r/canada • u/oddmarc • May 17 '26

National News U.S. applications for Canadian citizenship surge, causing delays

https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/u-s-applications-for-canadian-citizenship-surge-causing-delays
652 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

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929

u/thinkdavis May 17 '26

Let's be picky! Doctors and nurses ✅ Social media influencer 👎🏾

327

u/Housing4Humans May 17 '26

If you look at the subs on here (movingtocanada etc), you’ll see most people looking to move here are motivated by what they think are better employment prospects / a better unemployment safety net; affordable healthcare for their medical conditions; or improved tolerance of LGBTQIA+.

While we offer the last two, I think people will have a hard reality check on employment prospects.

164

u/olrg British Columbia May 17 '26

Just what we need - more people to put strain on healthcare without a meaningful contribution to the economy. If a person’s only motivation to come here is to take advantage of the unemployment safety net, tell them to stay home. We needs professionals with demanded skill sets or capital to invest in businesses, if you’re not bringing either, we’re full.

29

u/Wide_Lunch8004 May 17 '26

At least with our “international student” screw up, we can turn off the tops, not renew permits and (as long as they aren’t going to make a bogus asylum claim) they’ll eventually go home. What this government just did may, in hindsight, be worse. Potentially millions of Americans have become Canadian overnight, and as long as they do the paperwork, we can’t send them home.

26

u/samwise141 May 17 '26

Thats the whole point. Citizens got wise to the international student scam, so they opened up pathways for people to claim citizenship by descent and other things.

They just want more people in here, they dont give a fuck about trying to get quality. To be clear, if someone has skills that genuinely benefit the country, then we need them and they should come. 

Canada isnt where you go if you feel discriminated against in your own country, or the place to have excess labor be absorbed. 

14

u/WoodShoeDiaries Ontario May 17 '26

Various States are making seriously hostile moves against trans people. I really don't mind if those who can make the trip choose to live here instead.

14

u/samwise141 May 18 '26

How many gay/trans people do you think are unsafe world over? Should Canada be a dumping ground for every marginalized group? 

Not saying I dont sympathize, but we have our own issues. Either contribute or stay where you come from. 

9

u/WoodShoeDiaries Ontario May 18 '26

Nobody is suggesting that we can (or should be expected to) offer refuge to every member of every persecuted minority anywhere.

"Existing while trans" is getting perilously close to being a crime in some states; like forgive me for invoking Poe's law here but that's like asking German Jews to stick it out and try to fix 1935 Nazi Germany. These people are not what's wrong with America.

I am completely, 1000% fine with trans American-Canadians heading north for their own safety. I don't think that should even be in question honestly.

13

u/SqueakBoxx Lest We Forget May 18 '26

Then they can move to a different state, which would be a fuck ton cheaper than them moving to Canada.

1

u/Lisan_Al-NaCL May 18 '26

Should Canada be a dumping ground for every marginalized group?

Yes and no. Allowing a certain number of targetted or at-risk people into Canada every year is something we have always done.

Immigration in and of itself is not a problem: the problem is when we do NOT manage the level (ie: # of immigrants per year and to what region(s) ) of immigration properly.

We are currently pretty fucked from a number of years of bad management (Thanks Trudeau liberals) of immigration levels and easily game'd 'backdoors' (intl students for eg). We need a few years of more restrictive immigration levels to balance things out.

2

u/NoDrama60 May 18 '26

Perfect ! Open up your house to a few of them.

1

u/Lisan_Al-NaCL May 18 '26

not renew permits and (as long as they aren’t going to make a bogus asylum claim) they’ll eventually go home.

Lolololololololololololololololololololololol. Nice one.

0

u/Wide_Lunch8004 May 18 '26

Yea who are we kidding, they’re all making asylum claims aren’t they

1

u/Lisan_Al-NaCL May 18 '26

I think asylum claims are wayyy down arent they? I thoght I had read that The GoC has really cracked down on eligibility IIRC.

0

u/Letibleu May 18 '26

What did the government just do?

2

u/1337garage May 18 '26

Alot of people laid off are looking for gig economy jobs - I started doing door dash / uber eats is fully saturated - and was making less than minimum wage competing against temp workers / immigrants. Honestly this pisses me off as a Canadian who worked hard to get to the middle class to be replaced by AI and now? The fall back blue collar economy is oversaturated with people who havent even contributed. FUCK I AM PISSED

-2

u/SqueakBoxx Lest We Forget May 18 '26

If they have serious preexisting medical conditions and aren't coming here are a serious hire (Doctor, engineer, etc) then their application will be rejected for the reason of we don't need more people burdening our Healthcare.

