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Americans Flock to Canada’s Immigration Web Site
By David Ljunggren
OTTAWA (Reuters) – The number of U.S. citizens visiting Canada’s main immigration Web site has shot up six-fold as Americans flirt with the idea of abandoning their homeland after President Bush’s election win this week.
“When we looked at the first day after the election, Nov. 3, our Web site hit a new high, almost double the previous record high,” immigration ministry spokeswoman Maria Iadinardi said on Friday.
On an average day some 20,000 people in the United States log onto the Web site, http://www.cic.gc.ca — a figure which rocketed to 115,016 on Wednesday. The number of U.S. visits settled down to 65,803 on Thursday, still well above the norm.
Bush’s victory sparked speculation that disconsolate Democrats and others might decide to start a new life in Canada, a land that tilts more to the left than the United States.
Would-be immigrants to Canada can apply to become permanent resident, a process that often takes a year. The other main way to move north on a long-term basis is to find a job, which requires a work permit.
But please spare the sob stories.
Asked whether an applicant would be looked upon more sympathetically if they claimed to be a sad Democrat seeking to escape four more years of Bush, Iadinardi replied: “There would be no weight given to statements of feelings.”
Canada is one of the few major nations with an large-scale immigration policy. Ottawa is seeking to attract between 220,000 and 240,000 newcomers next year.
“Let’s face it, we have a population of a little over 32 million and we definitely need permanent residents to come to Canada,” said Iadinardi. “If we could meet (the 2005) target and go above it, the more the merrier.”
But right now it is too early to say whether the increased interest will result in more applications.
“There is no unusual activity occurring at our visa missions (in the United States). Having someone who intends to come to Canada is not the same as someone actually putting in an application,” said Iadinardi.
“We’ll only find out whether there has been an increase in applications in six months.”
The waiting time to become a citizen is shorter for people married to Canadians, which prompted the birth of a satirical Web site called http://www.marryanamerican.ca.
The idea of increased immigration by unhappy Americans is triggering some amusement in Canada. Commentator Thane Burnett of the Ottawa Sun newspaper wrote a tongue-in-cheek guide to would-be new citizens on Friday.
“As Canadians, you’ll have to learn to embrace and use all the products and culture of Americans, while bad-mouthing their way of life,” he said.
11/05/04 14:22
Cool article.
It’s funny because I’ve actually been looking into Australia’s immigrations policies. It’s warmer then Canada. Anybody know what the cost of living is like down there?
If you were also considering moving to Australia due to anti-Bush sentiments, unfortunately they re-elected as Prime Minister John Howard who has been a major supporter of Bush’s foreign policies.
That depressed me almost as much as Bush being re-elected.
The cost of living is supposed to be lower in Western Australia (my brother lives in Perth and is doing very well with his business), but generally the cost of living has gone up considerably in Australia in recent years — certainly housing. I was better paid there than here as a bartender back in the early 90s, but I don’t know about engineering people such as yourself in the US compared to Australia.
I also considered moving there for good before, since university was so much cheaper (my other brother got a gov’t allowance just to study there) and the lifestyle suited me much better than here in Canada. However, my wife, unlike me, is doing very well here, and even though I’m an Australian citizen, immigration for her would be a hassle.
theFrey wrote:Jersey? going for the sympathy bid? 😆 Naw. Seriously, I loved the last line of the article though.
😉 You betcha, Frey! Especially since our Governor has seen to it that NJ has taken over FL’s place as the laughing stock of the nation….
🙁
”Micromary” wrote:Especially since our Governor has seen to it that NJ has taken over FL’s place as the laughing stock of the nation….
I don’t think that was McGreevey’s Fault… 😈
But seriously, I don’t see how your recently ex-governor’s homosexual tendencies make your entire state look bad. It’s not like he tried to declare war on Luxembourg or supress free speech. But then again, I don’t live in a backward part of the country like; Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, Oregon and Utah, where that sort of thing is almost illegal.
Logan wrote:but generally the cost of living has gone up considerably in Australia in recent years — certainly housing. I was better paid there than here as a bartender back in the early 90s, but I don’t know about engineering people such as yourself in the US compared to Australia.
I was thinking more like the price of food and gas. Last time I checked gas was slightly more expensive in western Australia then in Philly, but not nearly as expensive as the Midwestern part of America. It’s really just academic at this point, I’ve got another two years for my masters. And there isn’t much work for Nuc E’s down under anyways…
I think the telling thing about that immigration article is that people looking at the website is one thing…Americans migrating enmasse something completely different.
Yeah some folks will leave – I’m sure of that….it’s a little premature for me to leave yet.
After the next four years if there is another conservative elected to the office – then I’ll consider heading to Europe or Canada.
I’m applying to grad school and if I get in it’ll be a few years before I can go anywhere – and I’m pretty wedded to Boston. I love it here.
But things change allthe time. And the dollar is weakening now…so several places are going to be more expensive anyway.
Pretty cute map. If any one knows where a larger version is, I would like to see it. 😀
ooooh an even better map. This one lists New Canada and Jeusland!
I’m partial to THIS (click) North American map, and this THIS (click) world map — from the venerable Canadian World Domination![/url] site.
BTW, it’s Remembrance Day here.
Edit: Headge, as a Nuc E, have you considered a career in N. Korea? 😉
Headgehog wrote:”Micromary” wrote:Especially since our Governor has seen to it that NJ has taken over FL’s place as the laughing stock of the nation….
I don’t think that was McGreevey’s Fault… 😈
But seriously, I don’t see how your recently ex-governor’s homosexual tendencies make your entire state look bad. It’s not like he tried to declare war on Luxembourg or supress free speech. But then again, I don’t live in a backward part of the country like; Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, Oregon and Utah, where that sort of thing is almost illegal.[/quote]
It’s not the fact that McGreevy is gay that’s embarrasing (although it might be to some folks), it’s the fact that he’s using his gayness as an excuse to leave office before he does any more stupid stuff. It’s the fact that he appointed a non-USA citizen to the post of Homeland Security – whether or not this guy was his lover. It’s the fact that he passed a bill to protect the watergap area that also fast-tracks develop permits in the rest of the state……
I’d better stop now……
👿theFrey wrote:ooooh an even better map. This one lists New Canada and Jeusland!
Thank God I’m in the United States of Canada!!! 😉 😆 😈
(does the New Canadian happy dance) 😉
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