Moving to and living in Canada.

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I live in Canada. Our economy small and our immigration system is point based based on skill level (and most people can not even use their skills when they get here). I don't know why anyone would want to come here, especially an American? you already have access to the biggest economy and job market in the world. Canada is small potatoes compared to the U.S.

It would also be rather isolating for an American person to live here. There is virtually zero American expat/immigrant presence here at all. 80% of immigrants and refugees are from Asia and the middle east and already have formed their own tight knit communities making a home away from home mostly in the greater Toronto area. But for Americans? there's practically nothing. You wouldn't have a group to celebrate the 4th of July or Thanksgiving and you couldn't eat out at many of your favourite restaurants or shop at familiar stores. That may seem a little ''trivial'' but I can bet you would miss it much eventually.

Yeah, most Canadians would prefer to keep the level of mass shootings at the current rate or lower. If daily mass shootings are part and parcel with American gun culture, good luck but we'd prefer to not import it.

You can bring firearms into Canada but rules apply, of course.

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/fs-fd/visit-visite-eng.htm

Sigh...
Many of us, including me, have spent at least some time in Canada and know what is and is not.
It's not like Afghanistan or Nepal which you are making it sound like to keep us out.... I guess.
I could get by just fine in Canada if I HAD to and my day to day life would not be significantly different than it is now. I just don't want to live in Canada because I love good old America just fine and have no desire to live anywhere else.
Believe it or not, most Americans have no desire to live in Canada.

Moving to a new country costs a lot of time and effort. That's actually the main factor.

Maybe for you...

I have stated prior that the Canadian government prefers immigrants from Asia over the U.S. Even if an American ''wanted'' to come they would have a difficult time competing with applications from other countries. You sound happy where you are and that's great. But I don't think you seem to realize how different Canada is, you say you've been here but I'm guessing that was some time ago. Because of immigration policy there has been a big culture shift.

When I say you'd be isolated (in this day in age) I mean it. Come to Toronto and you will not see one American licence plate on a car or meet a single person from the U.S. The majority of people are from Asia, the middle east and Canada (obviously). You're telling me you could get by in an environment like this and not miss your home?

Also the element of anti-Americanism still exists in Canada. It's not like it was in the 2000's but it's still there. Most of us have grown up our whole lives hearing negative things expressed about the United States through our media to a certain degree, even if they're underhanded. Comments like ''Canuckistan'' and '' Canada the ret*d cousin'' from yours talk show hosts did not help the image of the U.S in Canada back in the early to mid 00's.

And of course...

Didn't say I wanted to or would even try. Canadian immigration policy is irrelevant to me, though I have a hard time understanding why they'd actually prefer Asians over people culturally similar.


Trust me when I say we have no shortage of Asians and Arabs in the US, either. But like Canada some parts of the country have more than others.

Miss my home? I havent lived in my "home" area in the rust belt since I was 15 and even before then we moved away a few times due to the sh***y local economy. There simply arent enough income sources there. Pittsburgh is rebounding economically which I think is awesome but it's taking time. Shell Oil is presently building an ethane cracker plant on the bank of the Ohio River between Shippingport and Monaca to take advantage of the region's natural gas resources. That will bring a lot of jobs to the area and boost the economy but it's just a start.

Most everyone I knew as a kid there has had to move away and "home" is only a place we visit occasionally and reminisce about on Facebook. I've lived in a number of states and none of them as of yet I'd quite call "home" but oh well, we do what we can.

Back to me living in Canada (again, not that I'd ever want to): I can find the same amenities there as here and live in a house very similar to what I have here. As stated above, I'm used to not feeling "at home", and trust me when I say we have plenty of Asians, Arabs, Pakistanis, etc. around here.


Whatever
As long as I have my dog, Americans and Canadians alike can kiss my ass.

actually america is canada's pants.


#themoreyouknow

Looks like the American could easily beat up on those others.
That's what counts...

There is no country in the world with a higher per capita immigration rate than Canada. These Pakistani's, Indians, Chinese etc. are the majority in our cities. I very much doubt it's that way in the U.S. Also what makes you so sure Canada is culturally similar to America? Since 1971 we've had government mandated multiculturalism with mass immigration that has completely changed the culture from north American to ... anyone's guess. The old Canada that had similarities to the U.S is pretty much over.

Even french Canada is dying in terms of population decline and being replaced by other nationalities. This is the government's idea. It's all about the money for them. They don't care if western culture evaporates under multiculturalism, all they care about is chasing the elusive dream of having Canada's population hit 100 million one day.

Are you against it?

I don't like it. Not how it is now. Diversity is fine but this is something else. Only posters from the U.K or France will be able to understand what is not ''fine'' about it as the same thing is going on over there. The U.S does not have this style of immigration into your country.

The way Canada was back in say the year 2000 was ideal in terms of diversity. People got a long, there wasn't massive amounts of foreign cultures that totally segregated themselves and western culture was not being eclipsed. Back then immigrant children integrated and become westernized. Now you see this strange reverse of people just segregating themselves into their own communities. Now there is becoming less and less of a western culture to integrate into. In certain cities even English is disappearing and there are just foreign language signs. How it came to this I will never understand.

I'm an American. I would feel very comfortable living in Canada. I have been there quite a few times.

I've been to Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and Ottawa. French (for Montreal, though English is well understood), and English are the predominant languages. There might be small, segregated pockets here and there---but the cities haven't been "overrun" with immigrants--not by a longshot

Your Tim Horton's is much better than our Dunkin Donuts. Otherwise, you folks have the same fast food joints, and have nice ethnic restaurants, too.

Living in the Canadian Prairies is probably like living in the American Prairies.

It wouldn't be much of an adjustment for me to move to Canada. But I really can't become a citizen--unless I marry a Canadian, or I get a master's in something which Canadians find useful. An MSW wouldn't do it. There are enough Canadian social workers.