Following the 2024 US Elections, many Americans may feel disappointed and unhappy with the outcome. Some may be even driven to explore Canadian immigration options, seeking new opportunities north of the border.

The good news is that Canada offers multiple pathways tailored to different needs and backgrounds, from economic immigration programs to family sponsorship and even options for those with Canadian ancestry. In this guide, we outline some of the most common and accessible immigration pathways that U.S. citizens can consider for moving to Canada. The list of available options ultimately depends on your situation and background, so it is worthwhile to speak to a Canadian immigration lawyer.

However, if you’re just at the early stages of exploring common pathways to move from US to Canada, this blog post is a good place to start your research.

Economic Immigration Pathways: Leveraging Skills and Experience to Immigrate to Canada

For Americans looking to move to Canada permanently, economic immigration programs provide several robust options. Canada’s primary route for economic immigrants is the Express Entry system, that includes three key programs for skilled workers and professionals:

Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW):

This program is designed for skilled professionals with foreign work experience. Essentially, if you have skilled work experience, completed at least high-school, and speak English or French, you may be eligible for the FSW program. FSW candidates must score a minimum of 67 FSW points to qualify and then, each candidate gets assigned a certain CRS score based on their Human Capital factors. We’ve talked about the Canada’s immigration points system and how the points are assigned in our earlier blog post.

With the CRS points skyrocketing over the last 2 years, and considering the announced cuts to immigration in 2025-2027, it becomes increasingly difficult to immigrate to Canada. The competition is too fierce now. However, those who have work experience in certain in-demand fields such as trades, healthcare, STEM, agriculture, transportation, might still have a shot. Recently, Canada introduced category-specific draws targeting applicants with skills in high-demand sector and this shift increases opportunities for U.S. citizens with specialized skills in these fields, even if their CRS score might be below the typical cutoff for a general draw.

Canadian Experience Class (CEC):

This program is tailored for individuals who have work experience in Canada, often those who initially came on a Work Permit or Study Permit (and then transitioned to a Post-Graduation Work Permit). With the recent shift in immigration strategy, Canada is really targeting those who are already in Canada and have Canadian work experience. As both countries have very tight economic connections thousands of US citizens might qualify for the Canadian Experience Class program (even if you no longer work in Canada).

Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST):

Aimed at skilled trades professionals like electricians, carpenters, and welders, this program allows those in specialized fields to apply for Canadian residency. While we did not see any FST draws in recent years, having experience in high-demand trades can still be a valuable qualification. Even more, if you have relevant experience in trades you might qualify not only for the FST, but for other programs as well.

Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP):

Beyond federal programs, each Canadian province has its immigration program under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Provinces select applicants to address specific regional labor needs, often focusing on areas with growing industries or labor shortages. In a nutshell you can divide Provincial Nominee Programs into two buckets:

• Active PNPs: you must apply directly to a province by demonstrating relevant skills and work experience obtained in that province.

• Passive PNPs: You create a Profile in the Express Entry system (if you qualify for FSW, CEC, of FST) and then, provinces select candidates from the Express Entry pool who meet their specific criteria. Once you get an Expression of Interest from the province your CRS score will be bumped up by 600 points.

Specialized Pathways for U.S. Citizens: Work Permits and Business Immigration

Just weeks before the election Canada unveiled their revised Immigration Levels Plan and announced significant restrictions on immigration. Business immigration suffered a major blow and now the landscape is changing to limiting the pathways for temporary business immigration to Canada. In these new realities you must get in touch with a Canadian immigration lawyer to identify whether you still can relocate to Canada through business or Work Permit route. However, just for the general information, here is the summary of some of the options that might be available to you.