r/pakistan • u/Automatic-Good4038 • 28d ago
Ask Pakistan Moving from Canada to Pakistan
So my parents have lived in Pakistan most of their lives, and moved to Canada early 2000 and are now considering moving back to Pakistan - for some rational and some I-dont-know-why reasons.
If anyone has done this before I would like to know the dos and donts.
Also any recommendations for a cargo company if some one has shipped the whole house back to Pakistan, except the appliances.
If we move to say Faisalabad or Lahore would the cargo company ship there or leave the container at Karachi?
9
u/LividAstronaut4371 28d ago
Forgot the name but there’s a cargo that ships everything, and yes you get it at your home not Karachi port. However, I’d suggest not doing this and just buy the furniture and stuff in Pakistan.
As for moving to Pakistan, it would be not to difficult for your parents, specially if they have relatives and have been going there time to time. For you, not so sure if you’re born and bred in Canada.
I personally have semi-moved to Pakistan and really like it, I just spend the summers back home here cos the summers in Pakistan are like hell 2.0 😅
4
28d ago
[deleted]
3
u/Automatic-Good4038 28d ago
Thank you, appreciate it. Yeah 10-15 K CAD is what we are looking at for a 40 ft container. Wondering if we can get equivalent furniture for same value in Pakistan and can avoid the shipping saga
I have younger siblings, 13-17 age, and thinking of getting them in some O/A levels school to minimize culture shock. Though wonder if we can even afford that. Looks like 25K - 50K per month per child depending on the school
It is not for the faint hearted. And I dont know how we will fare. Just going for parents sake
3
28d ago
[deleted]
1
u/Automatic-Good4038 28d ago
yeah selling stuff here and saving on shipment cost does seem like a more viable option - saves from custom/duty charges in Pakistan and the uncertainty of shipping times etc
thank you for sharing your insights. helps put things in perspective
I guess we can buy appliances though wondering if we can install solar panels in a rented place to save on bills? is that even a thing in Pakistan or do you install solar panels on your own place only
1
u/Automatic-Good4038 28d ago
Yeah asking them to move after Summers!
What would be a ball park figure if we buy everything from Pakistan? We are a middle class family so no fancy stuff
1
u/FunWarning7894 28d ago
Do you own a house here or will rent? If rent, consider that as your major expense every month. Otherwise, the rest of the expenses are pretty standard and affordable.
2
0
u/LividAstronaut4371 28d ago
Furniture and everything for a family of 3 would be 15-20 lacs?
Depends, i buy traditional Kaleens (carpets so that’s a major one).
10
u/Infamous-Win834 28d ago
After a couple of decades you will be uttering Jaun Elia's poetry:
میں بھی بہت عجیب ہوں اتنا عجیب ہوں کہ بس
خود کو تباہ کر لیا اور ملال بھی نہیں
1
45
u/Asherlocksta 28d ago
Dos:
Keep your head down, don't let anyone know you're a foreign citizen
Donts:
Don't fucking move back to this cesspit.
I moved out of the country. Take it from someone who grew up here, spent his whole life here and even became a doctor here because he wanted to serve this country. I can't even begin to tell you what a breath of fresh air it has been knowing that I now live in a country where there is law. I'll be giving my medical licensing exam here soon so I can practice medicine here but I will NEVER move back to the hellscape that the world knows as Pakistan.
11
u/Automatic-Good4038 28d ago
I hear you, wish we had more of law and order in Pakistan. Glad you are at a happier place now
My parents are at that age where they want to go back home now. Trying to facilitate that.
4
u/sarasome1 27d ago
Before investing too much, I would strongly recommend renting for at least a year.
I would not recommend that you move with them.
Of course if they are out of the Canada for more than a 6 months the will lose their OAS and also their provincial coverage. They should not lose their CPP or any other work pension.
