While Donald Trump is celebrating his victory, and is laying the groundwork for “making America Great Again”, there’s a great portion of American people, who don’t want to see him in action. Many US citizens have just been caught unaware, and they are taking their destiny into their own hands — moving to Canada isn’t just an option for the future anymore, it’s their last hope.
Why is Canada attractive to American citizens
There are many things that Canada gets right, while the rest of the world admires its ease to make its citizens proud and happy. Americans, no matter how loyal to America, if open-minded enough, cannot remain unmoved by Canada's liberal government, inclusive health care, and acknowledgement of parenthood via considerate unpaid leaves for new mothers. And to top it off, Canada ranked second in the world (after Sweden) on best reputation, according to Reputation Institute's 2016 Country Reputation Trak.
Canada's good worldwide reputation stems from the country's advanced economy — which among others incorporates technological advancements, production of well-known brands, and first-class education — from its effective government that is ethical, and accounts for a safe country, and last but not least, Canada's good reputation stems from its appealing environment, which allows for a friendly lifestyle in a beautiful surrounding. On the contrary, Americans have checked in the 28th place, between Poland and Argentina — a position that doesn't set out America to make its mark as a happy, peaceful, and virtuous country.
Americans living abroad
There are three million Americans living abroad according to The United Nations, and 343,000 of them are residing in Canada. But Americans are spread around the world — maybe for all different reasons — with the most popular destination countries in order of preference being: Mexico (876,000), the United Kingdom (212,000), Puerto Rico (165,000), Germany (137,000), and Australia with 110,000 American citizens inside its borders.
The World Wide Web is saturated with posts, such as this one seen on BBC: "Hi, anyone looking for an American husband? I'm smart, funny, attractive, and willing to do all the house chores. Also willing to learn new languages, though I have some knowledge of French and German. Looking to relocate before mid-January...", and the media are already endorsing new terms, such as Trump refugees.
A couple of months ago, Luminoso analytics company noted that 180,000 Donald Trump-related tweets were making statements to leave America, if Donald Trump came to power, and 25,000 of those mentioned Canada as the desired country of destination. But how feasible it is for Americans to cross the northern border of their country, and continue with their lives in Canada — for many the solution to forthcoming problems?
How an American citizen can move to Canada
An American citizen is eligible to apply for a permanent residence in Canada, if he falls under one of the following categories: Federal Skilled Worker Class (FWSC), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and the Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC). There are also other more specialised ways, such as the Start-Up Business Class, the Immigrant Investor Venture Capital Class, and the Caregiver Program.
However, with the recent implementation of the Express Entry Program, applicants must first state why they are immigrating to Canada. Their eligibility for FSWC, CEC, or FSTC will be assessed, and if successful, they will enter the next stage where they may have to wait for up to one year before they can apply for permanent residence — without any guarantee that they will ever make it to the finals. But once you have entered Canada, and have lived as a permanent resident for a few years, it's not as hard to obtain the Canadian citizenship (naturalisation).
Young American citizens can apply for a study permit instead that, if obtained, will open the doors to a higher education institution in Canada. Regarding the duration of study permits, Bachelor degrees in Canada last for four years, but study permits issued for shorter programs can be extended under the right circumstances.
The work permit — a temporary solution as opposed to the permanent residence options mentioned above — is determined by a Canadian employer, who has to sponsor the person willing to move to Canada, and be present along the application process. Alternatively, American citizens may want to discuss with their current employers in America the possibility of transferring them to Canada.
