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Canadian Immigration Lawyers - Abrams & Krochak
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Move to Canada from the United States:
Permanent Status

Thinking of moving to Canada? Dissatisfied with the current American political scene?
Each year, hundreds of citizens of the United States contact us to explore moving to Canada. Because Canadians speak the same language and share many of the same values, Canada is a popular choice for Americans. You may receive preferential treatment from Canada Immigration if your occupation is in healthcare, science, technology, engineering, mathematics or trade, transport, agriculture and agri-foods or if you are proficient in the French language.

If you are considering moving from the United States to become a permanent resident in Canada, one of your first considerations will be the category of Canada Immigration to which you should apply.

Since 1996, Canada Immigration lawyers, Abrams & Krochak, have successfully guided tens of thousands of emigrants from across the globe to choose the appropriate Canada Immigration category and most beneficial means of coming to this country. Click on the links to the right of this page for an overview of the various Canada Immigration categories available to American applicants.

Once you have selected which category best suits your requirements, please proceed to complete our free Canada Immigration Eligibility Assessment questionnaire.  Our Canada Immigration attorneys will assess your eligibility to immigrate to Canada from the United States, in accordance with Canadian Immigration laws. This service is free of charge and we’ll respond within one business day. Peruse the various Online Assessment Questionnaires and fill out as many as you deem relevant to your situation. Each assessment will be methodically reviewed by our team of Canada Immigration lawyers in Toronto.

Canadian Immigration Laws: Permanent Residence Status

After emigrating from the United States, attaining “permanent resident status of Canada” is also known as “Immigration to Canada” or becoming a “landed immigrant of Canada”. Those who are successful in their Canada Immigration Application process will obtain a Canada immigrant visa, which confers permanent status upon the applicant who, as a permanent resident, will enjoy all the same rights and privileges as those of a Canadian citizen (i.e. free health care, free elementary and secondary education, subsidized post-secondary education, the right to work in Canada) with just a few exceptions.

Unlike Canadian citizens,

  1. a permanent resident cannot vote;
  2. a permanent resident cannot hold a Canadian passport; and
  3. a permanent resident can be deported for certain criminal convictions.

Persons to whom a Canadian immigrant visa has been issued must present themselves to a Canada Immigration officer at one of Canada’s official ports of entry, to become a permanent resident.

When to Apply for Canadian Citizenship after Moving from the United States

Once you have emigrated from the United states and have resided in Canada for at least a total of 1095 days within any consecutive four (4) year period of time, after receiving Canadian Permanent Residence, you may apply for Canadian Citizenship. Once you have completed obtaining a Canadian Citizenship, you will be eligible for a Canadian Passport.

The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act of Canada states, a permanent resident must reside in Canada for a total of at least 730 days within the five (5) years prior to the date of expiration on his/her Permanent Resident Card in order to be eligible to renew the Permanent Resident Card, subject to certain exceptions.

To be eligible to become a permanent resident you must meet the requirements of one (1) of five (5) classes of Immigration: the Federal Skilled Worker Class, the Federal Skilled Trades Class, the Canadian Experience Class, the Family Class or the Business Class OR qualify as a provincial nominee

 
 

Answer a few simple questions and we will tell you if you qualify for Immigration to Canada from United States

Free Canadian Immigration Eligibility Assessment

See if you Qualify:

Answer a few simple questions and we will let you know if you qualify for Immigration to Canada.

Free Canadian Immigration Eligibility Assessment

Permanent Status - Canada Immigration Categories:

Federal Skilled Worker Class
Provincial Nominee Program
Canadian Experience Class
Federal Skilled Trades Class
Family Class
Business Self-Employed
Business Start-Up Visa

Temporary Status In Canada:

If you wish to come to Canada on a temporary basis, you can come as either a visitor, a student or a worker, assuming, of course, that you meet eligibility requirements.

Study Permits
Temporary Resident (Visitor) Visas
Work Permits

Frequently Asked Questions:

Yes, we do.  Since 1996, we have helped countless Americans to successfully immigrate to Canada and applicants from the United States have constituted a significant percentage of our client base.

Abrams & Krochak has helped many Americans apply for a Canadian Work Permit.  Before submitting an Application for a Work Permit, it is necessary to have an offer of employment from a Canadian employer. The Canadian employer must submit the Labour Market Impact Assessment application (“LMIA”) to Service Canada with evidence that the position was advertised at a competitive salary, and that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada who applied for the job was qualified. Only then will Service Canada approve the LMIA application, confirming the offer of employment at which time an application for a work permit can be submitted.  Some professions are exempt from the LMIA requirement.

If you have an offer of Canadian employment, we will ask you to please provide us with the following details:

  • the job title and National Occupational Classification (NOC) code;
  • the hourly wage;
  • the number of hours to be worked each week;
  • the city and province/territory in which the work will be performed; and
  • confirmation whether you will be applying alone or with a spouse/partner and/or children under age 22 (please provide the number of children, if applicable).

