Knowledge Wanders
Wandering the great places…

Archive for April, 2010

28
Apr

Five Reasons Why You Really Should Move To Canada

Posted in Destinations  by scottking on April 28th, 2010

Are you tempted to move to Canada after hearing about the country from friends or family, but are not convinced it is for you? Or are you looking to move away from the UK, but are not sure where in the world to move to?

These five points explain why Canada is such a fantastic country to live in and why you should strongly consider relocating to this beautiful part of the world.

1. It is officially the best place in the world to live. Not many places in the world can use the phrase ‘best place to live in the world’, knowing that it is actually 100% true and is backed up by several well-known companies.

Both Mercer and The Economist, the HR Consulting company and the international affairs magazine rank several Canadian cities very highly in the best places to live in 2010. In Mercer’s list, for example, Vancouver ranks 4th out of 215 cities, whilst The Economist’s list sees Vancouver in first place, with Toronto and Calgary both featuring in the top 5.

2. It’s just like the UK, but better. When people look to move abroad, as much as they may say they would prefer a completely different living experience, missing home comforts can be a particularly big issue. Receiving a visa for Canada and living there permanently removes this factor as the entire country is very similar to the UK, in several different aspects.

The climate, for example, reaches the same average temperatures in the summer (and in places isn’t as cold as the UK in the winter) and the country also serves its population in terms of their health with free public health care under Medicare, in a similar way to the NHS.

3. You’ll be better off financially. Simply put, as Canada has a higher Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at $39,098 US dollars than the UK at $35,400 US dollars, you stand a greater chance of being better off financially in Canada than you do in the UK.

4. It’s easy to move. If you are looking for a visa for Canada, you will notice that there are dozens of different options, all depending on your current and future circumstances. Grouped together under worker, family or business categories, there will generally be a visa suited to you, regardless of your reason for wanting to move.

When looking at the visas, it becomes obvious that some visas are much easier to obtain than others, understandably benefiting Canada. Although you may be able to apply and would normally be successful, it is worthwhile keeping in mind that competition is substantial, so it may take a while for you to actually be successful in your application.

5. There really is something for everyone. A lot of countries boast the fact that they are culturally diverse and have something to offer for everyone, when the truth is only a small part of the world’s population would feel at home in their country. Canada, however, is widely regarded as being one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world.

When the 2001 census took place in the country, it was discovered that there were over 30 different ethnic groups in the Canada with at least 100,000 people in each of them, around a third of them having in excess of 1,000,000.

English may be the primary language in the country and the Canadian traditions may be the most prominent, but it is easy for almost anyone in the world to find a part of Canada that they could feel comfortable calling home.

Global Visas are a world leading authority on Canada immigration and Canada visas for private individuals and corporate clients, providing the most comprehensive and up-to-date Canada work visa and visa for Canada advice. Visit GlobalVisas.com for more information.

28
Apr

Considering Emigrating? Here’s 10 Reasons Why Canada Should Be Your First Choice

Posted in Destinations  by scottking on April 28th, 2010

Thinking of moving to Canada in hope of a better standard of living? Have a look through these 10 reasons to prove that your decision to move is definitely the right one.

1. There are 265,000 visas available in 2010, according to Immigration and Citizenship Canada. Of these 265,000 over 100,000 are being issued to workers of some type, primarily skilled workers

2. Canada ranks 228th out of 239 countries in the world in terms of population density. As one of the least crowded places on earth, Canada offers one square mile of land for 8.3 people (or one square kilometre for every 3.41 people)

3. It falls in the top 20 for both Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) and nominal Gross Domestic Products (GDP), as well for both per capita PPP GDP and per capita nominal GDP, making it one of the richest countries on earth

4. The country has 34 recognised ethnic groups, according to the 2001 census, most of which come from Europe, including Filipino, Swedish and Ukrainian communities

5. Looking at the 2010 World’s Most Liveable Cities list that is compiled by The Economist, three of Canada’s cities rank in the top 10. Vancouver comes in first, with Toronto and Calgary in fourth and fifth places respectively. Furthermore, Vancouver was only 2 points off a perfect 100 score

6. It is generally considered that Canada has very little threat from terrorists, being on amicable terms with most countries. This was mentioned as one of the reasons why Canada’s cities featured so high in The Economist’s list

7. If you applied for and were granted a permanent Canadian work visa, you would be entitled to the country’s free medical health care. Modelled around the UK’s NHS, it is known unofficially as Medicare and has been in operation since 1966

8. If there are two things that can put people off emigrating from the UK, it is the gun laws and death penalty. Unlike America, Canada does not have a death penalty (it was removed in 1976) and also has gun licensing and handling laws that are a lot stricter.

