Americans Flock to Canada's Immigration Web Site
Fri Nov 5, 2:22 PM ET By David Ljunggren
OTTAWA (Reuters) -
The number of U.S. citizens visiting Canada's main immigration Web site has shot up six-fold as Americans flirt
with the idea of abandoning their homeland after President Bush's election win this week.
"When we looked at the first day after the election, Nov. 3, our Web
site hit a new high, almost double the previous record high," immigration ministry spokeswoman Maria Iadinardi said
on Friday.
On an average day some 20,000 people in the United States
log onto the Web site, www.cic.gc.ca -- a figure which rocketed to 115,016 on Wednesday. The number of
U.S. visits settled down to 65,803 on Thursday, still well above the norm.
Bush's victory sparked speculation that disconsolate Democrats and others might decide to start a new life in
Canada, a land that tilts more to the left than the United States.
Would-be immigrants to Canada can apply to become permanent resident, a process that often takes a year. The
other main way to move north on a long-term basis is to find a job, which requires a work permit.
But please spare the sob stories.
Asked whether an applicant would be looked upon more sympathetically
if they claimed to be a sad Democrat seeking to escape four more years of Bush, Iadinardi replied: "There would be
no weight given to statements of feelings."
Canada is one of the few
major nations with an large-scale immigration policy. Ottawa is seeking to attract between 220,000 and 240,000
newcomers next year.
"Let's face it, we have a population of a
little over 32 million and we definitely need permanent residents to come to Canada," said Iadinardi. "If we could
meet (the 2005) target and go above it, the more the merrier."
But
right now it is too early to say whether the increased interest will result in more applications.
"There is no unusual activity occurring at our visa missions (in the
United States). Having someone who intends to come to Canada is not the same as someone actually putting in an
application," said Iadinardi.
"We'll only find out whether there
has been an increase in applications in six months."
The waiting
time to become a citizen is shorter for people married to Canadians, which prompted the birth of a satirical Web
site called www.marryanamerican.ca.
The idea of increased
immigration by unhappy Americans is triggering some amusement in Canada. Commentator Thane Burnett of the Ottawa Sun
newspaper wrote a tongue-in-cheek guide to would-be new citizens on Friday.
"As Canadians, you'll have to learn to embrace and use all the products and culture of Americans,
while bad-mouthing their way of life," he said.
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