Once we receive and review this information from you, we can confirm if the LMIA is required.   If it is, we can then confirm whether the offer of employment meets the median wage requirement and provincial threshold requirement to support the LMIA application.  If we determine that it does, we will send you our Agreement and payment instructions for assistance with the LMIA application.

Abrams & Krochak can assist your potential employer with the LMIA application as well as assist you with the subsequent Work Permit Application, reviewing the application forms and advising you regarding the supporting documents required. Written legal submissions will be drafted on your behalf to accompany each application.

A major benefit to Americans is access to Abrams & Krochak’s Exclusive Employment Search Program (EESP), which assists thousands of our clients to find lucrative employment in Canada.  The EESP program provides you with detailed information and strategic advice that link you to leading employers in all regions of Canada.  Our EESP program also provides you with easy access to our confidential job database of thousands of employment positions in Canada.

We also offer EESP+.  In addition to granting you access to our confidential database of employment-related websites in Canada, should you opt to avail yourself of EESP+, Abrams & Krochak will do the following:

  1. Assist you to create a curriculum vitae/résumé according to Canadian standards;
  2. Register you with Employment and Social Development Canada’s (ESDC) Job Bank. The Job Bank helps connect Express Entry candidates with eligible employers in Canada;
  3. Assist you to create a LinkedIn.com profile where Canadian employers can find you and you can search for jobs in Canada; and
  4. Assist you to create an Indeed.ca profile where Canadian employers can find you and you can search for jobs in Canada.
Absolutely, we can.  Abrams & Krochak has become one of the most respected Canadian Immigration law firms in Canada over the past three decades, providing personalized service and a unique understanding of Immigration issues and how they affect people’s lives. Everyday, we put our over 60 years of combined experience into practice, bringing skilled professionals and family members to Canada and helping Americans just like you realize your dream of a better life in Canada.
 
Our near perfect record of converting Canada Immigration applicants into Canadian residents is a testament to our high level of professionalism and attention to detail. We apply this same approach to each and every American applying to immigrate to Canada.
 
Many of our American clients receive Canadian Permanent Residence without even having to attend an Immigration interview because their filed paperwork is prepared by Jeffrey Abrams & Peter Krochak in accordance with Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s exacting standards.
 
The AKCanada difference ensures that every American’s Application is always handled by Abrams & Krochak with the attention and priority it deserves.

The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) covers 90+ skilled trades under NOC 2021 Major/Minor Groups 72, 73, 82, 92, 632, and 633. Key eligible jobs for Americans include construction (electricians, plumbers, carpenters), industrial/manufacturing (welders, machinists), and technical trades (mechanics, crane operators). American applicants must have at least one year of skilled work experience and a valid job offer or certificate of qualification.

Skilled workers are chosen by the Government of Canada based on education, work experience, language skills, and other criteria.  In category-based rounds of invitations, the Government of Canada invites candidates in the Express Entry pool who are eligible for a specific category established by the Minister to meet an identified economic goal.

American candidates are invited to apply for permanent residence based on criteria such as:

  • ability to communicate in a specific official language
  • work experience in a specific occupation
  • education

Current categories

  1. French-language proficiency
  2. Healthcare and social services occupations
  3. Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations
  4. Trade occupations
  5. Education occupations
  6. Transport occupations
  7. Physicians with Canadian work experience
  8. Senior managers with Canadian work experience
  9. Researchers with Canadian work experience
  10. Skilled military recruits

Category-based rounds are intended to supplement other round types to meet the identified economic goal.

Yes.  Abrams & Krochak has become one of the most respected Canadian Immigration law firms in Canada over the past three decades, providing personalized service and a unique understanding of Immigration issues and how they affect people’s lives. Everyday, we put our over 60 years of combined experience into practice, bringing skilled American professionals and family members to Canada and helping people just like you realize your dream of a better life in Canada.

Jeffrey Abrams is fluent in both the French and Spanish languages. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto and graduated with high distinction. Concurrently, he obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree from Osgoode Hall Law School of York University. He is a lawyer in the Province of Ontario, Canada.

Mr. Abrams’ primary role as a lawyer within the firm is to assist clients and prospective clients in determining whether they might be eligible for Immigration to Canada and how Abrams & Krochak might be able to offer assistance. He does this by reviewing and considering responses given by persons visiting this website who complete the convenient online Canadian Immigration Eligibility Assessment Questionnaire. He also responds to questions relating to eligibility assessments, once the Questionnaire is completed and the assessment is made. As well, Mr. Abrams assists people to choose the category of Canada Immigration which best suits their qualifications and aspirations.

Aside from being a Canadian Immigration lawyer, Mr. Abrams is also qualified to work as an arbitrator in the Province of Ontario and has taught law courses, including Immigration, at various colleges in the Toronto, Canada area.

Peter Krochak has studied both the Ukrainian and Russian languages. Mr. Krochak completed his Bachelor of Laws degree at Osgoode Hall Law School of York University and is a lawyer in the Province of Ontario. He is also a graduate of both the Faculty of Music of the University of Toronto, where he received his Bachelor of Music degree in Performance, and of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, of which he is an Associate.

