There is a guide for Americans who want to move to the Great White North. Neither Canada nor the United States allow its citizens to relocate at will. The process of being judged by the Canadian government while moving to Canada can make you feel inadequate.
Everyone else will have to become a permanent resident of Canada before they can become a citizen. Having lived in Canada legally for three of the last five years is one of the requirements for becoming a Canadian citizen.
You won't be able to vote or hold office in Canada, but you will be able to work, study, and enjoy Canada's healthcare system.
Canada has set up an easy to use tool for all kinds of visitors to the country, from tourists popping over for a quick weekend visit to Montreal to wannabe ex-pats looking for a new life You can use the tool to answer questions about who you are, what you're about, and what you want out of Canada.
Canada has a lot of immigration and visa programs, but they don't want old people moving in and making a mess. If you are the kind of person Canada wants, the first thing you need to do is check if you are welcome in Canada.
There isn't a Canadian immigration program for people who are unhappy with American institutions. Canada is interested in people who have something to offer to the country. It's pretty selfish!
If you have family in Canada, are a skilled worker, want to move your company to Canada, are a creative or athletic person, or are a specific kind of caregivers, Canada might want to talk to you. Canada might not return your texts if you want to leave your job and move toVancouver.
The Express Entry program is the most popular way to enter Canada. It is the most likely route to Canada for most Americans. It's the skilled ones. Here is the official occupation list for Canada.
There are three immigration programs in Canada.
If you speak French or English and have enough money to relocate, you could be eligible for Canadian residency. A job offer from a Canadian company is worth a lot of points.
You can create a profile for yourself and submit it to the Canadian government if you think your skills, background, and employment history would make you a good fit for Canada. You can apply to become a Canadian resident if you have enough points. Documentation of your education, employment, and other details are required.
You can see that there are a lot of hoops to jump through. It is not cheap to become a Canadian resident.
It can take six months to become a Canadian citizen through the Express Entry program. There is no guarantee that the system will work within the allotted time.
The Provincial Nominee program is a possibility for American workers or students who want to live in Canada. Different Canadian provinces need different types of workers. It might be easier to move to Labrador as a doctor than to British Columbia as a customer service representative.
It doesn't look good if you don't fit into any of the immigration programs in Canada.
It would be hard for Americans to claim political refugee status in Canada. Canada grants asylum to people who have fled their home countries because of a "well-founded fear of persecution" or because they are in need of protection from torture or other punishment if they return home.
You will have a steep legal hill to climb if you think this applies to you. It seems very unlikely that you will be granted this type of asylum. People who have been forced to flee their country and who would likely be killed, imprisoned, or tortured upon their return are called refugees.
You can cross the border from the United States with an app, but you won't be allowed to stay if you don't have vaccinations.
You are committing a crime if you stay after the six months most Visas give. There are a lot of bad outcomes. You won't be able to get a job in Canada. You wouldn't be able to buy a house and you wouldn't be able to rent a place without doing so. If you're identified by Canadian law enforcement, you'll be sent back to the US. Even for a visit, you will most likely be denied entry into Canada in the future.
There are a lot of unenforced crossing points on the border with Canada. Pack enough food and water for the hike if you are going to go this route.
What would you do after crossing into Canada? What would you be getting if you didn't have a legal basis for being in the country? You couldn't do anything. It was not possible to get any of that sweet universal healthcare. If you could, you would be an illegal person.
You can go to Canada, fall in love, and get married, but you won't be a Canadian citizen. If you have family in Canada, they can sponsor your immigration to the country, and family does include your spouse, but there is still an application process, a waiting period, and the possibility of rejection.
If you marry for the sake of immigration status, you could be accused of fraud. In order to prove their marriages are legit, immigrant couples are required to provide more than just a marriage license. It can include proof of a joint bank account, a joint mortgage, and other formal documents, but it can also include photographs that support your "couplehood," letters from friends and family, and written "relationship narratives" from you and your spouse It will take a lot of manufactured evidence to get married for immigration reasons.