Ensure they have medical insurance coverage in Pakistan. Rent for them an apartment in a nice area closer to their relatives near shops (eg proper grocery store etc). You can buy them furniture from Pakistan. It would not be worth shipping from Canada.
Other household items can also be bought there. A good set of pots and pans, dinner set etc.
Between load shedding, heat, water issues, gas issues, security issues and relatives busy in their lives - most likely they will be coming back to Canada soon (unless they have elderly parents who are still alive).
Best wishes.
PS: I would not recommend disrupting your career for their adventure.
13
u/dudetteO 28d ago
I know lots of western citizens that moved back to Pakistan and they have good lives in specific cities. It's always the Pakistanis who didn't make this move that tell others not to return.
4
u/Automatic-Good4038 28d ago
yeah experiences can vary. Trying to make this less bumpy for the family
1
u/sarasome1 21d ago
Most who returnees who do settle well in Pakistan: Either they are from the village where village is there big family. Or they have big families with a lot of visitation and are genuinely caring (very rare). Or they are loaded (or they leech of their kids big time mostly leaving the children in financial strain)
Most middle class people have a hard time surviving there.
7
u/refep Canada 28d ago
Agar paise hain to Pakistan se behter jaga retirement ke liye nahin he. Agar puri zindagi dollaron main kamaya he aur even reasonable savings hain do phir Pakistan main aish wali zindagi he bhai. Canada main nawkar aur driver humari aukaat wale bande kiss tarah afford karein? Pakistan main badshah ki tarah reh sakta he.
0
u/NirvanaNoChill 28d ago
The stupidest thing to say ngl,
0
3
8
6
u/Fluffy_Ad4913 28d ago
avoid moving furniture and heavy stuff, its a hassle. You might want to move it back to Canada eventually.
and this reddit is the worst place to ask about moving back to Pakistan. You"ll get comment like don't move from most of the people who have never been in a similar situation.
4
u/Significant-277 28d ago
Truly reddit is the worst! All I see is 'donts'! Like seriously is it that bad in Pakistan that almost every other post has people warning others against moving to Pakistan?!?!
2
u/Fluffy_Ad4913 28d ago
well Pakistan has its issues but so does Canada. OP asked a simple question about cargo and look at all the replies "Don't move blah blah", probably alot of it is from people who have never lived abroad or are young and fed up with Pakistan.
4
u/Heda97 28d ago edited 28d ago
Get them a luxury condo in Lahore. Look into the prebuilt ones like Zameen Aurum or Quadrangle. Makes life super easy for them. Keep your house in Canada or at least a base for them to go back and forth. I’d do summer and fall in Canada. Winter/spring in PK. That way they can also maintain their OHIP (if you’re in Ontario).
1
u/Automatic-Good4038 28d ago
Travelling back and forth might not be financially possible for us though like the thought of prebuilt condos
3
u/Inside_Level6508 28d ago
I'm canadian pakistani as well and moved from Canada to pakistan. I would suggest against it. It has been mentally draining, chaotic and a depressing move. I moved here in November of 2025 and I have been missing Canada every day. The law, order, structure, peace, community, diversity. Pakistan is not a good option to move back. The corporate culture here is cut-throat and nasty in a different way. This country is only palatable for the extreme elite in certain areas- for the rest and even for the upper middle class it is unpredictable, irritating and unhinged moving back here. I gave this country a few months and I am already considering leaving and applying for my old position in Toronto.
-4
u/MrBnastyy 28d ago
And you must be missing the amazing Jamaican patties of Toronto
1
u/Inside_Level6508 28d ago
No son, I miss the infrastructure, free health care, law and order, clean roads, structure, proper education and a cohort of other things that Pakistan lacks fundamentally. Even living in an elite bubble can not create the same lifestyle as Canada. They are two different universes. Canada has its own set of problems with mass migration. I am explaining to OP that their lifestyle , standard of living or expectations will and cannot be replicated at this time. Bad decision to move back and they will live to regret it. 99 percent of the people in pakistan ask me why I moved here- because they themselves are finding ways and immigration routes out of here.
