Short backstory: I've been on the Trump train since 2016. Was in hard for Bernie (as most Canadians were as he basically stands for what our country is now) until I got woken up by how the media and Dems were fucking him over for Hillary. So I started watching the GOP debates. Holy fuck, did Trump catch my interest immediately. It was like a massive wakeup call that I didn't even know I needed. I started following T_D over on reddit way back then, and kept up until my account over there got "banned" (same user name), then suddenly all my posts were deleted and replaced with weird NSFW porn sub posts ... not me, I swear it!
Long story short, I've been the red pill dispenser for my group of friends up here in the Great White North. This election fraud was their wakeup call, like 2016 was mine. It's beautiful to see.
ANYWAYS...
The memes about Canada are mostly true. There are a TON of based people up here, but Canadians are stereotypically nice and like to go with the grain, and it takes quite a lot for them to get upset and stand up (these lockdowns are doing it, I'll tell ya that), but I digress.
WHEN Trump begins his second term in January, I am looking into moving to the US. I can get sponsorship through my employer, and they are in many states. I have questions, and I figured no better place to ask than the somewhere with the most free-thinking people on the internet: TDW. The place I've called home for almost half a decade now.
FIRST, I think it's only fair to explain what attracts me to America, and perhaps see what you guys think and if I'm off base at all:
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Last bastion of freedom in the world - this is not a joke. Yes, Canadians and many other countries are "free", but not in the same way Americans are. You guys are free in a very primal way, right down to your core belief system and line of thinking. Your entire country was founded on individualism and "fuck the king". It's no wonder so many other countries want to see it destroyed, as everyone wants a slice of what you've got, and their rulers don't like them knowing it's possible somewhere in the world.
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Patriotism, culture, and religion are still strong - your president doesn't go around claiming you're a "post-national" state. You people bleed red, white, and blue, and are so proud of it that being American IS your identity, and that's a good thing. Your people will fight to the DEATH to maintain your way of life. You can't say the same thing about Canada. People go into the military, yes, but it's not like the US. It isn't, except in some cases, about patriotism. In the US, you will lay your life on the line to protect your country. You're still proud of your country, no matter what. I don't know a single person who would willingly give their life for Canada, now that I think about it.
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Guns - the idea that you are free to go buy a gun like buying anything else is an absolutely bizarre concept to everyone outside of your country, you have to understand that. It's the most core proof of freedom, if you ask me. You can walk around with a gun. I cannot articulate why this is so mind blowing to me, but it's almost iconic at this point that if you see someone walking with a gun and others not looking twice, its almost 100% of the time America. Nobody has taken your right away of defending yourself. No nanny state has come in and said "well, we have no proof that you'd shoot someone, but we don't trust you anyways so you are not allowed to have it". It's a fundamental representation of pure and utter individuality. Hopefully someone else can articulate what I'm trying to say here better than I can.
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The American Dream - it still exists. You can set out and start your own endeavors, whatever they may be, and there is not a bunch of arbitrary red tape blocking your path, or the government is gouging you at 40%+ for their cut. Yes, there are way fewer safety nets, but there are almost no limits above you. You sacrifice the "safeguards of nanny government" for the limitless potential.
I could go on and on, but those are the core ideas that stand out to me.
So, my questions:
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Where do I go? Which state do I pick? I was leaning towards Texas, but I don't really have any reason other than it seems super based. Florida too, but I dunno about gators. Also that's where all the Canadian snowbirds go, so kind of a deterrent for me, maybe I'm wrong.
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Healthcare - I am used to a particular way of healthcare, as I'm sure you're aware. The thought of not being covered for everything I need at any time is, not gonna lie, daunting. My employer, in Canada at least, has phenomenal healthcare coverage, so I assume it'd be the same down there... but is it true that I could go entirely broke if I need serious medical attention? I'm not sure what is just MSM fear mongering and what is true. Hopefully someone can clarify this for me.
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When can I vote? I'd be joining the Trump party no doubt, but I assume I can't vote until I become an official citizen.
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How different are the laws between states? Is it so different that I could do something illegal in one that is not illegal in another, and be totally fucked? Not talking about anything major here, but let's say it's simple traffic violations for example. Just curious how this works.
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Buying a home. Mortgage qualifications. Here in Canada, we can put 5% down and as long as our finances are in-line, we can be approved. Shitbox homes are going for $600-700k minimum here in Ontario, and I've looked at home prices down there... even after the conversion rate, a damn mansion goes for half that. Hows it work down there to get approved? How long does it take to build credit as an expat?
