Americans wanting to acquire temporary or permanent residency in Canada may be in for a surprise—it’s not as simple as finding somewhere to live.
Canada—like the United States—has long been an attractive place for emigrés from around the world. Many are drawn by economic opportunity, top-tier educational institutions, and overall good quality of life. And like the United States, Canada has seen a burst of immigration after the 2020 pandemic.
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau explains in this video, it was welcome after the pandemic, because the country was experiencing a labor shortage. But many Canadians soon found themselves impacted. Housing construction hadn’t caught up with the population boom, driving up housing costs, and many Canadians found themselves waiting longer for care under the country’s health system—now suddenly handling thousands more residents.
Trudeau points to “bad actors” like unscrupulous universities and large corporations for taking advantage of would-be immigrants for various moneymaking schemes, to the detriment of those already living in Canada. It’s worth noting that Trudeau and his Labour Party are facing a tough election battle sometime in the next year, and the video could be seen as a bid to explain their mistakes to the electorate.
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But what does that mean for others wanting to live and work in Canada?
First, there will be fewer spots. The Government of Canada has announced cuts to immigration targets, hoping to level population growth for the next two years while housing construction and infrastructure development catch up. That raises the bar for those wanting to emigrate to Canada.
There are a number of ways to qualify, such as being a refugee from a war zone or natural disaster (no, the United States doesn’t count here), having family already living in Canada, or being a skilled worker in a role that’s in high demand in Canada (particularly healthcare).
The government evaluates a number of factors when awarding the right to permanent residency, including age, education level, fluency in English or French (yes, you get points for being fluent in both), amount of funds saved to settle (there’s a minimum) and existing job offers. You also get extra points for having been educated in Canada or having previous work experience in Canada.
Here’s where it gets tricky—the number of points required to emigrate as a skilled worker varies, and it fluctuates based on how many immigrants the government has targeted to admit to the country, and what kind of skills it needs.
It’s also expensive. The language testing alone is several hundred dollars per test, and at least one test is required, even if English or French is already your first language. A specific medical exam is also required to demonstrate you’re in good health and aren’t bringing communicable illnesses to Canada.
There are application fees—just over $1,000 Canadian under the skilled worker program, and a married couple requires one application for each person.
All told, between the application fees and being able to demonstrate to immigration officers you have the minimum amount of funds required to establish yourself in Canada, it can cost in the neighborhood of $15,000 – $18,000 Canadian before you even move to Canada.
It’s also worth noting that unlike many European countries eager to attract remote workers, Canada doesn’t have a similar immigration status, and has suspended a program that accommodates self-employed people looking to set themselves up in Canada.
An easier way to get through the immigration process is to have a Canadian company sponsor you, but many companies aren’t eager to do that unless your skills are extraordinary. In those situations, companies must shoulder the cost of the fees themselves.
You’ll still have to complete the application, demonstrating to officials why you’d make a good permanent resident in Canada (you also have to have a clean record—no major arrests or charges, and they’re particularly concerned about drunk driving or firearm infractions). On the company’s part, they have to explain why they’re unable to fill their job opening with somebody already living in Canada.
Without gaining permanent residence in Canada, U.S. passport holders can remain in the country for six months, but access to resident services is prohibited, and so is working in Canada. Visitors who wish to stay longer than six months can apply for an extension once they’re in Canada.
