Is it really worth it?

[HamiltonApplicant]

Hamilton,
I would love to live here, but I have to be practical too...
canada seems better from all sides.

In 2012, I had to make a decision, to continue to live in USA or move to Canada. After living Europe and USA for 12 years, I was getting sick of having to do the immigration paperwork every 2-3 years. I rightly concluded that I will have to wait till 2020 for GC and 2025 for citizenship, in the most optimistic scenario that is. That was the single most important factor that made me chose Canada, it was a good decision I would say! I really like USA, but their naturalization process is inordinately long and frustrating!

 

[CANPR12]

Dear friends, I have some questions for which I would like your best inputs on...

My situation: I have been in the US for over 10 years working in IT field, on H1b . I have my I140 petition approved. I recently got my PR in Canada and I am planning to move to Canada once I find work there. I plan to stay there for about 3 years until I get my citizenship and then may be think of moving back to US if needed.
I don't feel that my priority date (2012) will get current any time soon and on an optimistic note I expect it to be not less than 4-5 years from now that I can hope my date might be current which is some where in 2021-2022. I feel if I spend these years in Canada working it would be useful enough to get a Canadian passport instead of hanging in here for noting in uncertainty.

My questions:
1: What will happen to my I140 petition? Will I be able to use the same priority date if I come back to the US at a later point in time?

2: In case if my date gets to be current during the time I am out of the country in Canada/ or after I get my citizenship, can I have my employer here file for my Adjustment of Status?

3: Once I am a Canadian Citizen say in 2021 - 2022 and if my I140 date gets to be current, can I come back to US and use my old I140? I am thinking it might be possible if I find a new employer and have them file my H1B again and have them also file my LC and latter I140/485 concurrently... is this possible or am I just miss informed?

All your inputs are appreciated!

 

[aashay12]

Dear friends, I have some questions for which I would like your best inputs on...

My situation: I have been in the US for over 10 years working in IT field, on H1b . I have my I140 petition approved. I recently got my PR in Canada and I am planning to move to Canada once I find work there. I plan to stay there for about 3 years until I get my citizenship and then may be think of moving back to US if needed.
I don't feel that my priority date (2012) will get current any time soon and on an optimistic note I expect it to be not less than 4-5 years from now that I can hope my date might be current which is some where in 2021-2022. I feel if I spend these years in Canada working it would be useful enough to get a Canadian passport instead of hanging in here for noting in uncertainty.

My questions:
1: What will happen to my I140 petition? Will I be able to use the same priority date if I come back to the US at a later point in time?

2: In case if my date gets to be current during the time I am out of the country in Canada/ or after I get my citizenship, can I have my employer here file for my Adjustment of Status?

3: Once I am a Canadian Citizen say in 2021 - 2022 and if my I140 date gets to be current, can I come back to US and use my old I140? I am thinking it might be possible if I find a new employer and have them file my H1B again and have them also file my LC and latter I140/485 concurrently... is this possible or am I just miss informed?

All your inputs are appreciated!

To get ur citizenship it's 5 in total....
4 year wait and 1 year to get it.
It used to be 3, now it's 4....
So take a deep breath and sleep over this Green Card for 5 years.
You probably would be in your early to mid 40s, when u decide to return.
Good luck.

 

[HamiltonApplicant]

To get ur citizenship it's 5 in total....
4 year wait and 1 year to get it.
It used to be 3, now it's 4....
So take a deep breath and sleep over this Green Card for 5 years.
You probably would be in your early to mid 40s, when u decide to return.
Good luck.

A new law has already been passed to make it 3 wait, which will be implemented fully late 2017 or early 2018.

To CANPR12, I would say this: Canada is a democracy, the party which wins the next election can change the laws and make it tougher. It is a changing world. Point is, you might get your US GC around the time you get you Canadian citizenship. Factor in your kids if you have them, it will be a big change for them too, new schools, lose all their friends, etc. I moved to Canada in 2012, I was a H1B who was in US for two years. I rightly guessed that citizenship in 5 years is better than a GC in 10 years, I also did not have deep roots in the US!

