Qualified and skilled Indian workers are a sought-after talent pool among corporates. And thus, Indian skilled workers are also favored by developed nations when they select candidates for long-term visas or citizenship. Lately, we have observed a significant change in the migratory trend among Indian workers. Many of them are now seeking to move to Canada instead of the United States. Experts say that the United States needs to update its H1-B visa policies to match Canada’s express entry program to retain its share of the talent.
Are There Lesser Students Enrolling in the United States now?
The short answer is yes. In FY19, Indian students in American universities declined by almost 4.4%. It happened due to the stringent regulations under the Trump administration. {SOURCE} USA has also eliminated the opportunity of Optional Practical Training that allowed international students to work in the US – further discouraging Indian students from applying.
A Massive Backlog of Green Cards for Indians?
Reportedly, the per-country quota on issuing green cards to international workers in the US has cost them a valuable talent pool. It has driven the talented Indian skilled workers away from the United States to seek job opportunities in other developed countries. Immigration and policy experts say within a decade, there will be a backlog of twenty lakh people waiting for a green card in the United States.
But Why Canada?
There are various reasons why Indian immigrants choose to move to Canada instead of the US. Some of them are listed below –
- Canada is one of the few nations that handled the pandemic well. They managed to curb the spread of COVID-19 and opened up their educational institutions sooner than many others.
- Canada is increasing the job opportunities in their country by attracting the big names in Silicon Valley to cities in Canada. Canadian universities are also tying up with companies to offer students good internship opportunities.
- Tuition fee in Canadian educational institutions is much more affordable for Indian students than the tuition charged by universities in the United States.
The New H1B: Canada's Express Entry Program
Canada’s express entry program is a points-based system for skilled immigrants to get an invitation to apply for permanent residency in Canada. The comprehensive ranking system assesses and scores applicants based on skills, education, language ability, and work experience, among other factors.
The Canadian government selects and invites candidates to apply for permanent residence status based on their CRS score. Indian skilled workers are among the most successful talent pools in Canada’s express entry program. India is now a top source of talent for Canada in the past few years. In 2019, Indians received 47% of all express entry invitations in Canada.
The Canadian government selects and invites candidates to apply for permanent residence status based on their CRS score. Indian skilled workers are among the most successful talent pools in Canada’s express entry program. India is now a top source of talent for Canada in the past few years. In 2019, Indians received 47% of all express entry invitations in Canada.
Is Canada Welcoming Indians?
The Canadian government called out to aspirant immigrants and has welcomed many Indians to their shores in the past decade. In 2020, Canada received more than four lakh immigrants to their country despite travel restrictions in the pandemic.
Canada’s express entry program has opened up new avenues for Indians who wish to migrate to developed nations and settle there. Canada is also committed to creating an efficient migration processing structure and system under the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
More and more Indian immigrants realize that their chances of permanent residence in the United States are bleak. It has prompted fresh graduates from India to consider Canada as their migratory destination and for those Indians who are currently studying or working in the United States. Experts say that unless the United States updates its H1-B visa policies, they may end up losing a significant section of the Indian talent pool to Canada and other developed nations.
Canada’s express entry program has opened up new avenues for Indians who wish to migrate to developed nations and settle there. Canada is also committed to creating an efficient migration processing structure and system under the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
More and more Indian immigrants realize that their chances of permanent residence in the United States are bleak. It has prompted fresh graduates from India to consider Canada as their migratory destination and for those Indians who are currently studying or working in the United States. Experts say that unless the United States updates its H1-B visa policies, they may end up losing a significant section of the Indian talent pool to Canada and other developed nations.
