Canada’s Immigration Lawyers and Real Estate Agents Are Seeing a Rise in Inquiries from Americans Since Trump’s Election

Since Donald Trump was elected as President of the United States in November 2016, Canada has seen a spike in interest from Americans looking to move north of the border. In fact, the website for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) crashed on the night of the November election due to heavy traffic.

American web searches related to Canada have spiked, and Canadian immigration lawyers and realtors have experienced a significant increase in inquiries from Americans since. The Americans interested in moving to Canada appear to be directly impacted by Trump’s election, along with the fear and uncertainty for the future of the United States.

Spike in Web Traffic

Web traffic for the Royal LePage real estate website and Google searches for “moving to Canada” dramatically increased around the time of Trump’s election. Royal LePage saw a web traffic increase more than four times their usual volume the day following the election. IRCC’s website also crashed due to an estimated tenfold traffic increase on Election Day.

Boost in Canadian Real Estate Inquiries

Royal LePage representatives have also stated that American interest in Canadian real estate increased between October and December 2016. There was, in fact, a 40% increase in interest compared to the same period in 2015.

Canada has always been a popular destination for Americans and international citizens due to our reputation for being a beautiful and welcoming country. Now, though, with the low Canadian dollar and a Trump presidency, Canada is an even more desirable destination to buy real estate and resettle.

How the State of the U.S. Affects Canadian Immigration

Canadian immigration lawyers have been advising Americans dissatisfied with the state of their country and keen to immigrate to Canada long before Trump came into power. In fact, Americans sought advice from immigration lawyers in Canada when:

  • George W. Bush was elected President in 2000;
  • The U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003; and
  • When Bush won the 2004 presidential election.

Immigration lawyers are now, once again, noticing more inquiries for Canadian immigration since Trump’s election, evidencing a potential “Trump effect” on immigration to Canada.

Concern and uncertainty with the Trump administration are the major factors influencing these increases in inquiries. Some Americans do not want to live or raise a family in a country where exclusion and fear are the driving changes in policy. As such, some immigration lawyers in both Canada and the U.S. have recently received inquiries relating to:

  • Permanent residency in Canada
  • Permanent residency for relatives of students and dual citizens in Canada;
  • Foreign worker permits; and
  • Renouncing U.S. citizenship for dual citizens.

The permanent immigration outlook caused by the “Trump effect” is still uncertain, since Trump has only been in power for a few weeks. Although there has been a rise in Canadian immigration and real estate inquiries, these trends may become more reliably evident over time if Trump continues with implementing such exclusionary policies.