The United States is a place where millions of people wish to move to, and Canadians are no different. But even though Canada and the United States are close both physically and ideologically, Canadians can’t just move to the United States without going through the proper immigration channels. Likewise, United States citizens cannot just move to Canada. Instead, Canadian citizens must look into the proper immigration channels, of which there are several.
How can you move to the United States as a Canadian citizen?
There are multiple ways of immigrating to the United States, permanently and temporarily.
1. Work visas. There are many different types of work visas for the United States, some of which are for people who want to work in the United States for a few years, while others are for people being transferred to the United States. Most of these visas will require a significantly high level of education and skill. While these visas are mostly temporary, your employer can petition you for permanent residency in the United States.
2. Investor visas. You can obtain permanent residency in the United States by investing in the United States.
3. Spousal sponsorship. If you marry a United States citizen or a permanent resident of the United States, they can sponsor you for permanent residency. However, you will need to demonstrate that your marriage is legitimate to proceed with this option.
4. Family sponsorship. A close family member who is a citizen of the United States can sponsor you for permanent residency. A “close” family member means an immediate family member such as a parent or a sibling.
While it is possible to immigrate to the United States from Canada under a variety of different means, this is a time-consuming and difficult process that can take several months or years. For the best results, please speak with a licensed immigration lawyer.
President & CEO
Michael Niren
Mr. Niren is CEO of VisaPlace LLC and the President and Managing Partner of VisaPlace Legal Canada, an immigration law firm based in Toronto, and VisaPlace Legal US a law firm registered in The District of Columbia, USA. Mr. Niren is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section, American Lawyers Association, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.