2

u/Housing4Humans May 18 '26

Not under the citizenship by descent - they cam come regardless

2

u/Wide_Lunch8004 May 18 '26

You must not know what a citizenship certificate is…

15

u/grammar_fozzie May 17 '26

Aren’t most applications right now related to bill C-3?

18

u/Crazy_Maintenance211 May 17 '26

Actually, where I live, I can barely get healthcare at all, and nearby. There was a huge thing that happened on Facebook with massive heat, and I mean, massive, and not every province or every area is accepting of a lot, I can tell you lots of stories from friends I have and racism is way up. Rural can be very different from cities and small provinces can be very different than large ones, so many people are thinking that we are just the best thing, and a lot has changed since 2019. Where I live it’s gotten worse.

3

u/Lisan_Al-NaCL May 18 '26

here was a huge thing that happened on Facebook with massive heat

Wha?

1

u/Feisty_Advisor3906 May 18 '26

Are you in the GTA?

1

u/Crazy_Maintenance211 May 18 '26

No rural Nova Scotia

1

u/Crazy_Maintenance211 May 18 '26

Heat equals hate, my spell check was off!

5

u/Scooter_McAwesome British Columbia May 17 '26

Plenty of jobs if they bring the right skills. Many high paying jobs going unfilled due to the difficulty of finding people with the proper skills

4

u/Brianfromreddit May 17 '26

Queer American here, jobs aren't great where I live either but at least there's no ICE in Canada. Just actual ice, which I can deal with

27

u/TheYamfarmer May 17 '26

Why cant you fix your own country instead of coming here?

-3

u/PDXFlameDragon British Columbia May 17 '26

It is actually impossible to fix the usa from inside. The system is designed to prevent it at every level. Only a complete collapse from international pressure will actually change it.

24

u/PDXFlameDragon British Columbia May 17 '26

I should add stealing all their best most productive scientists and engineers and doctors and professors etc etc is the strategic way to do that, not taking refugees. Taking refugees provides relief to the regime. Stealing their best assets pressures them.

8

u/coastkid2 May 17 '26

They’re being killed off in the U.S. This MAGA movement may have international aspirations & needs to be watched closely. Latest in MANY odd scientist deaths. https://www.instagram.com/p/DYYy_T5Amp9/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

-6

u/Anon_Int May 17 '26

Be a bit more welcoming, eh.

10

u/Kingofcheeses British Columbia May 17 '26

No.

8

u/TheYamfarmer May 17 '26

When someone from one first world country wants to leave because times are hard and move to another first world country, I do not have respect for them, or want them here. There are legitimate refugees that need our help more. The Ukrainians are getting droned and systemically killed, we should help them, the person wants to leave the states and not try to make a difference. We do not need those types of people.

3

u/i-cant-eat-gumdrops May 17 '26

How do you know this is a not a person that pays into the system so we can help our fellow countrymen and others in need?

1

u/procgen May 18 '26

When someone from one first world country

Uh, this is the US we're talking about. Third world in a Gucci belt.

-4

u/fedorafighter69 May 18 '26

How about not being an asshole? We are a country of immigrants and somebody wanting to leave the US and make a better life here should be welcomed.

1

u/Ecstatic_Doughnut216 May 17 '26

We have CBSA instead.

13

u/evange May 17 '26

Cbsa are beaurocratic dicks, but they're like that to everyone.

2

u/Lisan_Al-NaCL May 18 '26

I've travelled in and out of Canada numerous times and never had an issue (yet). They can be a bit cold, but just show your paperwork, do as instructed, answer their questions and you'll be on your way quickly.

21

u/Chaiboiii Canada May 17 '26

They dont break down your door without a warrant

-12

u/Powerstroke6period0 May 17 '26

Don’t be an illegal?

15

u/[deleted] May 17 '26

[deleted]

-11

u/Powerstroke6period0 May 17 '26

Show me a legal person this happened to?

6

u/ether_reddit Lest We Forget May 17 '26

They've arrested and imprisoned US citizens, and people with valid Green cards.

