New Zealand and Canada share more DNA than most people realise. One of them has affordable housing.
Auckland median house: $1.1M NZD. Montreal median: $550K CAD. One city also has ski resorts 90 minutes from downtown and a summer that genuinely surprises people.
Canada is New Zealand's number one relocation destination outside the Pacific. That number grows every year.
Why Canada. For New Zealand.
Three things that change when you get here.
Housing costs that do not break you
Montreal 1-bed median: $1,600/mo CAD. Auckland equivalent: $2,800+ NZD. The gap between income and cost of living here is something New Zealanders genuinely find emotional when they first arrive.
Wilderness on the same scale as home
Quebec's national parks, the Laurentians, Mont-Tremblant. New Zealanders do not have to compromise on access to the outdoors. If anything, the skiing is better.
A PR pathway that actually moves
Express Entry processes permanent residency applications in roughly 6 months after invitation. Work 12 months in a skilled role, enter the pool, and you are in the system. Most New Zealanders we work with have PR confirmed within 3 to 4 years of arriving.
The roadmap
Working Holiday to Permanent Residency.
3 to 4 years. Realistic. Proven.
The IEC is not a gap year. It is the first chapter of a permanent life in Canada. Every step below builds directly on the last.
IEC Working Holiday permit
Open work permit for 24 months. Eligible for New Zealand nationals aged 18-35. Work for any employer, anywhere in Canada. No job offer needed.
We prepare and verify your application. Most clients receive their permit within 4 to 8 weeks of the invitation.
Arrive, settle, and work in your field
Montreal gives you a bilingual city with a lower cost of living. Toronto gives you sheer volume of English-speaking roles. Both work. You build Canadian experience in your profession from day one.
We advise on neighbourhoods, healthcare cover (RAMQ), and professional licensing where applicable.
12 months of skilled Canadian work experience
After 12 months in a skilled occupation (NOC TEER 0 to 3), you are eligible for the Canadian Experience Class. This is the Express Entry stream with the shortest processing time.
English speakers receive CRS bonus points. Bilingual English-French speakers receive significantly more.
Express Entry pool · Invitation to Apply
IRCC runs draws from the pool every two weeks. Once invited, you have 60 days to submit your full permanent residency application.
Average ITA-to-decision: 6 months. You remain in Canada and keep working throughout.
Permanent Residency confirmed
PR card in hand. Live and work anywhere in Canada indefinitely. After 3 years of physical presence in a 5-year window, you can apply for citizenship.
This is the goal. We celebrate every single one of these with our clients.
Why Montreal
More English than you think.
More affordable than anywhere you have lived.
Montreal is a French-speaking city, but 65% of companies do business in English. Tech, finance, and the startup sector run predominantly in English. You will not struggle.
Learning French boosts your Express Entry score, expands your options, and deepens your life here. It is a competitive advantage, not a barrier.
SOS Hub Canada
Here is what we actually do for you.
A Montreal-based relocation and settlement firm. Our MIFI-recognised consultant manages everything from eligibility to PR strategy, in English.
Questions from New Zealand.
The ones we actually get asked, with honest answers.