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Feel free to tell me anything else you want. Anything you think I should know.
TLDR: want to move to the US from Canada, love the thought of being an American, especially an American during the Trump era, and I wanted you to know what I love about your country, and had some basic questions about what it's like to live there and which state I should go to.
You reminded me of why I’m going to DC. Thanks.
North Carolina
Something to look at is each state’s tax structure. Some states have no state income tax, but may have a higher sales tax, or higher property taxes to fund the schools. Unsurprisingly, states like NY and CA have a higher tax burden than TX and FL.
Health insurance in the US typically comes from your employer, and varies by employer. So keep that in mind when evaluating job offers.
SD
Health care. Most people in America have health insurance through their employer. Most have very good coverage. If you cant afford it, there are other ways to get it through govt programs. Dont believe the hype.
Prescription drug prices here for uninsured were outrageous until Trump signed an EO requiring big pharma to charge the same to Americans as other countries.
For those without insurance, if you have an emergency (or even a head cold) you can get treated at an ER without money up front. ( Federal laws prevent emergency rooms from turning away people who have a medical emergency) Then you can negotiate your bill down to nothing afterwards. Hospitals are quick to write off large bills for the uninsured. Many people dont know that and wont ask.
You dont have to wait for surgeries, tests or procedures. You can be diagnosed with gall bladder dysfunction and get surgery within 2 to 3 days. Hip replacements within the week etc. State of the art care and testing are available to everyone.
Nobody dies from lack of access to health care like the media would have you believe. Some choose not to seek medical care for fear of paying a high bill but they do have access.
Dont believe the media regarding health care in America. It is in the best interest of the cabal for Canadians to continue to believe socialized medicine is a good thing.
Obligatory Canadian SORRY for the long post. TLDR at the bottom.
state income tax needs to be a major consideration.
Tagging. Same questions.
Missouri is a nice cheap state that ive been looking at if Virginia ends up not going back red in 2021.
I just want to say how encouraging it is to read your reasons for wanting to move to the US. I needed to be reminded of how blessed this country is, and how blessed I am to be here, in spite of all the craziness that is going on right now. I hope you are able to make the move.
Unfortunately, I only have one useful suggestion to you in regard to where you should move - NOT ILLINOIS. Downstate Illinois is a wonderful place with fantastic traditional American people. But liberal/socialist/insane Chicago determines everything in the state. Everyone else is held hostage by Chicago.
Man do you ask a lot of questions. Any Immigration Lawyer could answer them. But it is late New Years Eve, I would wait till after the New Year to discuss.
Buying a home.
A good credit score, a job with an incone to support your payment and a modest down payment is all you need to buy a home.
The price of homes are cheaper in red states. Income is lower but cost of living is about half of that of blue states. You can get a very big house in the south for 150K that would cost 500k to 1 million in a blue state. When looking at job salaries, you have to look at cost of living in those states. A 100K salary in Alabama would likely be equal to a 500k salary in a state with a high cost of living.
There's gators in Texas, too - southeast part from Houston to the Louisiana state line.
If your employer provides healthcare, congrats! Most American companies do not. You can check Healthsherpa.com for different plans available in different states (and their costs), but I don't know if you'd qualify for the "tax credit", where the US Government pays a portion of your premiums for you. The same exact plan can cost $500/mo in one state, and $1500/mo in another state, so if you're not covered by your employer, definitely shop around. Of course, most health insurers also provide "non ACA compliant" health plans - these will be much cheaper, with lower deductibles and monthly premiums, but they don't always cover everything.
If in doubt, hospitals here cannot turn any one away for inability to pay, so do what many Americans do - go to the ER, get treated, promise to pay $20,000 for an x-ray and some blood work, then ignore the bills until it goes into collections, then make an offer to pay 10 or 20% of the bill - most collection agencies will take it. It'll be a ding to your credit, but you won't go bankrupt. (And that's one of the many reasons why health care is so expensive in the US)
You can vote when you become a citizen. Unless you want to vote for Democrats - then you can vote as soon as you arrive (obviously a joke - don't do that!)
There are some serious differences between states, and you can't assume that "red states are good and blue states are bad".
Take guns - in Texas, there are few-to-no restrictions at the state level (National level doesn't allow automatic weapons, for example, so no state allows automatic weapons), but pretty much anything goes.