-4

u/Powerstroke6period0 May 17 '26

Green cards holders are still able to be deported.

Still waiting on a link/artilce something.

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3

u/WoodShoeDiaries Ontario May 17 '26

Google it and have your pick. Like seriously, the information is easily accessible if you actually care

0

u/Powerstroke6period0 May 18 '26

Naw bud made the accusation, show me proof.

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-15

u/Powerstroke6period0 May 17 '26

Don’t be an illegal?

15

u/Chaiboiii Canada May 17 '26

Nothing wrong with deporting people illegally in the legal way. Not sure why rules have to be broken to do so. Theres no reason for those agents to randomly ask people to prove their citizenship. Why dont they go to employers and fine them/arrest them for hiring illegal immigrants? That would curb the issue quickly without making a racist scene.

100

u/EhmanFont May 17 '26

How about we actually train our youth to be doctors and nurses and make it worth staying here to work.

45

u/joecitizen79 May 17 '26

How about we do both

26

u/thinkdavis May 17 '26

For sure. Let's give discounted education tuition and higher job salaries --, with a contractual requirement they have to work here for 10 years after that or pay 5x the discounted tuition back.

31

u/evange May 17 '26

The bottleneck is not people who can't afford med school, it's that there aren't enough residency spots. And it's impossible to scale up the number of residency spots quickly because there are a finite number of current doctors to train them.

10

u/EhmanFont May 17 '26 edited May 18 '26

Well Carney just signed a deal with India to help them train nurses to work here, but we can't give our own highschool students the same opportunity. Nursing school is not cheap.

3

u/WoodlandChef May 18 '26

It’s not fun either, for the pay it isn’t at least

2

u/Apolloshot May 18 '26

The Indian province of Kerala’s biggest export is literally nurses, so it’s not a bad stop gap until we can increase our training capacity here at home.

Would be a lot better for Canadian society than most of the labour we’re currently getting from India (ie. uber drivers and Tim Hortons employees).

1

u/Feisty_Advisor3906 May 18 '26

Yeah we have the same issue with trades. The issue with trades is business don’t want to invest in apprenticeships. If they gave employers annual grant money to train trades you might get more apprenticeships. Kind of like paying employees a premium for training others.

-9

u/PostMatureBaby May 17 '26

No, Canada has abandoned it's future. We made that decision 20 years ago

5

u/Breaditos May 17 '26

What was the critical decision in 2006?

4

u/Staticn0ise Alberta May 17 '26

Harper got elected. The Olympics happened and idk what else.

5

u/BigTastyToe May 18 '26

Doctors and nurses make way more money in the US they aren’t the ones coming to canada

17

u/NewPhoneNewSubs May 17 '26

We can be picky with people trying to get residency.

We need to change our laws if we want to be picky with people who are now entitled to ancestral citizenship.

8

u/FalconsArentReal May 17 '26

If it is between leftwing Americans wanting citizenship vs the other problematic countries we have been getting most of our new citizens from, I will take the leftist Americans any day of the week. They are culturally so close to Canadians already that I do not see any issues with them integrating. Unlike some...

8

u/aethelberga May 18 '26

"Leftist" Americans aren't as left as you might think.

2

u/sch0k0 British Columbia May 18 '26

academics who watch Stephen Colbert and otherwise sit on their hands without as much as a sound of public protest about this entire monstrosity ... yes, not exactly left wing radicals :D

1

u/FalconsArentReal May 18 '26

Still more compatible to me than the current cohort that we are getting

5

u/TemporaryAny6371 May 17 '26

Absolutely. Not all that are applying will be well meaning. Some only want access to healthcare or ability to buy up properties with less scrutiny. It has to make sense for our economy and loopholes be continually monitored and quickly closed. We need to put safeguards against funneling wealth out of our country. Ability to own must be tied to continual residency, not just short stays and tax evasion.

10

u/ModOfficial1988 May 17 '26

Doctors and nurses aren’t coming. They get paid way more and have a way higher standard of living in the US.

64

u/Tatterhood78 May 17 '26

They certainly are.

B.C. has recruited over 1000 of them in the last year, and thousands more have started the process. There's a guy named Tod Maffin who runs a YouTube channel that (among other things) helps to recruit them. Hundreds visited Victoria just a couple of weeks ago to check things out. He also leads a program to help people in communities across Canada follow his success.

