Ed.: This article was contributed in a collaborative project with a Western Washington University journalism course on election reporting. It first appeared in the Salish Current.
How many times have you heard someone say, “If ____ wins the presidential election, I’m moving to Canada”? For those living in border towns like Bellingham, that number may be exponentially increasing as election day approaches. While it may be a joke to some, for others, the idea of emigrating is a serious consideration.
But whether it’s a passing comment or a genuine plan, one thing is certain — immigrating to Canada is far more difficult than most people realize.
Chris Brown, managing director at the consulting firm Tudor House Immigration Services, outlines four main pathways for immigrating to Canada: family sponsorship, and economic, business, and educational immigration. Family sponsorship is typically the quickest and most straightforward, as it bypasses many eligibility hurdles. However, for those without family ties in Canada, the other three options come into play — each of which can take years to navigate.
To start the application process, one must go through Canada’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) which assigns points based on factors like age, education, occupation, and language proficiency, and those points determine the eligibility of applicants for immigration.
Economic Immigration: Many Hurdles
Individuals classified under economic immigration base their application on employment in Canada and through the Federal Skilled Worker Program, which determines eligibility for permanent residency. This process typically demands a bachelor’s degree, a job offer from a Canadian employer, and sponsorship through the Provincial Nominee Program or the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. While it’s a viable route for younger, educated individuals, it’s rarely possible for individuals nearing retirement or already retired.
“There has to be a benefit to Canada for this person to be here,” Brown said. “In this case, a business wants to fill a labor shortage, so [an immigrant could] work in that company for up to a year and accumulate enough work experience in Canada to be considered eligible for permanent residency. If they’re not employable or [are] retired, I’m sorry, there’s no pathway for you to become a permanent resident.”
Business Immigration: Depends on the Province
The Business Immigration route applies primarily to individuals with entrepreneurial or business management experience. This could involve buying a business in the U.S. and expanding it into Canada, or gaining work experience in the country. However, each province has its own immigration criteria within this.
“You can imagine that Alberta, being the most popular province to settle in, has the most competitive immigration pathways,” Brown said. “But if you can go to that province and you’re an entrepreneur and have a good business idea, and the province supports it, then it doesn’t matter how old you are,” or if you’re missing other eligibility criteria.
Educational Immigration: A Long Path
Educational immigration, which Brown described as a “booming industry” in Canada, is often a longer path to citizenship. Canada offers students healthcare and residency, along with an open work permit that doesn’t require a job offer from a Canadian employer, ultimately increasing one’s eligibility for permanent residency after graduation.
Family Sponsorship: “Pretty Rough”
For the past couple of years, U.S.-Canadian couple Sam and Alina Boesenbeg (she being the Canadian citizen) have been navigating the complexities of cross-border politics. After marrying this year, they decided Sam would move to Canada after considering political policies and personal preferences. Although their family sponsorship expedited the typically lengthy residency application process, the couple noted “It’s been a pretty rough experience.”
Sam and Alina characterized the application as “an inherently racist system” as it favors those of higher economic standing and higher education, and does not offer many resources for those who are not technology-literate or speak English as a first language.
Alina also recalled that “throughout the application process, it got harder and harder — it was a logistical nightmare at the end” as if to deter applicants as they progressed. “You’re playing by their rules and they definitely let you know it,” Sam said. “[The application] is definitely orchestrated to let people slip through the cracks.”
Elections Spark Interest, but Few Succeed
As the founder of Zemp Law Group, an immigration firm in Alberta, Kevin Zemp has witnessed the impact of elections on immigration requests and inquiries. “Every time there’s an election cycle I get an influx of client calls from both the right and left side,” Zemp said.
Only one of Zemp’s clients has successfully obtained Canadian residency. This client, an executive with a high level of education, earned a strong CRS score and secured residency within about 18 months.
“A lot of people talk about [getting Canadian residency], but no one ever does it,” Zemp said. “It’s an easy thing to say, but it’s a much more difficult thing to do.”
