Canada VS USA

[DEEPCUR]

Oh, absolutely. A good analogy would be the following:

Imagine if IRCC only did one draw every 2-3 years. Yeah...

This is applicable only to Indians, and to an extent to Chinese.

If someone from Europe had a job offer as FTE, they can get their green cards in less than a year once started. Every American company who hires people on visa will definitely have a policy for green card as it is required for continuous employment. Only consulting companies from India play around with these policies.

I know people (not India or Chinese born) who got their GCs when they were working on OPTs. They couldn't make it to H1 lottery,but got GCs the very next year.

 

[DEEPCUR]

It all depends on one's priority...
I have lived and worked both in US and Canada...now in Canada...I still find US is better but again that's what I think...My priority is money and living in a debt free house asap....so US is my choice...I had to leave because the work visa was expiring and my company did not have GC policy in place....It was not by choice...

One of my friends, all settled in US, is ready to come to Canada with his family...He has received his ITA and would be coming soon to Canada...his GC is already in process so he can live in US as long as he wants...but his priority is to get his parents and in-laws here to live with them....which is a distant dream in US...

So its not just money and opportunities sometimes....there are other reasons as well....

This is again applicable only for Indians. Even though GC is technically in process, it will take decades to actually receive one. Till then time one remains temp/guest worker on H1b. The H1b status is tied to job, so it is constant headache to be employed without being laid off 100% of time. So, people many Indians choose to move in search of stability.

If someone got their GC in one year like people from rest of the world do, they can become citizen in 5 years, and bring their parents within a year from that. Till that time it isn't hard to manage parents' thing in B2 visa. They allow 6 months for one entry and allow 6 month extension on top of it.

Again US is better in that sense too because kids to parents sponsorship is not capped, where as in Canada only 10k PRs are issued to parents with unimaginably lengthy processing times. Add medical inadmissibility headache to that. The wait time for parents in US to get GC is just the processing time and paper work.

 

[newtoexpressentry]

free healthcare feels good only if in minimum wage category or no wage at all.. those who pay tax don't see a difference between US and Canada.. in fact you pay more tax in Canada and get to live with socialized healthcare.. in US you pay , but you get much much more better treatment , respect and convenience when you visit doctors..

Jobs - you have much more opportunity in US.. very limited options in Canada

Compared to US my take home pay reduced 20%

just because of clear path to permanent residency i choose Canada..

Seriously? I feel treatment is same may be wait time is 10mins more than US but beats copay which most insurances have in US. I lived in US for 9 years I feel free heath care is wonderful and u wont know it unless u get sick or have a preexisting condition. Also Canada is way more safer than US. I moved from US to Canada before Trump but still I would take Canada over US anytime. I dont know with Obama care if the healthcare is better or not I left US before Obamacare.

 

[ashu1710]

This is applicable only to Indians, and to an extent to Chinese.

If someone from Europe had a job offer as FTE, they can get their green cards in less than a year once started. Every American company who hires people on visa will definitely have a policy for green card as it is required for continuous employment. Only consulting companies from India play around with these policies.

I know people (not India or Chinese born) who got their GCs when they were working on OPTs. They couldn't make it to H1 lottery,but got GCs the very next year.

"Every American company who hires people on visa will definitely have a policy for green card as it is required for continuous employment."

I have a Masters from the US, have worked in the Valley for close to 3 years. Had to leave after my OPT expired because I didn't make the H1-B lottery twice.You'd be surprised at how many companies a) do not have such a policy or b) hold off on starting the GC process so they have leverage over you. This didn't happen to me, fortunately, but it did happen to a few Indian alumni of my grad school's CS program. Unless you get into a very respectable company like Google or Microsoft, you're vulnerable to being exploited by employers, especially if you're Indian.

"I know people (not India or Chinese born) who got their GCs when they were working on OPTs. They couldn't make it to H1 lottery,but got GCs the very next year."

