How to move to Canada from the U.S. and become a Canadian citizen

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The chaos coming from recent Supreme Court rulings around gun access and abortion bans has many people wanting to move to Canada.

In the last few days, Google searches for “how to move to Canada” have skyrocketed as American women may be forced to birth children while shootings in the country continue unabated.

In fact, the search “how to move to Canada from U.S.” spiked 850% shortly after the Supreme Court decision was announced in the U.S., Axios reported, citing Simon Rogers’ Google Trends newsletter.

Recently, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the overturning of Roe v. Wade “horrific.”

“No government, politician or man should tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body,” Trudeau said.

While it’s not easy to become a Canadian citizen, it’s definitely possible. Here’s how.

Moving to Canada

For those wanting to immediately move to Canada, unlike many countries, Canada allows immigrants to enter the country without already having a job lined up. The liberal country offers multiple migrant work programs, especially skilled work programs, for those who want to enter the country and then look for work, according to Arianne Relocation Specialists

Most migrants will need a work permit to obtain a job in Canada, however there are exceptions for international students, public speakers, expert legal witnesses and entertainers. Most work permits are valid for 6-12 months and must be renewed within 30 days of the deadline.

Applying for permanent residency, a step below citizenship, affords migrants access to Canada’s public healthcare system and all protections under the law.

Ultimately, migrants seeking to move to Canada without a job usually must prove they have sufficient funds to support themselves. For instance, a single adult must have at least $12,669 in Canadian dollars while a family of four must have at least $23,542 on hand.

When it comes to immediate, temporary shelter, sites like HostelWorld provide a directory of hostels for migrants moving to Canada.

Becoming a Canadian citizen

Minors will need their parent or legal guardian to fill out the citizenship application for them, and adults must first be permanent residents of Canada in good legal standing, have lived in Canada three out of the last five years, have filed your taxes there, passed a citizenship test, and proved your language skills.

Canada’s citizenship test covers history, geography, economy, government, laws, and symbols. The test is offered in English or French and applicants must accurately answer 15 out of 20 questions in 30 minutes, according to the Canadian government’s website.

Canada’s official languages are English and French, applicants who are between 18 and 54 must show that they can speak and listen proficiently in at least one of these languages.

Ultimately, aside from the formal requirements, Americans wanting to move to Canada from the U.S. should be ready to embrace a new culture. While Canada was once a safe haven for Black Africans fleeing U.S. slavery, Americans of all backgrounds are once again considering it a refuge today.