Well... just asking... I'd like to know... Moving to Canada?

[Mynyel]

How easy is it to move to Canada? What does it entail? If you move there to you *have* to give up your US citizenship? If you don't how does that work?

 

How's that for a question?!

[DawnM]

do you want to immigrate or do you want to work as an ex-pat?

 

Here is info on working as an expat:

 

http://www.lowtax.net/lowtax/html/offon/canada/can_expat.html

[Mynyel]

do you want to immigrate or do you want to work as an ex-pat?

 

Here is info on working as an expat:

 

http://www.lowtax.net/lowtax/html/offon/canada/can_expat.html

 

 

Thanks!

 

Read through that..

 

 

Clear as mud for me. I can't figure out if you need work first or can get a job once there.

 

Oh well... I was just poking anyway!

[jar7709]

Not sure what you're asking? Under some circumstances you don't have to give up US citizenship--like in our situation, my DH is Canadian but I am US citizen. If we were to relocate to Canada, I could become a "permanent resident" in Canada while maintaining my US citizenship, the same way DH does down here. Basically that means I could hold a job and pay taxes but would not get to vote.

 

If you don't have an easy in like that one, you can still become a permanent resident in some other ways. Here's a good link:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/index.asp

[hana]

The website Jessica provided is the authoritative site; many others provide helpful information as well.

 

You can be a dual citizen, but it will take some effort.

 

You can get a job once there, but you will need appropriate status (such as permanent resident) to get a job.

[freesia]

The website Jessica provided is the authoritative site; many others provide helpful information as well.

 

You can be a dual citizen, but it will take some effort.

 

You can get a job once there, but you will need appropriate status (such as permanent resident) to get a job.

You would need a work visa. I had one bc my dh was a student. My dh got one after he graduated but the church who hired him had to show that they had looked for a Canadian or permanent resident first. We did end up applying for and receiving "landed immigrancy" which is similar to having a green card here. It was a lot of paperwork and a few thousand dollars.

 

You can be a citizen of both countries, I believe. My oldest 3 are. The US does not recognize your citizenship of another country. You only have to give up your US citizenship if you are part of the government of another country or, perhaps, the military. I can't remember.

[freesia]

Thanks!

 

Read through that..

 

 

Clear as mud for me. I can't figure out if you need work first or can get a job once there.

 

Oh well... I was just poking anyway!

 

You need work first. You can't live in another country without a visa. I don't think you could get a job if you don't have a work visa.

[momma2three]

It's not easy to move to any country, I don't think. Countries don't want people moving in that they'll need to support, unless you're a refugee who can prove that your life is in danger in your old country. You need to prove that you already have a job there, or that you have a substantial amount of money to support yourself.

 

The easiest way (besides winning the lottery and showing that you can support yourself indefinitely without a job or social services) is to find an employer to sponsor you. Most countries have laws that employers have to give a job to someone already legal to work in that country, and can only hire someone who does not have the right to work if they can't find anyone else. So, if you have some sort of very specialized skill, you have a chance. It's also a costly and time-consuming processes for an employer to sponsor you (my DH's company just hired a Dutch guy and it took almost 6 months for everything to be approved), so it has to be worth it to them.

 

The US lets you retain your citizenship unless you move to a country that is a direct enemy. I can't remember the list, but it's short and places like North Korea. Some countries make you give up other citizenships if you become a citizen, but Canada is not one of them. It takes years and years to become a citizen anyway, and you have to be in the country on a visa that leads to citizenship (not all do).

 

If you're in a field that's in high demand, like a doctor, there are special programs in some countries that let you in.

 

Basically, it's pretty hard and very expensive to just randomly move to another country.

 

ETA: my experience comes from moving to the UK for a few years, and my DH moving to the US. He's here on a green card. I don't have any direct experience with Canada.

[hana]

You need work first. You can't live in another country without a visa. I don't think you could get a job if you don't have a work visa.

 

This isn't entirely accurate, as one can become a permanent resident without a work visa, and permanent resident status means one can become employed.

[momma2three]

This isn't entirely accurate, as one can become a permanent resident without a work visa, and permanent resident status means one can become employed.

