Canadian Immigrants in the United States
June 11, 2025
Spotlight
By Valerie Lacarte
Historically close cultural and economic ties have prompted Canadians to move to the United States for generations. Significant numbers of Canadian immigrants come for work or relaxation, with many retirees residing for at least part of the year in Sun Belt states.
Migration from Canada was relatively unrestricted through the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. The first recorded immigrant to become a U.S. citizen under the modern system was a Canadian, Lyman Ferris, who came for better economic opportunities and naturalized in 1907. By 1960, about one in ten U.S. immigrants was Canadian. While the absolute number of Canadian immigrants has remained largely flat over time, their share of the U.S. foreign-born population has declined significantly, as U.S. immigration increased from other regions and socioeconomic and educational conditions in Canada reduced emigration pressures.
Approximately 828,000 Canadian-born immigrants lived in the United States as of 2023, comprising less than 2 percent of all 47.8 million U.S. immigrants, although in parts of Florida, Arizona, and northern border states, Canadians represent significant shares of the immigrant population. Meanwhile, as many as 1 million U.S. immigrants and Canadian-born children of U.S. citizens were estimated to be living in Canada. Many Indigenous people can also move freely between the two countries.
Compared to the overall U.S. foreign-born population, immigrants from Canada tend to be older, have lived in the United States for longer, and are more likely to have come through employment pathways. On average, they are also highly educated and have high incomes. While typically proficient in English, one-fifth of Canadian immigrants report speaking another language at home, usually French, reflecting the bilingual skills of the Quebecois and other French-Canadian people.
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/canadian-immigrants-united-states
