Why More Americans Are Quietly Choosing To Move To Canada

New Statistics Canada data show a clear pattern – Americans have been moving to Canada for more than a century and continue to do so in steady numbers. Today, U.S.-born immigrants in Canada form a highly educated, diverse group who tend to arrive with strong language skills and good work experience, but with very different pathways and outcomes compared to immigrants from other high-income countries.

If you are an American thinking about moving north – for your children, your career, or your studies – this data offers a useful picture of what life in Canada can look like.

On This Page You Will Find

• A brief history of Americans moving to Canada
• How many Americans live in Canada today
• Where Americans tend to settle in Canada
• Education, jobs and income outcomes for U.S. immigrants
• Common immigration pathways for Americans
• What the data means for families and international students

A Long History of Americans in Canada

Americans have been part of Canada’s story since Confederation. In 1871, about 64,000 U.S.-born people lived in the new country. Their numbers doubled by 1901 and more than doubled again by 1911, driven in part by settlement in the new Prairie provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta.

The U.S.-born population peaked in 1921 at 374,000 people – 4.3 percent of Canada’s total population at the time. Another spike came in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when many U.S. draft resisters and their families moved to Canada.

Today’s U.S.-born population looks different. It includes permanent residents, naturalised Canadian citizens, Canadian citizens by descent born in the United States, and non-permanent residents on work or study permits.

How Many Americans Live in Canada Today?

Since 1991, the number of U.S.-born immigrants living in Canada has been stable at around 250,000, with modest changes from census to census. Recent U.S. immigrants – those admitted in the five years before each census – have averaged about 35,000, peaking at 45,000 in 2011.

In 2021:

• 256,000 U.S. immigrants lived in Canada as permanent residents
• Around 90,000 Canadian citizens by descent were born in the United States
• About 27,000 non-permanent residents were U.S.-born, many on work or study permits

For an American thinking about moving north, this means you would join a long-standing, visible community that is well woven into Canadian life.

Where Americans Settle – Provinces, Cities and Border Regions

U.S. immigrants are spread across the country, but their settlement pattern is different from both Canadian-born residents and immigrants overall.

Key patterns include:

• Ontario still leads – about 43.5 percent of U.S. immigrants live there, a smaller share than all immigrants but higher than the Canadian-born.
• British Columbia is especially popular – 23.4 percent of U.S. immigrants live in B.C., almost twice the share of the Canadian-born population.
• Quebec attracts fewer Americans – only 9.7 percent of U.S. immigrants live in Quebec, compared with 25.6 percent of Canadian-born people.
• Yukon and B.C. have the highest relative shares – U.S. immigrants make up a larger share of the local population there than in Canada overall.

In terms of cities:

• Toronto (18.8 percent of U.S. immigrants) and Vancouver (10.8 percent) are the top two metropolitan areas.
• Victoria and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island have high shares of U.S. immigrants.
• Border cities like Windsor and St. Catharines–Niagara show notable concentrations, appealing to people who want a Canadian base while staying close to the United States.

If you are choosing where to live, this suggests strong American communities in southern Ontario, B.C.’s Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, as well as in Yukon.

Who Are Today’s American Immigrants?

The U.S. immigrant population in Canada has an older median age – 52.4 years – than both the Canadian-born and the total immigrant population. This reflects earlier waves who arrived in the 1960s and 1970s and stayed.

However, the group is not just older adults:

• About 20 percent of U.S. immigrants are children and young adults aged 0 to 24.
• A significant share were admitted before age 5, which helps explain their high integration in schools and communities.

The population is also increasingly diverse. In 2021:

• 23.6 percent of U.S. immigrants belonged to racialised groups, compared with 11.1 percent of Canadian-born residents.
• Among recent U.S. immigrants, around 40.5 percent belonged to racialised groups, especially Black, South Asian and Latin American communities.
• Many U.S. immigrants have parents born outside both Canada and the United States, often in Asia or Africa.

For families who already have a migration history – for example, moving first from Asia or Africa to the U.S., then considering Canada – this shows that “two-step migration” through the United States is increasingly common.

Education Levels and Typical Careers

U.S. immigrants in their core working years (25 to 54) tend to be very well educated:

• 51.6 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared with 29.8 percent of Canadian-born people and 49.3 percent of all immigrants.
• A notable share hold advanced degrees above the bachelor level.

