International LDR Help

(Long Post Sorry)

I (23F) am trying to figure out a way to close the distance between my boyfriend (27M) and I. We met in college 4 years ago in the US. He was a Canadian student finishing his engineering degree and I was just starting school (also as an engineer) when we met. We spent 2 years dating and being together in the same city at the same school.

He graduated 2 years ago, moved back to Canada and we’ve been long distance ever since then (roughly 10 hours apart). He has struggled finding a job in his degree field and is currently unemployed. I recently graduated and landed my dream job, however it’s added an additional 11 hours between us, making it a grand total of 21 hours (too far to drive so now we have to fly)!! It’s now been 7 weeks since we’ve seen each other (no plan on when we will see each other again) and we were used to doing 4/5 weeks apart.

I love the area that he is from and his friends are now my friends too, so I’d move there in a heartbeat! BUT I can’t even apply for a Canadian work visa until I have 2 years of work experience. I’ve asked him to look for a job where I’m at and move here if he found work. He said no and it’s because he doesn’t want to live in the US even just for a couple of years while I get work experience.

I feel like I’m at crossroads in my life right now. He is the man I want to be with and I see a life together with him but I also really like my job. The company that I work for has locations all over the US but no opportunities in Canada. I feel like he just wants me to get my experience then quit my job to move to Canada. I don’t want to have to choose between him and my career especially when I’m the one that’s employed and starting my career and he’s unemployed looking for work.

I’ve been clear about what I want, which is for us to find a way to be together. I just feel like he doesn’t want to try and help me brainstorm to figure out a way for that to happen.

If anyone has any advice on the process of moving to the US or Canada that would be greatly appreciated because neither of us have any friends that have done this before. Thanks!