WHATSAPPMore and more companies, high skilled foreign workers and international students now prefer Canada over the US, in response to the restrictive immigration policies of the US. According to a recent study, a high number of US employers are also increasing their presence in Canada. The study, conducted by Envoy, has found that 63% of the employers are establishing their presence in Canada, either by sending more workers to Canada or by hiring foreign nationals in the country.
US employers are frustrated with the tighter immigration policies of the US and are also of the opinion that Canada’s immigration policies are more favorable to US employers than US policies. Around 38% of the employers who participated in the survey said they were thinking about expanding to Canada while 21% already have at least one office in Canada.
As the US federal agencies are making it harder for immigrants to obtain citizenship, Canada is emerging as an attractive alternative for skilled immigrants with their welcoming policies. According to a recent report by Colorado State Advisory Committee, US citizenship applicants have to wait longer than it is supposed to. The report attributes longer waiting period to increased requests for evidence after naturalization interviews and policy changes.
The report further points out that there is a backlog of more than 700,000 citizenship applications with the US. However, experts are not at all happy about these changes as they believe that if lawful immigrants cannot become naturalized citizens in the US, it would negatively affect the voting rights, civil rights, and the democratic process.
In this context, US companies have opened affiliates in Canada to which they are transferring their foreign workers on a long-term basis. Skilled workers increasingly prefer Canada over the US because their spouses can work in Canada with open work permits. Moreover, their children can study in public schools and the family gets universal public health coverage.
The pathway for permanent residence and citizenship in Canada is also clearer and faster for skilled workers compared to the US. The Global Skills Strategy launched by Canada has accelerated the hiring and application processing of foreign skilled workers. Canada also has a number of work permit categories that save employers from the cumbersome task of getting the labour market approval.
International students are also increasingly choosing Canada over the US. While the international student enrollment at US universities declined over 6% during the 2017-2018 academic year, Canadian universities are attracting international students at record levels. In 2018, the number of international students in Canada increased by 16%.
Canada is increasingly becoming a favourite destination for skilled immigration as more and more skilled workers prefer Canada over the US to start a new life. Know more about the benefits you would enjoy if you migrate to Canada and your options for Canada migration by contacting our immigration consultants now!