Their occupational profile is distinctive:

• Many work in professional roles in education, law, social, community and government services.
• University professors, post-secondary instructors and school teachers are among the top jobs.
• U.S. immigrants are also significantly more present in arts, culture, recreation and sport than both Canadian-born people and immigrants overall.
• They are less likely to work in trades, transport, and manufacturing.

If you are an American academic, teacher, social service professional or creative worker, this data suggests a well-established path into the Canadian labour market.

Pathways Americans Use to Move – Family, Work and Study

The way Americans immigrate to Canada is very different from many other groups.

For U.S. immigrants aged 25 to 54 admitted since 1980:

• About 63.4 percent came through family sponsorship, more than twice the rate for immigrants overall.
• Most were sponsored as spouses or partners of Canadians or permanent residents.
• Only 32.2 percent arrived as economic immigrants, compared with 55.3 percent of all immigrants.

At the same time, many U.S. immigrants have Canadian experience before becoming permanent residents:

• Almost half have pre-admission experience in Canada.
• Roughly 35.9 percent have Canadian work experience before landing, a much higher share than immigrants overall.

Together, this shows two strong patterns:

• A family-driven route – many Americans move because of marriage or partnership.
• A two-step route – others come first on work or study permits, then transition to permanent residence.

For potential applicants, the main options include:

• Family sponsorship as a spouse or common-law partner
• Economic immigration through Express Entry or a Provincial Nominee Program
• Study in Canada followed by a post-graduation work permit and permanent residence

How Do Americans Do in the Canadian Labour Market?

Despite strong language skills and high education levels, U.S. immigrants do not always perform as well as you might expect when compared with Canadian-born workers and immigrants from the United Kingdom and France.

For core working-age adults in 2021:

• Labour force participation for U.S. immigrants was 83.2 percent, lower than the Canadian-born population and lower than immigrants from the U.K. and France.
• The gap is mainly due to lower participation among U.S.-born women.
• Unemployment for U.S. immigrants (7.9 percent) was slightly higher than for Canadian-born residents, lower than for immigrants overall, but higher than for U.K. and French immigrants.

Overqualification is also an issue:

• About 11.9 percent of U.S. immigrants with a bachelor’s degree or higher worked in jobs that usually need only high school or less.
• This rate is slightly higher than for Canadian-born workers but much lower than the immigrant average.

The message for prospective immigrants is clear – even with strong credentials, you should plan for some adjustment time and possible credential recognition steps, especially if you change fields or provinces.

Income, Inequality and What It Means for Your Career

On paper, U.S. immigrants have strong earnings:

• Median employment income for U.S. immigrants aged 25 to 54 is about the same as for Canadian-born workers and higher than for immigrants overall.
• Average income for U.S. immigrants is higher than average income for both Canadian-born workers and immigrants overall.

However, income is unevenly spread:

• The gap between high and low earners among U.S. immigrants is the largest of all groups studied.
• The ratio between the 90th and 10th percentiles of income is higher than for other immigrants and for Canadian-born workers.

The growth pattern over time is also interesting:

• U.S. immigrants start with a relatively high median income one year after landing.
• Their income grows much more slowly over 10 years than the income of immigrants overall.

For professionals, this suggests you may enjoy solid initial earnings but should think carefully about long-term career development – including promotion paths, sector choice and potential moves between provinces or employers.

Raising Children and Studying in Canada

For parents, two findings stand out:

• Many U.S. immigrants arrive with young children or move when their children are very small.
• Children of U.S. immigrants benefit from early exposure to Canada’s school system, support services and official languages.

Canadian citizens by descent born in the United States also form a young group, many under age 25, which reflects strong family links across the border.

For international students:

• A notable share of U.S.-born non-permanent residents are on study permits.
• Many young people aged 15 to 24 from the U.S. study in Canada, often as a first step towards long-term residence.

Whether you plan to bring school-age children or pursue your own studies, Canada offers a well-regulated, high-quality education system and clear options to transition from temporary status to permanent residence.

Canada and the United States – A Two-Way Migration Story

Canada and the United States share close economic and social ties. Hundreds of thousands of Canadian-born people live in the United States, while a stable population of U.S.-born immigrants has made Canada home.

For Americans, the choice to move north can be driven by family, lifestyle, education for children, career goals or broader social and political factors. The data show that:

• You will not be alone – there is a large and diverse American community across Canada.
• Your outcomes will depend strongly on your pathway (family or economic), your occupation, and your location.
• Starting with study or work in Canada can improve your long-term prospects.

If you are considering a move, your next step is to choose the right pathway and region, and to plan your career strategy so that you can make the most of what Canada offers.

Frequently Asked Questions