what is life like for Canucks living in the States?

I am curious. I contemplating working in the US. I need serious advices from everyone.

Do you you find life more stressful in US compare to Canada?

How do you cope with living in high crime city?

Is there culture shock for Canucks?

i know Canada well..both my parents were born there --1920's
i grew up in Niagara Falls NY..we went over the bridge all
the time..went there for summers--shopping--eating out..
ok- so i know the diffrence--the US is a dog fight..people
don't have any respect for simple rules and laws..the only
reason i stayed in the US was that i was too young to make
the right choices and when i got older it was too late..
when i want a vacation i go north--never south..and when i
picked a place to live when i got out of the Army--1969-
i moved to Minnesota because it most like Canada--clean
and honest..than any other state i had been in..

I'll have to ask my brother and his wife. They've been living there (south of '49) for almost 4 years. There are numerous subtleties (sp?) between the two. For my brother the change from Calgary to Colorado wasn't a big leap in one sense - geographically they still live in the shadows of the mountains.

The process of buying property is different; income tax and retirement savings use different vehicles. He has to use a tax accountant to do his taxes because he doesn't understand the nuances, etc. The sister-in-law can't work because she doesn't have a green card, heck she can't even do volunteer work because of the regulations...

Differences in food, restaurants, mannerisms, etc. No HP sauce! No Smarties! Moving money between countries can be a bit of a challenge. Little things, like the banks and post office personnel who know next to nothing about money orders and exchange rates. Speaking of - when they initially moved it was great for them as their US salary with the exchange rate gave them so much more up here but the shoe is on the other foot now.

One of the biggest things was the lack of general knowledge of the world outside the US by Americans was dramatic. They get Canadian sat TV, partly for the Canadian programming and sports and partly just to get news from more than one point of view for a change.

The city they live in is a military town and general attitudes are a bit more conservative but not overly so. I don't think the crime rates were much different. The Colorado city seemed like it had a steady growth rate whereas Calgary was boomtown central! Weather was obviously warmer - they had 92F in February! YMMV.

Flight connections to go back and forth isn't as great as they had hoped. Denver to Calgary isn't always straight forward. Sometimes having to port through Minneapolis to connect. Again YMMV depending on where you live. A Vancouver/Seattle or Hamilton/Buffalo crossover at the border is minor.

Yet for all the differences, they blended in and assimilated. There are a LOT more similarities than there are differences. Canada and the US are like "brothers" in a family instead of Canadians vs Australians who are "distant cousins" by comparison.

Having lived in the US for 18 yrs I can say that there is definitely a culture shock. Mostly subtle things but those noted above are true. With the internet it is a bit easier to hear about things from Canada.

There are two big issues taxation and medical. I strongly suggest you seek the advise of a COMPETENT tax expert (Canada-US-Canada issues) as part of your planning BEFORE making a final decision. Medical costs are also a significant issue. Not a big deal if you don't get sick or have chronic care needs. Income taxes are generally lower in the US but in my experience you pay it in other ways, medical costs, miscellaneous user fees, etc. Your situation may be different.

It also depends on whether you are thinking of moving down here temporarily but keeping a large number of expenses in Canada. With the current exchange rate it isn't a good as it once was.

I was in the states working for a few years, and 1/2 of that was while living in canada.

I echo Roarmeister's comments about getting a good tax accountant. If you choose the path of living in windsor, ontario and workign in the states (in that area they are called 'commuters'), then you need a tax guy that can handle both countries. If your going to live in the states, declare non-residency. Usually you have to move all your bank accounts, credit cards, sell all property, etc before canada will grant it to you. But in some cases, thats not true. Basically, pead your case with them and see where it goes. Worse case, hire a lawyer. (been through all of it - twice).

Culture shock is all relative. You can get it from going from rural New Brunswick to downtown Toronto. There will be places in the states that will 'shock' you and others that won't. My suggestion is to take a road trip down south and visit some areas your thinking of moving too.

The exchange rate now is crap when sending money back home. But don't let that choose where you want to go. Pick a place where you want to live and work.

