moving to the united states.?

Question

i need to know all the information you need to know if your a canadian citizen and you want to move to the united states. i know it takes a while to become a citizen of the u.s.. i heard somewhere like five years. but to move there you don't have to be a citizen right away. so I'm just wondering what do you all have to do to move there..like
do you have to apply for a student card if your a student or what? thanks.

Answer 1

In order to move to the U.S. from Canada, you must apply for permanent residency (green card). You must live in the U.S. for five years as a permanent resident before being eligible for Citizenship.

There are no quick and easy ways to pick up and move from Canada to the U.S. or vice versa. The immigration application process can take anywhere from 8 months to 5+ years, usually 1-3 years, and the fees and costs involved vary depending on type of application, and what documentation is needed, but rough guestimate is $1,500 to $2,000. (I haven't read the fee info for several years)

Probably the easiest way to apply would be if you could find an employer to sponsor you, however, the work visa you would get would only be good for as long as you worked for that company ... you would have to re apply if you changed employers.

Another way is if you are in a relationship with a U.S. citizen and that is why you want to move to the U.S., they can apply for a fiance visa for you. There is a lot involved to doing this, and the immigration officials look out for marriages of convenience, so you would only want to consider this if it applies to your current situation.

Official Immigration website and information:
http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/
http://usimmigrationlaws.net/

Answer 2

Please ignore the previous rude answer; you Canadians are our best friends. To answer your question, you would need to write, email, or call Immigration and Naturalization Services in the United States to learn what the requirements are for moving here legally. They may vary according to your home country, and I imagine the laws are more strict under Homeland Security since the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001. Good luck in your endeavor!