A common refrain in the months leading up to Nov. 8’s historic American election — “I’ll move to Canada if Donald Trump wins” — is now feeling a lot less like a joke as the reality star-turned-politician inches closer and closer to a victory.
The Government of Canada immigration and citizenship website crashed on Tuesday night, presumably under the weight of anxious Americans worried about their status under a Trump presidency. A spokesman for that office did not immediately return a request for comment.
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Moving to Canada is not quite as simple as some Americans — including celebrities like Barbra Streisand, Bryan Cranston and Keegan-Michael Key — might hope.
There are various working visa paths available to applicants with post-secondary education or at least one year of skilled work experience. If you have a job offer in Canada, that’s a big help. If you have relatives in Canada, you might be able to obtain Canadian permanent residence under a Family Class program.
If you own your business, that’s a path to Canadian immigration. And if you have a high net-worth (alert: celebrities) there are a number of options available to you, so long as you promise to spend that capital in Canada.
In order to be eligible for Canadian citizenship, applicants must have lived in Canada for at least four out of the last six years and be fluent in at least one of the country’s two official languages — French and English.
If you marry a Canadian — and Canada has legalized same-sex marriage — then you immediately gain all rights to Canadian citizenship. But be warned: Immigration is well aware of marriage fraud and the penalties are stiff. (The page that describes what the penalties are, however, had also crashed on the night of the election.)
And if you’re wondering where in Canada to call home, you can always consult THR’s handy Post-Election Canadian Relocation Guide for Celebrities.
Good luck, eh?
Plus, Zara Larsson on Trump’s Election: ‘It Was Supposed to Be a Joke, It Was Not Supposed to Happen’