why did u choose to live in US instead of Canada?

[g&a246 0]

As many others have noted, for us the decision was based on employment - he has a fantastic job in the US and can afford to support me for a bit until I get my EAD. He wouldn't find a comparable job here in Canada, and while my job isn't too shabby, we wouldn't enjoy the same quality of life.

That said, I had to resign today. A very bittersweet moment.

[Marilyn. 340]

I moved to the US because I knew deep down that my hubby didn't want to move to Canada..

he would have of course if I hadn't gotten my visa

[SonoranSongbird 3]

Cost of living in Alberta vs cost of living in southern Illinois, mostly.

[Rhiannercakes 14]

I havn't moved down there, but I'm choosing to move to the US instead of Canada because of my fiance's job, mostly.

He makes more than me, his benefits are amazing (I don't even have any), and his job gives him so many opportunities to get higher up. They also help pay for college or other programs like weight loss programs. His maternity leave policy isn't half bad either. 3 months... even though it'll be a while before we consider children. Haha.

I also LOVE the food where he lives. Not to mention the weather's great.

[redBlue 1]

I havn't moved down there, but I'm choosing to move to the US instead of Canada because of my fiance's job, mostly.

He makes more than me, his benefits are amazing (I don't even have any), and his job gives him so many opportunities to get higher up. They also help pay for college or other programs like weight loss programs. His maternity leave policy isn't half bad either. 3 months... even though it'll be a while before we consider children. Haha.

I also LOVE the food where he lives. Not to mention the weather's great.

I wonder where he works : ..sounds he really got a good job&company

[Rhiannercakes 14]

Target, believe it or not.

The only catch with the medical is that you have to pay a deposit kinda thing when you go to their private hospital.

I think he pays 500 and the rest of the stay is covered, this includes surgery and childbirth. (As far as I know anyway.)

Edited April 17, 2009 by Rhiann

[WalkonWildSide 0]

It was a no-brainer really. I can't move to Canada since she isn't a permanent resident. And the thought of moving to Belarus...well I speak only a little Russian, no Belorussian and almost impossible for a foreigner to get a job in Belarus. Also there is the whole dictatorship thing going on in Belarus.

[Cassie 8]

When discussing where we would live, J already had a house and great-paying job here. As I primarily worked jobs that were seasonal in nature, it made more sense for me to move down there, work together to get rid of debts (only the house and car to go!!), and then seriously consider moving back to Canada. The biggest concern that I had was health care coverage -- I take daily medication and need consistent monitoring, so I was worried about whether or not we could afford my potential expenses. If he didn't have enough insurance, he was completely prepared to move to Canada. We plan to move back eventually so both of us can have dual citizenship.

[scandal 951]

In scanning this thread top to bottom, I note that almost all of the posters comment on economic factors (jobs, income levels, etc.). Many also comment about family ties, climate, and other factors.

In my case, I had a real dilemma. I actually have 3 citizenships (Canada, US, Israel) and have lived and worked for extended periods of time in all three countries. I spent most of my life in Canada (over 25 years in Ottawa and Toronto), about a dozen in Israel and about 6 in the US. When I met my Thai fiancee I was living in Israel and determined to return to one of my two North American "homes". There would be many advantages to my returning to Canada and applying for Canadian immigration for my fiancee - closer to my aging parents, good friends, and OHIP. Instead I decided that I really wanted to come back to the US and bring my fiancee here.

Why?

Jobs played a factor - I was applying for positions in both Chicago and Toronto, and had I gotten the position in Toronto I was angling for I may very well have taken it and now I'd be on the Canadian equivalent to VJ (Is there such a thing?). But fate chose the Chicago opportunity, so here I am, doing this.

Anyway, that wasn't really the main reason. It was more of the cultural, even political, distinction between the two countries. They ARE different. It's not just your income level or your tax bracket. The US and Canada really are very similar, and yet very different, societies. And having lived enough years in both (as well as plenty of years in yet an entirely different society - Israel), I felt that there was an intangible attraction I felt to the US. Part of it for me was 9/11. I was living in the US on 9/11, working in the financial industry, and when the Towers came down that really affected me. I put a US flag in the rear window of my car, and have never lost that sense of belonging here.

Anyway, Chicago works for me. There are several daily flights from O'Hare to Ottawa, so if I need to get to my folks on an emergency basis, that's not a big deal. Certainly much easier than Israel, or California where I lived previously in the US. I've also gotten to see my friends and family in Toronto on a pretty regular basis, so I don't feel I'm losing out on anything by being here.

[ashenflowers 5]

My decision to go there seems obvious to me...

My future hubby is dual citizen. He actually grew up in Canada mostly, and spent 80% of his life in the city I live in now (we met when he was in town visiting mutual friends last year). His parents moved to California about 8 years ago, and last spring he decided to move there to join them, as he had had enough of this place... lol We hadn't met yet... obviously or he might've stayed. But as it was, he sold most of his stuff, quit his job, and headed there... I'd feel horrible to make him backtrack after all that and return here to the place he left... but he's repeatedly said he would if he had to.

Jobs:

Now he has a great job that he likes, though doesn't make a whole lot of $... I has been given an offer to take over the business he works for in a couple years. I, on the other hand, am in a job that's leading nowhere, which I don't really like. Also, as a convenience of timing, my lease on my car is up at the end of October, so I won't have to worry about that.

