Indian Migrant Workers in the US Now Prefer Moving to Canada

When one door closes, another opens...there is no better way to express the predicament of Indian workers in the US who face an uncertain future of whether their H-1B visas will be renewed or their Green card applications will be accepted. Rather than wait in the wings and stare at an uncertain future many of them are looking at the alternative of moving north that is to Canada.

With the US government imposing a cap on employment-based green cards for each country, India with its larger pool of applicants owing to its population must deal with a longer waiting time.

With the US government’s decision to curb the approval for H-1B visa, the denial rates for H-1B visas have gone up to 24 per cent in 2019.

For US-based Indians caught in a backlog of Green Card applications, the uncertainty of getting a permanent resident status or the minimum chance that their H-1B visa will be renewed has forced many of them to consider Canada.

Apart from being the nearest country to migrate to, Canada’s open-door immigration policies make migrants feel welcome and wanted. And Canada needs immigrants to close the Skills Shortage it is facing; it has set a target of 341,000 immigrants for 2020.

Canada’s growing economy and a rapidly developing tech sector have made it a preferred choice. Canada’s immigration programs are quick and efficient, and applicants can hope for faster processing and a positive outcome.

The Express Entry System was created especially to help skilled workers migrate to Canada. Though there is no separate data available on the number of US-based Indians who moved to Canada on a PR visa, they account for the highest number of Express Entry admissions. In fact, Indians got the highest number of PR visas in 2019.

Many Indians on an H1-B visa have moved to Canada using an immigration program suited to their needs. The Global Skills Strategy (GSS) visa was introduced to help employers in Canada gain access to top talent across the world. The scheme uses a fast and predictable process to help companies bring in skilled workers to the country. If foreign employees meet the eligibility requirements and have the required documents, their applications can be processed in two weeks.

The faster processing of visa applications in Canada is a win-win for both employers and employees. For employees uncertain about their H1-B renewals the certainty of getting a visa to establish their status gives them and their families a sense of security.  And employers can retain their skilled workers without the hassle of relocating them to a country far away from their base. Canada means minimum disruption.

The fast track visa options of Canada have encouraged more Indian tech workers to try their luck here and those who have moved here are not regretting the decision.

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