Canada immigration news: U.S. President Joe Biden’s time in the White House is seeing even more Americans leave the United States to immigrate to Canada than under Donald Trump.
In the wake of Trump’s election in 2016, many Democrats took to social media to say they would be immigrating to Canada.
The website at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) crashed from a massive surge in online traffic as “move to Canada” and “immigrate to Canada” spiked on election night. Canada immigration briefly became a trending Google search.
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In the years that followed, immigration from the United States to Canada did rise markedly during the Trump years.
During the four years of his presidency, 37,205 Americans became new permanent residents of Canada, an average of about 771 every month, reveal IRCC figures.
Americans Immigrating To Canada In Greater Numbers Per Month During Biden’s Term Than Trump’s
The Biden White House, though, has seen an even greater number of Americans making the move to Canada.
In the 16 months since Biden’s victory through to the end of May this year, 16,385 Americans became new permanent residents of Canada, an average of 1,024 per month.
That’s an increase of almost a third more Americans immigrating to Canada on a monthly basis during the Biden administration so far compared to the outflow every month during Trump’s time in the White House.
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The former president’s tenure did, of course, coincide with the arrival of the coronavirus which causes COVID-19 and the public health measures to try to curb its spread. Those border closures and COVID-19 testing initiatives caused immigration to Canada to slow to a trickle.
That tends to somewhat lowers the average number of Americans fleeing the U.S. to come to Canada during the Trump years.
But only somewhat.
When the pandemic is factored out of Trump’s term in office and only the first three years of his term are considered using IRCC data, the results still show fewer Americans immigrating to Canada during the Trump years than during the Biden administration’s time in the White House.
In the first three years of Trump’s time as president, Canada welcomed an average of about 859 new permanent residents from the U.S. every month, still almost 19.2 per cent fewer than during Biden’s time in the Oval Office.
Canada Setting Records For Immigration With Ever-Higher Targets
Ottawa is bullish on immigration and has set – and achieved – record-breaking immigration targets.
At the current rate of immigration, Canada is poised to receive 449,976 new permanent residents this year, far above Ottawa’s record-setting immigration target of 431,645 immigrants for 2022.
The current immigration levels plan is targeting 447,055 new permanent residents for next year and 451,000 in 2024.
At least some of the boom in American immigration to Canada during Biden’s time in office can be chalked up to overall growth in immigration to this country.
From the end of 2019 through to the end of last year, immigration to Canada grew by 19 per cent to hit 406,005.
Americans hoping to immigrate to Canada can do so under six categories of programs. Those include the:
- Federal Economic Class.
- Provincial Economic Class.
- Quebec Immigration.
- Business Immigration, including the Start-Up Visa Program.
- Temporary Residence First, Then Transition To Permanent.
- Family Class Sponsorship.
The Canada’s Federal Economic Class Programs are the Federal Skilled Worker; Federal Skilled Trades, and; Canada Experience Class.
Canada operates these federal economic class immigration system using Express Entry system which requires candidates to submit a profile, with the highest scoring profiles issued an Invitation to Apply.
Candidates then get 60 days to submit a full application.
Under Express Entry, candidates score Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for core factors such as age, education, work experience and language ability.
PNP Nominations Come With 600 Points Towards Applicants’ CRS Scores
Foreign nationals hoping to immigrate to Canada can also come under Canada’s Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP), including:
- Ontario Immigration
- Quebec Immigration
- Alberta Immigration
- British Columbia Immigration
- Manitoba Immigration
- New Brunswick Immigration
- Newfoundland Immigration
- Nova Scotia Immigration
- Saskatchewan Immigration
- Prince Edward Island Immigration
Americans who do not qualify through a federal economic program can consider provincial streams for their applications for permanent residence and improve their odds because a PNP nomination adds 600 points to a CRS score.
Each one of Canada’s provinces runs their own immigration programs, targeting the specific demands of local labour markets.
Quebec has autonomy over its immigration system, with the right to set its own immigration levels and the power to operate its own programs.
Canada also aims to attract entrepreneurs and investors through its business immigration programs, with many applications accepted from the United States.
At the federal level, options include:
- Self Employed Program
- Start-Up Visa Program
- Immigrant Investor Venture Capital (IIVC) Pilot Program
Canada’s Start-Up Visa Program offers Canadian permanent residence to qualified immigrant entrepreneurs. The program targets innovative entrepreneurs and links them with private sector investors in Canada who will help establish their start-up business.
Candidates can initially come to Canada on a work permit supported by their designated Canada-based investor, before qualifying for permanent residence once their business is up and running.
There are three types of private-sector investor under that program that can help finance a foreign entrepreneur:
- Angel investor.
- Venture capital fund.
- Business incubator.
Candidates looking to immigrate to Canada from the United States may also consider the Buy a Business and Move to Canada Program.
Federal owner-operator rules allow a candidate to buy a business and move to Canada on a temporary work permit, before transitioning to permanent residence further down the line.
Under this policy a work permit is issued following the sale and transfer of the majority share ownership of an existing profitable Canadian business to the immigration candidate.
Temporary To Permanent Residency Pathways Growing In Popularity
Increasingly, immigrants are coming to Canada as temporary residents and transitioning to permanent residents. This is a popular route for candidates who do not immediately qualify for permanent residence when applying from the United States.
Time spent in Canada as a temporary resident counts towards a permanent residence application.
Work permits are issued through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, International Mobility Program and International Experience Canada Program.
Caregivers also have their own streams for work permits (under the TFWP) and transition to permanent residence.
Candidates in the United States with family members who are already permanent residents or citizens can apply through Family Class Sponsorship immigration.
Those wanting to immigrate to Canada under the sponsorship programs must:
- be 18 years of age or older;
- sign a sponsorship agreement that commits them to provide financial support for their relative, if necessary;
- provide financial support for a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner for three years from the date they become a permanent resident, and;
- provide financial support for a dependent child for 10 years or until the child turns 25, whichever comes first.