 

It's very hard to do this, unless you're marrying a citizen, or are independently wealthy, or are in a very highly skilled career that the other country esteems and thinks you can support yourself on.

[VeganCupcake]

My mom is a U.S. citizen and has lived in Canada since she married my dad (a Canadian citizen) almost 50 years ago! She has landed immigrant status.

[MistyMountain]

It isn't easy to move to Canada at all. You need to qualify under one of the categories for a Permanent resident or get a work permit. It would not be easy to get a work permit because a company would have to do extra work and possibly have to wait to get you over. You can be a resident faster if you go under the local office and have a job with a work permit but I don't know how many companies would go through the hassle of sponsoring. We have looked into it. My husband actually would qualify under one of the skilled worked categories to become a Permanent Resident that is a occupation they have a shortage of but there is a 2 year wait to hear back and get approved from the US office. It is not easy to immigrate to another country. You either need to have family in the country or have a special skill that they are in need of. Even that doesn't guarantee you will get in because the quotas could be met by the time things go through.

Edited May 6, 2012 by MistyMountain

[hana]

It's very hard to do this, unless you're marrying a citizen, or are independently wealthy, or are in a very highly skilled career that the other country esteems and thinks you can support yourself on.

 

 

My family has done this. We are permanent residents and are currently working toward dual citizenship. We didn't find it hard, but I'm sure it depends on your profession/skills.

[hana]

I think people are being quite discouraging. The only way to know for yourself is to read the website and see if you qualify for a work visa (would require previously arranged employment) or under one of their immigration options. I would imagine that for some people, it's not that difficult (though it's always time-consuming and costs money) and, for others, it would be impossible (no matching skills, health concerns, etc.).

[Julie Smith]

My now cousin in law did this. He is from India. He did get taken advantage of by his employee since his boss knew that if he lost his job he would lose his work permit.

 

He did have extended family in the area, but couldn't get citizenship through them.

 

On he got his Canadian citizenship he married my cousin. He didn't want to marry her till he got that citizenship so she would never have to wonder if he married her for Canadian citizenship.

[JennifersLost]

As others have said, it's easiest if your husband/wife is a Canadian citizen.

 

Otherwise, it's easier if you have a "skill" that is in demand - especially if you are willing to live in one of the more remote areas. For example, in our northern BC town, almost all the doctors are from S. Africa, the medical techs are from places like Eastern Europe, and so on.

 

That kind of profession, engineers, computer people, and so on are needed all over.

 

Otherwise, I think there's something like if you have $300,000 in the bank it's easy to get in.

 

Unless you have a reason to be in Canada - like having a husband, you can't just go visit and then decide to stay (or you are not supposed to, anyway).

 

You start the process of acquiring Landed Immigrant status while you are still in the US (or wherever you are now). THere's lots and lots of paperwork to fill out, but you can do it. Then you mail it in with your money and wait for a long time.

 

Once you receive your okay, you cross the border and "land" in Canada and the border guards grant your status. Once you have landed immigrant status you need to live in Canada about three years before you can apply for citizenship. Again, tons of paperwork and a few hundred dollars in cash. Then you take your test and go through a ceremony.

 

My dh is a Canadian, I'm from the US. We moved to Canada 7 years ago and I applied for landed immigrancy from within Canada. We ended up paying more than we would have if we'd done it the other way around. This year my sons and I became Canadian citizens. We are now automatically dual citizens. The one pain in the rear part of that is that I have to file taxes in both countries each year. I only pay in Canada, but I have to do the paperwork and fill it in and I have to send the IRS a list of every bank account and asset/investment I have every year. Bleah.

 

Where in Canada are you thinking of moving?

[MistyMountain]

My family has done this. We are permanent residents and are currently working toward dual citizenship. We didn't find it hard, but I'm sure it depends on your profession/skills.

 

I'm just curious did you get a work visa and get the local permanent resident or did you apply through the Buffalo office and wait?

[Bluegoat]

One thing about retaining your US citizenship is that you would continue to have obligations related to taxes, reporting income and such.

[NASDAQ]

Canada uses a point system for immigrants.

 

http://www.workpermit.com/canada/points_calculator.htm

 

Figure out your point value and you'll have a rough idea of how immigrate-able you are.

