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American immigrant to Canada here. Canada has skilled worker permanent residence visas that, in many cases (and ignoring temporary pandemic-related delays), tak

American immigrant to Canada here. Canada has skilled worker permanent residence visas that, in many cases (and ignoring temporary pandemic-related delays), take half a year or less from start to finish. Mine was slower but still faster than a lot of immigrant experiences to the US, and I did it from outside Canada and without an employer involved at all. The skilled worker visas don't need family in country, though it can be a minor help in the points systems they use. My CS degree and work experience mattered far more. As to why it's hard in the US, I'd attribute that more to attitudes among the population and media than to the inherent nature of having to make policy that appeals to voters: Canada is (at least) as much of a democracy as the US, and even the Conservative Party of Canada isn't proposing to eliminate fast skilled worker processing - they're in fact the party that introduced the quick program I alluded to above. Certainly the other two major national parties are even more friendly to immigration. There are xenophobes in Canada, but firmly in the minority when examined at the national level. Canada also has fast sponsorship programs for spouses and kids.

digianarchist 6y ago
Like I said in another comment though - Canada's immigration system does not focus on family reunification like the United States. 63% of Green Cards are awarded based on family connection [0] not employment based sponsorship vs 26% in Canada [1]. The US is an outlier in this regard. Not many countries allow you to sponsor a sibling for Permanent Residency. [0] https://www.boundless.com/blog/dhs-data-2018/ https://www.boundless.com/blog/dhs-data-2018/ [1] https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/annual-report-parliament-immigration-2017.html#sec1_1 https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/co...
- jkaplowitz 6y ago
  Canada does make it pretty easy to sponsor a spouse, common-law partner, or single children under age 22 for permanent residence. In fact it's far easier and faster than the US equivalent. You're right about the relative percentages between the countries, but that's simply because the US makes even skilled economic immigration far more difficult than Canada. All common kinds of immigration are easier in Canada, though neither country makes it truly easy as was true more than a century ago. You're right that there are only very narrow cases where Canada allows sponsoring siblings, unlike the US. But those kinds of differences go both ways: for example, Canada allows common-law partner sponsorship after 1 year of cohabitation without requiring marriage, whereas the US doesn't. (I am not referring to what the US calls "common-law marriage" but to a type of relationship that continues not to be treated the same as marriage under Canadian law, except where specifically indicated.)

digianarchist 6y ago

Like I said in another comment though - Canada's immigration system does not focus on family reunification like the United States. 63% of Green Cards are awarded based on family connection [0] not employment based sponsorship vs 26% in Canada [1]. The US is an outlier in this regard. Not many countries allow you to sponsor a sibling for Permanent Residency. [0] https://www.boundless.com/blog/dhs-data-2018/ https://www.boundless.com/blog/dhs-data-2018/ [1] https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/annual-report-parliament-immigration-2017.html#sec1_1 https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/co...

jkaplowitz 6y ago
Canada does make it pretty easy to sponsor a spouse, common-law partner, or single children under age 22 for permanent residence. In fact it's far easier and faster than the US equivalent. You're right about the relative percentages between the countries, but that's simply because the US makes even skilled economic immigration far more difficult than Canada. All common kinds of immigration are easier in Canada, though neither country makes it truly easy as was true more than a century ago. You're right that there are only very narrow cases where Canada allows sponsoring siblings, unlike the US. But those kinds of differences go both ways: for example, Canada allows common-law partner sponsorship after 1 year of cohabitation without requiring marriage, whereas the US doesn't. (I am not referring to what the US calls "common-law marriage" but to a type of relationship that continues not to be treated the same as marriage under Canadian law, except where specifically indicated.)