Zemp explained that the application discourages those who aren’t highly educated or have unique skill sets in occupations such as medical and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields. He also noted that as Canada has become a popular destination for international students, and the threshold for a “good” CRS score has risen, which he estimates to be around 530.
The Six-Month Rule Loophole: Watch Out!
Expert Sam Brown noted that a common misconception around immigrating to Canada is the “six-month rule.” This is when a U.S. citizen “visits” Canada for up to six months, leaves the country for a short period, and then returns for another six months. Brown expressed that this choice can lead to serious consequences.
“Usually, with that type of strategy you might be able to get away with once, but after two or three times [the Canadian government is] going to be on to you,” Brown explained. “Once they figure out the [real reason], you could get banned, and that’s a big deal. So, I always tell my clients, that they can come up to Canada for six months, and if they want to extend their stay, don’t do it by exiting and entering again. Instead, apply online for what’s called a visitor extension or visitor record.”
However, it’s important to note that one must have a legitimate reason to be in Canada to ask for a visitor extension, such as a family living in Canada or if you’re in the process of obtaining a family sponsorship. Additionally, visiting Canada in six-month increments does not promise access to health care or employment.
“Although [the Canadian government] is kind of selective, they protect our economy and they protect our societies from people just coming over here and taking all the tax money and costing the government more money,” Brown cautioned.
Although some Americans may be quick to suggest moving abroad, Alina and Sam Boesenberg observe that this eagerness isn’t always received the same way by Canadians.
“I think there is a narrative [among Americans] that ‘if I don’t like what’s going on this country, I’ll just pop up to the other country,’” Alina said. “In Canada, people are concerned about what’s going on in America, not just because of the political climate, but their discourse around immigration as well. We kind of want to keep U.S. politics out and preserve our own political landscape. The politics from America are already bleeding so much into Canadian politics.”
Hidden Tax Costs
Zemp urges individuals interested in immigrating to Canada to be aware of the tax implications, particularly the often-overlooked departure tax, which can amount to thousands of dollars. According to the Government of Canada, “When you immigrate to Canada, you are generally considered to have disposed of, and to have immediately reacquired, most properties that you own on the date you immigrate.”
Furthermore, those “visiting” Canada longterm and wanting to purchase a house can do so as foreign nationals but will be subject to additional taxes. This includes the Provincial and Federal Foreign Owners’ Taxes, Brown explained. Depending on where you’re living, this can amount to paying up to 50% more in terms of taxes.
“If you’re going to buy in Vancouver, Calgary, or Toronto, you’re definitely going to pay 50% more tax. So that turns a $2 million house into a $3 million house. There are millions of dollars of taxes, and the only way you can get all over that is to become a permanent resident,” Brown said.
Trump’s Impact on U.S.-Canada relations
Historically, U.S. and Canadian relations have remained relatively stable since the Canadian Confederation of 1867, according to Ted Alden, Ross Distinguished Visiting Professor at Western Washington University’s College of Business and Economics. Alden explained that the U.S.-Canadian border has been considered the longest undefended border in the world, with its trade relationships seen as largely mutually beneficial.
“Even though there are obvious differences, Canadians and Americans felt like they understood each other pretty well,” Alden said. However, the Trump administration changed the political relations between the two countries.
“The election of Donald Trump in 2016 created some real challenges,” Alden said. “For Canadians, the Trump election was something quite unimaginable.” He said U.S.-Canadian relations “reached their lowest point in 100 years or so,” pointing to the country’s shifting attitudes during the pandemic and Trump’s implementation of tariffs on Canadian exports.
“In the last decade, Canada has become more nationalist and considerably more anti-American,” Alden said. “You saw it play out very much during the COVID border closures. I don’t think Canada would ever have closed its border the way it did if Trump had not been the president.”
Looking Ahead: Slim Chance of Change
Despite some Americans’ ongoing interest in immigrating to Canada, the chance of significant changes to the Canadian immigration system remain slim. Brown noted that while discussions are emerging about redesigning the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to be more inclusive of applicants, any alterations made for one country would need to apply equally to all.
“As much as you want to have more migration from the U.S. to Canada, if you make the laws for us easier, then you have to do the same for all countries too,” Brown said.
