Professors Relocating
to Canada

Fortunately for Canada, some of the best American talent gets recruited north of the border. This phenomenon frequently occurs in the field of academia as American professors move north to take advantage of working in a country with a liberal mindset. Some Americans also want to stay in Canada after completing fellowships or doctoral degrees north of the border.

For American professors who move to Canada for only a short term, such as a postdoctoral fellowship position, questions arise regarding tax residency. Are such professors tax residents of Canada or the US? What about professors who move for a permanent position at a Canadian college or university?

While working as a professor in Canada can be more appealing than working in the American academic world, American professors need to consider a variety of cross-border planning points before packing up to move north of the border.

For example, American professors are often concerned about their income and how their retirement years will be impacted by moving to Canada, unsure about whether such a move is financially sound. For some, Canada can be even more financially advantageous than the US. Performing a cash flow analysis is one way to ensure that working and retiring in Canada is feasible.

Canada is also attractive because of its low cost of health care. The private US health care system is notoriously expensive. The Canadian public health care system is far more affordable; American professors who move to Canada can therefore benefit from the Canadian health care system.

Another threshold issue that many American professors wonder about is immigration. Typical questions are, “What is the best immigration route to Canada?” and, “Do I need an offer letter for employment in Canada before I move?” Other important questions concern whether or not it’s necessary to relinquish US citizenship or Green Card status once Americans move to Canada.