*lowers voice* As others have pointed out, you cannot necessarily even emigrate to Canada, your neighbour, if you are disabled or have evidence of 'undue' healthcare spending, for example (real life example unfortunately) receiving treatment in the adult psychiatric care system... involuntarily. 🙃
There is an American exceptionalism embedded in the idea that y'all think you can just pick up and leave and go wherever you want. It's cute you think you'd be welcomed. Americans aren't exactly popular in the world.
Oh also, this includes things like 'got an autism diagnosis in order to receive accommodations at school or work' -- the definition of undue burden is so broad that autism or ADHD can count.
Son in law has an autism diagnosis. It took my daughter _a lot_ of work to get him up here.
We also have a lot of and far too many New Canadians with advanced degrees or skills driving for Amazon or teaching French. It ain't as easy as hopping the border.
My therapist is pretty sure I’m on the spectrum, but I don’t want a formal diagnosis. As an adult, it does nothing to help me and can be a huge detriment because of the stigma still attached. People see “autism” and think “so disabled they can’t care for themselves”.
I was just diagnosed about 4 months ago at age 56. Other than family, only 2 other people even know. You get to control that. We have to change the narrative.
I'm pretty sure my healthcare provider is too disorganized for that. He has probably lost my chart. The last time I met with him he dumped my chart on the floor twice and then needed me to send him the notes I took from our session because he "accidentally shredded" his notes.
Also the idea that Canada is going to save anyone from American politics of this nature is so laughable that I have to fight the urge to launch myself into the sun every time I hear it...😅
If being a Canadian abroad has taught me anything, it's the power of "Canada is nice" propoganda...
Several people have been confused after I've asked if they know French or have quite a bit of money in a bank account after they tell me they'll just move to Canada.
Like seriously people, learn what the requirements are!
Also they hate when I follow up that I have to stay here.
My friends moved after W got reelected. She was a lawyer in her 30s, and she had to 1) have a job lined up, 2) go to more school to practice law, 3) have enough savings to support them both while she did that, 4) become a citizen, before 5) her husband could get a spousal visa to work. So yeah.
Can confirm this. I'm British, married to a Canadian, and had to go through the full emigration process, including a medical exam, to get to live in Canada with her.
Also, if you have professional qualifications (physician, engineer etc), the hurdles for recognition of those by Canadian accreditation bodies are very considerable.
And the medical examination included a measurement of my head circumference (to spot the "feebleminded" presumably).
You want to move to Canada? You need your head examining! 🤣
and stuff like work experience elsewhere doesn't really count because working in Canada is so gosh-darn different to the rest of the world (er...sure it is)
It’s literally to preserve Canadian jobs for Canadian citizens. I could get a med lab science (med lab tech) degree and be able to work anywhere because I have the appropriate qualifications. But the reverse isn’t true because an MLS degree from another country might not have the required practicum.
I have coworkers who have med lab tech degrees from other countries who are forced to work as med lab assistants because, despite my having a six-month certificate vs their 4 year degree, I have the education that’s recognized and they don’t. They would have to go back to school to qualify for tech.
I'm a Canadian ex pat who is disabled and hope to god the country doesn't decide to not let me come back. My spouse is very able bodied but American. Moving back will be ... complicated.
as i read the discourse on this, i realize i've basically accepted that as a ~neurospicy~ person with one kidney, even my PhD is not going to guarantee me a visa elsewhere?
i mean, i do have plans if things get *really* interesting, but they do not involve moving to NZ or Canada or wherever...
FWIW, you can look up the point system Canada uses.
When I was in my late 30s, and applied for a few Canadian professorships, the system basically told me that if I had a job offer I could immigrate easily. (Points for education, age, English, job. In my case, no points for French, relationships)
Also I think you get more points if you've previously lived there and/or if you studied there (which I didn't; my life has very often been Canada-adjacent, but not actually within)
There was a great for me job advertised in Toronto when I was on the job market. I applied, no one on the eco evo jobs wiki had any reports of interviews, and ~2-3 months after the initial deadline something similarish was advertised as a 2 year fixed contract instead of TT. I think $ fell through.
It’s not that Americans “aren’t popular.” It’s that immigration laws are awful in most countries. As you say, disabled people are largely blocked from moving to Canada. We sent back conscientious objectors during the Iraq War instead of letting them in like we did in the Vietnam War.
To be fair, American immigration laws and regulations are pretty awful too. Which is why it's so silly when Yanks assume they can just cross the border and settle without fuss.
I think what happens is a combination of hearing (correctly) how awful US immigration is and assuming it must be better elsewhere, which, sure, it IS a little better, but not by much; and then white (+American) privilege, assuming they can just do anything & bad laws don’t apply to them.