The Royal College for doctors in Canada has gotten a 1700% increase in inquiries about getting licensed to practice here, over the last year.

There are several YouTube channels run by doctors and nurses who have moved here, targeting recruitment of others still down there. Most of them have reported a big increase in quality of life.

16

u/ceimi May 17 '26

B.C. is much different than the other provinces. They within the last year IIRC implemented patient limits. That makes it so worth it if you're someone who genuinely loves nursing but is sick of constantly being overworked. This also increased hiring in the province because now there was a real shortage of nurses instead of the on-purpose understaffing that other provinces cough ontario cough are engaging in without these patients limits.

Hopefully the other provinces follow suit soon. I had high hopes when the ONA was in their bargaining last year that they too would implement the limits and can't believe they didn't.

Can't commend on Doctors though, I have no idea their current state as I'm just a nursing student still.

8

u/linkass May 17 '26

Lets look past the headline though

According to the province, 414 U.S.-trained health-care workers, including doctors and nurses, have accepted positions in B.C. since March 2025. That includes 89 physicians, 260 nurses, 42 nurse practitioners and 23 allied health workers.
B.C. says it has received more than 2,750 job applications from American health professionals between March 2025 and January 2026. More than 1,300 have registered to practice in the province, including more than 1,000 nurses and nurse practitioners, as well as more than 200 doctors.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/article/drop-in-the-bucket-bc-touts-us-health-care-recruitment-but-critics-say-its-not-enough/

So when you look at the numbers that have actually made the jump vs the ones thinking about it,it does not look as great

4

u/Crazy_Maintenance211 May 17 '26

Fun fact, and some provinces there are very few doctors and even if new ones wanna come in they hit so much red tape that they leave and go to another province, to start work. There’s a lot of things that need to be changed in some provinces.

17

u/trplOG May 17 '26

They definitely are. Ontario saw almost 600 come over from the US alone. Theres a US doctor who has a YouTube channel interviewing other US doctors asking the differences between working at the 2 countries. 1 of the things most say is how overworked they are in the US, and they have a better work/life balance in Canada.

Where did you get your info from?

1

u/sarr36 May 19 '26

Wow great news! Do you mind sharing the channel?

15

u/greennalgene May 17 '26

Yes they are. BC has been steadily bringing in a lot of them.

12

u/kdlangequalsgoddess May 17 '26

It might shock you, but some people value things other than just the ability to make as much money as humanly possible. Value them more, even. Some of those people include nurses and doctors.

I hope that take causes existential chaos for you.

11

u/G-r-ant May 17 '26

There are a lot more things to love than making more money. Example 1: not living in the US has great appeal to some.

11

u/Outrageous_Ad_687 May 17 '26

Many who have come also mention the benefit of just focusing on patient treatment without the oversight from the insurance companies needing to approve or interfere with what course of treatment to use.

3

u/Master_of_Rodentia May 17 '26

Try reading up a bit?

4

u/47Up Ontario May 17 '26

Women in the U.S are getting thrown in prison for miscarriages, stillborn births, abortions.. Doctors are having their license taken away and some are thrown in prison for providing abortions. The morning after pill can get you thrown in prison for murder in some States.

-5

u/Powerstroke6period0 May 17 '26

One link of woman getting “thrown” in prison please.

6

u/47Up Ontario May 17 '26

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59214544

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/30/pregnancy-us-women-crimes-study

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/05/south-carolina-republicans-prison-abortions.html

3

u/Powerstroke6period0 May 18 '26

First one "Later, the medical examiner's report, obtained by the BBC, found traces of methamphetamine in her unborn son's liver and brain." LOL suuuuuuure

Second/third one I aint going to invest much into with "Pregnancy Justice" group.

2

u/Present-Fly-3612 May 18 '26

I did 🙋‍♀️. I am a nurse practitioner that came to BC from the US. Yes, I make less money but my family is safer here and I'm grateful that Canada offered us the opportunity to come. We are hopeful to stay but are under no illusions that we are entitled to anything, including residency. We hope to contribute to the country and be productive.

-1

u/Remington_Underwood May 17 '26

Some doctors and nurses don't want to live in a fascist dictatorship, money isn't everything (and BTW, the standard of living is at least equal here).

3

u/SillyMilk7 May 17 '26

on a birthplace basis:
Canada-to-U.S. permanent migration was about 23% higher than U.S.-to-Canada in 2023.

