Americans seeking to move to Canada should plan in advance for their immigration status.
Although Americans with passports are used to being able to visit Canada freely, if an American wishes to re-settle in Canada, they’ll need appropriate authorization to work or to study, or to live in Canada on a long-term basis.
There are three major programs that Americans may wish to consider when thinking about a move to Canada:
- CUSMA/USMCA professionals work permits;
- The Federal Skilled Worker Program; and
- The Canadian Experience Class.
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Legal Status to Work or Study
It is illegal for foreign nationals, including US citizens, to work or study in Canada without authorization.
US Citizens who don’t hold Canadian citizenship will need to obtain authorization in order to work or study in Canada.
Americans do benefit from being visa-exempt: they will not require a visa or electronic travel authorization (eTA) to enter Canada, unlike foreign nationals of many other countries.
There are two main ways to obtain legal status in Canada:
- Permits, which are temporary; and
- Permanent residency, which can be renewed indefinitely, provided you spend enough time in Canada.
CUSMA/USMCA Professionals Work Permits
The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) provides Americans an advantage if they wish to move to Canada to work.
Under this free trade agreement, US Citizens in certain professional fields can apply for an employer-specific work permit to practice their profession in Canada.
63 professions are eligible, across a range of fields including management consultants, scientistic, scientific technicians, and medical professionals.
If you meet the requirements, obtaining a CUSMA work permit provides a good way to get status to work in Canada.
Your profession is different from your job title; it depends on the duties you perform, and how your profession is classified under Canada’s National Occupation Classification (NOC).
Americans who do not work in CUSMA professions will have to consider other options for work permits, such as the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, and other work permits under the International Mobility Program.
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Because work permits are temporary by nature, you’ll need to renew your permit before it expires in order to maintain your work status.
If you do not renew your work permit, you will need to leave Canada upon the expiry of your work permit, unless you obtain some other form of legal status that allows you to remain in the country.
Obtaining Canadian Permanent Residency
Americans who wish to settle in Canada on a long-term basis may wish to pursue Canadian permanent residency–the equivalent of a green card in the United States.
Permanent residency grants many—although not all—of the same privileges as Canadian citizenship.
Canadian permanent residents can settle in any province, can enrol in studies, can be eligible for social services and provincial health insurance programs, and can work freely in Canada for any employer.
After you’ve been a permanent resident for three years, and have spent enough time in Canada, you can apply for Canadian citizenship.
To obtain Canadian permanent residency, a foreign national must first receive an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence from the Canadian immigration ministry, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
One way to receive an ITA is to qualify for a federal economic immigration program, upon which you can become a candidate and enter the Express Entry pool—a management system used by IRCC to determine which candidates to invite for permanent residency.
Once you’re an eligible candidate in the pool, you are scored and ranked against other candidates, using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), and top-ranking candidates are invited in periodic draws held by IRCC.
Americans seeking Canadian Permanent Residency may want to consider two Express Entry programs:
- The Federal Skilled Worker Program; and
- The Canadian Experience Class.
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The Federal Skilled Worker Program
To be eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you must meet a number of requirements across factoring including
- Education
- Language proficiency;
- Settlement funds; and
- Work experience.
If you are eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker program, you can enter the Express Entry pool, providing you the opportunity to receive an ITA in any draws, should you rank highly enough in the pool.
The Canadian Experience Class
The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is another federal pathway to Canadian permanent residency.
CEC requirements are less complex than the requirements for the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
The main requirement for CEC is one year of full-time skilled work experience in Canada over the past three years.
You must also meet a language proficiency requirement in English or French.
Americans who move to Canada on a work permit such as a CUSMA professionals work permit will likely qualify for CEC after they obtain a year of Canadian work experience.
Special Documents for Express Entry Programs
As part of your Express Entry profile you’ll require certain documents.
You should be aware of two documents which are particular to Express Entry, which you’ll need to prepare in advance in order to have an eligible profile:
You will require valid language tests from an approved testing provider to demonstrate the required language proficiency in English or French.
There are no exceptions; you require these tests even if you’re a native speaker of English or French.
If your education was not in Canada, you will also require educational credential assessments (ECAs) issued by an approved provider. An ECA assesses your education in comparison to Canadian credentials.
You will require an ECA for each degree.
Use of a Representative
You can handle your own profile, candidacy, and (if successfully invited) application, or you can hire a representative.
If you choose to use a representative, you should choose a reputable one, and you must fill out special forms declaring your use of a representative.
Using a representative without declaring it can invalidate your candidacy and/or application, leading to refusal.
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