. George of Greater Vancouver extends
an English Welcome to new immigrants from Britain planning to settle in our
fair province, particularly in the Vancouver area. Brits considering
relocation, or those already here, are invited to contact us for helpful
information that's offered free of charge. It covers housing, access to
services, transportation, schools, etc. For those just embarking on the
immigration process, we offer tips and advice from people that have been
through it. If you'd like a helping hand when you arrive as a landed immigrant
or as a visitor, we can assist you and answer your concerns about settlement.
This is a friendly English service provided by our Society's volunteers. For
more information please go to IMMIGRANTS FROM BRITAIN
It's important to have
basic information about living in Canada. Here are some facts and tips that
will make your transition easier. Many of them you will already know but it's
the omissions that may cause you difficulty.
A Key Source
The official agency for information on immigration is Citizenship and
Immigration Canada, or "CIC" as it's called. The site is
www.cic.gc.ca. Whether you
want to immigrate, study, work, or visit, this source provides directions and
the required forms.
A Useful
Newspaper
A monthly publication that
contains key information for prospective immigrants is Canada News, published
in the U.K. It has facts on recent changes to immigration regulations,
background on settlement in various parts of Canada, advertisements placed by
movers, and a host of other leads. The publisher's website is
www.outboundpublishing.com.
Specific
Questions
If you have specific
questions concerning your immigration, you are welcome to send them to the
Society. We have persons who are willing to offer nonlegal advice for no
charge. Some prospective immigrants hire a consults to help them with the
process. Opinion is divided on whether that's necessary. Some newcomers say
when they filled out the forms conscientiously and provided all relevant
documentation, the process worked well. Others say that they valued the
assistance of their adviser and felt more secure as a consequence. A few have
been unfortunate, losing sums of money and not receiving the services promised
from unscrupulous people. Consultants for Canadian immigration are now
regulated. If you wish to be placed in touch with a consultant, the Society may
be able to suggest one to you.
Settlement Notes
(click for details)
For a list of useful facts, hints and suggestions
for the new immigrant to the Vancouver area go to Helpful Hints
Employment Aids
Local Links
Some local sites for employment include:
vancouversun.com,
www.bc.plusjobs.com,
www.britishcolumbiajobs.com,
workinfonet.bc.ca
National Links
Some national sites for
employment include:
www.jobbank.gc.ca
www.jobsetc.ca
www.workopolis.com
www.hotjobs.ca
www.canadajobs.com
www.salaryexpert.com
Help from the Society
Members of the Society of
St. George make referrals and pass on resumes of newcomers to prospective
employers. If you would like to take advantage of that service, we ask that you
join the Society.
Searching for a
Home?
Rent or Purchase?
There are two strategies
that our newcomers follow. One is to rent or lease for a year. That time period
allows you: to explore all the neighbourhoods in which you have an interest, to
give your realtor ample time to find the kind of place you want, and to wait
for the most suitable housing to come on the market at the best price. That
strategy permits the location of your employment to stabilize so that you can
select a residence as close to your place of employment as possible, avoiding a
commute--especially one across a bridge. The downside is that you will probably
move in a year's time, requiring your children to change schools.
The other
strategy is to buy a home shortly after you arrive. Newcomers say that the
acquisition of a home in Canada increases their sense of commitment to their
adopted country and allows them to concentrate on their settlement. Any extra
time you have may be devoted to fixing up your new home. As housing values
generally appreciate in Greater Vancouver, the value of your investment
probably starts to increase from the time of your arrival. Along with a sense
of stability come some drawbacks. If your employment situation does not work
out as quickly as planned, you could be faced with financial hardship and
uncertainty about your future.
Rentals or Leases
Even though you may regard
renting as temporary, a diligent search will provide the most suitable options
at the most reasonable prices. As you move outwards on the map from the centre
of Vancouver, prices go down and space goes up. Newspapers are a good source of
advertisements for rentals, but so are websites and walkabouts--many landlords
do not list their properties. They post "for rent" signs that can only be
discovered through exploration. It is important to know the rights and
responsibilities of landlords and tenants. Legal information is available from
the Residential Tenancy Office in the provincial government at
www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/rto. Volunteers in the Society can provide some detailed
information, particularly about rental accommodation in their own
neighbourhoods.
Housing for Sale
The Greater Vancouver
housing market is divided into detached homes (free-standing structures),
attached homes (townhouses or duplexes), and condominiums (apartments). Sellers
of homes (realtors or real estate agents, as they are called) have local
organizations that regulate them. The provincial organization is the British
Columbia Realtor Estate Association which provides information about the
housing market and the website addresses of member boards at
www.bcrea.bc.ca. Buyers
of homes have important rights, some of which are reviewed by the Homeowners'
Protection Office at
www.hpo.bc.ca. Independent inspectors may be hired to determine the
integrity of structures before purchase. Many persons who used this service are
glad that they did. Volunteers in the Society can provide informal information
about the housing market as they have experienced it.
Local
Schools
The selection of schools is
an important decision for you and your children. For general information about
them, see Greater Vancouver
Schools. For further information, please check with the Society.
Questions?
For more information or for specific inquiries, please
visit AngloINFO Vancouver,
http://vancouver.angloinfo.com or email Dan Brown at
stgeorge@telus.net
About Vancouver
We are all proud of this
beautiful, vibrant city, "The jewel of Canada!" within the scenic paradise of
the Province of British Columbia. We like to think that new immigrants from
Britain will choose British Columbia when they have done their research on the
best place to settle. We even offer a light-hearted comparison of our city with
Toronto and Calgary at Vancouver's
My Choice
For more information on Vancouver and its surroundings, the
best place to start is through the internet and we have included a few links
here including
Tourism Vancouver
If you'd rather write or fax then try the:
Vancouver
Tourist Information Center
Plaza Level,
200 Burrard Street.
Vancouver, BC.
V6C 3L6.
Or talk to your travel agent
or get in touch with us directly. There is another good website for Vancouver
at Vancouver web
pages.
For local news there is the
Vancouver Sun
then there are Government resources etc. The more detailed information required
by hopeful and prospective immigrants needs more careful research, and our
members are willing to help you get started, so contact us. |