Hope this helps you make up your mind.....

 

[CANPR12]

A new law has already been passed to make it 3 wait, which will be implemented fully late 2017 or early 2018.

To CANPR12, I would say this: Canada is a democracy, the party which wins the next election can change the laws and make it tougher. It is a changing world. Point is, you might get your US GC around the time you get you Canadian citizenship. Factor in your kids if you have them, it will be a big change for them too, new schools, lose all their friends, etc. I moved to Canada in 2012, I was a H1B who was in US for two years. I rightly guessed that citizenship in 5 years is better than a GC in 10 years, I also did not have deep roots in the US!

Hope this helps you make up your mind.....

Thanks for responding, yes I am also aware of the new law which makes it 3yr out of 5 yr instead of 4 out of 5. This is definitely a positive for us immigrants. Its also encouraging to hear from peers like you who are in Canada, experiencing life first hand. I am leaning more towards the idea of moving there as I see a lot of positives.

What good does is it to get a US GC after 10-15years when you are in your mid life, spending precious productive years struggling on a H1b without any assurance in uncertainty. I also have aging parents who would need my support sooner than latter, I feel Canada is a better place where I can establish myself soon enough and invite them over to stay with me. I don't yet have kids so that's not an issue at this time.

I have started looking out for jobs in IT sector in Canada so it all depends on when I will find a good one. I do not want to leave what I am doing here at the moment and move to Canada without any offer. I'd rather find something first and then make the move.

Keeping my hopes up!!!

 

[HamiltonApplicant]

Thanks for responding, yes I am also aware of the new law which makes it 3yr out of 5 yr instead of 4 out of 5. This is definitely a positive for us immigrants. Its also encouraging to hear from peers like you who are in Canada, experiencing life first hand. I am leaning more towards the idea of moving there as I see a lot of positives.

What good does is it to get a US GC after 10-15years when you are in your mid life, spending precious productive years struggling on a H1b without any assurance in uncertainty. I also have aging parents who would need my support sooner than latter, I feel Canada is a better place where I can establish myself soon enough and invite them over to stay with me. I don't yet have kids so that's not an issue at this time.

I have started looking out for jobs in IT sector in Canada so it all depends on when I will find a good one. I do not want to leave what I am doing here at the moment and move to Canada without any offer. I'd rather find something first and then make the move.

Keeping my hopes up!!!

Hello CANPR12,
Welcome to Canada! I was in a similar, albeit less ambiguous, situation i 2012. My employer was good and was more than willing to sponsor GC application! I instead persuaded them to transfer me to the Canadian payroll so that I could pursue PR and later citizenship. I am still with the same company and am citizen since May! I enjoy my life in Canada, so does my family.

Try talk to your employer to move you to Canadian payroll if possible, that will parachute you to Canada I guess...

 

[CANPR12]

Hello CANPR12,
Welcome to Canada! I was in a similar, albeit less ambiguous, situation i 2012. My employer was good and was more than willing to sponsor GC application! I instead persuaded them to transfer me to the Canadian payroll so that I could pursue PR and later citizenship. I am still with the same company and am citizen since May! I enjoy my life in Canada, so does my family.

Try talk to your employer to move you to Canadian payroll if possible, that will parachute you to Canada I guess...

Congrats! on your citizenship. I agree, when you are highly qualified and have skills that are marketable internationally there is no point in struggling with bureaucracy ridden H1B mess. Canada from what I learn and what I have seen (while on my visit) is equally good if not better in terms of lifestyle and family life.

 

[DEEPCUR]

Hamilton,
I would love to live here, but I have to be practical too...
canada seems better from all sides.

So have you finally decided to move to Canada or stay in US or still in dilemma?

