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Can You Move To Canada? You'd Better Like Maple Syrup & Frigid Winters

by Keiko Zoll

As the 2016 presidential race tightens Tuesday night between Democrat Hillary Clinton and GOP candidate Donald Trump, it's not looking so good for Clinton. The New York Times has already projected that Trump will likely win the election as Tuesday night wore on. You know, maybe now's a good time to start looking at property up north! Can you move to Canada? Turns out you can — but it's not necessarily that easy and you'll have to meet very specific immigration requirements.

Now, it make seem like the "moving to Canada" joke is super funny right now, but there is nothing funny about a Trump victory. It's f*cking terrifying. It's true that if Trump wins the election, his presidency could have profoundly detrimental effects for just about every swath of America — so long as you're not a white male. And to be perfectly honest, it's really easy for people with plenty of privilege to say, "I'm moving to Canada!" But for those without the kind of money, privilege, and resources to actually move to Canada to dodge the straight-up insanity of a Trump presidency — it's kind of insulting. Sure, you can move to Canada — but have you really thought about it?

If you really, truly, and seriously want to move to Canada, you'll need to meet one of three main scenarios, among other immigration requirements, according to Fortune: You have very specific "skilled work experience" that will contribute to the Canadian economy; apply for a family sponsorship with a Canadian relative; or in the most extreme case, claiming political asylum. If you're thinking that the skilled worker route might be for you, you'll need to make sure you have one of these 63 possible jobs that could help you move to Canada.

But let's get real for a minute, here. No matter what you're seeing on Facebook and Twitter, Americans are not going to move to Canada. This is not Vietnam War draft dodging. Is it scary to think about what a Trump presidency could mean for every American citizen? Absolutely. But moving to Canada isn't the answer. Look, if you're going to leave the United States, I can see why you might pick Canada: "free" healthcare, maple syrup so valuable that maple syrup heists are actually a thing, and I'm pretty sure they have the hottest prime minister currently in office. But is abandoning America really the best way to handle Trump?