Disillusioned, eh? Disillusioned, eh? (November 26, 2004)

Local Canadian immigration firm seeing spike in interest

By Jon Wiener

With nearly two-thirds of local voters opting for John Kerry this November, it is no surprise that the diehard liberals who threatened to move to Canada if President Bush won re-election are at least inquiring about that possibility.

Maple International, a Mountain View firm specializing in Canadian immigration law, normally helps students and workers from China and other countries settle with our neighbor to the north once their U.S. visas have expired. But according to director Vincent Ma, the office has received over 100 calls from native U.S. citizens since the day John Kerry conceded the race.

Ma, who described the calls initially as "overwhelming," said this newfound customer base appears to have its mind made up.

"They normally don't talk to us about the political stuff," said Ma. "They've either decided to move, or they're seriously thinking about it."

Maple has had headquarters on Bayshore Parkway off San Antonio Road for the last seven years. The company helps would-be emigrants from all over the country but draws an especially high number from the Bay Area, Ma said. Other offices are located in Los Angeles and Vancouver.

Ma, himself a Canadian citizen who went through the immigration process, said that in his six years with the firm, the company had received about one call per month on average from native U.S. citizens. Still, he understands the sudden interest.

"There are quite a few benefits if someone wants to move," he said, citing universal health care, legalized gay marriage and medicinal marijuana. Maple's Web site, www.maple-immigration.com, describes more reasons one should consider moving to Canada.
What it takes to get in

It takes more than a disaffected political outlook to gain entry to Canada these days.

According to Ma, the application process usually takes about a year. The easiest way to get into Canada is to get a job offer there, he said, but there are several classes of allowed immigrants.

The first and most common is the skilled worker class. To be a skilled worker, an applicant needs a bachelor's degree and two years of professional experience in a given field.

The other two classes are entrepreneur and investor. Each requires a substantial bank account, $300,000 and $800,000 respectively, and obligates immigrants to spend that money on a new business with Canadian employees or a heavy investment in the Canadian economy.

Ma said he does not know exactly what percentage of the would-be immigrants are eligible for admission.

However, for those who qualify, in the words of Maple's Web site, "Starting a new life for you and your family in Canada is only a few clicks away."
@email:E-mail Jon Wiener at jwiener@mv-voice.com

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