Moving to Canada in case of Trump presidency

[ExPatty 502]

Calgary is a great place if you enjoy freezing to death as you walk from your house to your car. Alberta has been canada's economic darling for some years now but the precipitous drop in oil has begun to hollow it out. Ridiculously low unemployment is now giving way to rates above the national average. If/when oil goes back up this could turn around, but the only reason to ever live there was oil. Further west it's beautiful. IMO the best province to settle down in is Ontario, because it's functionally/geographically the closest to the US. If you can tolerate the cost of living, BC would be good. East coast is pretty, but economy has always been weak.

Realistically moving because a particular person has just won a US election is quite silly, which is why nobody carries through on these threats.

[NikLR 13,220]

I wouldn't live in Ontario personally. But then I've only visited a bit and grew up in BC so my affinity if for that province. I agree that Alberta is going down now that oil has tanked. My brother lost his job and it took months to find a new one. When I first moved there in 2002, I had a job 3 days later. You certainly couldn't get that now, despite the growth there. Calgary is more than double the size it was when I moved originally or went to college north of there.

[ExPatty 502]

Only been to BC once, many, many years ago. I remember it was a sunny day. I hear those are rare, but I had positive impressions. Been to Banff a few times way back, and it is as stunning as people say--or at least, was. If it's anything like Gatlinburg, TN the tourism industry has gutted it and turned it into a classless tourist trap, but I am guessing they have a bit more class than that.

It's too risky relying on a single thing as calgary has done to fuel its growth. Newfoundland is also now reeling into economic shock after spending like a sailor at port with its oil money, now suffering a gargantuan deficit.

If I had to I'd probably choose Ottawa. Toronto is too crowded!

Edited March 16, 2016 by ExPatty

[NikLR 13,220]

Only been to BC once, many, many years ago. I remember it was a sunny day. I hear those are rare, but I had positive impressions. Been to Banff a few times way back, and it is as stunning as people say--or at least, was. If it's anything like Gatlinburg, TN the tourism industry has gutted it and turned it into a classless tourist trap, but I am guessing they have a bit more class than that.

It's too risky relying on a single thing as calgary has done to fuel its growth. Newfoundland is also now reeling into economic shock after spending like a sailor at port with its oil money, now suffering a gargantuan deficit.

If I had to I'd probably choose Ottawa. Toronto is too crowded!

Depends on where you were in BC. North West BC is a temperate rainforest and sees a lot more cloud than sun, but in general the south is wonderful. Where I grew up in the Okanagan and Shuswap it's sunny most of the time. My grandparents had a lot of sun near Naniamo on the Island. Victoria is LOVELY. I wouldn't personally live on Vancouver Island because of the cost of the ferry to get to the mainland, but it's wonderful to visit.

I've never actually been to Ottawa. Just Toronto area, and Niagara Falls. It did seem lovely along the great lakes though on the drive. I agree Toronto is too big. I live near a large city now and wish I didn't, or at least lived on the mountain side vs flat. Ah but the almighty $$ is what sometimes chooses your locale for home buying vs what you'd like to have.

[Danu 19]

I know this is a US immigration website and my question and my question relates to the US citizenship and permanent residency aspect of it. As a US citizen, how can we maintain valid Canadian residency? And for one of us, how do we go about settling down in Canada as a US legal permanent resident? What are the requirements for a green card holder to maintain legal permanent residence as far as the US is concerned in terms of length of stay? No more then 6 months at a time? a year? how lengthy is the process to gain Canadian permanent residence for a USC? As a USC, are we allowed to work in Canada? I know all we have to do is show passport at the border and we can enter Canada and come back. What about getting a job there? Owning a business? And buying property..

ps. Let us all respect each other's political views. Whether or not Trump is good for America is irrelevant. We all are free to have our opinions.

I started reading, there was too much banter about Trump, no idea if you got answers, so here we go.

1) As a US PR, you will lose residency if you move to Canada with intent to stay. I have the potential to go back to Canada through work and didn't want to have to go through the whole immigration process again, so I got my Citizenship so I can move back and forth if wanted/needed. You can find this info by searching USCIS for Maintaining Permanent Residence

2) The process varies depending on the type of residency requested. As you or your wife are not Canadian Citizens, you would have to qualify for a visa through one of the other categories (similar to what the US has) including:

• Express Entry for skilled immigrant workers - 6 months
• Study Permit (requires you to be accepted to a school) - 6 weeks
• Start-Up Business (requires $15143 in Canadian funds available, as well as documentation proving it is supported by a designated organization) - processing times unavailable
• Self employed in one of Canada's required areas (currently Cultural, Athletics and Farming) - 109 months
• Work permit through employer based sponsorship - 3 months

After this permanent residency takes about 49 days, once you are in the country.

3) As a USC you are only allowed to work in Canada if you have been granted a work permit, similar to the way it works in the USA. You must have SIN to get a job (the Canadian equivalent of SSN) and you can only get that with a legal way of being/working in Canada.

4) Owning a business would be seen as a start-up or Self employed as above.

5) You can own property in Canada without being a Permanent resident, same as a Canadian can own property in the US without being a permanent resident (think - snow birds), but it is always easier with residency.

Also, though you didn't ask, once one person has Canadian Citizenship, if you were to move back to the US with the other being a CA PR, they would be able to keep their CA PR as long as they live with their Canadian spouse. If you move back to the US as without getting Citizenship for one or both of you, there is a chance (but not a guarantee) that the PR would be lost if when applying for an Application for a Travel Document, which is needed if your PR card has expired. It is only required that you live in Canada for 2 out of 5 years.

To get Canadian Citizenship, you must live as a PR in Canada for 4 out of 6 years.

[Rob L 3,811]

I started reading, there was too much banter about Trump, no idea if you got answers, so here we go.

1) As a US PR, you will lose residency if you move to Canada with intent to stay. I have the potential to go back to Canada through work and didn't want to have to go through the whole immigration process again, so I got my Citizenship so I can move back and forth if wanted/needed. You can find this info by searching USCIS for Maintaining Permanent Residence

2) The process varies depending on the type of residency requested. As you or your wife are not Canadian Citizens, you would have to qualify for a visa through one of the other categories (similar to what the US has) including:

• Express Entry for skilled immigrant workers - 6 months
• Study Permit (requires you to be accepted to a school) - 6 weeks
• Start-Up Business (requires $15143 in Canadian funds available, as well as documentation proving it is supported by a designated organization) - processing times unavailable
• Self employed in one of Canada's required areas (currently Cultural, Athletics and Farming) - 109 months
• Work permit through employer based sponsorship - 3 months

After this permanent residency takes about 49 days, once you are in the country.

3) As a USC you are only allowed to work in Canada if you have been granted a work permit, similar to the way it works in the USA. You must have SIN to get a job (the Canadian equivalent of SSN) and you can only get that with a legal way of being/working in Canada.

4) Owning a business would be seen as a start-up or Self employed as above.

5) You can own property in Canada without being a Permanent resident, same as a Canadian can own property in the US without being a permanent resident (think - snow birds), but it is always easier with residency.

Also, though you didn't ask, once one person has Canadian Citizenship, if you were to move back to the US with the other being a CA PR, they would be able to keep their CA PR as long as they live with their Canadian spouse. If you move back to the US as without getting Citizenship for one or both of you, there is a chance (but not a guarantee) that the PR would be lost if when applying for an Application for a Travel Document, which is needed if your PR card has expired. It is only required that you live in Canada for 2 out of 5 years.

To get Canadian Citizenship, you must live as a PR in Canada for 4 out of 6 years.

Did you cover the NAFTA visa's? ( non resident I know but)