BUFFALO, N.Y. — After every U.S. election, millions of people are left represented by a candidate they don’t align with.
While some take that time to rally for the next election, others might be looking for an escape plan.
The idea of leaving the country after an election isn’t exactly something new.
It’s kind of a long-running joke: "I don’t like the president. I’m moving to Canada."
Especially in New York, a foreign country is literally right in the backyard — but more people are taking that joke seriously, with a change in political leadership giving people a legitimate reason to either file for dual citizenship with Canada or ditch their U.S. citizenship entirely.
“What we're in right now is a period of heightened uncertainty all the way and fear,” said Evan Green, a managing partner at Green and Spiegel law firm.
For some, the point where they would leave their country, was the election of President Donald Trump.
“During the Biden administration, we probably got maybe one or two calls a month," said Zach Ahlstrom, a senior attorney for Berardi Immigration Law. "Since the new administration has come into office, we've probably had maybe one to two a week.”
Immigration lawyers on both sides of the border are seeing an interest in people wanting to cut ties with the U.S.
Green, a lawyer in Toronto, says the number of people looking for a path to Canadian citizenship has doubled or tripled since the election.
“People know what's coming, and because of that, they're far more motivated to move,” he said.
He says their callers break down into four buckets:
- High-profile people who spoke out against Trump and fear retribution
- People who are high net-worth, whose families escaped World War II and believe now is the time to make exit plans
- People with a direct familial connection to Canada
- LGBT families, especially transgender people
Green says the quickest paths to Canada are if you study there, if you’re under 35 and looking for a work permit, or if you speak French and have a job offer outside Quebec.
Otherwise, it’s work permits through the U.S./Canada Free Trade agreement.
Full citizenship could take four years.
“There's so many questions like, 'what's the next administration going to be?' We don't know,” said Green.
Many Canadians with dual citizenship are also looking to ditch their U.S. one.
For some it’s a bother to have to file U.S. taxes every year., but they can’t list that as a reason.
Political turnover offers an out for all.
“[The U.S.] likes people that are proud of this country, and if you're not one of those people and you want to renounce, they're going to make it expensive and time consuming,” explained Ahlstrom.
Ahlstrom, a U.S. lawyer, expects a 10-15% increase in renouncements.
It can cost anywhere from $2,300 to $4,000, depending on legal fees.
That’s not taking account exit taxes you’ll pay on any property you own — or the wait.
“Canada has, they're utilizing the U.S. Embassy in Argentina to help facilitate these appointments," Ahlstrom said. "So Canadians that don't want to wait 12+ months for an appointment in Canada can travel to Argentina.”
They're all factors that should be taken into consideration before taking any steps.
“They definitely don't want to make it easy,” Ahlstrom said.
Getting rid of your U.S. citizenship doesn’t mean all financial obligations go away. Child support, back taxes or property taxes would still apply.
Also don’t jump the gun. You can actually renounce your U.S. citizenship without having citizenship elsewhere. Then you’d be stateless, and life would be a whole lot harder.