We moved from Texas to California in 2015 (yeah, I know... wrong way). Not a single one of my firearms was legal in California, so I accidentally lost them all in a terrible boating accident.
Since then we've moved to New Mexico - another deeply blue state - but all my firearms are completely legal here (I dredged the lake where I lost them, and found them all again in perfect working order!)
Another good example is weed - in some states (California, Colorado, et al), you can have up to an ounce of weed on you, and you won't even get a ticket. But in Texas, if you're caught with an ounce of weed, it's a state-level felony, and you're going to jail for 6-24 months and paying a fine up to $10,000.
Figure out what's important to you, and research accordingly.
The standard down payment is 20%, but if you have good credit, there are programs for as low as 5% down. It's not particularly hard to qualify as long as you have the income - they'll just jack up your interest rate if your credit is low.
Best of luck!
Wyoming. Low cost of living. Low minorities. Will remind you of Canada with the remoteness.
Its very difficult to answer all of these questions very well because the answers would be so vague and broad.
Mortgage is easy to get (im in real estate finance industry) however, yourbcanadian credit doesnt carry over ibto US, so you'll want to work on US credit history when you get here. You onlyvreally needbone or two us accounts. You can get up to 97% financing. rates are about 3%. Its the real estate taxes that can makebit expensive. Texas real estate taxes are relatively higher along with northeast states. Also...some weird stuff like...in some places in PA..you have kind of high real estate taxes...but doesnt even pay for fire dept. Fire is volunteer force and have to beg for money. In az, ca, tx etc. R e taxes pay for that.
You will DEF want to narrow down to 3 or 4 states and then ask when you get to that point.
Laws between states can vary quite a bit. Northeastern states seem to be really highly regulated. As well as western coastal states. Louisiana laws are based on french legal system. Most states have state laws based on "model" codes but then have their own twists and turns. These sort of things dont really matter too much from one state to next because bot much you can do about it. Biggest issue from state to state is transporting guns or marijuana. Those two you meed to read up on if you are going state to state. Eecause a legal gun carried in az could be a felony once you drive to CA. Or PA to new jersey. There are a few cases of ppl in pa driving into new jersey with wrong kind of ammo amd itsa felony. But for the most part a speeding ticket in one state..meh. you can usually pay a fine or go to online traffic school. Some states share data so speeding ticket in one state might affect driver license in another, so you can go on crim spree and just move to next state and start fresh.
When can you vote? Each state is different. I know here in AZ you dont have to be a citizen. You have to be a legal resident though. Thisbis as above..narrow down to a few states and then look at pros and cons of 3 or 4 when you narrow it down.
Health care...can you go broke? Yes. Or no. (Shrug) you could lose your job and go broke. A plane could fall out of sky and land on your house and go broke. (Shrug) you can file for BK, discharge the debt and start fresh...it will set you back a few years..but you wont go to debtors prison or something.
List of states the company is in:
Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, D.C.
My personal response to that list I would say yes to Florida, North carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas.
i would also say....don't knock places that have some Candadians... You will be excited to start fresh somewhere new...but very quickly, the stranger in a strange land can be depressing. You won't have any of those things that you take for granted. The food is totally different, the bars will be totally different, the people will be totally different, the electric company will be totally different, the roads will be totally different and you will find yourself missing a lot of the things from home. Trust me on this. I moved from CA, to TX, Tx to AZ, then back to CA, then to PA, then back to AZ. (Long long story)
Having some canadians around will mean you are likely to have maybe a Tim Hortons around...or a place where you can get poutine..and as stupid as that may sound....6 months in...you will be ecstatic to have something familiar.
For mortgages in US..there are gov agencies who set standardblian policies. Fha, fnma and freddie mac are three major. Here is a link to fnma (fanniemae) qualifying for non us borrowers.
https://selling-guide.fanniemae.com/1032991651
As you can see...its fairly vague..basically if you have work authorization for US, and your credit score qualifies...you are good. It used to be harder..but ppl come here from burma and have one account and a job for 6 months and qualify. Its not nearly as hard as you might think.
Commenting to read the thread later
If you’ve been paying any attention then you know you don’t have to be a citizen to vote, or alive, or even exist at all. I have decent healthcare with a 3500 deductible. Family member had brain surgery and was in the hospital for weeks cost me 3500.
Montana is an awful hell scape!! Never go there!!
