WHY INDIAN TALENT IS INCREASINGLY CHOOSING CANADA

Since the late 20th century, India has been a large source of immigration to Canada.  By 2017, India became the highest source country with the number of annual permanent residents increasing from 30,915 in 2012 to 85,585 in 2019.  
 
Similarly, Indian immigrants make up a significant percentage of the foreign-born population in the United States.  But the US government’s archaic immigration policies, particularly with respect to H-1B visas, and the massive backlog in processing green card applications are some of the reasons India’s talent pool is increasingly looking north.
 
The trend has clearly caught the attention of US lawmakers.  On July 13, 2021, the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship held a hearing to address the fact that outdated US immigration policies are pushing top talent to other countries, and particularly to Canada.
 
Meanwhile, the Canadian government has plans to increase the annual number of immigrants to over 400,000.  If current trends continue, Indian applicants will be the primary beneficiaries of such an increase.  In general, Canada’s immigration policies pose fewer hurdles for potential immigrants than those of the United States and often on more favourable timelines.   For example, applications through the Express Entry system, which is a points-based program for permanent residence that is very popular among Indian applicants, are often processed within 6 months according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
  
To find out your legal options to enter and immigrate to Canada, reach out to us at [email protected], by messenger, or by visiting us at www.gradlaw.ca.
 
 
*The above information is meant for general education purposes and is not legal advice nor does providing this information establish a lawyer-client relationship.  For legal advice particular to your needs, please contact our office to speak with one of our licensed immigration lawyers.