As exit polls hinted at a second term for Donald Trump, many Americans began contemplating their own exit: relocating abroad.
Google searches for "move to Canada" soared by 1,270% in the 24 hours following the closing of U.S. East Coast polls on Tuesday, according to company data.
In the same period, searches for moving to New Zealand surged nearly 2,000%, while Australia saw an 820% jump.
By late Wednesday evening on the U.S. East Coast, emigration-related searches for all three countries hit record levels, a Google official confirmed.
Though Google does not provide specific figures, data from Immigration New Zealand revealed a significant increase in U.S. visitors, with 25,000 new users on November 7—up from 1,500 on the same day last year.
Immigration lawyers are also reporting a surge in inquiries.
"Every half hour there's a new email inquiry," said Evan Green, managing partner at Green and Spiegel, Canada's oldest immigration law firm.
This wave of interest in emigration mirrors the response following Trump’s 2016 victory.
However, this time, the push for relocation follows a particularly divisive campaign, with nearly three-quarters of U.S. voters expressing concerns that American democracy was under threat, according to Edison Research exit polls.
Americans are also increasingly anxious that Trump's presidency will deepen divisions between Democrats and Republicans on critical issues like race, gender, education, and reproductive rights.
"Trump is the catalyst, but it's also a societal shift," said Green. "The majority of Americans voted for him, and some people no longer feel comfortable in that society. They're worried about losing freedoms."
On Reddit, the "r/AmerExit" group has seen hundreds of members sharing tips on ideal destinations, visas, and job opportunities. Some expressed fears for their safety and the future of the country under a second Trump term.
These concerns had already fueled a rise in emigration inquiries to Canada, according to Heather Bell, an immigration consultant at Vancouver’s Bell Alliance law firm.
However, few manage to make the move, Bell noted. "Immigrating to Canada is challenging, especially with the government reducing the number of temporary and permanent migrants accepted," she said.