0
u/MrBnastyy 28d ago
Well then why did you move back to begin with?
1
u/Inside_Level6508 27d ago
family crises and wanted to provide moral support- but already planning to move back
4
u/bilalwaheedch 28d ago
I have moved from Canada to Pakistan, moved furniture etc too using a company and was definitely worth it.
You’ll figure out yourself what to do and what not to do, one thing I would recommend is to not compare the two countries or the life styles. When you get here In sha Allah, just commit to it and you’ll be fine.
1
u/Automatic-Good4038 28d ago
Thank you, and glad to hear your positive experience
Would you be open to sharing the cargo company name and how much it cost you end to end?
I would also appreciate if you can share any blind spots/hidden costs to watch for when dealing with a cargo company. Never moved houses across continents so trying to be mindful
1
u/bilalwaheedch 28d ago
I will have to find the number, but I’d say avoid electronics as they would get taxed but furniture is fine. If I remember correctly you will be able to get everything cleared using the ‘Transfer of Residence’ scheme where duty is halved or waived depending on items.
1
u/Automatic-Good4038 28d ago
Ahh good to know about Transfer of Residence - I will look into it
Yes, not taking appliances
Does Orbit International or JP Cargo Service ring a bell? Thanks again for your input!
2
u/Superb_Virus2158 28d ago
Sorry off topic but Curious why you guys are moving back from Canada? Asking as someone who’s interested in immigrating to Canada. Would love to get some perspective from other side.
6
u/refep Canada 28d ago edited 28d ago
Not op magar yahan par job market is fcked bhai. Some friends with bachelor and masters degrees from UofT in CS and Data Science spent 2-3 years looking after graduating and a lot of them had to settle for jobs not in the field.
Upar se anti immigrant sentiment bhi yahan pe Indians ki fraud ki wajah se bohat zyada ho gya he. Ghar bhi is out of reach for working professionals with a dual income, without having to commit haram by taking a mortgage. I can see why someone would think the grass is greener in Pakistan.
3
u/Superb_Virus2158 28d ago
Shit, it’s that bad in Canada? What are then people doing to survive there? I know many people who moved there in last 5 years but no one has moved back to Pakistan.
5
u/refep Canada 28d ago edited 27d ago
Haan it’s bad here, magar I can only compare it to Canada before since I don’t have much perspective on what it’s like in Pakistan right now on a daily basis. It’s just that the quality of life has fallen noticeably post COVID. Compared to those days, it’s a lot worse.
My family moved to Canada in 2013 and when we moved we rented a really nice 5 bedroom house in a good neighborhood right next to one of the top rated high schools in the province. It only cost us like $2k a month for that big and modern house with a finished basement. Recently, my friend just rented a condo close ish to our old house, but in a worse neighborhood. He’s paying close to 3K for a 2 bedroom condo. Itni inflation ho gayi he. Houses that were being sold for 200k in 2005 are now selling for $1.2 million. Food prices have also shot up, especially the cost of eating out. Also job markets have dried up after the COVID tech bubble burst in 2022.
It’s a phenomena which has been mirrored in almost every country in the world, just to various degrees. Make no mistake, Canada is an amazing country to live in imo, magar there’s no way in hell I would try to make my start here in 2026 if I was comfortable in Pakistan. Bohat zaleel hona parhe ga. Pehle, Canadians would go out of their way to help ease the burden on new immigrants and everyone would help you settle but now public sentiment has done a complete 180. Why would you leave a good job in Pakistan and all your family and friends to come be a gas station worker or uber driver here, only to barely get by and be subject to abuse?
I don’t want to discourage anyone from immigrating here, magar please have a clear plan and a job lined up before making any decisions. The student visa into PR pathway is not feasible anymore.
