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not so bad until the bills start stacking up. oh yeah, there is no healthcare for spouses while their application is in process and no hospital accepts private health insurance, so your totally screwed if something happens.Quote:
Originally Posted by shirk
dont get me started:cussing:
Actually, I have. I immigrated from Australia not long ago and have several friends who have immigrated recently so I'm acutely aware that the process is extrordinarily slow, bureaucratic and frustrating at times. You do have my sympathy - I've been there.Quote:
Originally Posted by powder11
Believe it or not though, we have it easy. You should see the hoops one has to jump though to immigrate to the US -- although I don't think its news to anyone that the US immigration system is utterly and fundamentaly broken beyond any hope of repair. The Canadian immigration system, on the other hand, is broken but probably ultimately repairable (whether or not that actually happens, is a different story of course...).
Bumping this instead of starting a new one, is it legal to move to whistler for a ski season and not work, just bank like 10 grand beforehand and ski all day, if so, how much money would someone need to live there for a full season?
of course its legal, ten grand is more than enough, i did it on around $7,000 including my $1,500 season pass. come in september or early october at the lastest if you don't want to pay $750 to share a one bedroom apartment with six dirty aussies.Quote:
Originally Posted by soul_skier
Yes*
*It depends on how high your standard of living is. Sharing a room with 7 Australians and two dogs can get pretty rough, but at least you'll have a bed for $250/month.
Also, don't forget that when you enter Canada, you're on an implied 'tourist visa' and you're required to leave after 6 months. Take a trip to Seattle for a day and come back later.
edit: GD beat me to it.
you'll be living large here on 10k. if your here to ski, really cheap quality housing can be found 20 mins up the road in pemberton. if partying in the village every night is more your style, pay the extra $ to live in the village. when you return from your seattle day trip be careful not to say "Im living in whistler" because "Im going to visist friends" is a better answer. also have them stamp your passport as proof of your comings and goings.Quote:
Originally Posted by huck4bucks
That's a lot of cash for a season. If you're serious I would suggest getting here in early October and then getting a place before everyone else gets here. That alone will save you a lot of $ over the season/Quote:
Originally Posted by soul_skier
I was just throwing out a ballpark figure, and if I did do this I would for sure get there early, but I'm asking from a legal standpoint, what type of visa would I need, would I even need a visa, and if I do need one is it obtainable, (seeing as a work visa appears to be hard for an american). Also, I would want to have enough money to be free to chase storms, have really good health insurance and whatnot, hence the larger $ guess.Quote:
Originally Posted by LeeLau
Sorry - i don't know if you need anything else to stay for longer. I would ask the good people at Immigration Canada that question.Quote:
Originally Posted by soul_skier
$10k would be a good place to be. Also, ask your landlord if you can negotiate the rent by paying for the whole season in cash in advance. That'll save you some money.
Things to think about:
- Get travel insurance...that will cover an emergency that you have. Regular health insurance isn't cost-effective up there. Everytime you walk into the health clinic in Whis, you just lost $500.
- Gas costs about US$4.15/gallon up there as of the end of March. If you're storm-chasing, tuck away money for that.
- You don't need a visa, but you'll have to return to the states once every six months.
- If you run out of cash and need to work, don't get caught working under the table. They'll deport you and you can never come back. Probably not worth it.
- Whistler has visitors from all over the globe and is known for STDs...wrap it up.
- Have fun. Best time of your life.
when you enter canada, have customs stamp your passport. the stamp acts as your 6 month visa. if you leave and come back, your 6 month clock starts all over. insurrance is a tough one. I would suggest getting a policy from the states with a good travel ryder on it. make sure you read the fine print to be positive it covers you for everything. also keep in mind that canada doesnt recognize private health and they collect all payments up front from out of country patients. believe me it gets spendy real quick, so set aside a couple grand for emergancy because if your banged up bad and have no $, they'll try to ship you to Bellingham.Quote:
Originally Posted by soul_skier
Make sure you bring proof that you have a reasonable amount of money to live in Whistler for 6 months. A bank statement should do the job. Don't try telling them, you're gonna pay for your stay with a credit card.
On Insurance:
I was just looking for travel insurance to Ca (from USA) and this seems like the right thread:
blue cross and BCAA both offer 'travel ins for visitors' blue cross was like $70 (i think in cad $) for a 3 week stay.
I couldn't get a quote off the BCAA website. I think you might need a separate membership for them.
My insurance (blue shield) doesn't have anything about travel riders on their web site. I think I'm going w/ blue cross.