One of the questions we received the most is “How much does it cost to move to Canada?” This is a complex question as the cost to move to Canada is based on the Canadian immigration program that you apply under.
In this article, we will go over the different costs to move to Canada based on two of Canada’s most popular Canadian immigration programs: the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Federal Skilled Worker (FSW), which are submitted through the Express Entry system.
When looking at the true cost of moving to Canada, there are two stages of costs to examine:
- The first stage is the costs of the immigration application process. This includes all costs involved with obtaining your applicable visa.
- The second stage is the costs pertaining to the actual move.
How Much is the Application Process?
When looking at the costs of the first stage, if you were immigrating to Canada through the Canadian Experience Class or as a Federal Skilled Worker, your average costs for a family of four would be as follows:
| Applicable Government / Third-Party Fee | Applicable Fees Due for a Family of Four |
|---|---|
| Government Application fees | ~ $3,360 |
| Language testing | ~ $700 |
| Having foreign degrees assessed | ~ $545 |
| Criminal background check | ~ $50 |
| Medical examinations | ~ $860 |
| Passport transmission fees | ~ $80 |
| Total Costs | ~ $5,595 |
If you are applying as a Federal Skilled Worker, or Federal Skilled Tradesperson (unless you’re already authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer), you are also going to have to have the required amount of settlement funds available in addition to the above amount.
Settlement funds
Settlement funds are based on family size, and need to be liquid, readily available and unencumbered by debts. Even if your dependents (spouse and dependent children) will not be accompanying you, you need to have enough settlement funds for your family size, including them.
Check our article: Proof of Funds: What You Need to Know for Canadian Immigration, for the updated amount of the current year. At Moving2Canada, we update this list every year, since the amount of funds increases year over year.
Remember, your settlement funds are not a fee you have to pay for immigration. Rather, these are funds you keep and can use to settle into your new life in Canada.
Let’s move onto costs for stage two: the move.
How much does it cost to move to Canada?
If you are immigrating to Canada from overseas, your average moving costs for a family of four would be as follows:
| Applicable Moving Expense | Cost |
|---|---|
| Moving household goods of a four bedroom home (20 – 40 foot container) | ~ $10,000 |
| Medical insurance for a family of four for 90 days before going onto government medical | ~ $1,000 |
| Airline tickets (varies depending on month of travel | ~ $6,000 |
| Total Costs | ~ $17,000 |
For some people, it may be cheaper to sell their household goods and to buy new goods in Canada.
Please note, the table above outlines costs for the relocation and does not include your day-to-day expenses after arrival in Canada. Depending on which part of Canada you are moving to, your actual day-to-day costs may be more, less, or the same as your day-to-day expenses in your home country. This will, of course, depend on the comparative costs of things such as rent/mortgage payments, cell phones, internet, car payments, petrol, groceries and so forth.
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