Americans planning to move to Canada must plan for their immigration status in advance. Although Americans with passports are used to being able to visit Canada freely, if an American wishes to re-settle in Canada, they will require appropriate authorization to work, study, or live in Canada on a long-term basis. Well, this blog covers how to move to Canada from the US. 

Interestingly, there are three major programs that Americans might wish to consider when thinking about moving to Canada: 

  • CUSMA/ USMCA Professionals’ work permits 
  • The Federal Skilled Worker Program the Canadian Experience Class

Legal Status To Work/ Study 

In order to move to Canada from the US, one must know about their legal status to work/ study. 

Well, it is illegal for foreign nationals, including US citizens, to work/ study in Canada without authorization. 

US Citizens who don’t hold Canadian citizenship will need authorization to work or study in Canada.  

Americans do benefit from being visa-exempt: unlike foreign nationals of many other nations, they will not require a visa or electronic travel authorization (eTA) to enter Canada. 

There are two main ways to obtain legal status in Canada: 

  • Permits, which are temporary 
  • Permanent residency, which can be renewed indefinitely, provided you spend enough time in Canada 

CUSMA/ USMCA Professionals Work Permit 

The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement offers Americans an advantage if they wish to move to Canada for work. 

Under this free trade agreement, US citizens in certain professional fields can apply for an employer-specific work permit to practice their professions in Canada. 

Over 63 professions, including management consultants, scientists, scientific technicians, and medical professionals, are eligible. 

CUSMA Professions 

  • Accountant
  • Agriculturalist
  • Animal Breeder
  • Animal Scientist
  • Apiculturist
  • Architect
  • Astronomer
  • Biochemist
  • Biologist
  • Chemist
  • Computer Systems Analyst
  • Dairy Scientist
  • Dentist
  • Dietician
  • Disaster Relief Insurance Claims Adjuster
  • Economist
  • Entomologist
  • Engineer
  • Epidemiologist
  • Forester
  • Geneticist
  • Geochemist
  • Geologist
  • Geophysicist
  • Graphic Designer
  • Horticulturist
  • Hotel Manager
  • Industrial Designer
  • Interior Designer
  • Land Surveyor
  • Landscape Architect
  • Lawyer (including Notary in Quebec)
  • Librarian
  • Management Consultant
  • Mathematician
  • Medical Laboratory Technologist
  • Meteorologist
  • Nutritionist
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Pharmacist
  • Pharmacologist
  • Physician
  • Physicist
  • Physiotherapist
  • Plant Breeder
  • Poultry Scientist
  • Psychologist
  • Range Manager
  • Recreational Therapist
  • Registered Nurse
  • Research Assistant
  • Scientific Technician/Technologist
  • Social Worker
  • Soil Scientist
  • Silviculturist
  • Teachers (College, Seminary, and University)
  • Technical Publications Writer
  • Urban Planner
  • Veterinarian
  • Vocational Counselor
  • Zoologist

If you meet the requirements, obtaining a CUSMA work permit offers 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 TFWP, i.e., Temporary Foreign Worker Program and other work permits under the International Mobility Program. 

Because work permits are temporary by nature, you must renew your work 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 its expiry unless you obtain some other form of legal status that allows you to stay in the country.  

Obtaining Canadian Permanent Residency

In order to move to Canada from the US, you must also obtain Canadian permanent residency. 

Americans who wish to settle in Canada on a long-term basis might pursue Canadian permanent residency, which is 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, enroll in studies, be eligible for social services and provincial health insurance programs, and work freely in Canada for any employer. 

After you have been a permanent resident for three years and have spent enough time in Canada, you can apply for Canadian citizenship. 

In order to obtain Canadian permanent residency, a foreigner should receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence (ITA) from a Canadian immigration ministry – IRCC. 

One way to obtain 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 applicants to invite for permanent residency. 

Once you are an eligible applicant in the pool, you are scored and ranked against other applicants using the Comprehensive Ranking System. The top-ranking applicants are invited to periodic draws held by IRCC. 

Americans seeking Canadian permanent residency might want to consider two Express Entry programs: 

  • The Federal Skilled Worker Program 
  • The Canadian Experience Class 

The Federal Skilled Worker Program 

In order to be eligible for the FSWP, i.e., Federal Skilled Worker Program, you should meet a number of requirements across factoring, including: 

  • Education
  • Language Proficiency 
  • Settlement Funds 
  • Work Experience 

If you are eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you can enter the Express Entry pool, which will provide you the opportunity to obtain an ITA in any draws, should you rank high enough in the pool. 

The Canadian Experience Class 

Another way to move to Canada from the US is the Canadian Experience Class.

CEC requirements are less complex than the requirements for the Federal Skilled Worker Program. 

The primary requirement for CEC is one year of full-time skilled work experience in Canada over the last three years.

You should also meet a language proficiency requirement in English or French. 

American workers 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 will require certain documents. 

You must be aware of two documents that are particular to Express Entry, which you will need to prepare in advance in order to have an eligible profile. 

  • Language Tests 
  • Educational Credential Assessments (ECAs)

To demonstrate the required proficiency in French/English, you will require valid language tests from an approved testing provider. 

There are no exceptions; you require these tests even if you are a native speaker of French or English. 

If your education was not in Canada, you will also require 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 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. 

If you seek information on how to begin your Canada immigration application process, you can talk to our NavaImmigration experts at 1800-918-8490, or you can drop us an email at [email protected].