That's true. When I was in the US, sometimes I used to wish I had been born in Nepal

 

[newtoexpressentry]

Please take a moment to check this link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_diaspora
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_diaspora

9% of Canadian population lives outside Canada, with majority of them living in US. Out of 2.8 million diaspora, one million live in US. 350k to 1 million Americans live in Canada too, but Canada's population is 35 million, and US population is 320 million. So if things like healthcare, education were that great compared to US, why so many people from Canada would move to US?

And only 8 million Americans live outside US, which is a mere 1.7% of their entire population. It also says that there is no need for Americans to move out for any reason.

see its not just healthcare that makes people leave a country its also jobs. Mostly young people choose to leave Canada for better jobs and since young people are healthy they do not much care for healthcare until they need it. If ur healthy and have a better job in US people choose to move. But if u have a good job in Canada then they stay. So people moving/migration is more complex.

 

[Baahubali]

I think salary is a big factor. Many native Canadians in Vancouver, BC are moving down south lately to find better jobs. That's why it's a bit easier for us to get in. However, I think Canadian government should find a way to increase the median salary for us.

It's the difference in economy. A 100K CAD salary job in Canada is equivalent to 100K USD job in US. So it won't make sense to expect a 100K USD job in Canada. They simply cant afford it.

 

[dks2323]

This is again applicable only for Indians. Even though GC is technically in process, it will take decades to actually receive one. Till then time one remains temp/guest worker on H1b. The H1b status is tied to job, so it is constant headache to be employed without being laid off 100% of time. So, people many Indians choose to move in search of stability.

If someone got their GC in one year like people from rest of the world do, they can become citizen in 5 years, and bring their parents within a year from that. Till that time it isn't hard to manage parents' thing in B2 visa. They allow 6 months for one entry and allow 6 month extension on top of it.

Again US is better in that sense too because kids to parents sponsorship is not capped, where as in Canada only 10k PRs are issued to parents with unimaginably lengthy processing times. Add medical inadmissibility headache to that. The wait time for parents in US to get GC is just the processing time and paper work.

That's true...that's for Indians and Chinese folks....as I said, it depends on individual's priorities and situation...

 

[Mthornt]

There are so many more reasons that people choose to move/live where they do, than the ones being discussed. Each individual has their own reasons, and some may be independently wealthy, and money/jobs may not even be an issue. Work life balance, culture (they may be similar, but far from the same), crime, etc... lots of things that people experience on a daily basis. The reasons are all personal. If your primary goal is to get money, then the US wins hands down. Keep in mind, the actual migration numbers may not be straight forward, since we're talking 2 different immigration systems. I have friends in Canada that would love to live in the US, but it would be difficult without marriage. I honestly can't see spending a whole lifetime, never to experience living in other places, but that's just me. There are plenty of us in Thailand, Mexico, Ghana, etc... not because we think those countries are "better", but maybe because they offer something that we just can't get at home. Apologies for the length...

 

[Arod]

I´m not sure I buy some of the arguments that I read here, but I guess everyone has a right to have an opinion and move wherever it pleases.

 

[salikgilani]

"Every American company who hires people on visa will definitely have a policy for green card as it is required for continuous employment."

I have a Masters from the US, have worked in the Valley for close to 3 years. Had to leave after my OPT expired because I didn't make the H1-B lottery twice.You'd be surprised at how many companies a) do not have such a policy or b) hold off on starting the GC process so they have leverage over you. This didn't happen to me, fortunately, but it did happen to a few Indian alumni of my grad school's CS program. Unless you get into a very respectable company like Google or Microsoft, you're vulnerable to being exploited by employers, especially if you're Indian.

"I know people (not India or Chinese born) who got their GCs when they were working on OPTs. They couldn't make it to H1 lottery,but got GCs the very next year."

That's true. When I was in the US, sometimes I used to wish I had been born in Nepal

I hear you, my friend. The problem for us on OPT is that is that there will always be uncertainty, which has increased exponentially after the recent elections. If you talk to recently graduated international students, STEM or not, it has become next to impossible to find work, unless you make it to one of the bigger corporations that are willing to move you to other countries. Top that off with a 3 month limit to find work, you have the perfect recipe to kick internationals out.

