How to Move to Canada – Americans to Canada

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 from the United States to Canada, there are many immigration avenues available. 

But they can be complicated. If wanting to start a new journey for permanent residence or eventually Canadian citizenship, 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 14 years in the Canadian immigration business and thousands of successful clients, you can relax and let the experts handle this transition.

In this article, we break down some of the major immigration options for American citizens who want to move to the great white north.  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 do I move to Canada?”

If you have a job offer for a Canadian based company, you have a few options in terms of moving to Canada from US.  The fastest option is going to be to apply for a work permit, which allows you to start your new job as soon as possible and then sort out your options for Permanent Residence later once you have started your new job. 

Before addressing work permits, I will just say it is possible for those who have arranged employment with a qualifying business to apply for permanent resident status directly at the outset – it is best to get advice on whether this route may be preferable for you.

As indicated, the work permit route is usually the fast track route. 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. They can remain and work on a temporary basis and earn points for Canadian work experience that help qualify for Express Entry.

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

1. LMIA exempt work permit:

• based on the USMCA agreement, 
• as an intercompany transferee between the US and Canadian branches of a 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 because your work in Canada will bring significant benefit to Canada

1. LMIA based work permit

• this option requires the Canadian business to first demonstrate that there are no Canadian workers to fill the position

Express Entry is the pathway that most people wishing to immigrate will need to qualify through.  In order to be eligible to apply for Permanent Residence in Canada through Express Entry, you will require a majority of the following criteria:

1. are less than 30 years old
2. have advanced education (2 or more post-secondary degrees, Masters or PhD)
3. are a skilled worker with at least 3 years employment history
4. have very high levels of 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 skills and wish to settle outside Quebec.

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.

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. 

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 but the vast majority of lottery participants are not selected.

Family sponsorship is not possible by other Canadian relatives, such as your siblings.

It is possible for Americans to study in Canada as temporary residents. Studying for at least one year (ideally 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, 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 enable 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 graduates.

Various Canadian provinces operate provincial nominee programs designed to retain foreign students who have studied in the province and wish to stay after graduation. Google searches for the provincial nominee programs of the various Canadian provinces can be quite helpful. The smaller provinces like Nova Scotia, New Brunswick or Prince Edward Island are quite competitive in trying to retain foreign nationals, especially if they have education, close relatives or work experience in the province. It is Canadian reality these days that even the larger provinces like Ontario and British Columbia are desperate for skilled workers – if your plan involves education, it is wise to plan ahead before choosing the place of study.

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 as permanent residents in Canada, as well as any children who aren’t already Canadian.

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 government programs or the programs of Canada’s 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. You cannot work as a visitor and you will need to continually apply to extend your visitor status or leave the country as visitor status is usually only good for up to six months.  It’s possible to retire in Canada under such a scenario, but it’s not an ideal plan for another reason as well – you cannot rely on continued entry when Canadian government officials see a pattern of temporary entries extending over a few years. Regardless, whenever in Canada, you definitely want to make sure that you have adequate private health insurance coverage to meet your medical needs.

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.

If you don’t fit into any of the aforementioned categories but still want to move to Canada, it can be possible to create an opportunity for yourself, 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 opportunities to immigrate as a self-employed person or for business purposes are 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 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 possible.