My suggestion is to keep your options open. If your thinking of moving to another country, don't set your sites on USA only. Many other countries out there that will offer what your looking for.

Kris

America has such a vast and diverse population that it may be hard for you to get an accurate assessment of life here from just a few replies on this board. All I can tell you is that, generally speaking, if a person lets fear rather than reason govern their thinking then they are probably better off staying home.

I think the only valid generalization is that "no generalization is worth a hill of beans." There does seem to be a lot more social fragmentation in the U.S. than Canucks are accustomed to -- there isn't one community, but thousands upon thousands knitted together, sometimes happily and sometimes not. Gated communities are perhaps a striking symbol of that. (These are just my observations as a visitor -- no insult or political commentary intended.) I've visited the U.S. for business and pleasure, and I have family down there as well. Lots of fine, decent folks south of the border, and that's a fact; though be aware that a few are not. So the only way to gain valid knowledge is to focus on specific locations. If you ask fair-minded, open questions, you'll get direct answers; Americans aren't shy about giving their opinions. Ultimately, your stay as an expat will be easier if you locate in a community that shares some of your personal values.

As a foreign national you'll need a green card to work, so you need to have skills in a field where there is a severe shortage.

On the other hand, if you have marketable skills and are looking for opportunity, consider going west instead of south. Western Canada is absolutely booming, and the labour shortage is drawing people in from all over the world ... including the U.S. of A. Anybody who shows up with skills, a positive attitude, and a willingness to work will find themselves welcome here.

When I visited my cousins in Washington DC suburb, Oakland, a few months ago, I saw almost no street lights on residential streets. Most people are very wealthy compare to Canucks in Toronto. Toronto seems like a twilight zone city.

Americans seem more enthusiastic, active. The traffic on Tyson road to Washington DC is horrendous. There were cars line up bumper to bumper on the weekend !

All of my American cousins are freaking richer than the rich people in Toronto. I felt like Dorothy in Oz.

This isn't necessarily true. As a Canadian, your part of NAFTA and if your occupation falls under one of the mention jobs for a TN visa, you can qualify for that. Usually jobs that require university education and/or 3-5 years of experience (i.e. Computer Systems Analyst, etc). Its good for a year and you apply for it at the border.

I had this work visa for a number of years... After a couple years of it, you actually get more knowledgeable in the area then some attorneys!

Basically (if they didn't change the rules over the last couple years), you get a Offer Letter from your employer (which has to have the job title that your hired for and it has to match one of the list job titles they will allow for the TN visa, salary and some other stuff), 50 bucks (probably more now), and all your documentation (i.e. University degrees, resume, transcripts, etc). I had one case at the Detroit border where the guy wanted to see my high school transcripts! That guy was known to be a little odd, but no matter what, if you want the visa you got to play the game. It usually easier if you go through an international airport from Canada (i.e. from Toronto to Newark - though Toronto has USA Customs there now, might have INS too?). If your a legit person you won't get too much of a hassle. My wife had 4 officers in Buffalo bend over backwards to get her in (yes, it was after 9/11 - as i told her to expect the worst), but her offer letter wasn't up to snuff - job title didn't match one of the approved ones and her future employer didn't understand what they had to do.

Its much easier to get then say an HB visa which is mainly for people from overseas. I believe they are phasing out this type of visa (not sure, so don't quote me).

Basically, if your Canadian, get a TN visa.

Hope that helps,
Kris

Admittedly my sampling is small but I have worked for Canadians and have hired Canadians to work for me in the USA. Except for the occasional difference in word pronounciation I never would have known that there were any cultural differences.

Most people I know probably won't be able to tell if you were from north of the border, at least not if you're from the English speaking provinces. And if you a Quebecois (sp?) they'll probably think you're French (in which case I would suggest making sure you tell them you're Canadian).

Having spent some time in Canada, and having lived in Europe, IMHO Canadians and "Americans" have more in common than any other two nationalities.

So, come on down. I'd be happy to have another hockey fan around.