Moving to Canada because of the election? Not so fast
Mar 8, 2016, 5:13 AM | Updated: 9:41 am
(AP Photo)
PHOENIX — Thousands of Americans have threatened to leave the country if the presidential election does not go the way they want it to.
Immediately following Super Tuesday, Google saw an unprecedented number of searches related to moving to Canada.
So, if you are one of the thousands of Americans who plans to immigrate north there is something you need to know: Moving to Canada is expensive.
For starters, you’ll need to apply for permanent residency. That alone can cost $550 and it gets much pricier if you have family.
Assuming all goes well and you meet Canada’s residency requirements, you need to consider housing. A recent poll found 32 percent of Canadians think their homes are priced unreasonably high.
It is worth noting the same poll showed housing prices vary greatly across Canada.
For example, the average home price in Halifax on Nova Scotia — on Canada’s east cost — is $262,027. The average price of a home in Vancouver, just north of Seattle, is more than $1 million.
Of course, you need to find a job to pay for the move and the house but it might be tough. Canada’s unemployment rate is 7.2 percent, which is about 2 percent higher than the unemployment rate in the United States.
And let’s assume you do find a job. If you’re not the best with paperwork, there is a possibility you will have to pay taxes in both countries.