Canada Recruits H1-B Visa Highly Skilled Workers from U.S.

On Dec. 9 the Canadian government announced a CAN$1.7 billion ($1.2 billion) program to recruit scientists, researchers, medical doctors, and others, who may be wary of going to the U.S. with a H1-B visa. A statement by Canada’s Industry Minister Mélanie Joly does not mention the U.S. by name, but appears to appeal to the highly skilled workers who would be subjected to increased scrutiny upon arrival in the U.S., or those disillusioned by crackdowns and funding cuts to research grants at leading U.S. universities. The Canadian statement reads, “As other countries constrain academic freedoms and undermine cutting-edge research, Canada is investing in—and doubling down on—science.” In the U.S. rural health providers are especially dependent upon foreign doctors, but in Canada these same doctors can expect an expedited path to permanent residency after one year of work, without any $100,000 application fee for the visa.