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Is Canada worth it to immigrate to?

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Apparently the economy is sluggish, the society is not so good (drugs and stuff are rife), housing prices are high for what one gets and the teaxes are very high. Is this true or is Canada a good place to go for an educated person with plenty $$? What is an average tax % in Canada anyway?

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To answer that, you have to put it in perspective to where you are coming from.

If I was living in a place where bombs are going off each night, where people go "missing" when walking home from the store, or your child is abducted and later found working in a child labor camp as a slave, I would think that Canada would be considered a paradise, even with its really cold winters.

- Our economy is doing fine, with the Canadian dollar almost at par with USA

- High-tech and skilled worker job positions are available in various parts of Canada.

- Real estate and the housing market is high within the major cities, but it is still possible to obtain affordable housing away from these centres. The expensive spots for hosuing are Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto. But a typical bungalow in Calgary or Vancouver would buy you a upscale home or a large property in the Maritime provinces.

- Drug use is not exactly rampant. Marijuana is illegal but tolerated to some extent in Canada. The other drugs are present but you won't find them unless you go looking for it. The only effect that the drugs have on our culture is that it attracts the gangs who try to control and profit from that market. Several cities have seen a rise in youth gang activity, including Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal.

- Taxes are high in Canada, but I am not sure how much higher they are than elsewhere. The difference with Canada is that almost all of our taxes are visible. The government shows you the taxes on your bill rather than charging the manufacturer who then increases the price of their product to compensate. The Canadian VAT is called the GST and is at 6%. Each province (except Alberta) also has its own sales tax. And if you have a job here, the government expects you to pay income tax, which hovers between 18-30% depending on how much money you make. For example, if you earn $38,000 per year, you will probably pay about $10,000 worth of income tax (about 26%)

Of course, before you come here, you should try to find out if your diploma is recognized in Canada or if your skills are required.

I know of one Iranian fellow who often posts in this category who had a rather tough time getting work in Vancouver as a cartoonist and artist. He is very disillusioned with Canada and has posted several disgruntled messages about how bad Canada is to immigrants. I responded to several of them, so feel free to look at my past responses for a perspective from his point of view if you like.
Others

NOPE, everything's so damn expensive......
It depends where you live now. For example if you live in Switzerland don't immigrate to Canada. If, however, you come from a poor third world country it may be worth it. I, for one, born and raised in Canada have chosen to live in Europe.
our economy isn't too bad...our dollar is really becoming stronger....drugs aren't that bad...depends on where you go.....but every country and city has its problems!! Education is free.....however you do get taxed a lot....but the people here are nice.....
Canada has one of the highest standard of living in the world. Just compare the public health system to the non existent one in the US. Everyone is treated in Canada,rich or poor!

No im not Canadian
First of all I'm American and living in Canada. Canada is a nice place to live and raise a family. Taxes are high but you have to look at what you get for no extra money like health care. Economy is great, just look at the Canadian dollar go up. Yes houses are high but it's all proportainate to wages,inflation,living area, that kinda stuff. You may want to rethink the way your looking at Canada, but that's just my opinion. Really the violents that happens (let's say Toronto) is mostly geared towards the immigrants from over seas that come from a nice little tourist island. But violence is not everywhere.
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