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Canada
United StatesA green card lets you live and work anywhere in the US permanently, and after a few years, apply for US citizenship. Canadians can’t use the green card lottery, but there are several other routes: through family, a job, your own business or an investment.
Updated November 2026 with the latest Visa Bulletin.
There’s usually a route. The question is which one fits you best.
Generally no. People born in Canada have been ineligible for the Diversity Visa lottery because many Canadians already immigrate to the US. There are narrow exceptions, for example if your spouse was born in an eligible country. And in August 2026, the State Department paused issuing diversity visas altogether. For most Canadians, the routes below are the realistic options.
| Route | Who it’s for | Wait for Canadians |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse of a US citizen | You’re married to an American | No waiting line. Processing often takes a year or more. |
| Parent of a US citizen | Your son or daughter is a US citizen aged 21 or older | No waiting line |
| Fiancé(e) of a US citizen | You’re engaged to an American | K-1 visa, then a green card after the wedding |
| EB-3 job offer | Skilled workers, professionals and other workers with a US employer sponsor | About 2 and a half years after PERM; longer for other workers |
| EB-2 and the National Interest Waiver | Advanced degrees, or work that benefits the US | About a year and a half in line, plus processing |
| EB-1 | Multinational managers, people with extraordinary ability, top researchers | No waiting line |
| EB-5 investment | Investors with US$800,000 (targeted areas) or US$1,050,000 | No waiting line |
Waiting times are from the November 2026 Visa Bulletin for “all chargeability areas”, which covers people born in Canada. “No waiting line” means your category is current, but processing still takes time.
Many Canadians start with an E-2 investor visa. It isn’t a green card, but it can be renewed indefinitely, and it lets you build a US business that may later support a green card.
If you own or manage a Canadian company, opening a US branch on an L-1 visa can lead to an EB-1C green card for multinational managers, which currently has no waiting line.
No. People born in Canada have been ineligible for the US Diversity Visa lottery, and in August 2026 the State Department paused issuing diversity visas. Canadians usually qualify through family, work, a business or an investment instead.
For most people, being the spouse, or the parent, of a US citizen. Those categories have no waiting line. Without family, EB-1 and EB-5 also have no line for Canadians right now.
If you apply from Canada, at the US Consulate General in Montreal, the only post in Canada that processes immigrant visas. If you’re already in the US in valid status, you may be able to adjust status there instead.
Yes. Getting a green card doesn’t affect your Canadian citizenship, and both countries allow dual citizenship if you later become a US citizen.
Long absences can put it at risk, because a green card is for people who live in the US. Trips of a few weeks or months are normally fine, but long stays abroad need planning.
Tell us about your family, work and finances. We’ll tell you plainly which green card routes you qualify for and what each one involves.
VisaPlace Immigration works with licensed and experienced immigration lawyers, who are independent and operate separately from VisaPlace Immigration. VisaPlace Immigration does not provide legal advice. This page is for information purposes only and reflects information available in November 2026. Rules, dates and processing times change. For legal advice, consult a licensed immigration lawyer. Sources: US State Department, Visa Bulletin for November 2026, Diversity Visa Program (DV-2026 eligibility) and Diversity Visa Issuance Updated Guidance (August 2026); US Embassy and Consulates in Canada, Immigrant Visa Process; USCIS, Green Card Eligibility Categories.
