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For discussing anything related to a software developer's life but is not for programming questions. Got a programming question?

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GeneralRe: Very impressed with Microsoft Azure Pin
Richard MacCutchan5-Mar-15 23:25
mveRichard MacCutchan5-Mar-15 23:25 
GeneralRe: Very impressed with Microsoft Azure Pin
Dominic Burford5-Mar-15 23:27
professionalDominic Burford5-Mar-15 23:27 
GeneralRe: Very impressed with Microsoft Azure Pin
Nicolas Dorier6-Mar-15 4:23
professionalNicolas Dorier6-Mar-15 4:23 
GeneralNew life Pin
franky19875-Mar-15 21:28
franky19875-Mar-15 21:28 
GeneralRe: New life Pin
Duncan Edwards Jones5-Mar-15 21:45
professionalDuncan Edwards Jones5-Mar-15 21:45 
GeneralRe: New life Pin
V.5-Mar-15 21:54
professionalV.5-Mar-15 21:54 
GeneralRe: New life Pin
CDP18025-Mar-15 23:06
CDP18025-Mar-15 23:06 
GeneralRe: New life Pin
PhilLenoir6-Mar-15 3:29
professionalPhilLenoir6-Mar-15 3:29 
To emigrate to Canada, it's simply a points system (points make prizes! Smile | :) ), a waiting list and money (application isn't cheap, but a chunk of it is refundable if you are rejected because of a criminal record or insufficient points).

You can self-score, I don't have links but I'm sure you can find them. If you have more than the required points, you apply and when you're top of the list they let you come. Waiting times vary, depending on the number of applicants. The time they tell you is invariably overstated (we were told 6 months to a year and it took about 3). Once you're notified, you have a time limit to "land" (two years from memory) Whilst you have "Landed Immigrant" status you must reside in Canada for at least 6 months in any period of a year (a moving window) or lose your status. After 1,000 days of residency (absences from the country do not count), you can apply for citizenship (another fee and an exam so simple that you probably have to be brain dead to fail). Then you are one-of-us!

The Greater Toronto Area (GTA)has some very large Italian communities. Things for immigrants are pretty neat here, you don't have ghettoes per se, but there are areas where immigrants from a country or region tend to aggregate (Little Italy, Little Greece, Chinatown). In some cases these areas may even have bilingual street signs (English predominating). Many communities have a "welcome wagon"; a person employed by the municipality drops by with a basket of goodies, and information about the area and facilities. The GTA is a loose definition of communities clustered around Toronto from Oshawa to Burlington, with even more communities linked to Toronto by rapid transit (e.g., Hamilton, Milton, Barry - even Kitchener and Guelph now have links).

There are quite a few technology hotspots. Ontario has Toronto, Mississauga and Waterloo being notable. There's also Vancouver and Calgary in the west. The province of Alberta probably still has the most active economy because tar sands oil, although it has taken a hit with the fall in oil price (temporary I'm certain while the Saudis play games). I'm not hooked into the job scene now as I retire in 4 weeks. Ravi might be a good source, especially about the scene in the GTA.

Canada has much higher taxes than the US, although not as high as most (all?) of the EU, but we do have proper health and welfare systems (which is, of course, why we have high taxes!) Canada is not as gun crazy as the US, handguns are strictly controlled. Crime rates are low (except for notable exceptions), especially violent crime.

I love Canada. I chose to move here nearly 19 years ago after visiting and falling in love with the warmth and generosity (generally) of the people and the amount of space. We're the second largest country in the world with a population of just over 30 million. Generalizations about the climate are silly as Canada covers about one quarter of the way round the planet East to West and North to South (~50 - 140W, 0 - 42N). Southern Ontario can get very cold in winter and very hot in summer. Vancouver has about the mildest climate in Canada.

My advice is to choose to emigrate to a place that attracts you, not to get away from somewhere you are unhappy. At least understand why you're unhappy and make sure you don't bring the problems with you. One of my wife's sisters followed us to Canada and I'm sure there as unhappy here as they were in the UK. Whatever your choice, good luck.
Life is like a s**t sandwich; the more bread you have, the less s**t you eat.

GeneralRe: New life Pin
RTek236-Mar-15 14:50
professionalRTek236-Mar-15 14:50 
GeneralMQOTD Pin
V.5-Mar-15 21:27
professionalV.5-Mar-15 21:27 
GeneralRe: MQOTD Pin
dan!sh 5-Mar-15 21:35
professional dan!sh 5-Mar-15 21:35 
GeneralRe: MQOTD Pin
HobbyProggy5-Mar-15 21:37
professionalHobbyProggy5-Mar-15 21:37 
GeneralRe: MQOTD Pin
den2k885-Mar-15 21:44
professionalden2k885-Mar-15 21:44 
GeneralRe: MQOTD Pin
Corporal Agarn6-Mar-15 0:36
professionalCorporal Agarn6-Mar-15 0:36 
GeneralHan Solo Crash Lands Pin
Nueman5-Mar-15 18:21
Nueman5-Mar-15 18:21 
GeneralRe: Han Solo Crash Lands Pin
Mark_Wallace5-Mar-15 20:52
Mark_Wallace5-Mar-15 20:52 
GeneralRe: Han Solo Crash Lands Pin
Manfred Rudolf Bihy5-Mar-15 21:28
professionalManfred Rudolf Bihy5-Mar-15 21:28 
GeneralRe: Han Solo Crash Lands Pin
HobbyProggy5-Mar-15 21:27
professionalHobbyProggy5-Mar-15 21:27 
GeneralRe: Han Solo Crash Lands Pin
Jacquers5-Mar-15 21:50
Jacquers5-Mar-15 21:50 
GeneralRe: Han Solo Crash Lands Pin
H.Brydon6-Mar-15 8:44
professionalH.Brydon6-Mar-15 8:44 
GeneralRe: Han Solo Crash Lands Pin
Nagy Vilmos5-Mar-15 21:51
professionalNagy Vilmos5-Mar-15 21:51 
GeneralRe: Han Solo Crash Lands Pin
Keith Barrow5-Mar-15 22:22
professionalKeith Barrow5-Mar-15 22:22 
GeneralRe: Han Solo Crash Lands Pin
Corporal Agarn6-Mar-15 0:41
professionalCorporal Agarn6-Mar-15 0:41 
GeneralRe: Han Solo Crash Lands Pin
Bergholt Stuttley Johnson6-Mar-15 1:12
professionalBergholt Stuttley Johnson6-Mar-15 1:12 
GeneralRe: Han Solo Crash Lands Pin
DaveX866-Mar-15 0:59
DaveX866-Mar-15 0:59 

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