A Vancouver immigration lawyer received so many inquiries from disgruntled American voters following Donald Trump’s victory in this week’s presidential election that he created a website to respond to their concerns.
Posted at 6:37 a.m.
Cassandra Szklarski
The Canadian Press
This site is called “Trumpugees.ca”. On its homepage, it tells visitors: “Tired of Trump? Are you thinking of Canada? We can help you. »
Ryan Rosenberg, who is a partner at Larlee Rosenberg, Barristers & Solicitors, says he and his colleagues are seeing an increase in interest in immigration from a wide range of U.S. residents disappointed by Mr. Trump.
According to immigration lawyer Meghan Felt, who works in Newfoundland, the situation is the same on the other side of the country. In Toronto, Royal LePage President Phil Soper says online searches for properties for sale in Canada increased in the months leading up to the election.
Jackson Speary, a 22-year-old from Maryland, admits that he has felt disillusioned with politics for a “very long time” and confirms that he is considering coming to work or study in Canada.
The geologist worries that Mr. Trump’s environmental and economic policies will harm his job, much of which involves ensuring compliance with federal environmental rules. He wonders if his career would be more stable in Canada.
“It’s a very scary time for someone my age who wants to pursue a career,” Mr. Speary said from Stevensville, Maryland, where he works.
“I feel like I would have much better job security in Canada, and probably anywhere else,” he said, noting that he is also considering a move to New Zealand, where he professional contacts.
Not new
According to Me Rosenberg, it is not uncommon to see a sudden interest in immigrating to Canada after a major event. He recalls that the same phenomenon occurred after George W. Bush’s second election, from “mainly Americans from blue states who wanted to leave.”
But this time, he noted that the demographics of those disgruntled seem broader, encompassing wealthy Americans, cultural minorities and Democrats disappointed by Kamala Harris’ defeat.
In Newfoundland, Me Felt does not have a specific site like its Vancouver counterpart and does not do targeted promotion, but simple word of mouth has led five Americans to contact it in the last few days. Usually, she receives about one such request per week.
A client who had mentioned the idea of moving to Canada two months ago actually sent him an email after the election.
“They want to proceed, like, immediately,” said the lawyer from Saint-Jean.
Most often, Americans are curious about Canada’s urban centers and don’t ask about political differences between provinces or countries, she explained.
“Canada is Canada. I have heard that Americans talk about Canada as a very big Massachusetts,” mentioned M.e Felt.
Jackson Speary has heard that Canada has capped the number of international students it will accept in the coming years, but he says that probably won’t deter him from pursuing higher education north of the border.
“It will be more difficult, but I think I would be willing to try,” he assured.