These rules are shown in the different murder rates in Canada to America, where the latter has almost three times as many murders (data provided by Statistics Canada for 2006 crime figures and the US Bureau of Justice Statistics for 2004 shows that Canada had 1.9 murders for every 100,000 people, whilst America had 5.5 for every 100,000)

9. One of the reasons why many Brits move to Canada is the fact that the country actually has a summer. Whilst Britain often sees a few hot days throughout what is supposedly the summer months, they are generally sandwiched between a few weeks of overcast and wet weather. Canada, on the other hand, has warm, dry summers, something which is needed after the often cold, snowy winters

10. A point that brings a smile to many potential residents is the names of towns and cities. There aren’t many places on the globe where you could live in a place with an intriguing name like Saskatoon, Ottaw-Gatineau or Kitchener-Waterloo.

Global Visas are a world leading authority on Canada immigration and Canada visas for private individuals and corporate clients, providing the most comprehensive and up-to-date Canada work visa and visa for Canada advice. Visit GlobalVisas.com for more information.

28
Apr

Study in Seville with All the Comforts of Home

Posted in Destinations  by amayco on April 28th, 2010

You can boast of your short stint in the University of Seville, one of the best European universities in the world. To cut costs, rent a holiday apartment and share the bill with other students.

Seville’s Academic Excellence

Seville is home to one of the world’s best universities. The University of Seville was started in the thirteenth century by the Dominican fathers as a training ground for future missionaries. The International School of Seville, a more recent member of the academic institutions caters to students wishing to study short courses on the Spanish language and arts. The courses offered are also designed to complement the academic programs back home, so credits are earned while you enjoy Seville.

For the entire summer, international students are treated to fun activities which are all part of the Spanish language learning program. Classes on the Spanish language are offered for beginners, intermediate, and advanced students. They are also encouraged to join activities that would enhance their learning of the Spanish language and culture. Upper level courses are offered by the University of Seville.

Other courses offered are Spanish Literature, History, Anthropology, Geography, Political Science, and International Relations. To enroll, students are required to submit two letters of recommendation, transcripts, and 2.5 GPA.

Cut the Accommodation Costs

Instead of staying in hotels, share apartment rent with your friends or other students. These fully-furnished apartments are also equipped with the amenities and services for comfortable occupancy. These come with kitchens stuffed with major cooking utensils, stove-top, microwave, fridge, and coffee machine. An iron and ironing board may or not be provided. Other can’t-do without amenities are washing machines, satellite TVs, air-condition, and free WIFI. Bed sheets and towels are also included in the rates charged.

The holiday apartments in Seville come in different styles. There are studio type accommodations, townhouse-type apartments, and large apartments. These may have apartments with balconies overlooking the neighborhood or old courtyards. You can find apartment in quiet streets with less traffic, in the heart of the city, and in neighborhoods near the metro and dozens of bars and cafes. There also out-of-the-way apartments in the suburbs.

How to Make Your Reservation

Make your holiday apartment reservation online ahead of your scheduled travel. To have the apartment of your dreams, visit the websites offering holiday apartments for rent. This is direct reservation - no third party to work on the details of the process. You can also take a tour of the apartment and appreciate the lavish and modern interior decorating,

You can choose holiday apartments near or far from everything. Booking a reservation online is just the fastest way to get an apartment. Or if you are in the city and chance on a nice apartment, you can pay cash for a reservation if you want to make a switch from a hotel to an apartment.

Seville has the most prestigious universities of Spain! Seville Hotel, accomodatie Sevilla, Seville hotels

28
Apr

Check Out These 3 Handy Tips To Make Your First Trip To Australia As Enjoyable As Possible

Posted in Destinations  by scottking on April 28th, 2010

Whilst Australia may be known for its vast amounts of immigrants (according to the Immigration Update document for 2008-2009, published in January 2010 by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship), 158,021 people settled permanently after a move to Australia throughout this period, who so often move to Australia for hope of a better standard of living, there is a substantial amount more (474,827 according to the same report) that make Australia their temporary home for a holiday.

There is a lot to be said for taking a holiday to Australia and although it might be a particularly long flight for anyone from the UK, it is generally considered to be worth it for a few weeks of a fantastic climate and wonderful people.

If you are planning to move to Australia temporarily for a holiday and it’s your first time, there are three points that you should be aware of that will ensure your holiday is as enjoyable as possible.

