How to Move to Canada for Americans

Canada is a beautiful country that has a lot to offer from its sparkling lakes, vibrant peaks and vast woodlands to its economic strength, safe environment, and multicultural atmosphere. 

If you are currently exploring the option of moving to Canada from the USA, there are many immigration avenues available. 

It is not always a simple matter for an American to move to Canada. If you're wanting to start a new journey for permanent residence and perhaps eventual citizenship in Canada, our friendly and trusted team of experts is here to help make that happen. Please keep reading to find the immigration option that best fits your situation and don’t hesitate to book a consultation with our experienced team. With 16+ years in the Canadian immigration business and thousands of successful clients, you can relax and let our experts handle this transition for you.

In this article, we break down some of the major immigration options for American citizens who want to move to Canada. Although each specific situation will need personalized advice, we discuss the general categories that can be used as a starting point to answer the question – “I’m American – how can I move to Canada?”

Can a US Citizen just move to Canada?

American citizens who are hoping to move to Canada are often surprised to learn that it’s not guaranteed to be a quick or easy process. The requirements for immigration to Canada are quite high for all foreign nationals, even for US Citizens. The reality is that all non-Canadians are subject to the same rules for immigration; there is no special pathway or loosening of the categories for Americans seeking permanent residence.

Here are the scenarios where you are most likely to be successful in moving to Canada permanently:

1. You have a job offer to work for a company based in Canada
2. You qualify from the Express Entry pool, meaning you most likely:
3. are less than 30 years old
4. have advanced degrees
5. have at least 3 years work experience
6. You are married to a Canadian Citizen
7. You have at least one parent who was a Canadian Citizen
8. You are planning to attend post-secondary studies in Canada
   

Let’s expand on each of these scenarios a bit, so that you understand the options available to you.

Can I legally work in Canada as a US Citizen?

If you have a valid job offer for a Canadian-based company, you have a few options for moving to Canada from US. The fastest route will likely be to apply for a temporary work permit, which allows you to start your new job as soon as possible and then sort out your options for permanent residency later once you have started your new job. In the meantime, you are living in Canada temporarily with a long term plan, and your spouse and children should be able to accompany you if you are a skilled worker.

In most cases, an American citizen who is eligible for a work permit for Canada can apply at a Canadian border to enter Canada as a worker, assuming they can prove they meet the criteria for the category of work permit being applied for. After working in Canada for at least one year, Temporary foreign workers can also earn points for Canadian work experience that help qualify for permanent residence under Express Entry.

Types of work permits 

A work permit for an American could be one of the following:

1. An LMIA-based work permit - this path using the Labor Market Impact Assessment requires the employer to show there are no Canadians or permanent residents available for the job
2. An LMIA-exempt work permit: - of which there are several types:

• based on the USMCA free-trade agreement 
• as an intercompany transferee transferred to Canada from the US branch of the company
• as a Provincial Nominee (meeting a program of a particular province)
• as a young person with an International Exchange (IEC) work permit
• as a high tech worker under the start-up visa program, or
• your work in Canada will bring significant benefit to Canada.

Immigrating through Express Entry

Express Entry is the pathway that most foreign nationals wishing to immigrate to Canada will need to qualify under. In order to be granted permanent residence through Express Entry, you will require a majority of the following criteria:

• are less than 30 years old
• have advanced education (2 or more post-secondary degrees, Masters or PhD)
• are a skilled worker with at least 3 years employment history
• have very high language ability in English or French, or both

If you are successful in meeting the eligibility requirements for the Express Entry system, you can expect that your application for Canadian Permanent Residence will take between 5-9 months to process. Once approved, you can move to any province of Canada (except Quebec as Quebec has its own programs) and start working or studying without restriction.

If you do have French skills, it may be worth knowing Quebec is not the only French speaking province in Canada. The Express Entry system awards extra points if you have French language ability and wish to settle outside Quebec.

US Citizen married to a Canadian Citizen? 

If you are a US Citizen who is married to a Canadian, there are options for your Canadian spouse or common-law partner to sponsor you for Permanent Residence in Canada. Note that Canada does not have any option to sponsor a fiance. You must either be legally married or meet the definition of common-law partners – meaning you have lived together in a marriage-like relationship for a minimum of 12 months.

A spouse or common law partner sponsorship is likely to take 6-9 months from start to finish. Once your application is approved, then both of you will be able to move to Canada and the US Citizen will be allowed to work, study and travel freely.

American with one Canadian parent

If you are an American citizen with one Canadian parent, and were born before 2009, there is a good chance you actually have Canadian citizenship yourself and you just need to apply for proof of your status. Once you receive proof (called a Certificate of Citizenship) that you have been Canadian your entire life, you are eligible to sponsor your immediate family members to immigrate to Canada – including your spouse or common law partner plus any children who are under the age of 22 and still single. This entire process might take a couple of years, so you need to plan ahead for your move to Canada. 

