Hi All
I am a software engineer and joining in a new company which promised me a long term Onsite to Toronto, Canada. I would be Joining them in the month of March, 2011.
Please answer me the following questions and help me in understanding Canada before I come.
1) Recently How long it is taking for processing work permit visa to Toronto, Canada. I am planning to travel as soon as I get the visa.
2) How are the apartments/flats rents in Toronto. Will they provide furnished houses with TV, Fridge, Washing machine, Drier etc. I am looking for a decent apartment in reasonable price for rent. I might not afford too costly houses.
3) How much it would cost for a typical Indian style of food per month.
4) What would be the expenses for Internet, telephone, transport, electricity bill etc.
5) How much I can ask my employer to pay me in Canada dollars per annum with 6 years of IT experience. Is 75K per annum good enough?
6) What is the percentage of tax assuming everything they offered me is a taxable component.
7) Will I get any refund on the tax paid? 
How are the insurance expenses?
9) How soon I can start processing my Wife’s visa and Kid’s visa? My employer is asking me to be there in Toronto for 6 months and process my Wife’s visa showing 6 months of bank statements? Is that true?
10) Are all medical expenses free for me and my family in Canada?
11) How is the life style in Canada?
12) How is the weather in Canada? Is it a good idea bringing my 3 month old Kid (who is yet to born) to Toronto during November, 2011?
13) Do we have any Indian grossary shops, Indian restaurents, cultural programs etc.
Thanks a lot in advance. Please give me an overview on the above questions and any help in this regard is much much appreciated.
I’m not Indian. But. Brampton, Bramelea and Toronto have large Indian communities. So yo will be able to find restaurants and cultural programs.
Your medical expenses will be fully covered after you have spent 90 days in Canada. The same applies when your family arrives.
I would be discussing my salary with my new employer, before you make this big journey!
There are different Internet, telephone packages available. My, wife and I pay telephone/internet package about $110. per month and an other $65. for Satellite TV.
I hope this is a start. Good Luck.
Where do you want to travel to? I would move to Mississauga, ON. (mississauga.com) as there is a large Indian community here. 75k is good but the taxes are high here. Insurance is very expensive for cars etc. Rent is depending on what you want 1000-2000 unfurnished.
Honestly, I think about half your questions should be taken care of by your employer anything related to visa’s and spouses. Most companies who move employee hire settlement agencies to help find a “home” for their employees or they provide suggested resources. The Curry culture isn’t that big in Canada, not like the UK where tons of people eat it as a regular take out. There is little Indian in Toronto/indian grocery stores and I”m sure you will find somewhere to accomodate your tastes. I think you need to talk to your HR department. Pay and insurance ie. health should be covered by them
1) If a company promised you work, they would be the ones processing your visa. Could take up to 1-3 months.
Insurance will cost you about $200 – $300 a month for new drivers/new Canadians for a car or so since you do not have experience driving in Canada. You will need to get your G1 written test, G2 road test and then G (full license) and experience driving in Canada. Some people who have over 10 yrs driving experience in Canada and no tickets, accidents, over 25 yrs of age can pay around $100 a month.
2) Depends how many bedrooms. 1 bedroom flats will cost around $1000 furnished, 2 bedroom $1400 and so on. Keep in mind you can find 2 bedrooms for $950 but the building will be dirty and unfurnished and Toronto has a huge problem with bed bugs. So a decent clean flat can cost around $1500. Townhouses cost $1400 + utilities (gas & hydro) Keep in mind its very hard to find housing here, esspecially decent housing. You may suffer a lot in that department. There is waiting lists everywhere, even if you decide to pay more, they go pretty fast.
3) Typical indian food costs about $5 a dish and more for high class restaurants. There are people on craigslist/kijiji offering monthly food to Bachelor’s for about $250 or so a month. Groceries cost about $75 a week for 3 people.
4) Internet $50, phone $45, TTC pass $120 (subway pass), electricity around $0.07 per killowat (some apartments have all utilities included), gasoline costs about $1.13 per litre
5) You can negotiate, however $75,000 will have about 20-25% tax deducted. You can get income tax return if you have a family, the more people in your family, the more you keep your money to yourself
6) For a salary less than $36,000 about 15% tax is deducted, the more you get paid the higher it goes, can go up to about 35% (rough figure). Sales tax is 13% on most items except produce. Expect to pay 13% on everything you buy including gasoline, natural gas heating, electricity etc.
7) Refund depends on your situation and how many dependents you have (children, wife etc.)
9) Get a good reliable immigration lawyer in CANADA, they speed up everything for you, know all the tips/tricks and is totally worth it. Can take few months for a visit visa. Try to get a temporary resident PERMIT which will allow her to stay longer in Canada. Not a temporary resident VISA these are two different things. Then you guys can try processing immigration while in Canada.
10) You should be able to get medical from your Company. We Canadians do not pay for health care except dental, optical and other. You should be able to apply for OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) since you will have a work permit
11) Lifestyle depends on where you live. Honestly, Toronto is very stressful, fast paced and expensive. You can live decent with $75,000. Some places in Canada are very peaceful.
12) Weather in November will be around -5 C, -10 C Sometimes variable. Snow and ice.
13) Lots of indian shops, restaurants and programs. Lots of parts of Toronto is Indian dominated