Thousands of Canadians move to the United States each year for better employment opportunities, business, family, or for a much better quality of life.

As of 2016, around 783,000 Canadians lived in the US making up roughly 2 percent of the 44million US immigrants. India is among the top 4 countries where people move to the US. In 2018 2,652,853 Indians were living in the US, while 813,664 people came from Canada.

It is not news that Canada remains one of the top-most countries which attracts Indians but the number of Indians who immigrate to the US after moving to Canada is also significant.

Why do Canadians move to the US?

Well, there can be n number of reasons for that, marriage being one of them. If a Canadian falls in love with an American, he/she might consider moving to the US for marriage. Another strong reason is the job. One may have been transferred by their current employer, or one may have found a new job.

Some move to the US to ‘make it big’. The US economy is bigger and more diverse, there is an ocean of opportunities for highly skilled professionals. Some people move from Canada to the US for education purposes. While Canada has excellent universities, many choose American schools.

Employers in the US are known to be dynamic, revolutionary, and inclusive. It has some of the world’s best immigration programs based on employment and it is the first choice to work in for most of the people across the globe. Also, in the employment sector, people are not discriminated based on caste, creed, sexual orientation, gender, or race.

The country boasts of its vibrancy- tech jobs on the west coast, financial/pharma on the east coast, oil and gas on the south, high-end engineering, agriculture in Midwest, the government in DC, etc. there are so many options available.

Canada is catching up on tech and finance jobs, and the overall number of employment opportunities is far less as compared to the US, moreover, some of the provinces in Canada are extremely cold, and thus not much life and employment are there.

Immigration Paths for Canadians to move in the US

Moving to a new country can be a cumbersome process, different laws must be followed, plenty of paperwork to do, and arranging all the necessary documents and items. It is not as simple as packing bags and get going, you need to acquire the appropriate immigration approval. 

The three main immigration paths for Canadians to move into the US are:

●     Working in the USA

A large number of Canadians move to the US for employment. However, it is not that you simply go there and find a job. There are several categories of US work visa’s that Canadians are eligible to apply for and work under. In most cases, if you have a job offer in hand the employer will sponsor you for the visa which will allow you to work and live in the United States.

Before you start working in the US you need to acquire appropriate immigration employment authorization. You must be approved for one of the following:

●     Employment Authorization Card/ Work Permit

●     Employment Visa

●     Permanent Resident Card/ Green Card

There are different requirements for each of the above documents and you must meet them to apply. If your application is approved, your stay in the US will depend on which of the above three documents you receive.

Most popular US work visas for Canadians:

●     H-1B Visa

●     TN Visa

●     L-1 Visa

●     O-1 Visa

Each one of them has different eligibility criteria which you need to check before applying.

●     Immigration for Business

Canadian citizens can invest in a new or existing US-based business to get an investor business visa or green card. This will allow you to stay and work in the country while you establish and operate your business.

You can start by applying for different business investor visas. Some are temporary while some visas will transition to permanent residency, therefore you need to decide which one is best suited for you and your business.

Business Visa

Getting a business visa is the first step for Canadians to establish a business in the US. The E-2 Treaty Investors and EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program are the two most popular programs for Canadian entrepreneurs.

Investor Green Card

All investor visas do not provide access to a permanent resident green card. The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is the most popular one for Canadians to get a Green Card.

●     Getting a US Green Card

Having a US Green Card allows you to live and work permanently in the country. The steps involved in the process vary according to the person’s situation. Family sponsorship, marriage, employment, or business investment are some of the ways through which most of the permanent resident statuses are acquired.

4 ways through which a Canadian can acquire a Green Card.

●     Family Green Card

●     Marriage Green Card

●     Employment Green Card

●     Investor Green Card

Go through all of the options and see what can work for you.

Important Things to Remember when moving to the US from Canada

If you are moving to the US for a job, it is important to stay with the same company until the process of visa approval is completed. If you switch companies, the new employer will need to start everything from the beginning.

Your Green Card will expire after 10 years and will need to be renewed. You can also apply for US Citizenship after years which will be permanent.

If you are moving to the US for family, you need to follow procedures and meet certain criteria. To have a relative as a sponsor, they must meet the following criteria:

○               You must be sponsored by a citizen of the United States who can prove their American status

○               Your sponsor must be able to prove that they can support you at 125% above the poverty line

○               Your sponsor must have the proof to show that you are related.

○               You must be your sponsor’s spouse, unmarried child under 21 years of age, married son or daughter of any age, sibling (the sponsor must be over 21 years old), or parent if they are at least 21 years old.

Even if you meet the above criteria, you can be denied permanent residency on the following grounds:

●     If you have a communicable disease

●     If you suffer from a severe mental or physical disorder

●     If you are addicted to drugs

●     If you have committed a serious crime(s)

●     If you have committed terrorist acts

●     If you are a member of a totalitarian party

●     If you are a former Nazi war criminal

To get a Green Card for family reasons you need to do the entire five-step process correctly. Your relative who is sponsoring you must file the I-130 Petition for Alien Relative. The United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) then must approve the immigration visa petition which is also filled out by the relative. It must be attached to the proof of the relationship.

If you are already in the US legally, you may file for an adjustment of status for the permanent resident while your petition is being processed. Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, will be required for the same.