A whole lot of Americans are Googling how to move to Canada

We can't say we're surprised: Google noticed a spike in traffic related to searches involving "how to move to Canada" queries starting last night. Clearly, Americans aren't happy with how democracy is currently playing out. 

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A similar trend took hold about an hour after the start of the very first Presidential debate back in September. Around 10:30pm EST on September 29, searches for "how to apply for Canadian citizenship" spiked, most popularly in Massachusetts, Ohio and Michigan. 

There was a similar uptick in related queries during the 2016 Presidential election. Back then, the Canadian government's immigration site actually crashed after Donald Trump won the presidency. Although that didn't happen back in November 2004 (George W. Bush vs. John Kerry) and November 2012 (Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney), both election nights were marked by a spike in Google searches relating to possible moves to our Northern neighbor.

So, we're here to help. Are you actually considering moving and wondering how to kick off your plans? Here are some things you should know:

1. There are a few ways for you to move up North, depending on a variety of factors. Woohoo!

2. You can apply for a permanent resident status right here. If you actually go through with it, you'll be able to work, study and have health care in Canada but you won't be able to vote, run for office or apply to certain high-security clearance jobs. If you end up staying put as a permanent resident for at least five years and can prove that you were actually physically in Canada for at least 1,095 days throughout that period, you can apply for a citizenship. Here's more about that. 

3. If you can't yet commit to a move but want to spend an extended amount of time in Canada, you can apply for a visitor visa (basically, a temporary resident visa) and stay in town for up to six months. Warning, though: you won't be able to study or work in Canada with said visa.

4. Want to stay longer than six months but don't want to permanently move just yet? Go ahead and request a visitor record, which will basically allow you to extend your stay. The Canadian government will determine how long you can stay depending on a few things, including the purpose of your extension.

5. We should have started with this one: Given current COVID-19-related restrictions, the border with Canada is currently closed, which means you'll have to wait on fulfilling your relocation dreams for the time being.