Other family ties in Canada

Having other relatives in Canada can sometimes provide a path to permanent residence for some people, although quite rarely. Some provincial programs give points for close relatives, among multiple other criteria. There is a family sponsorship program for parents and grandparents — if you have an adult child or grandchild living in Canada as a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, they can enter the sponsorship lottery held each year, and if selected to sponsor, they can sponsor you to obtain permanent residence in Canada.

If you have adult children or grandchildren who are living in Canada as Canadian citizens or permanent residents, long term visitor status is possible under the Super Visa program. Parents and grandparents can move to Canada for longer periods, up to five years, with possible extensions, although their status remains as a visitor.

Family sponsorship is not possible by other Canadian relatives, such as your siblings, unless that Canadian family member has no spouse or partner, no children, and no other relatives living in Canada.

Studying in Canada

It is possible for Americans to study in Canada as temporary residents. Studying for at least one year (ideally you should study for two years minimum) and obtaining a Canadian post-secondary credential can open up options for the graduate to remain on a more permanent basis, eventually acquiring Canadian permanent residence. 

In order to apply for a study permit to Canada, you must first have a letter of acceptance from a Canadian University or College, a letter from the Province, and enough funds to prove to the Canadian government that you can support yourself as a student in Canada. Study permit holders can work part-time while studying in Canada; and can gain an open work permit after graduation. 

Both a Canadian education credential plus relevant experience with a Canadian employer can help a US Citizen to qualify for Permanent Residence, if the process is managed properly from the start. These are assets both for federal Express Entry points as well as provincial immigration programs that target international students.

Several of Canada's provinces operate provincial nominee programs designed to retain international students who have studied in the province and wish to stay after graduation and become Canadian permanent residents. 

Canadians who have lived in the United States for most of their lives

Because of the close relationship between the US and Canada, there are many Canadian Citizens who have married Americans and have lived in the United States for their entire adult lives. If this is your situation and you now want to move your family to Canada, you will need to sort out the Citizenship status of any of your children, as it’s possible, depending on dates and locations of birth, that your children may also be Canadian. You will be able to sponsor your spouse or common law partner for permanent residence in Canada, as well as any children who aren’t already Canadian.

Retiring to Canada

Although senior citizens can immigrate to Canada, most Canadian immigration programs are looking for people under the age of 30 or those who have a full-time job offer in Canada. The options for US Citizens of retirement age to immigrate to Canada are very limited. 

For example, self-employment is not usually an option because any programs based on self-employment tend to have very restrictive criteria, and many Americans at the retirement stage (or citizens from any country for that matter) would simply not meet them. It is fair to say that neither the federal economic immigration programs or the PNP programs operated by the various provinces are seeking to attract retirees as Permanent Residents.

If your hope is still to retire in Canada, then your most likely option will be spending time in Canada as a visitor – which means you will have to pay for private health insurance as you won’t have access to publicly funded health care. A US Citizen can normally stay in Canada for a maximum of 6 months per entry as a visitor, although it is possible to make an application to extend your stay past the 6 months point if needed. Canada allows much longer visits under the "Super Visa" program for US Citizens visiting children or grandchildren who are already Canadian citizens or permanent residents. 

You cannot work as a visitor and you will need to continually apply to extend your visitor status before it expires or leave the country and enter Canada again. 

Inadmissibility checks 

One of the many requirements for those seeking to immigrate to Canada are background checks to ensure no previous criminal record or significant medical issues that would cost the Canadian health care sector a lot more than average. All applicants for Permanent Residence in Canada, even Americans, must pass medical, criminal and security checks. 

Canadian dual citizenship

Canada does not prohibit its citizens from having dual citizenship, and there are many thousands of people who hold dual Canadian-American citizenship. If you are one of these fortunate folks, then your move from the US to Canada will be an easy one, as you just need your Canadian passport and you are ready to go. You can settle in any Canadian province of your choosing.

Wait, I don’t fit into any of these categories

If you don’t fit into any of the above categories but still want to move to Canada from the USA, it can be possible to create an opportunity for yourself to obtain Canadian permanent residence, depending on your unique situation. Canada has immigration programs available for professional athletes and artists, for investors who want to start a business, and for others whose presence in Canada will benefit the nation. But the reality is that business immigration opportunities are very narrow indeed.

In all instances, it’s a good idea to speak with a professional so that you have a clear understanding of the options available to you and the requirements under any immigration program that you might be eligible for. Moving from one country to another is a huge undertaking, and you will save yourself time, money and hassle by having an expert involved with your planning process.

The Way Immigration assists dozens of American citizens and their families to move to Canada each year, through numerous different immigration to Alberta pathways. We would be happy to work with you on an immigration strategy that will enable you start creating your new life in Canada as soon as practicable. Contact our immigration consultant calgary office to schedule a immigration services calgary consultation and discover quickly what options are available for you to move to Canada from the USA.

Want to know what life in Canada is really like? Check out 'Is Canada a Good Place to Live? 17 Expert-Backed Pros, Cons, and Surprises' on the Redfin blog.