How do I move to Canada (permanently)?

Factual Questions
1

I presently live in the US and am considering moving to Canada. Where do I start?

I’m a professional and not a recent college grad or just someone looking to backpack around for a while. It would include my immediate family (wife and kids), but no one else.

Also, any info on the likelihood of actually being approved for such a thing?

2

Citizenship and Immigration Canada: Applying for a Permanent Resident Card.

3

Applying for a permanent resident card is jumping ahead a bit. :slight_smile: You have to be a permanent resident first. However, just a quick click away from Walloon’s original link is the Immigrating to Canada page, which is what I think you want. If you’re applying as a “skilled worker,” which is one of the easiest ways to immigrate to Canada, they have a scoring system that they document online so that you can determine whether or not you qualify.

4

Permanent Residence can take a while to process, and you might not qualify. If you want to go “right now”, you may qualify for a NAFTA visa. This visa is essentially a work visa without all the red tape. It is good for a year and is renewable (indefinitely? I know a Canadian who has been in the US on a NAFTA visa for 10 years). You can bring your family along, but if your spouse wants to work, she’ll need her own work visa (hopefully she qualifies for NAFTA, too).

Here is information from the US government http://travel.state.gov/tn_visas.html (yes, I know, it’s for Canadians entering the US – but the visas are the same because of the treaty), and from a commercial Canadian site http://www.canam2000.com/home.asp?page=4.

Look at immigration books in a bookstore – you’ll find some with information on NAFTA visas, including a sample letter. The job offer letter must have a few things in it:

  1. Job title (hopefully that matches a title on the NAFTA list)
  2. Job start date.
  3. Some indication that the job is temporary (doesn’t have to be specific, and the job really doesn’t have to be temporary)

Have originals and photocopies of everything (including the degree in the frame that is gathering dust in the corner of your closet) before you hit the border. Don’t forget cash for the fee.

You don’t need a lawyer. In 1993 I got my TC visa (predecessor to NAFTA) in 15 minutes at the border crossing about 100 miles north of Duluth, Minnesota.

5

If I wanted to relocate permanently to any country I would find out from the net where the nearest consulate was and ask there.

6

Depending on the consulate, you’ll get somewhere between the official line and badly abused. It can be helpful, but its not the only source of information. Somebody already posted the official line.

When you need help on your taxes, do you call the tax authority, an accountant, or both? Probably depends on what kind of help you need.