How to Actually Move to Canada if Trump Gets Elected

“If _____ gets elected, I’m moving to Canada!” Sound familiar? This “threat” casually seems to get thrown around every election cycle in the U.S., but has seemingly become more common in this year’s tense political climate. Even corporations have gotten in on the joke: Esurance’s April Fools Day ad jokingly offers “election insurance” to anyone who feels the need to escape for the next four years. A tourism campaign for Cape Breton Island in Canada offers refuge to people who fear an America under Donald Trump.

With the possibility of a Trump presidency becoming realer and scarier by the day, a move to Canada is seeming less like a bad joke and more like a genuine option for many Americans. After Trump won a string of Super Tuesday victories this past March, Google reportedly received a 350 percent surge in searches related to moving to Canada. According to NPR, thousands of Americans already move to Canada for political reasons, and there’s no telling how that number could rise if Trump is victorious in November.

While the land that brought the world Drake and Tim Horton’s looks much more appealing with the potential of an impending Trump regime, don’t pack your bags yet: it’s a lot easier said than done. The Canadians may be known for their hospitality, but they’re not just going to let anyone waltz through their doors.

If you really are seriously considering an escape to the Great White North, you probably should start planning now, because immigrating to Canada will take a considerable investment of time and will require you to make some serious life decisions. Here’s some options to earn your ticket in:

Find a job or start a business in Canada

Get your employment locked down now, because competition may become fierce once the influx of Trump-related immigration hits its peak. For skilled workers, Canada’s Express Entry program allows an expedited path to permanent residence for select candidates, and you can also use the Government of Canada’s Job Bank to help line something up.

The Canadian government is also very supportive of entrepreneurship: the country offers a start-up Visa to anyone who has a business idea that could benefit the country. Certain Canadian provinces also have their own respective business immigration programs called Provincial Nominee Programs.

If you’re a wealthy individual with some money lying around, you can also invest it in Canada’s economy to earn your permanent residence.

Marry a Canadian

Not exactly a straightforward solution, but if you can find yourself an eligible Canadian bachelor/bachelorette, they will be able to sponsor you for immigration.

How can you find this special person? There’s an app for that: Maple Match is an app specifically designed for “Americans to find the ideal Canadian partner to save them from the unfathomable horror of a Trump presidency.”

One of the (many) downsides to this option is that it will take a long time, so you will probably be stuck in the U.S. potentially living under Trump’s presidency while your spouse is working to bring you over. Do not recommend this option.

Become a student in a Canadian school

Many Canadian universities are highly ranked globally, making this a good solution for anyone looking to go to school. However, this will only work so long as you are still enrolled in school. Once you graduate, you will need to find another way to stay (see above options).

You will also need to go through the admissions process to earn your place in one of these universities, so this also a time-consuming and tedious option.

Alternatively, don’t go

Don’t just run away from the burning house, help put the fire out! While the thought of a Trump America  may be terrifying, having a large number of people flee the country is not going to help solve any of our problems. And moving to Canada, as shown here, is probably not going to be a quick and easy solution. (It’s also highly unlikely you will be able to claim political asylum, sorry).

In the case that Trump wins in November, don’t let fear force you out of your home. If you still decide you want to make the leap and become a Canadian, you should probably start your immigration applications and your Maple Match profile now.

Mariam Jaffery

Mariam was an Executive Assistant at Law Street Media and a native of Northern Virginia. She has a B.A. in International Affairs with a minor in Business Administration from George Washington University. Contact Mariam at mjaffery@lawstreetmedia.com.