Americans Are ‘Window Shopping’ Canada Move Requirements Amid Election Result Wait

Americans in the United States are “window shopping” Canadian citizenship while waiting for the presidential results, and one news website even has an explainer on what it takes to move.

Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is at best six electoral votes away from winning the presidency, though with a handful of states still counting votes, President Donald Trump still has a shot at securing a second term.

Another Trump presidency doesn’t sit well with some. TMZ found Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship webpage received a 300% boost in traffic as the results started to trickle in on Election Night.

“Americans, whether they were window shopping or dead serious, were greeted with loads of information on how to apply for permanent resident status in Canada and ultimately become a Canadian citizen,” their reporting read.

Yahoo News Canada took it a step further, publishing an elaborate explainer on how to become a Canadian. There are, according to the outlet, 11 ways to become a permanent resident, from sponsorship from a family member holding Canadian citizenship to seeking refugee status. A person can also seek a work or study permit.

Canadian-trained immigration lawyer Donovan H. Francis has an entire YouTube channel called GOOSELAW Immigration TV dedicated to advising viewers how to immigrate to Canada.

TMZ adds that anyone wanting to become a Canadian citizen needs to become a permanent resident first, then live there for three of the last five years, file taxes, learn French and pass a citizenship test.

“Yeah, that's a lot of hoops to jump through just because of an election,” its report reads.

Not everyone, however, is looking to Canada. Whistleblower and former U.S. national security contractor Edward Snowden said he’s seeking Russian citizenship, but not because of the election. Living in Russia since fleeing the United States in 2013 out of fear of prosecution for releasing sensitive information to the press, Snowden is seeking Russian citizenship because he’s expecting his first child.