The number of Indian immigrants in Canada has more than tripled since 2013. The magnitude of the increase is what one would expect in a refugee situation, not the result of a steady increase in the number of academics and foreign immigrants looking for work. Knowledge shows that restrictive immigration policies in the United States, specifically under the Trump administration, have played a significant role in selecting Indians to immigrate to Canada.
The number of Indians who are permanent citizens in Canada increased from 32,828 in 2013 to 118,095 in 2022, a 260% increase, according to research conducted by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) of knowledge of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. . In 2022, with 118,095 Indian immigrants in Canada, they eclipsed the other countries of origin of permanent citizens: China (31,815), Afghanistan (23,735), Nigeria (22,085), and the Philippines (22,070). In 2014, Canada had more immigrants from the Philippines than from India.
Between 2004 and 2012, Indian immigration to Canada remained between 27,000 and 36,000. Then, from 2013 to 2014, the number of Indian immigrants to Canada increased from 32,828 to 38,364, and remained strong in 2015 (39,340) and 2016 (39,710).
In 2017, Indian immigration to Canada increased to 51,590, then to 69,985 in 2018 and 85,590 in 2019. Processing and disruptions similar to the Covid-19 pandemic caused this number to drop to 42,870 in 2020. But in 2021, due to processing issues subsided. and the Canadian immigration government gave more importance to the Canadian pictorial experience, the number of Indians granted permanent residency increased to 127,940 in 2021 and settled at 118,095 in 2022.
The significant increase in the number of Indian immigrants in Canada coincided with the election of Donald Trump and his opposition to immigration, adding highly professional professionals, as well as the Canadian government’s policies to attract and retain foreign-born talent.
In January 2015, Canada followed the Express Entry program to expedite immigration, i. e. , for highly professional staff who have worked in Canada as foreign scholars or with transitory status. In June 2017, the Global Skills Strategy was introduced in Canada. The government has introduced a new program to inspire foreign investment in Canada, incentivize corporations to open offices in Canada, and attract the most sensible foreign talent,” according to a government website.
Canada imposes a two-week processing for maximum transience visas for highly professional individuals, an unprecedented formula in U. S. immigration without paying an additional $1,500 processing fee. Unlike in the United States, where the vast majority of new H-1B programs do not result in new workers due to low annual caps, there is no annual cap for highly professional transitoriness visas in Canada.
Under Trump, the U. S. and Canada have taken opposite approaches to the immigration of foreign-born scientists and engineers. The team Trump brought to the White House and U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) viewed foreign-born, highly professional Americans as an economic threat. , a position at odds with virtually every American economist. H-1B visa rejection rates skyrocketed, delays multiplied, and threats of new measures intensified, culminating in the 2020 ban on access to highly professional visa holders and hired immigrants.
Even the Trump administration’s announced but unimplemented policies have had a negative effect by scaring away foreign academics and would-be highly skilled immigrants who were making plans for their careers. Many foreign academics believed that Trump would go ahead with his plans to limit or eliminate optional practical education for academics. H-1B prestige feared that the Trump administration would save the spouses of H-1B visa holders from running by repealing a regulation issued during the Obama years. While Trump’s team has not gotten rid of the regulations, it has followed USCIS policies designed to cause many spouses of H-1B visa holders to lose their ability to work in the United States, according to lawyers (see the recent USCIS legal regulation on H-1B spouses).
America’s destructive policies have proven to be a victory for Canada, lawyers say. “Canada is profiting from the diversion of young Indian techies from U. S. destinations, largely due to difficulties in obtaining and renewing H-1B visas and finding a reliable address for permanent residency in the United States,” said Peter Rekai, founder of Toronto-based immigration law firm Rekai LLP. in a previous interview. He added in a follow-up interview: “The influx of Indians to Canada has a lot to do with the end of the gates in the United States. “
Knowledge confirms this. Between 2016 and 2019, the number of Indian scholars in Canadian schools and universities increased by 182%. At the same time, in U. S. universities, the number of Indian academics graduating in science and engineering has declined by about 40%.
Many Indians know that wait times for employment-related green cards in the United States can take decades due to country-specific limits and the low annual number of employment-related immigration visas. In 2022, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) ended a waiver of annual green card caps and arrears for foreign nationals with PhDs in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields and those who hold a master’s degree “in a critical industry” under the law under the CHIPS and Science Act. .
A leaked memo drafted (but not released) by the Obama administration revealed that USCIS had concluded that it had the authority to grant broader cadre authorizations to all recipients of approved employment-based immigrant visa applications. If the Biden administration were to take this step, it would be much less difficult for the United States to retain talented Americans and improve the lives of many foreign-born scientists, engineers, and doctors by expanding their mobility and security. (See here).
The numbers tell the story. Until the U. S. Congress and the Executive Branch reform the immigration formula so that highly professional foreign nationals can work and develop their careers in the United States, adding foreign students, Indians will continue to see Canada as a welcome option in the United States.
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