 

[DEEPCUR]

Hello CANPR12,
Welcome to Canada! I was in a similar, albeit less ambiguous, situation i 2012. My employer was good and was more than willing to sponsor GC application! I instead persuaded them to transfer me to the Canadian payroll so that I could pursue PR and later citizenship. I am still with the same company and am citizen since May! I enjoy my life in Canada, so does my family.

Try talk to your employer to move you to Canadian payroll if possible, that will parachute you to Canada I guess...

Hi.. nice to hear your story. Is it possible to get wages comparable to US after several years of Canadian experience in IT? I have heard that wages are much less compared to US

 

[aashay12]

So have you finally decided to move to Canada or stay in US or still in dilemma?

i would like to move now....but financial stability is the issue.
I am not in IT like most indians..So finding something is not easy...for me atleast.
I am never worried about money here, even if i dont have legal status....
I could still keep making money here....not a problem.
I keep hearing about Canadian citizens are struggling, resident, newcomer too....
In the last 15 years in US, i have never heard people complain about money..(except for recession).
Its a dynamic economy and will remain for years to come....
I can bet my last dollar on this country, but not on Canada....
America is by choice, Canada is a place of last resort....
I left India when i was 19 and never felt like going back, except for 1 time....
I respect Canada for its values and its a great country for family....but i love the US man.

 

[DEEPCUR]

i would like to move now....but financial stability is the issue.
I am not in IT like most indians..So finding something is not easy...for me atleast.
I am never worried about money here, even if i dont have legal status....
I could still keep making money here....not a problem.
I keep hearing about Canadian citizens are struggling, resident, newcomer too....
In the last 15 years in US, i have never heard people complain about money..(except for recession).
Its a dynamic economy and will remain for years to come....
I can bet my last dollar on this country, but not on Canada....
America is by choice, Canada is a place of last resort....
I left India when i was 19 and never felt like going back, except for 1 time....
I respect Canada for its values and its a great country for family....but i love the US man.

Looks like you made up your mind to stay in US.

Can't you try remote for your current job or one of could move and search after child birth ? I know few people who moved and nobody is sounding like you sounded. Like no one is impoverished of money and all that.

you are 33 now and kids not in school, and best positioned to move. You get first world country's citizenship in a time equivalent to one h1b extension of US. Your affinity to US could probably a comfort zone thing.

I'll highlight you some worst cases with immigration in US:

EB2 priority never going to cross 2009-2011 for next ten years at a minimum. Congress is highly dysfunctional and unlikely to touch bills related to immigration in near future as it has become highly sensitive issue. Obama tried to pass comprehensive immigration reform and failed twice. And the current system is working fine for everyone except Indians and there is no plan for anyone in white house to fix the system as they don't consider it as broken. If you need a proof, you could check family priority date of Mexico.. it's 1995. Mexicans have strong political support and even they aren't able to do anything for this. Indian employment priority date will start looking so soon.

The only hope for Indians .. the bill to remove country cap hr392 is already dead. The bill's founder chaffez is going to retire from congress this year and he last week told in a interview that bill is dead already.

And they are keen on changing H1b rules.. We are already witnessing many unusual denials. Imagine a scenario where they raise the wage so high and not being able to file an extension.

You should probably ponder this before your final decision. Good luck.

 

[mshaikh]

Just an FYI guys, - PD Jan 2013.
H1 is active and stamped until end of 2019.
Canada landing date sept 2014. I am moving to Canada next week. Don't have a job lined up.
Wish me luck !

Biggest hurdles in moving -

1. Low Canadian pay and smaller job market in IT (makes you a little worried)
2. Exporting car (man is that tough) and other stuff and uprooting everything in USA in general
3. My wife has to go through spousal sponsorship since she was already here on H4 EAD - this is not ideal

We'll see how it goes..

 

[CANPR12]

Looks like you made up your mind to stay in US.

Can't you try remote for your current job or one of could move and search after child birth ? I know few people who moved and nobody is sounding like you sounded. Like no one is impoverished of money and all that.

you are 33 now and kids not in school, and best positioned to move. You get first world country's citizenship in a time equivalent to one h1b extension of US. Your affinity to US could probably a comfort zone thing.

