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Is it easier for an American to move (immigrate) to Canada or a Canadian to move (immigrate) to the US?
(This is taking into account that the American does not have a Canadian spouse or family member and vice-versa.)
Canada has a number of streams for Immigration.......
Express Entry is a recently introduced program, that matches applicants with very specific education and work skills, to Canadian employers that are looking for such people. It has time lines as short as 4 to 6 months to be approved.
Each of the Provinces and Territories have " Provincial Nominee Programs " where a applicant , who has specific skills, can be sponsored by a Provincial Government, that needs such a person. The Provincial Government sponsors the individual, and helps them to get faster approval by the Federal Government The sponsored person is expected to live in the sponsoring Province or Territory for a minimum of three years. One example of this program are Irish citizens who are skilled in the building trades, who are now working in Canada, with two year permits. Both sides profit in this type of program.
There is also the NAFTA visa. The North American Free Trade Agreement has a clause that allows highly educated individuals, who have specific skills, to be given a time limited work visa, to work in the other country. This is typically for executive level managers, or University professors, or technical and engineering types.
Canada used to have a "investor immigrant program' but that was shut down in 2014.
As for Canadians moving to the USA..........Usually they are young, very educated and ambitious. Some do well, some come back after a couple of years. Obviously, each of them have their own reasons for going, and coming back.
As to the question of "which is easier " ? I think the Canadian system is easier to access, provided that the applicant has the advanced education and actual working experience that is required to be approved. A further point is that the gross number of applications is smaller, for entry to Canada, than it is for entry to the USA. Remember that the population of Canada is 90 percent SMALLER than that of the USA.
As for Canadians moving to the USA..........Usually they are young, very educated and ambitious. Some do well, some come back after a couple of years. Obviously, each of them have their own reasons for going, and coming back.
I was in my mid-30's when I moved. I won't be coming back.
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Thanks Botti!
