Differences between canada and USA

I am thinking of moving to the states and wanted some feedback.
Could anyone give their opinion on differences b/w canada and USA
with regards to:
- culture
- friendliness of people
- society
- laws, aggressiveness
What are the pros/cons of living in the states

When moving to the states,
- what were the key things you needed to do as a newcomer to get settled? eg. car insurance, visa, etc.

Any advice you'd have would be great!
Thanks
Mark

Well, you need some basis to move to the U.S. e.g. a Job etc.

I've been in the U.S. for quite a few years, but you know, personally, I would say that life in Canada is better. I miss Canada the day I left it. Canada is the best place to live. I know, the tax structure may be harsh in Canada.

People in the U.S. are friendly. More jobs. I have seen people with their education/experience from around the world getting jobs of their choice.

Laws and aggressiveness depends on the area you live in the U.S.

Now depending on your nationality (& educational background), if you're Canadian Citizen, you might be eligible to get TN as it has some restricted professions on the list. Or you might also qualify for H1.

Wishing you good luck in your future endeavors. Hope this helps.

Saikrishna

as I replied to your PM, I'll just re-post it here and add to the discussion

The answer to most of your questions is "depends". On where in the states you want to live. North, South, East, West, Middle. Its all different, and I can really only comment on my little corner of Western North Carolina.

I moved from Toronto, to a small town in the Bible Belt. To say I suffered Culture Shock would be putting it mildly.

You'll of course need some sort of visa in order to live in the states legally, and which type will depend on what you are eligible for. TN if you have a job offer and a university degree. If you have neither of those, there are not too many other options unless you are married to, or plan to be married to an American citizen.

Sorry I can't be much more vague than that. There really is not one definitive answer.

Hey All,

I'm in Denver area and have only been here for 2 months. The people in this part of the US have been very open and relatively accepting. Be prepared to get bugged about eh and out alot. They can't seem to let that go. Remember the Molson commercial when buddy pulls the shirt over the americans head at the office. That'll be me soon if someone doesn't stop. When you deal with Americans dumb things down, it'll save you alot of stress. Especially at a bank. Don't expect anyone in the US to know where your home province is either. I relate everything to a US state.thats no a guarentee though they'll know where it is.

Life in Canada is definately better. The only real advantage in the US is the weather. Its way more dangerous here. We've already had our license plates stolen. If your travelling with Canadian plates go to home depot and get one way bolts or to AutoZone and get special license plate bolts. Its really difficult to get new plates from Canada in the US. I know as a kid I had this ideal that the US was the best/prettiest place in the world. Too much US television I guess. I've been all over the Western and Central US and besides Northern California and parts of Oregan, Canada is way prettier and cleaner. Our cultures are very similar in alot of ways but, Americans are so quick to be ignorant towards other people that you end up feeling like outsiders.

The best thing to do is get a tax free per diem, go for a year and make as much money as you can. Then move back to Canada and be thankful your Canadian. Thats what I'm doing.

I gues it all depends where ur used to living in Canada when comparing it to the USA! I grew up in Sk, a small city of 35000. Resided in Victoria BC for nearly 10 yrs, then Greenwood NS, a smal town of 5000, so I'm used to a much slower paced lifestyle. Now I reside in Falls Church VA, what an eye oponer,lol I hate the traffic, much too busy for my liking. Ya, there is rude people, but there is rude people in Toronto as well. of course Toronto has an excuse, always in the dumps over their hockey team,lol
I would move back to Canada in a heartbeat. if something would happen to my wife (death) I would be packled uop and gone as soon as the house was sold,lol.

or at least as soon as the estate settled. Which could take several months to more than a year. You can't sell the house until the estate is settled

I have lived in the US for about 6 years. 2 in Boston and 4 in the Phoenix area. I am a dual citizen but I will always be a Canuck at heart. There are many things I miss about Canada. I grew up in a small town in New Brunswick. There is so much crime here it is crazy. The weather in AZ is definitely better but the pollution is terrible. There are so many job opportunities compared to back home as well.