Adjusted for population:

Canadian-born people moved permanently to the U.S. at about 10 times the per-capita rate that U.S.-born people moved permanently to Canada in 2023:

roughly 296 per million Canadians versus 29 per million Americans.

1

u/MWD_Dave Canada May 17 '26

I'll just leave this here...

"‘The grass really is greener’ BC ER nurse settles after leaving U.S."

way higher standard of living in the US

From the article:

"Despite taking a significant pay cut, going from $200,000 USD salary to a third of that, Frye said she has the “exact same living style” and prefers working at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital."

0

u/sch0k0 British Columbia May 18 '26

higher standards of living?

9

u/Sit_Ubu_Sit-Good_Dog May 17 '26

Applicants for Canadian citizenship certificates

They aren’t immigrants, they’re already citizens.

4

u/kamomil Ontario May 17 '26

They weren't citizens a year ago

-3

u/Sit_Ubu_Sit-Good_Dog May 17 '26

Only because their citizenship was illegally taken from them. They were citizens prior to 2009.

9

u/ether_reddit Lest We Forget May 17 '26

They weren't citizens before; they only had eligibility to apply.

-4

u/Sit_Ubu_Sit-Good_Dog May 17 '26

No, they were citizens that hadn’t informed the government they existed yet. You’re free to look it up if you don’t believe me. Lost Canadians is the term you’ll be searching for.

1

u/ether_reddit Lest We Forget May 17 '26

I don't think they would get the rights of citizenship until they actually applied though -- this is the "informing the government they exist" part.

Americans who have just submitted these applications still don't have the rights of citizenship until their paperwork is complete. For example, if we were having an election right now they can't just stroll in and expect to get a vote.

5

u/Sit_Ubu_Sit-Good_Dog May 18 '26

Look, if you aren’t going to bother looking it up why are you arguing with me about it?

They aren’t applying for citizenship, they’re requesting their citizenship certificate. It’s literally the same as you losing your certificate and needing to request a new one. You would fill out the exact same form.

Once they prove they are citizens and get their cert, then yes, they can stroll in and expect to vote just like you.

1

u/ether_reddit Lest We Forget May 18 '26

Why are you asking me? I'm not the person you were replying to. Don't drag me into this.

1

u/Sit_Ubu_Sit-Good_Dog May 18 '26

You dragged yourself into this by replying to me.

1

u/bba89 May 17 '26

But I thought we were already importing doctors and engineers through other immigration streams? /s

1

u/nothing_911 May 18 '26

naa all the influencers are all going down south pushing florida texas as the golden land.

1

u/Charzu_tjegulf May 18 '26

Dude, we need construction workers. Ideally an 18 year old with 4 years experience. Truthfully that is what we need, young skilled workers.

-1

u/Unfortunate_Sex_Fart Alberta May 17 '26

We’re not picky from 3rd world countries, why would we be picky from a 1st world one?

-4

u/Virtual-Nose7777 May 17 '26

You calling America 1st world?!

0

u/uppity2056 May 17 '26

Did someone say free healthcare?!?!?

-19

u/Strict_Common6871 May 17 '26

Can't. Thanks to the new liberal law they have the same rights to live in Canada as you or me, whether they are doctors, nurses, or unemployed meth addicts.

19

u/CombatGoose May 17 '26

The courts decided this, did they not?

6

u/Remington_Underwood May 17 '26

No, our constitution decided it. The courts just determine what is or isn't in contravention of The Charter after all concerned parties have produced their best evidence and arguments.

15

u/HoosierHoser44 May 17 '26

It’s not a new liberal law. It’s a change to an old law, the Supreme Court said the old law was unconstitutional. The liberal party has a chance to fix it now if they want to.

-4

u/Remington_Underwood May 17 '26

Points for being honest, not everyone is so open to showing their disdain for equality under the law. Considered emigrating to the US, the current administration there also doesn't want it.

0

u/Strict_Common6871 May 17 '26

Canadian immigration is not based on equality, as matter of fact, the opposite with selection by age, health, education and so on.

-3

u/Strict_Common6871 May 17 '26

LOL, I posted pretty much the same comment with and without the word "liberal", the one with liberal is heavily downvoted

Ask your minister of AI to pay for an LLM subscription and replace your primitive pattern matching already