I’d you cannot afford 20% down on a house, you cannot afford that house. Don’t let any other schmuck tell you otherwise
Where to go.
Definitely choose a red state and leave behind all liberal thoughts and ideas. Dont come to a red state and vote for the same policies you fled in Canada.
Southern states tend to perpetuate the stereotypes of the south to keep liberals from coming in and ruining our states. Do your research and choose wisely.
Laws
There is very little difference in laws between the states except for gun control.
There are minor differences like business licenses, how ciminals are punished etc. Unless you are carrying a gun, you will never have to be concerned about laws crossing state lines.
Not true. A few examples:
Most states have an income tax. Some do not.
Some states have high property taxes. Others have low property taxes. (Although this is largely controlled at the county level.)
Some states are "right to work" states, meaning that employees have no special rights or guarantee of continued employment.
Some states abridge your freedom of speech, for example by "anti-bullying" laws.
I think he was asking about criminal laws. You dont ger in trouble for traveling to a state with different tax laws.
Granted, criminal laws are more similar. On the other hand, penalties can differ quite a bit.
As long as you dont steal, kill, rape, destroy, drive wrecklessly ot under the influene, etc, there should be no issues. Ive been traveling across state lines for 40 years. Never had an issue since I dont commit crimes.
South Dakota. Really based. Lots of guns. Hot govenor.
consider tennessee, idaho, montana. sort states by weather, state income taxes, sales tax, gun laws. every state is unique.
Depends on what weather you want and where your employer is. You can only look at red states if you want, but keep in mind that most blue states are only blue because of a big cities. Take Colorado for example, technically the state votes blue, but if you're in any area outside of Denver, you're actually in a red area. Only major cities are truly "blue". If you're looking for an American Dream, avoid big cities like the plague. Also, research the taxes for the states your interested in. Some states have no income tax (but high sales / property taxes), some states have income tax but lower other taxes. Every state has different laws than every other state. I'd say every state except for California, Oregon, and Washington are options. Even states like New York are based once you get away from the metro areas.
I have a lot of Canadian friends, and I found most of them don't understand how Healthcare works in the U.S because they're used to socialized medicine. First off, if you get injured or sick, and your health insurance doesn't cover it, you still get treated, even if you can't afford it. It's not like hospitals can turn you away. Even if you are completely uninsured and broke, you will still get treated, you just won't get charged. If you do get charged for something not covered by your insurance, you can almost always get a "pocket" discount. My brother broke both his kneecaps as our insurance was switching over one week, and we were uncovered. His surgery, which would have cost our insurance $17,000, was reduced to something like $7000. This is counter intuitive, I know. Health care providers in the U.S way over charge, because they know your health insurance has to cover it. For example, an out of pocket blood test might run you $50-150 out of pocket. A blood test you have your insurance cover might be $1500, because hospitals know the insurance has to cover it. Just keep in mind that although you are paying a little less or the same for Healthcare in the U.S as in other countries, the quality of the care you receive is unmatched. There's a reason politicans around the world fly to the U.S for procedures. There's a reason that we were able to develop the vaccine in 9 months. All that extra money goes to research and development. Our hospitals have the most cutting edge procedures and the quickest care. I broke my arm several years ago, and had a full examination, x-rays, and a cast on it within 3 hours. You can make an appointment to for a psyche evaluation, have the appointment, and pick up your prescription, all in the same day (honestly it's almost too easy to get certain medications prescribed to you). So yes, our healthcare is expensive and doesn't cover everything, but you are still paying less or the same because you pay less taxes, you still get any life-saving procedures, and you are getting a higher quality of care in general.
You don't have to be a citizen to vote in the primaries, but you do have to be a citizen to vote in the general. I have no idea what the timeline for this is, but I think it's easier for Canadians.
Every state has different laws. You are protected by the constitution, ergo no state will have any laws that violate the bill of rights, but will vary with most other laws. Don't worry about traffic laws, they are nearly the same in every state. You will notice roads are built differently in each state (some states prefer roundabouts over intersections, some have lighted freeways some don't) but if you know how to drive in one state you are fine for the others. Biggest things you could get in trouble for are gun laws and marijuana laws. If you are ever traveling to another state, you need to research how that state (and all of the states you are passing through) differ on those laws. Having a loaded handgun in the car is legal in most states, for example, but not in Illinois. You can have up to 7 grams of marijuana in your car in Colorado, but only 3.5 in Massachusetts. In general though, you will never notice the difference between laws in states.