As you can see there are pluses and minuses to both countries. I miss the small town friendliness of the Maritimes so maybe one day I will retire back home at least for the Summer months. I to miss Shreddies!

Living in the US is certainly not a walk in the park. Canada and US maybe neighbors geographically, but do not set your hopes very high as to the attitude of its residents. More often than not, a lot are not familiar of where Canada is, and does not have an inkling of what goes on in Canada. So be prepared to receive a profound expression of bewilderment and non-chalance when you mention that you are Canadian. So by now you will understand why forums are here, to be able to reconcile these strange goings on he!he!he!
As the other posters have said, it is important that before you move, you have a clear idea of what career you will take and that you get the appropriate visa for it. It is not enough to say that you are willing to take any job, that privilege rests solely on permanent residents and US citizens. Be ready to encounter a multitude of documents and disjointed steps when dealing with US immigration. A lot of things will really also depend where you will want to live. If you live in Los Angeles, expect heavy traffic, pollution, higher crime rate, expensive rent, I guess good weather (if you like months of no rain and sometimes extreme heat in summer).

They say taxation is onerous in Canada, but I think if you factor in all your overhead expenses and frustrations here later on, you will see that taxation is not that bad at all in Canada.

Among other things, I respect the integrity Canada has displayed in all her dealings with the rest of the world, as well as her compassion. The US these days, have some "questionable" policies which has been decried by different countries. But then again, this is Uncle Sam's world, so be careful and wary, and do not take everything at its face value.

Weather is purely subjective as like Canada, US has a big geographical mass, so very different types of climate exists. The people here are basically nice but sometimes a bit too outspoken, nosey and rude for their own good.

If I have the sole choice, I would go back to Canada immediately, but alas, my hubby prefers to be here for now. I am still hoping the tide will change and we can head back home!

They say taxation is onerous in Canada, but I think if you factor in all your overhead expenses and frustrations here later on, you will see that taxation is not that bad at all in Canada.

And again, depending where in the US you decide to live, the tax burden can be just as heavy as back home in Canada, and with far fewer public services to show for your money. Here in North Carolina we pay both federal and state income taxes, plus we pay ANNUAL property tax on our CARS!, plus our homes, and and and. We're nickle and dimed to death really, and there is absolutely NO public services where we live. Our property taxes and other fees just go up and up and up, and they just keep taking away services.

Plus, on every paycheck we get dinged for Medicare, and being a sponsored immigrant myself, I'm not eligible to use it My monthly health insurance premiums are ghastly, and we still have to pay for medical services on top of that. They call it "co-pay" Wait times for specialists aren't any better here than they were back home either. And quality of care is actually quite frightful.

Others may have differet less scary experiences in other parts of the US, but health care in general is A LOT different, and VERY EXPENSIVE here. If you don't have insurance you can end up bankrupt if Gods forbid, you have a horrible accident or get deathly sick. My husband had cancer a few years ago and had to sell his house to pay the bills. And he had insurance!

I too would go home in a heartbeat. But alas, my hubby is American and was deemed inadmissable by Canadian immigration So we're kinda stuck here.

One thing to keep in mind is cost of living. You may get better wages in the US and less taxes but, the cost of living and lifestyle are quite different. Factoring in retarded health care cost of $200/month for a single person and your tax benefits are long gone. Now if you get in a car accident and get seriously hurt you'll find health plans only cover part of you bills which only add to it. Sometimes we Canadians look at our taxes and forget what liberties they buy. Trust me, if an American knew where Canada was, they'd take our taxes anyday in exchange for free health care.

When I first posted on this board I was new to the US and had a pretty open mind. I'm finding the longer I'm here, the more I want to be in Canada. By the time my contract is done in the spring.I am outta here and never coming back. The US is not all it pretends to be. Make sure your getting enough money and a per diem to make it worth while. The weather is warmer, but the polution makes it hard to breathe. Tit for tat I guess