In case you haven’t heard, there was a historic US election earlier this week. On Nov. 5, former President Donald Trump reclaimed his presidency in a win over Democratic candidate and current Vice-President Kamala Harris. Not only did the Republicans win control over the Senate, but they won the popular vote for the first time in 20 years.
However, Trump’s return to power isn’t sitting well with everyone, especially in the states that voted for Harris.
According to Google Trends, searches for “How to move to Canada” spiked by 200 per cent following the election results. Unsurprisingly, states that voted for Harris topped searches, too. Vermont, Maine, Oregon, New Hampshire and Minnesota were the Top 5 states that turned to Google following the vote, and all five states were blue by the time officials counted those final ballots.
Reasons for Moving
Other popular post-election searches included terms like “How to move to Denmark,” “How to legally move to Canada,” “How to apply for citizenship in Canada,” “Best country to move to from USA,” and “Can I move to Canada if Trump wins.”
Google Trends also looked at related topics that these searches procured, and it appears that those searching for a new country to live in were specifically concerned with issues like women’s rights, health care and equality. Same-sex marriage and the minimum wage also factored in.
Related: 10 Small Towns in Canada That Are Just Like Europe
History Repeats Itself
In a recent article, Global News points out that searches for Canadian residency are predictable following an American election. In 2016, Americans crashed the Canadian government’s federal immigration site with their searches.
It turns out that many Americans tried to move north at the time. According to Immigration Canada, roughly 6,800 Americans applied for permanent residency in Canada in 2015. That number jumped to 7,700 the following year and peaked at more than 9,000 in 2017 following Trump’s inauguration.
In 2004, when republican George W. Bush was elected, searches for Canadian immigration also soared, according to PolitiFact.
Related: Canada’s 10 Best Cities for Renters in 2024 Revealed
Moving to Canada
So what does it actually take to immigrate to Canada? It’s harder than you’d think, with a complicated immigration process that can take years to complete. Meanwhile, the current Canadian government, under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, recently announced a decrease in the number of permanent immigrants accepted into the country next year.
As the country looks to pause the population growth, it will allow 21 per cent fewer permanent immigrants in 2025 — 395,000, down from the previous cap of 500,000. Forty per cent of those who will be granted status will come from the temporary residents that are already here.
In other words, don’t expect an influx of Americans in the Great North just yet, no matter how much they may be researching the idea.
