Some Americans may be motivated to relocate to Canada

Many kinds of legal immigration to Canada may provide grounds for U.S. persons to enter.

With the 2024 U.S. election in the rearview mirror, some concerned Americans are seeking information about whether they might be able to move north over the border. The divisions in U.S. society are currently deep and increasingly strident. All of this at a time when climate change is wreaking havoc on large swaths of the country, gun violence is becoming routine and extremism more commonplace.

It is no surprise that many question whether a move northward would be smart, depending on many factors – their place of residence, personal or political beliefs, associations, economic status, or professional or vocational circumstances. Some may feel vulnerable to the rise in acceptance of targeting Americans for their race, political activity, country of origin, religion, LGTBQ status or gender.

Recent patterns

In the recent past, Americans have been a relatively small portion of new immigrants. Since 2015, almost 89,000 U.S. citizens became permanent residents here, reports CTVNews.ca citing Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This is just short of 3% of total new permanent residents during that time span.

Increasingly and motivated by a variety of factors, some in the U.S. may want to understand their options for temporary or permanent immigration to Canada.

Potential Canadian immigration options for Americans

An experienced and knowledgeable Canadian immigration lawyer can analyze the circumstances of U.S. individuals and families to determine what kinds of programs may be available, such as:

• Visa: Seek a visitor visa (also called a temporary resident visa), which is usually for six months with possible extension with a visitor record, or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA).
• Work or study permit: Check availability of an employer-specific work permit, open work permit, study permit or any of several other specialized permits.
• Citizenship: An American may have citizenship already on a variety of bases such as having been born here, having parents who are citizens (aspects of citizenship by descent are currently under court review) or in other ways. If a person gave up Canadian citizenship, they may be able to resume that status.
• Express Entry: Applicants for permanent residence who are skilled workers can submit profiles used to rank them based on a points system. High-scoring candidates may be invited to apply for resettlement in Canada on this basis. Invitations may be for federal skilled worker or trades programs or Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs).
• Start-up business: S. entrepreneurs may apply for permanent residence based on opening a qualifying business in Canada.
• Family sponsorship: Americans with immediate family or partners who are citizens or permanent residents in Canada may qualify to be sponsored to immigrate.
• Super visa: Americans with children or grandchildren in Canada may be able to visit them for extended periods.
• CUSMA: The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (the renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA) allows Canadian work permits – potentially renewable – for many kinds of professionals.
• Permanent residence: The government sets yearly goals for the number of permanent residents it accepts. After sufficient time in Canada as well as meeting other requirements, a permanent resident may become eligible for grant citizenship based on physical presence.
• LMIA: S. workers with unique skills may qualify for work permits through the Labour Market Impact Assessment program. Once an American worker has a job offer, the Canadian employer applies for a positive LMIA (confirmation letter) if a Canadian permanent resident or citizen is not able to perform the job duties.
• French proficiency: Americans with French-language skills may qualify for certain programs. In addition, Quebec has its own immigration control with French requirements.
• And others

Every person seeking temporary or permanent entry into Canada has unique circumstances. A Canadian immigration lawyer can assist with providing information and guidance as well as well as with paperwork completion and adherence to filing deadlines. Depending on an individual’s goals, time may be of the essence when filing an application for immigration because of government backlogs in processing.