 

Canada also has fast-track programs for people in professions we are short on, such as live-in caregivers.

 

Becoming a citizen of Canada does not require you to surrender your American citizenship.

[NASDAQ]

You shouldn't be discouraged. Immigrating to Canada is extremely common, and doing so without a close family member is widely believed to be much simpler than immigrating to the US.

[gardening momma]

I think people are being quite discouraging. The only way to know for yourself is to read the website and see if you qualify for a work visa (would require previously arranged employment) or under one of their immigration options. I would imagine that for some people, it's not that difficult (though it's always time-consuming and costs money) and, for others, it would be impossible (no matching skills, health concerns, etc.).

I don't think the other posts are any more discouraging than this one is (I don't think any of them are trying to be discouraging, just realistic).

[hana]

or did you apply through the Buffalo office and wait?

 

This.

 

It doesn't feel like we waited that long, but I've been through fertility treatments and adoption, so I've grown patient. :)

 

It was a lot of gathering of paperwork--that's the part I remember.

Edited May 6, 2012 by hana

[hana]

I don't think the other posts are any more discouraging than this one is (I don't think any of them are trying to be discouraging, just realistic).

 

 

Sorry, I just know that if I had read some of these I would have thought I couldn't do it.

[MistyMountain]

This.

 

It doesn't feel like we waited that long, but I've been through fertility treatments and adoption, so I've grown patient.

 

It was a lot of gathering of paperwork--that's the part I remember.

 

Thank you. We were thinking of doing it but I am worried that the cap for his occupation would be reached by the time the two year wait was over. It seemed like that would happen. We passed all the screenings and we were really thinking of doing it for a while. My dh is a claims examiner with a lot of experience and that was one of the categories. Was it hard to find a job once you got the status?

Edited May 6, 2012 by MistyMountain

[hana]

Honestly, I'm still working on that part. I currently teach online for a university in the US. I plan to start looking soon, but I'm afraid it won't be easy. I'm a writing professor, and I just don't see many jobs in New Brunswick or Nova Scotia, which is where we are moving. If we were staying in Ontario--we currently commute between Michigan and Ontario--the odds would be better.

[elfgivas]

fwiw....

 

our oldest moved to canada with her dh two years ago.

 

prior to that, i had moved to the states from canada with oldest two dd, coming in on a K1 visa.

 

in both cases, we started by calling our nearest embassy, telling them what we wanted to do and asking the best way to do it. then, we called the border agents at the point we would be entering the new country, and asked them if what the embassy had told us matched their experience, or if there were something else we should do.

 

it would take pages to talk about the coming to the usa part.... but what the american embassy in montreal told us matched what the border crossing folks thought would work best and it did. (it wasn't what we'd been planning on).

 

when oldest dd and her husband moved to canada, they went the same route, calling the canadian consulate and asking what was best. dd has dual citizenship, so that was easier. her husband got a work permit, and is now moving that towards permanent resident status.

 

our experience was that the embassies were happy to talk to us; its much easier to start someone off on the right track than to try to help them get back on track after its been messed up for some reason.

 

it took dsil only three months to get a work permit, and it looks as if it will be less than a year for permanent resident status now in alberta. (just for contrast, it took us 6 months to get an american visa, three years after we got here to get a green card and seven more years to finally get citizenship. the first three years was simply volume at the los angeles office. the next seven could be termed a comedy of errors, if it were at all funny, which it wasn't at the time, and still not so much, mostly on the ins/homeland security end. they denied my citizenship the first time on the basis that i hadn't paid the fee. i sent them a copy of the cancelled check, showing they'd cashed it a year earlier. sigh.... and so it went.... and went..... and went....)

 

the buffalo point of entry can go either way..... the nicest folks are there sometimes, and the Other Kind are there sometimes, too. mostly, we have found land point of entries easier than airports.....

 

dd and dsil found that the online info for immigration for canada was accurate and straightforward.

 

hth,

ann

[Embassy]

I moved to Canada from the US several years ago. Since I was married to a Canadian citizen the process was rather simple. I am a permanent resident now and soon I will qualify to take the citizenship test to become a citizen here.