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Thinking of moving to the USA from Canada? This is a checklist for talented and ambitious people specifically in Canada who are maybe planning on continuing their career journey in the United States.
Amid talks of tariffs and jaw dropping investments coming to the US you might be feeling restless, a sense of FOMO and wondering where your career might bring you. If you think your job might be moving to the US and if you just have international career ambitions there are a few low cost, no strings attached actions you can take now to increase your personal international agility and mobility to save you time in the future if or when the day comes you need to pack up and move. Passport diversification has been a rising trend in the past few years. Migration rates more than doubled in many countries between 2020 and 2024. This six page pdf includes a few actions you can take now in case of an eventual relocation to the United States or if you want to explore an eventual cross border lifestyle.

The topics range from:

What to do now to prepare getting your US driver’s license and car insurance.

How to start preparing building personal US credit while still living in Canada.

What to ask of your financial institutions now to prepare for renting a home or a mortgage.

How to get a US preapproved mortgage letter for Canadian buyers. Subtle differences between Canada and the US when it comes to mortgages and house shopping.

Questions to ask yourself from a fiscal standpoint and how to find the right tax consultant. Note, a lot of international tax firms are no longer taking on new clients. You should familiarize yourself now on what you could face in the future. For example, Canada has an exit tax on certain assets.

The type of official documents you should order now from government bodies and how to get them translated into English.

The academic documents you should have and how to have them evaluated to meet US criteria if applicable in your field. 

What to get done and questions to ask yourself with regard to your personal health file to comply with US immigration, school boards and potential employers.

How to navigate the US school system and find the right options for your children.

Currency exchange options for your personal assets, holdings and other investments.

An affordable way to move your belongings to the US.

This is by no means any specific financial, fiscal, nor immigration advice. Simply a checklist of low commitment tasks to get done and which wont be in vain.  All of the above requires months of work and plenty of patience. At the very least, I would get some of these things done for my children. With geopolitical uncertainty, I encourage talented professionals who have international ambitions to be prepared and not just rely on a valid passport. This list is just food for thought and a kick in the derrière to pour yourself your favorite hot beverage and get these tedious tasks done. I believe the future is bright for both Canada and the US.