Move to Toronto, Canada. The routes, mapped.
13 visa routes into Canada, each with its real required-document list, pulled live from the Nomad knowledge graph. Start a plan and we sequence the right one for your situation.
What Toronto, Canada is actually like
Toronto is Canada's largest city and financial capital, a genuinely multicultural metropolis on Lake Ontario with strong job markets and neighborhoods for every background. Winters are cold and long, housing is expensive, and the pace is the most big-city in the country. Deep amenities, a huge airport, and diversity as its defining feature.
Eclectic, indie, downtown, vintage and food
Family-friendly, cafes, east-end, calmer
Leafy, near the university, bookish and central
Young-professional, condos, walk-to-work
Best for. Career movers who want Canada's biggest job market and a diverse big-city life, winters included.
Toronto is bigger, colder, and more career-driven than Vancouver, without the mountains-and-ocean setting.
United States to Canada: the money facts
Treaty coverage, double-tax exposure, and what setup actually costs, so you know the financial shape of the move before you commit.
How you can legally move to Canada
13 visa routes into Canada, every route the knowledge graph maps, unranked. The numbers that decide the route: income floor, timeline, filing costs, and who comes with you.
| Route | Income floor | Timeline | Costs | Family & work | About & documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Visa (Parents and Grandparents) | Varies | 5 years~12 wks processing · Renewable | $75 fee$1,800 all-in | Remote work ok | A long-stay multiple-entry visitor visa granting parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents up to five years per entry, valid for ten years. Documents: US Passport (6-Month Validity), Health Insurance Proof (Costa Rica-valid), Canada Immigration Medical Exam (IME), Bank Statements (3 months, certified) ·a Official source |
| CUSMA Professional Work Permit (T36) | Varies | 3 years~1 wk processing · Renewable | $115 fee$300 all-in | Family ok | A work permit for US or Mexican citizens with a Canadian job offer in one of roughly 63 listed professions, issued at the border the same day with no LMIA, no quota, and no lottery, valid for up to 3 years and renewable. Documents: US Passport (6-Month Validity), Employer Verification Letter (Notarized, Apostilled) ·a, Canada Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) Official source |
| Employer-Specific Work Permit (TFWP / LMIA route, incl. Global Talent Stream) | Varies | 2 years~12 wks processing · Renewable | $115 fee$500 all-in | Family ok | An employer-sponsored Canadian work permit requiring a Labour Market Impact Assessment, used when no treaty shortcut applies, with a fast 10-business-day track for tech roles via the Global Talent Stream. Documents: US Passport (6-Month Validity), Employer Verification Letter (Notarized, Apostilled) ·a, Canada Immigration Medical Exam (IME), FBI Background Check ·a Official source |
| Intra-Company Transferee Work Permit (ICT) | Varies | 1 year~4 wks processing · Renewable | $115 fee$2,500 all-in | Family ok | A work permit for executives, senior managers, and specialized-knowledge employees transferring from a US company into its Canadian parent, subsidiary, branch, or affiliate without an LMIA. Documents: US Passport (6-Month Validity), Employer Verification Letter (Notarized, Apostilled) ·a, Bank Statements (3 months, certified) ·a Official source |
| Visitor Entry (Visa-Free) — the De-Facto Digital Nomad Route | Varies | 6 monthsRenewable | Varies | Remote work ok | A visa-free 6-month stay that lets US citizens and most Western nationals live and work remotely in Canada for foreign employers, with no application, fee, or permit required. Documents: US Passport (6-Month Validity), Bank Statements (3 months, certified) ·a, Employer Verification Letter (Notarized, Apostilled) ·a, Health Insurance Proof (Costa Rica-valid) Official source |
| Express Entry (Federal Skilled Worker / Canadian Experience Class / Federal Skilled Trades) | Varies | Varies~26 wks processing · Renewable | $725 fee$2,000 all-in | Remote work ok, Family ok | A points-ranked permanent residence route for skilled workers and their families, leading to Canadian PR and a citizenship path after three years. Documents: US Passport (6-Month Validity), Canada Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), FBI Background Check ·a, Canada Immigration Medical Exam (IME), Bank Statements (3 months, certified) ·a, Employer Verification Letter (Notarized, Apostilled) ·a Official source |
| Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) | Varies | Varies~52 wks processing · Renewable | $1,500 fee$2,500 all-in | Remote work ok, Family ok | A provincial nomination route to Canadian permanent residence, where provinces target their own labour gaps and a nomination either adds 600 CRS points via Express Entry or supports a standalone paper PR application. Documents: US Passport (6-Month Validity), Canada Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), FBI Background Check ·a, Canada Immigration Medical Exam (IME), Employer Verification Letter (Notarized, Apostilled) ·a, Bank Statements (3 months, certified) ·a Official source |
| Study Permit | Varies | Varies~8 wks processing · Renewable | $110 fee$25,000 all-in | Remote work ok, Family ok | A study permit for graduate students that leads to a post-graduation work permit and a Canadian Express Entry permanent residence pathway, with spousal open work permit eligibility for qualifying programs. Documents: US Passport (6-Month Validity), Bank Statements (3 months, certified) ·a, Canada Immigration Medical Exam (IME), FBI Background Check ·a Official source |
| International Experience Canada (Working Holiday) — US citizens via Recognized Organizations | Varies | 1 year~8 wks processing | $210 fee$1,000 all-in | Remote work ok | A 12-month open work permit for US citizens aged 18 to 35, obtained through a Recognized Organization, allowing work for any Canadian employer with a pathway toward permanent residence. Documents: US Passport (6-Month Validity), Health Insurance Proof (Costa Rica-valid), FBI Background Check ·a, Bank Statements (3 months, certified) ·a Official source |
| Self-Employed Persons Program (cultural/athletic) — PAUSED | Varies | Varies | $1,825 fee | Remote work ok, Family ok | A paused Canadian permanent residence route for self-employed cultural and athletic professionals, such as musicians, artists, and athletes, who intend to contribute to Canadian cultural or athletic life. Documents: US Passport (6-Month Validity), FBI Background Check ·a, Canada Immigration Medical Exam (IME) Official source |
| Spousal / Common-Law Partner Sponsorship | Varies | Varies~70 wks processing | $920 fee$1,300 all-in | Remote work ok, Family ok | A permanent residence sponsorship route for Canadian citizens or PRs to sponsor a spouse or common-law partner, with no income requirement, no points, and no draw. Documents: US Passport (6-Month Validity), Marriage Certificate (Apostilled) ·a, FBI Background Check ·a, Canada Immigration Medical Exam (IME) Official source |
| Start-Up Visa (SUV) — PAUSED to new applications | Varies | Varies~208 wks processing | $1,825 fee$15,000 all-in | Remote work ok, Family ok | A paused Canadian permanent residence route for startup founders backed by a designated venture capital fund, angel group, or business incubator, now closed to new applicants. Documents: US Passport (6-Month Validity), FBI Background Check ·a, Canada Immigration Medical Exam (IME), Bank Statements (3 months, certified) ·a, Canada Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) Official source |
| Canadian Citizenship (Grant / Naturalisation) | Varies | Varies~52 wks processing | $480 fee$500 all-in | Remote work ok, Family ok | Full Canadian citizenship by naturalisation for permanent residents who meet 1,095 days of physical presence in five years, allowing dual citizenship with no US renunciation required. Documents: Canada Permanent Resident Card (PR Card), US Passport (6-Month Validity) Official source |
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Which route is right for you?
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