AND his boss is also very supportive of us, and really likes my future hubby and doesn't want to lose him. lol So he's more willing to find me a job there, rather than lose my husband to moving back here. Having someone in a hiring position, who also knows other people in hiring positions with other companies is a great asset for me I think.

Family:

My brother (my only sibling) and his family (wife and 2 kids... nephew is 2 and a 1/2, and niece is not born yet, but due any time now!!) are moving to Cambodia later this year, so they won't be in Canada... my parents are quite possibly moving to Cambodia next year as well... so I will have no immediate family in Canada (though lots of aunts/uncles.. meh. lol).

He has no siblings, and his parents live in California as I mentioned, so we'll have that support system there (they are VERY supportive and welcoming). Though he left his friends to move there, and I'd be leaving my friends as well... we can always come back to visit. It'd be quite convenient to do so because we could visit many of the same friends at the same time, with only a few detours to see anyone we have outside of that circle of people. His parents own a cottage in Maine, so relatively speaking it's closer to Canada, and our friends on the way there.

Lifestyle:

The lifestyle in Southern California vs. Ontario.... sigh.. I don't even know if I have to explain that one.. lol Moving there was probably one of the best things he's done for himself in his life. I really can't wait to join him.

As for health care and maternity leave and all that... I don't think we're in a position where either of us would want children any time in the next 5 years, even though I'm already 28, and will be 29 by the time I move.

I'm in Ontario and I don't even have a family doctor, haven't visited the dentist in over 10 years, have switched jobs a lot so have only had health benefits for 2-3 years out of the last 8 years, and haven't even used them... I really haven't received much out of our health care system as it is... though I realize if there's ever an accident or emergency, I'll probably really wish I had access to a better, cheaper system should something happen... but it's just not something that really comes up in my regular life.

Plus, this way we're on our way to making me also a dual citizen, at which point, we can live wherever we want. lol

Edited April 18, 2009 by ashenflowers

[to_hope 0]

We met each other in the states while I was here on a student visa. Before we decided to marry we both were planning on going to grad school here, so it just naturally followed that I would move here. We didn't really know how much harder getting a CR1 visa was going to be than getting my student visa was! We were pretty naive about the whole immigration process.

Like others, my biggest concern was most definitely the issue of health care and maternity leave, but I wasn't concerned enough to stop me from moving (obviously). We're not having kids quite yet, but I am apprehensive about sending them to school here. When I was in college here I heard time and time again from my professors that they could tell I was a Canadian because "Canadian students always do better than their American peers." I'm sure that wasn't ALWAYS the case, but it was the case enough times to make multiple professors notice the difference. Anyways, we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

[coldwatersurf 5]

Wow it sounds like most of you moved to wherever the money was good. I definitely didnt move for the money just like Bermycat. I made 3 times as much as my husband and LOVED what I do and knew I would never work in that industry again based on my location I moved b/c my hubby is from a small town. he said he probably would not get used to being in cities plus he has a child that he's been battling to be close to. so, before we even discussed it, there was no way I was would have him move to another country as it would be harder for him to be close to his son. I am open to change and would be able to blend in. Plus I can't take him away from the ocean. He's 3 generation of surfers. He is totally willing to move to Canada, but I told him I dont want him living in Canada if I knew he could never be completely happy @ heart. A big piece of him would be missing and it would change the person I fell in love with. I made a decision to move 8 months after we were married. I had to really think about it and I needed an awesome reason before I moved and gave up my awesome job. Of course, it took many arguments and discussing pros and cons. But we peeled all the onion layers and see the whole truth. Hopefully the OP gets to do the same

[Flames9_RN 358]

I dont think I moved just for the $$$$, well not at all in reality.lol! Housing is soooooo much cheaper in NS than it is here in DC. But what my wife does here in the USA, she can't do in Canada. So it sort of made more sense for me to start at square 1,than her, otherwise she may have just waisted $$$ getting her masters at Georgetown, plus I guess she has a better chance at growth, and its a pretty much 100% recession proof job, even though that wasn't even a concern a few yrs back. And she has family around here, and I was in NS and al my family are in the western part of canada, so it didnt really matter if I live here or in NS. Plus a lot more stability here. With the Air Force, could be posted to numerous places.

[minnew 4]

We met as well when I was on a student visa. My fiance is in the US Air Force. Most the decision was based on him wanting to stay with the US Air Force, although he did think about getting out at the end of his 6 year enlistment. The way the economy was going and they offered him a bonus to stay in, he enlisted for another 6. He says he will retire after 20 years then look for civilian work in the aviation field. He is also definitely not a fan of the colder temperatures the furthur north you get, and so glad not to be stationed in ND anymore. Neither of us come from big families, but at least for the next 5 years or so (hopefully) we will be right in the middle as far as distance between SK and GA. I feel fortunate that I will not have to worry too much about healthcare as we will have TriCare through the military. The unfortunate part about me moving back to the US is that a job in my field of work pays considerably less, almost 1/2 of what I am making now But I knew that before I moved back to Canada, as i worked 1 year with OPT in the US.

[ashenflowers 5]

ahh hahaha.. I just noticed that in the 'job' section of my post, I put

"I has been given an offer to take over the business he works for in a couple years"

That is not what I meant.. I meant AND has been... as in HE.. not me. Otherwise it makes the whole thing confusing.

I just had to clear that up, for me. lol