Are you planning to retire to Canada?

The major decision for retirees is whether you plan to live in Canada for more than six months a year.

If you’re a U.S. citizen and you want to stay in Canada for less than six months within a one-year period, you can come to Canada as a visitor. No special paperwork is required. Many Americans who summer on Vancouver Island, for example, and winter in Phoenix or Palm Springs, live in Canada as visitors, heading south every year before their six months are up.

To live in Canada permanently or for more than six months a year, you usually must apply for permanent resident status. As a retired person, it can be more difficult to qualify for permanent residence, since the government considers your ability to work–and support yourself–an important factor.

The good news is that education counts. If you’re well educated, you speak fluent English and French, and your spouse also has a university degree, you’re more likely to qualify. A retired professor with a PhD is more likely to be accepted than a retired truck driver with a high-school education.

Another factor is the amount of savings you have. Even though you’re retired, if you can demonstrate that you have ample financial resources to take care of yourself and your family, Canada will usually look more favorably on your application. And if you have funds to invest in Canada, that’s another plus.

You can learn more about the process of applying for permanent residence from Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Update: Considering where to retire in Canada? Check out this post on the Top 10 Places to Retire in Canada.

– Excerpted (in part) from the book, Living Abroad in Canada. To read more, buy the book.

Photo ©Alan Albert