Mr. Krochak supervises each American client’s Application process from start to finish. He also maintains ongoing communications with government regulatory bodies during the Application for Permanent Canadian Residence process.

He has also acted as lawyer at refugee hearings in Toronto and has argued Immigration cases before the Immigration and Refugee Board, Immigration Appeals Division, and the Federal Court of Canada.

Insofar as Provincial Nominee Programs are concerned, every province/territory that participates in the Provincial Nominee Program has its own eligibility requirements that need to be met by prospective American applicants.

Click on the following link:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/provincial-nominees.html

to read up on the eligibility requirements of all the different provinces/territories in which you may be interested.

A Certificate of Nomination from a province/territory automatically adds an additional six hundred (600) points to your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score under Express Entry.  Generally speaking, most provinces/territories require you to have a job offer in that province/territory to qualify.

Since 1996, we have helped countless Americans to successfully immigrate to Canada and applicants from the United States have constituted a significant percentage of our client base.

Yes.  Among the services we provide are regular monitoring of the status of your file and follow up, when necessary, with IRCC officials regarding the status of your Application for Permanent Residence in Canada as well as regular monitoring of the status of your file and follow up, when necessary, with other concerned departments of the Government of Canada (i.e. Immigration Health Services/Case Management Branch-Immigration Headquarters) regarding the status of your Application for Permanent Residence in Canada.

Ordinarily, we do not like disclosing our legal fees without first rendering our favourable assessment.  Our legal fees will vary depending on whether there are any issues of medical and/or criminal inadmissibility in an individual’s case.  When one receives the favourable assessment, he/she will read what services we provide and then he/she will have a context for the quantum of our legal fees.  In the absence of any discussion of our services, one could jump to the conclusion that our fees are either too low or too high and possibly be dissuaded from filling out our Online Eligibility Assessment Questionnaire and/or possibly using our services.
 
In any case, our legal fees for an Express Entry case from the United States (the most common way to immigrate to Canada) are 1,500 USD comprised of three (3) equal payments of 500 USD scattered throughout the life of the file.  The legal fees cover the principal applicant, his/her accompanying spouse/partner and any dependent children under age twenty-two (22).  We charge per case and NOT per individual.

Yes.  Abrams & Krochak has helped many Americans apply for a Canadian Work Permit.  Before submitting an Application for a Work Permit, it is necessary to have an offer of employment from a Canadian employer. If necessary, the Canadian employer must submit the Labour Market Impact Assessment application (“LMIA”) to Service Canada with evidence that the position was advertised at a competitive salary, and that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada who applied for the job was qualified. Only then will Service Canada approve the LMIA application, confirming the offer of employment at which time an application for a work permit can be submitted.

If you have an offer of Canadian employment, we will ask you to please provide us with the following details:

  • the job title and National Occupational Classification (NOC) code;
  • the hourly wage;
  • the number of hours to be worked each week;
  • the city and province/territory in which the work will be performed; and
  • confirmation whether you will be applying alone or with a spouse/partner and/or children under age 22 (please provide the number of children, if applicable).

Once we receive and review this information from you, we can confirm if the LMIA is required.  If it is, we can confirm whether the offer of employment meets the median wage requirement and the provincial threshold requirement to support the LMIA application.  If we determine that it does, we will send you our Agreement and payment instructions for assistance with the LMIA application.

Abrams & Krochak can assist your potential employer with the LMIA application as well as assist you with the subsequent Work Permit Application, reviewing the application forms and advising you regarding the supporting documents required. Written legal arguments will be drafted on your behalf to accompany each application.

As of February 12, 2026, Spouse/Partner/Dependent Child Sponsorship Applications are taking fifteen (15) months, on average, to process.  Please be aware, however, that processing times are ALWAYS subject to change WITHOUT advance notice.

Abrams & Krochak’s Exclusive Employment Search Program (EESP)  assists American job seekers to find lucrative employment in Canada.

If you retain/engage our services to avail yourself of EESP, Abrams & Krochak will do the following:

  1. Grant you access to our database of employment-related websites in Canada, which contain detailed information and strategic advice that link you to leading employers in all regions of Canada.
  2. Assist you to create a curriculum vitae/résumé according to Canadian standards.
  3. Provide guidance in regards to registering with the Employment and Social Development Canada’s (ESDC) Job Bank. The Job Bank helps connect Express Entry candidates with eligible employers in Canada;
  4. Provide guidance in regards to creating or review your existing LinkedIn.com profile where Canadian employers can find you and you can search for jobs in Canada; and
  5. Provide guidance in regards to creating or review your existing Indeed.ca profile where Canadian employers can find you and you can search for jobs in Canada.

We do not, however, find people jobs to qualify for Work Permits.  The only adjunct service we offer is providing Americans with the tools to look for work in Canada (see above).  We do not, however, provide or guarantee jobs.