Depends on the state. High density areas like cities are harder to get approved. In low density areas like Idaho or North Dakota they practically give them out. My down payment was 10% but my house was only 120k. I live in a medium density area, in a red state.
Glad to have another patriot moving here! As long as you believe what we do (free speech, right to bear arms, all are born equal) you are one of us! You are brave to be moving in this era though. We are on the brink of civil war.
Some states don’t have sales tax, some don’t have income tax. Some have higher property taxes. You really have to pick a state or two and compare. Red states are probably a better choice (obviously). Texas, North Carolina, Florida are very popular. South Carolina has relatively low property taxes and good weather. Right now Arizona, Nevada and Georgia are pissing me off so they are off my list for the time being.
i think it can take quite some time to become a citizen. BUT if you move to california i think you can vote anyways.
Texas, Florida and Tennessee have no state income tax. Gun laws vary greatly. Any Southeast state is good if you avoid the cities. Stay at least 60 miles away from urban centers. Topography also varies greatly, take a look, don't know what your interests are. Georgia has great topography, from the southern tip of the Smokey Mountains to beaches on the Atlantic. North Carolina is similar. and offers snow skiing. Mississippi and Alabama are very conservative but offer fewer economic opportunities. Arkansas is the same but has beautiful rural areas. Panhandle of Florida is very conservative, again no state income tax. Have lived in Texas, love the state, people have a great swagger about them! Stay away from Austin, very left wing. South Carolina low country is a great place. Again stay away from urban centers. Don't know much about Kentucky other than they have great freshwater fishing! Elder pede here, some of my greatest childhood memories was fishing in Ontario every summer! Come on down, you are welcome here!
Without giving away too much information can you tell us what you do for work?
I'm in finance.
Come to Florida. We have beaches, theme parks, guns, 0% state income tax, the best Governor in the nation, and more importantly for you as a Canadian: Hockey. A lot of hockey too, Lightning and Panthers sure but also ECHL in Estero and Orlando. I've seen maybe 10 wild gators my entire life and 3 were at a golf course so nothing to worry about. We've met a lot of Canadian snowbirds and they're cool so since you're not a Canada cuck and are based, you have my blessing to move to Florida. Just tell them "thingaboutarsenal from TD.w vouched for me"
Man I love your list of reasons. It feels me with both happiness and sadness- happiness at what we have, sadness at what we lost. And the ever present desire to get it all back, get all our freedom back, never give up this fight. It's a bittersweet feeling, but I'm glad you stirred it up with your wonderful words.
Coming from Canada, consider that places like Florida and Texas are fricken HOT. If you don't mind the snow, consider a more northern state. Even North Carolina is extremely hot, over 100 degrees regularly in the summer. The kind of hot that makes me sweat when I'm just standing outside doing nothing. I am not a fan of extremely hot summers.
I'll just comment on traffic laws and such. They do vary from state to state, but not usually to a CRAZY level. Nothing a simple google search can't help you with. One time, I got pulled over for driving 80 miles in Virginia. I had NO IDEA that anything 80+ in Virginia automatically counts as a reckless driving misdemeanor. Luckily the judge knocked it down to a simple violation and I just had to pay a $300 ticket and move on with my life.
Where I live in New York, if you are at a red light, you are allowed to make a right hand turn. But in other states, and even in New York City, you are not allowed to make a right turn on red under any circumstances. Small things like this change..
I wish you the best of luck. The US needs as many people who love the true spirit of our country as possible.
Are you Canadian born, Canadian Citizen, or Canadian Permanent Resident?
Will your employer cover fees of an immigration attorney? What class of VISA is your employer willing to sponsor you on?
I live in TX. If I was considering a move to the US it would defimitley be to a state run by a Republican that can win the platform of a new conservative party. Patriot party. South Dakota, TX, Florida. There may be a couple of others but not many. Make sure the state you choose a state with no state income tax and reasonable firearms laws. Right now Florida allows a motorist to run over protestors if they are in the street and surrounding and threatening them. No questions asked. No charges. Executive Order by DeSantis. In the few states that are stable you can pretty much choose your lifestyle from the hills and mountains to hot and humid on the gulf coast. All is well but don't let a realtor talk you into buying in a place where property taxes are too high. I have a home in the one of the best schools districts in the greater Houston area and property taxes are 2.76/1000 and thats without the homestead exemption. Good luck and welcome to the greatest country on earth.
Come to Texas