I'll highlight you some worst cases with immigration in US:

EB2 priority never going to cross 2009-2011 for next ten years at a minimum. Congress is highly dysfunctional and unlikely to touch bills related to immigration in near future as it has become highly sensitive issue. Obama tried to pass comprehensive immigration reform and failed twice. And the current system is working fine for everyone except Indians and there is no plan for anyone in white house to fix the system as they don't consider it as broken. If you need a proof, you could check family priority date of Mexico.. it's 1995. Mexicans have strong political support and even they aren't able to do anything for this. Indian employment priority date will start looking so soon.

The only hope for Indians .. the bill to remove country cap hr392 is already dead. The bill's founder chaffez is going to retire from congress this year and he last week told in a interview that bill is dead already.

And they are keen on changing H1b rules.. We are already witnessing many unusual denials. Imagine a scenario where they raise the wage so high and not being able to file an extension.

You should probably ponder this before your final decision. Good luck.

That's true staying on H1B in US in hopes of GC looks more bleaker by the day. Gone are the days when you could expect GC in 5-6 years of filing for it. Now it sounds like a distant dream. Given the fact that you are an H1B worker staying so will seriously impede your ability to move to different jobs and pursue better career opportunities.

 

[CanadianAspirant]

To get ur citizenship it's 5 in total....
4 year wait and 1 year to get it.
It used to be 3, now it's 4....
So take a deep breath and sleep over this Green Card for 5 years.
You probably would be in your early to mid 40s, when u decide to return.
Good luck.

Just an Update here: In June 2017 C6 law became active and now you can get citizenship in 3 years only.

 

[Samoinp]

Looks like you made up your mind to stay in US.

Can't you try remote for your current job or one of could move and search after child birth ? I know few people who moved and nobody is sounding like you sounded. Like no one is impoverished of money and all that.

you are 33 now and kids not in school, and best positioned to move. You get first world country's citizenship in a time equivalent to one h1b extension of US. Your affinity to US could probably a comfort zone thing.

I'll highlight you some worst cases with immigration in US:

EB2 priority never going to cross 2009-2011 for next ten years at a minimum. Congress is highly dysfunctional and unlikely to touch bills related to immigration in near future as it has become highly sensitive issue. Obama tried to pass comprehensive immigration reform and failed twice. And the current system is working fine for everyone except Indians and there is no plan for anyone in white house to fix the system as they don't consider it as broken. If you need a proof, you could check family priority date of Mexico.. it's 1995. Mexicans have strong political support and even they aren't able to do anything for this. Indian employment priority date will start looking so soon.

The only hope for Indians .. the bill to remove country cap hr392 is already dead. The bill's founder chaffez is going to retire from congress this year and he last week told in a interview that bill is dead already.

And they are keen on changing H1b rules.. We are already witnessing many unusual denials. Imagine a scenario where they raise the wage so high and not being able to file an extension.

You should probably ponder this before your final decision. Good luck.

IMO country cap is designed and working the way it was supposed to and i don't expect it to change at all. It just happens that it is affecting Indians. It could very well have been some other country should a lot of them have tried migrating to the US. This helps US firm's staff needs, depletes talent from other nations and generates tax during productive years of a wanna be immigrant and at the same time doesn't change US demographic significantly. Most would just not have the patience to wait and leave their social security contributions etc. This is why lottery based green card doesn't include some nations including India. EB migration also corrects itself should folks decide not migrating to US any more. However, i do expect few folks wouldn't mind the trade off and would still prefer US. Its just that their expectations would be
realistic unlike the current ones (who expected a GC). To be honest, US is still a better choice for kids starting out (22-23 years) assuming they get a H1B after education. They can earn and save a lot in places like silicon valley, have fun and decide after 10 years. The problem is only for folks stuck in the GC wait time and age not being on friendly side.