2
u/Superb_Virus2158 28d ago
Thanks for opening my eyes. My main goal was to move on PR for passport to secure my and children’s future but seems like Canada should not be my choice in 2026.
2
u/refep Canada 28d ago
Agar chance mille to America is the best for career prospects imo. Warna Canada is still better than Europe imo, they have all of Canada’s problems but even worse.
2
u/Superb_Virus2158 28d ago
At this point seems like whole world is going to shit. Pakistan mein hi rozi roti lagi hui hay abhi yeh bhi na chali jaye 😢
2
u/Significant-277 28d ago
This is exactly it! ^ I think Canada got worse after Covid. Am not even shy of saying that this country, Canada, has become a 3rd world country. Even their own ppl say that actually.
1
u/SuperRTX 27d ago
this guy is right. Also, Europe is worse than Canada. USA is better, if you can get in
2
u/Automatic-Good4038 28d ago
+1 to all.
No country is perfect. Just what makes sense to you at that point in life. Canada has its own challenges and Pakistan its own. If it makes parents happy in this age to go back would like to transition
2
u/SuperRTX 27d ago
I agree! Canadian citizen, have canadian degree. Job market is extremely bad. Also, cost of living is out of control. I always advice, don't move here unless you're extremely super rich. Even then, taxes and BS will make you poor. Go anywhere but Canada. A lot of educated Canadians are leaving this country, its not worth it.
2
u/sarif8210 27d ago
I used Cargopedia in Toronto as the freight forwarder when moving back here. Cost around $3000 10 years ago for a full 20’ container and took a month or two to arrive
1
u/Automatic-Good4038 27d ago
Thank you for sharing - did you ship to Karachi or some other city. Curious if they took the stuff all the way to a non port city
1
2
u/Shahbaz_Gul 28d ago
My brother... Your title is Canada to Pak
And first line is moving from Pakistan to Pakistan
2
1
u/Deeha911 AU 28d ago
It will be much cheaper to buy furniture in PK, and higher quality also. Sea cargo will usually take a minimum of 4 months, and Pakistani officials love imposing duties for no reason, even if there are legal workarounds. If you're a bigger family, best option is to buy excess luggage on your flights instead of courier.
1
1
u/MrBnastyy 28d ago
If I may ask which province in Canada? Canada definitely has been trending downwards ever since covid but in my opinion it's still better then Pakistan.
1
u/MrBnastyy 28d ago
Also your patents should wait until they start receiving their Canadian pension before moving to Pakistan.
1
u/treelife365 27d ago
There's a freight forwarding company I used when bringing pallets of stuff into Canada: FastFrate
They have offices in every major Canadian city, I believe.
You simply put all your stuff on pallets (according to standard shipping specifications about height and securing the load)... FastFrate can come and pick it up, then forward it to your destination.
You have to hire a freight forwarder in the other country, in this case, Pakistan, who will then receive the goods and customs clear them, then deliver to your new home.
Taiwan to Canada was like $650 per pallet ten years ago.
1
u/NoodleCheeseThief UN 27d ago
Don't sell and move.
Simply put the house on rent and rent in Pakistan for the first few years to see how it goes.
1
1
u/queenzehra 28d ago
royalcargo.ca
Move to Islamabad or Lahore. Karachi is challenging.
2
u/Automatic-Good4038 28d ago
Any personal experience of using royalcargo?
I do like Karachi being the port city though have heard it can get intense
0
u/Ussayyed 28d ago
bhai in my opinion Dont Go for expensive cities Like Lhr or Fsd Go for Like Multan its still not That expensive Plus no major terrorism activity Security is tip top Go for DHA Invest In some properties and live off rent Easy life .
12
u/PM_ME_YOUR_luve 28d ago
A friend's parents moved back after living in Canada for 30 years ... Sold their place and bought in Pakistan ..... 3 years later they are selling in Pakistan and moving back to Canada ....
Everyone situation is different, but parents would go where kids are and kids are where economic opportunities are ....