1. Make sure you have a visa. If you’ve only ever been on holiday in Europe, chances are you’ve never needed to purchase a visa (unless you’ve visited Turkey, when you will have handed over 10 pounds at the airport in your passport) and have simply taken the whole situation for granted. Unfortunately, Australia is a little more complex than this and before you can legally step foot on Australian soil, you need to have in place some type of visa.

There are several different types available depending upon your reason for travelling, but if you are visiting solely for holiday purposes, you will simply need a travel visa (such as ETA Visitor, eVisitors or Tourist visas, all depending on your length and type of holiday stay)

2. Have an in-depth plan. With a lot of holiday destinations around the world, you generally don’t need to do any planning for what you want to do whilst there. If you head to a beach resort on the continent, for example, you’re likely to want to relax most days and maybe do the occasional excursion. Plus, if you don’t get everything into that holiday, it’s only an hour or two on a plane and with cheap short haul airfare, you can head back whenever you get the chance.

With Australia, however, as the flight is over 25 hours long (the British Airways website estimates that the flight time from London to Canberra to be between 25 and 27 hours, depending on the time of day and number of connections), it’s not a place you really go back to every few months. Therefore, you need to ensure that you plan exactly what you want to do, as there is so much to see in every part of the country that you could spend several days actually planning what to do - precious time of your holiday that you really don’t want to waste.

3. Be prepared for the weather. A holiday move to Australia can cause a lot of confusion if you haven’t looked at the weather and climate before you leave, as the country is an exception to most rules we know in England.

For example, due to its location on the globe, it is hot in our winter and cold in our summer. The climate also varies depending on your location in Australia, meaning that you should know the weather for the part of the country that you’re travelling to.

Some parts of Australia, for instance, are particularly warm all year round, such as northern Australia which doesn’t see any traditional seasons, but wet and dry spells (confusing even more is the fact that the wet period is actually the warmest). In addition, as the rain that the country sees is mainly on the coast, inland it is particularly arid, as well as being hotter than the areas closer to the sea.

Global Visas are a world leading authority on Australian immigration and Australia visas for individuals and corporate clients, providing the most comprehensive and up-to-date visa and immigration advice available on a move to Australia . Visit GlobalVisas.com for more information.

28
Apr

Thinking Of A Move Abroad? Consider Vancouver, The World’s Most Liveable City

Posted in Destinations  by scottking on April 28th, 2010

According to the Office of National Statistics, 427,000 people left the UK in 2008. The figures are based on people who have emigrated from the country to another, with no intention of returning in the short term.

If you were to speak any number of those 427,000, you would find a mixed bag of responses when asking what their reason for moving was. It is approximated that a substantial amount would be because of job opportunities, whilst a large percentage would also be to live with family and friends. However, whatever the actual reason, there is often an underlying factor of unhappiness in the UK.

Particularly in the country at the moment, it is understandable why people are looking to move elsewhere. The cost of living is particularly high and employment rates are low, which is never a good combination regardless of where you live in the world.

If you are one of these people who are contemplating a move outside of the country but are unsure where to move to, take a look at Vancouver, Canada, as it has once again been voted the world’s most liveable city, according to The Economist’s 2010 list

Each year, The Economist produces a list of the best (and worst) cities in the world to live in. Every city is given a rating out of 100, with the rating depending on a range of different factors such as life expectancy, crime and wealth and Vancouver scored a staggering 98 in 2010. Holding its top spot from 2009, looking at a visa for Canada could be the way to go in general, as two other Canadian countries, Toronto and Calgary, also appeared in the top 5.

Obviously if you are looking to move abroad, you should not simply move to Vancouver because it came top of a liveability list, but looking at what the city actually has to offer makes it suitable for a wide variety of different people.

For example, the climate in the city is very similar to that in the UK, although contrary to what most would believe, it does not get as cold, on average, as the UK. Although some people look for more sun and a more tropical climate than found in the United Kingdom when emigrating, others look for a climate that they are used to and can effectively work in, something that Vancouver provides perfectly.

In addition, whilst over half of the city’s population does not count English as their first language (according to 2006 figures provided by Statistics Canada), the vast majority are bi-lingual at least, meaning that there should be little, if any, language barrier when moving.

A visa for Canada that would allow you to work in Vancouver can be obtained in the same way visas for countries such as Australia are and should you have the necessary skills to qualify for a Federal Skilled Worker visa or can transfer a branch of a business to the country (or start up a new one, under some conditions), you could well be on your way to emigrating from the UK to Vancouver, the world’s most liveable city.

Global Visas are a world leading authority on Canada immigration and Canada visas for private individuals and corporate clients, providing the most comprehensive and up-to-date Canada work visa and visa for Canada advice. Visit GlobalVisas.com for more information.