I have posted in a couple other areas, but to avoid confusion and hijacking someone else's thread, here's my story. My spouse and I are US citizens and are moving to Fredericton, NB in a couple months for her first job in academia. I think I have wrapped my head around the tax implications and I am starting to understand more about the healthcare system. I work in healthcare in the states and make a good salary but have been striking out in Canada, as my career doesn't exist there in the same capacity. I have been saving 50% of our income for the last few years to have the flexibility to get out of this field if I want or go part time, but that day has been moved up by about 10 years because of a lack of job market. I will have residency along with my spouse, so I could get any old job, but ultimately will likely either commute to the states a few days per week to continue my job part time (and still make pretty decent money, but miss out on family time), give it some time and see what comes up or seriously look into starting my own business. I am hoping people can help with some questions I have as I have not been able to find answers and I am a person who needs to have accurate numbers on the spreadsheet...
1. What does starting side hustle in Canada (Etsy selling or health and wellness consultant are the options) look like? Any different in terms of start up capital or LLC, etc formation that is necessary?
2. Do people who live in Canada usually buy a cheap supplemental health insurance plan when they come to the US to cover any accidents? We may come to visit family for upwards of two months out of the year and there is a good chance our supplemental coverage won't extend that far (we are waiting for the answer).
3. Any good recommendations for cell phone plans that would allow us to call the US without high fees? I have looked at Google Fi and that seems to be the most practical, but still isn't designed for exactly what we're looking for. I realize this may be asking too much and Google talk or Skype may be the more practical options for weekly chats with family.
4. I guess this is more of a cultural question, and I apologize ahead of time if it comes across as ignorant. There are so many volunteer opportunities in the Fredericton area that I am excited about getting involved in. The idealistic part of me says that if I start meeting people in the community, I will find a job that I enjoy or can volunteer in medicine to keep my license active. The pessimistic/realistic part of me says that I have sent my resume to multiple health care facilities and no one wants to hire me, despite my experience. My question is, what is the job market or economy in Canada (perhaps Fredericton, NB to be more accurate) like and is it a possibility of finding a job that I find fulfilling at a cutting edge organization or is the economy based more on traditional jobs and career paths? I hope that makes sense.
Obviously, I would love to hear from anyone with knowledge of Fredericton. Despite the financial stress, we are very excited about the move!