Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I can be pretty biased, and I don't like Canada, but that doesn't mean I disagree with others who think the country is a great country. Everybody has different taste.
This said,
Becoming a permanent Canadian resident “was always harder than many people thought.” Now it’s a lot stricter than it used to be. That’s true whether you want to move to Canada for political reasons, or because you have had trouble finding a job in the United States. Americans who figure that moving to Canada is a fallback may find “that Canada won’t want you,”
This is a four years old article, I posted this because I don't think much has changed.
Quite right.
After the Canadians stop laughing when some moron declares political asylum because he/she doesn't like who became president, they will tell you to reverse course and head south.
After the Canadians stop laughing when some moron declares political asylum because he/she doesn't like who became president, they will tell you to reverse course and head south.
I know that many Americans are having fun with this.......BUT there is a legal path that Canada sets out, for those that are serious about trying to be approved to come to Canada.
First, lets be clear about a few things. American citizens do NOT get any special favours, if they apply for Immigration to Canada. The exact same regulations apply to ALL applicants, from any country.
Education is very important. So is practical working experience, and being financially stable. It shouldn't be surprising that we don't accept applicants that have a felony criminal conviction in their past. All must pass a medical examination at their own expense, conducted by a MD who is approved by the Government of Canada, in your home country.
Work history, personal letters of reference, having enough cash in the bank to support yourself ( and your family ) for a year upon arrival here. That is about $30,000 for a family of two adults and two children. No past bankruptcies, or large debts in the USA.
The ONLY path to becoming a Canadian Citizen is to apply for and be approved as a Permanent Resident.
Being a PR allows you to come to Canada, to live and work, for as long as you want to. BUT it isn't easy to get. Its the hardest of the ways to come here, which also include...Temp Work Permit, with a two year limit...Federal Skilled Worker, also with a time limit, then you go home. Student Visa, you attend a Canadian University, get a degree, and as a reward get a 2 year work visa, then go home. NAFTA Visa, where a US citizen can get a visa to work in Canada, on a company transfer, from their US employer, to the Canadian branch plant or office, again its time limited.
The main advantage that a US applicant has over other applicants is that their education is easier to check, and their past criminal record is easier to check. Having been educated in the English language is also a slight advantage.
So, let talk about the time line.
Application submitted, for a work visa. Time to be approved, can vary from a few weeks to a year, depending on the individual case.
Adult Student Visa to attend a Canadian University ( note that in Canada, a college isn't what it is in the USA ) The student must apply and be accepted by the University and get a letter of acceptance by return mail. PAY the entire cost of the tuition, plus show that they have the funds to be able to support themselves in Canada for the first year of the program. THEN apply to the Government of Canada for a
Student Visa,. Pay the fees, when the visa is issued, come to Canada to begin studies. NOTE that at the end of the course, the student has to go home. Being a student in Canada does not lead to becoming a Immigrant. Time line for a student visa... a year. And there are a limited number of International Student Visas, issued each year in Canada, about 135,000. US students are not eligible for Canadian scholarships, and no Canadian University offers any type of sport scholarship, to any one. University is for education, not sport.
Now for the good news, compared to US University costs, Canada is a bargain, with annual costs of about $6000 CDN per year. With the current exchange rate that equals about $4500 a year in US dollars. Check it out.
Permanent Resident. Time line, one to two years, to be approved. IF you get PR , you have 12 months to actually move to Canada. Upon arrival in Canada, you start your work search. Once employed, you work and contribute to our society for a minimum of four years, THEN apply for the opportunity to become a Citizen. The application and security vetting process will take up to two years. Once all is in place, you will get a notice to attend a Citizenship Court ceremony , to be sworn in as a Canadian Citizen. Total time line..... 7 to 8 years from the first date of application for PR status. We don't give it away, you must earn it. Canadian Citizenship is for life.
Now, that was just a thumbnail sketch of the process, it is more complicated than what I wrote. I just gave the short version of the types of visas and permits. One further point........Becoming a Canadian Citizen does NOT in any way, affect your US citizenship. Both countries allow dual citizenship. About one million US citizens live and work in Canada now.
Here is the main Government of Canada Immigration information website. READ it and save it on your computer, for future reference. PLEASE remember that the applications and forms are designed to be completed by the applicant, themselves. You DO NOT need to hire a lawyer. The Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Ministry says that right in their own website. Hiring a lawyer will NOT get you any faster approval. Every application is processed in the order in which it is received at the processing centre. Canada has Consulate Offices in various US cities, each one has a 1 800 phone number that you can call for advice and to get application forms mailed to you.
Looks like people are really starting to get scared. I might run this search myself if another candidate happens to win.
Why Canada? Apparently, the Trump Haters love our neighbors to the south so much that they think it's racist to even discuss having some sort of check at that border. If they think living among Mexicans is so great, head south. It'll be easy, but they'll have to move fast.
Why should Americans leave OUR country if Herr Trumpf wins? He's the person who thinks it's not a great country. He's the guy who is trying to buy and bully his way into the Oval Office by throwing one temper tantrum after another.
And if he should complain....I say stay just to **** him off.
After the Canadians stop laughing when some moron declares political asylum because he/she doesn't like who became president, they will tell you to reverse course and head south.
It isn't even theoretical, a bunch of soldiers from the US who voluntarily enlisted applied for asylum to avoid deployment when the Iraq war kicked off. They were deported, and indeed Canada has a policy of not accepting refugee claims by people from a list of safe countries, which the US is on. Canada would certainly be considered by most Americans to have a political culture that is liberal, but that doesn't mean that it is a country of American Democrats, the context is different and some policies are almost unanimously accepted, such as strong enforcement of all immigration laws when it comes to illegal immigrants, that would be considered more of a Republican stance.
Hey, there might not be a huge migration to Canuckia, after all. Hillary might lose.
If you knew anything about Canadia, you'd know we prefer Canuckistan. That or America's Hat.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