So when people say US is a bigger market, it does not matter because most of those jobs wont even consider us, or sponsor us. Green Card is a valuable asset to have, my country does not even have that big a wait time(Pakistan) but even then, they have made it so tough to get to the process that people have considered options such as Canada. Standard of living is a debatable issue. Its dependent on what your priority is. For me it is important to be able to visit my family whenever I want. In the US, I know if I leave they might cause problems on my re-entry. So it is not something I want to compromise on. I guess, there is no answer to this debate.

 

[ashu1710]

I hear you, my friend. The problem for us on OPT is that is that there will always be uncertainty, which has increased exponentially after the recent elections. If you talk to recently graduated international students, STEM or not, it has become next to impossible to find work, unless you make it to one of the bigger corporations that are willing to move you to other countries. Top that off with a 3 month limit to find work, you have the perfect recipe to kick internationals out.

So when people say US is a bigger market, it does not matter because most of those jobs wont even consider us, or sponsor us. Green Card is a valuable asset to have, my country does not even have that big a wait time(Pakistan) but even then, they have made it so tough to get to the process that people have considered options such as Canada. Standard of living is a debatable issue. Its dependent on what your priority is. For me it is important to be able to visit my family whenever I want. In the US, I know if I leave they might cause problems on my re-entry. So it is not something I want to compromise on. I guess, there is no answer to this debate.

If you're from Pakistan, you can probably get an EB-2 green card in less than a year but yeah, getting into the H1-B lottery would still be a challenge.

 

[LHR-2147]

We are applying for both. We are in the middle of an EB1 application and an express entry. We'll decide when we know the outcome of both applications.

We are both born and raised in the UK but we have been disconcerted with the standard of living in London. We have an income in the top 5% of the country and yet we don't feel well off. Taxes, souring property prices and expensive living costs mean we end up working harder.

My preference is US but we have a lot of family in Canada.

I hope we will get both and have a choice.

 

[Classic Chucks]

We are applying for both. We are in the middle of an EB1 application and an express entry. We'll decide when we know the outcome of both applications.

We are both born and raised in the UK but we have been disconcerted with the standard of living in London. We have an income in the top 5% of the country and yet we don't feel well off. Taxes, souring property prices and expensive living costs mean we end up working harder.

My preference is US but we have a lot of family in Canada.

I hope we will get both and have a choice.

Good luck on your application! If you want to feel well off, go to the USA; if you want to be taken care of, then Canada is the choice! Just my opinion!

 

[DEEPCUR]

We are applying for both. We are in the middle of an EB1 application and an express entry. We'll decide when we know the outcome of both applications.

We are both born and raised in the UK but we have been disconcerted with the standard of living in London. We have an income in the top 5% of the country and yet we don't feel well off. Taxes, souring property prices and expensive living costs mean we end up working harder.

My preference is US but we have a lot of family in Canada.

I hope we will get both and have a choice.

I strongly believe US should be a better choice for you. In my opinion, Canada should just be a back up if something goes wrong with US immigration.

With that kind of skill level you are likely to be employed by a top employer and you are likely to have really good health insurance plan. Some employers even cover the entire premium which is as good as getting free healthcare. Your earnings to savings ratio would be really high in US too as cost of living would be wayyy cheaper in US compared to what you earn. You'll have plenty of weather and geographic choices to choose to settle as there are 50 states to choose from. And some states like NH are literally crime free states.

Your kids too will have plenty of top universities to choose from when they grow up.

 

[Classic Chucks]

I strongly believe US should be a better choice for you. In my opinion, Canada should just be a back up if something goes wrong with US immigration.

With that kind of skill level you are likely to be employed by a top employer and you are likely to have really good health insurance plan. Some employers even cover the entire premium which is as good as getting free healthcare. Your earnings to savings ratio would be really high in US too as cost of living would be wayyy cheaper in US compared to what you earn. You'll have plenty of weather and geographic choices to choose to settle as there are 50 states to choose from. And some states like NH are literally crime free states.

Your kids too will have plenty of top universities to choose from when they grow up.

Couldn't agree more!