Six Important Differences Between the USA and Canada
Canada and the USA are two of the most popular countries to move to, particularly for the British – the former accepts around half a million migrants every year, and the latter one million (although the overall population is much bigger in America).
Here The Moving Partnership, who provide international removals to Canada and America, take a look at some of the key differences between the two neighbouring countries if you are considering moving to either of them.
The English Influence
The English influence, following the colonisation of both countries, remains much stronger in Canada than the US – the former was part of the British Empire and is part of the Commonwealth today. The US, of course, famously waged a war of independence against the British (which they won) in the 18th Century.
In terms of the English language – Canadian English takes after the English language in several common phrases, using petrol stations rather than the American gas stations and referring to flats rather than apartments. There are also further similarities, when it comes to Canadian and British English, in terms of spelling; in many words where American English drops the ‘u’, such as ‘color’, Canadians spell it as ‘colour’, as the British would.
In terms of character, Canadians believe they are more reserved than their American counterparts, who they dub ‘noisy neighbours’.
The Migration System
If you are considering international removals to America, then it will be much harder to emigrate there compared to Canada.
The latter runs a fast-track entry scheme which is called the Express Entry System, which is points-based and is designed to attract skilled foreign workers. There are also schemes in individual provinces, and it’s relatively easy for foreign students to stay on after they have finished their courses.
In America, a green card (a piece of documentation entitling you to permanent residency) is a very prized possession; your best route to one of these is via a family connection. Otherwise, your best bet is to have an employer lined up who is willing to sponsor you through the whole lengthy immigration process.
This is all reflected in the overall figures – last year Canada admitted around 230,000 economic migrants, and the USA only 60,000.
The Welfare…
Canada offers free universal healthcare for permanent residents and citizens, regardless of your employment status. There is no such system in the USA – simply put, all healthcare has to be paid for.
Most of this is done through employer insurance, although there are state-funded plans such as Medicare and Medicaid.
Unemployment benefits in the US are paid/administered on a state-by-state basis, while the Canadian equivalent is a national, insurance-based scheme.
However, one benefit of this system in the US is that taxes are generally lower, and take-home net pay higher compared to Canada.
…and the Work
When it comes to holidays and paid leave entitlement, in Canada there is a sliding scale of entitlement for employment leave – usually two weeks of paid leave after you have been with the company for a year, three weeks after you’ve been with them for five years, and four weeks after 10 years’ service (this can vary slightly from province to province).
In the USA, there is no federal or national stipulation – it’s all down to the individual employer how much paid leave they offer. In reality, this may not differ much from the Canadian model (and many US businesses operate a similar sliding scale based on years of service).
The Public Holidays
There are quite a few variations when it comes to public holidays as well – while Christmas, New Year and Easter are celebrated as they are in the UK, the following are only celebrated in America:
- Martin Luther King Day in January (after the famous civil rights leader)
- President’s Day in February (originally to commemorate George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, but since extended to all presidents)
- Independence Day on July 4th
- And Columbus Day in October (to celebrate the explorer’s arrival in the continent in 1492).
In Canada these holidays are celebrated:
- Victoria Day in May (originally to mark Queen Victoria’s birthday, but now to recognise the Canadian monarch’s official birthday)
- Canada Day on July 1st (to mark the day the country became a dominion independent of the USA in 1857)
- August 1st is also a civic holiday to mark the end of slavery in the British Empire in the 1830s
The Sport and Leisure
What do people like to do with their free time in the US and Canada?
In Canada, ice hockey is the undisputed No. 1 sport, with most people either playing it or watching it.
The sport is popular in the USA but doesn’t dominate the culture in the same way – it has to compete with baseball, American football and basketball. Despite this, it’s been 30 years since a Canadian team won the National Hockey League (NHL) championship!
Canadians are also more into other winter sports such as skiing.
International Removals to Canada and the USA with The Moving Partnership
Whichever country you opt to move to, The Moving Partnership will be able to help you – we can offer competitively priced removals quotes for both countries.
In both cases we can offer a dedicated shipping service, where you have exclusive use of your own container, or a part-load/groupage service which will be shared with other consignments. Smaller or valuable items can be sent via airfreight.
For more information about our removals to Canada, click here; and for our removals to America, follow this link.
- All information correct at the time of writing.
