A family member living in the states is considering a move to Canada. He has rights to apply for citizenship there in an expedited manner, since he is descended from a Canadian citizen. He has been to Canada as a tourist many times.
When we talked about his move, he said that only people who have approval from the U.S. government are allowed to move long-term to Canada.
That sounds like a de facto exit visa -- a concept that the U.S. has always proudly renounced. (For example, when people were sneaking out of East Germany, people in the west took great pride in not having the draconian exit limitations that East Germans faced in their country.)
Is there a documented policy on the part of the Canadian government that limits entry, residency and/or citizenship to people with a U.S. "stamp of approval" of some sort?