Donald Trump’s unexpected victory in the 2016 U.S. presidential election was a shock to many, but it was particularly jolting for Canada’s immigration website. As the states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania -- usually Democratic strongholds -- fell into Trump’s Electoral College column around 11 p.m. EDT on 8 November, some 100,000 Americans were trying to access the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website, causing it to crash.
The usual proportion of U.S. visitors on the site ranges from 8.8 to 11.6 percent, officials said. However, on election night, U.S. web users -- theoretically, people fearful of a Trump presidency and contemplating a new life in Canada -- amounted to half of the increased traffic when the site “started to experience difficulties.”
Want to call Canada home, eh?
- It's estimated that 200,000 users visited the website on that historic night, compared to 17,000 users at the same time the previous week.
- There are three basic ways to move to Canada. You must have a special skill or profession, you have to be joining immediate family in Canada, or you must be seeking political asylum.
- The immigration process is slow and expensive. Even a simple application to join a spouse in Canada can cost as much as $15,000 USD, and the waiting period can last months or even years.