“Move to Canada” is once again trending in online searches, as it has in past U.S. general elections. Typically, the idea is nothing more than a passing fancy for all but a tiny percentage of Americans who consider it. This time, though, those seeking information about their northern neighbor may be taking the idea more seriously than in the past.
Americans who oppose or fear a second term with Donald Trump in power are coming to terms with the surprising show of support for him in this year’s election. Unlike in 2016, Trump’s Republican party looks set to rule the Senate beginning next year, and the House is still up for grabs. If Republicans win both chambers, that will give Trump the power to make sweeping changes to U.S. laws.
For left-leaning voters, Canada—with its universal healthcare and generally high quality of life—appears tempting by comparison. Certain rights are protected, including rights for LGBTQ+ persons, and access to reproductive healthcare. But those who haven’t been following Canadian politics may want to check in on its political scene, where the leader of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, appears primed to take over from the Liberal Party’s Justin Trudeau in an election next fall. To be sure, Poilievre isn’t exactly a Canadian version of Trump, especially when it comes to social policies, but he is a populist with Trump-like qualities. And under political pressure, Trudeau’s government recently reduced the number of immigrants it would accept.
Moving to Canada isn’t exactly simple, either. The country has been criticized for favoring wealthier immigrants by creating pathways to citizenship through investing, and accepting international students with the means to attend Canadian universities. Marrying a Canadian is one road to citizenship, and it’s worth noting that the legality of same-sex unions has been settled since 2005.
But for certain professionals, there’s another route north, thanks to the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (formerly NAFTA). Under the pact, professionals in more than 60 job types can move between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, meaning these jobs allow Americans and Mexicans to live and work in Canada if they find employment in the country first. Canadian companies hiring foreigners for these roles do not need to first prove that they tried to hire a Canadian citizen.
The list, seen below, includes teachers, pharmacists, social workers, graphic designers, and hotel managers. People in these professions who are offered a job at a Canadian company can simply apply for a work permit as they enter the country. They’ll need to show a signed contract with a Canadian company or organization, other proof they have an offer of employment from a Canadian employer, or evidence that their American or Mexican employer is sending them to the Canadian arm of the business. See more details here, under section 3.3.
You can check to see whether you have the required degree or credentials for each profession here. Note that those who freelance or are the sole proprietors of a company can’t use this pathway, though business owners may qualify as investors.
Aspiring Canadians who don’t see their job listed can still investigate Canada’s other federal programs for skilled workers, which have more complicated eligibility rules but apply to a much wider list of occupation types.
The ethics of moving to Canada for those unhappy with incoming U.S. political leadership is debatable, of course. There is no cheat sheet for figuring that out.
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that the free trade agreement formerly known as NAFTA is now called CUSMA.
