Consider your skills and history before choosing the visa and immigration program for which to apply. If you have recently worked in Canada or been a student there, you are eligible for the Canadian Experience Class.
Apply as a skilled worker if you already have an employment offer, if you have previously been working with a temporary work visa, or if you have experience in one of a list of pre-defined professions found on the government immigration website. Entrepreneurs and self-employed workers may apply under a different program.
Apply as a provincial nominee, meaning applying directly to live in one of the provinces, if you know exactly where you would like to move. This redirects your application from the national headquarters to a local board that will make the decision. If you live in a northern state in America and have connections to your neighboring Canadian province, this could prove useful. If you have a Canadian relative, he or she can apply to be your sponsor.
Expect your application to be assessed based on a number of factors, including your age, education, competency in English and French, employment status, adaptability--listed but not defined on the government's website--and ability to support yourself while relocating. Provide banking information to a Canadian visa office in the U.S. to prove that you have the funds to move to Canada without applying for government assistance. Take an online test at Canada's citizenship and immigration website to assess yourself according to these qualities.
Once you have a valid visa in your passport or permanent resident card, start packing. Keep a list of items that you will need to declare at the border. Check with the Canadian Border Services Agency to find out what items can be imported duty or tax free. Provide immigration officials with two copies of a list of items travelling with you, as well as those that will be arriving later, and their monetary value. These lists must be specific and detailed, even down to serial numbers and model numbers on relevant items. Remember to declare your money in Canadian dollars.
Canadian immigration recommends knowing both English and French when moving to Canada. Although Quebec is the only province in which French is the official language, there are French-speaking communities all over the eastern provinces. Although Americans often find it difficult to learn languages, the respect they receive from their new Canadian compatriots will most likely outweigh the difficulty.
