With H1B visas suspended, is Canada the beneficiary?

With the recent US announcement suspending H1-B visas, and likely eventually moving towards a more protectionist approach to sourcing employees, Canada surely stands to benefit immensely.

While Canadian immigration rules could not in any sense be considered relaxed or easy, there are provisions in place for effectively attracting talent from around the globe. 

With the US now essentially closed off to this “foreign” talent, the opportunity for Canada to profit is there. Many US companies, especially in the tech sector, either already have operations in Canada, or have a very easy path to expanding here.

Allowing other companies to hire away the world’s best because of immigration restrictions is not a business plan that the US tech industry can afford.

An expansion of Canadian offices is imminent, which means that those companies can continue to attract top-tier talent from around the globe. Yes, they’ll be working out of the Toronto offices, but Canada’s economy and transportation networks are heavily interlinked with the US ones. Logistically speaking, there are hardly any barriers to contend with.

When this situation is compounded by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, and different nations’ strategies for dealing with it, an office in Toronto becomes yet more attractive to tech companies. A more agile government response, a better economic recovery plan, and now significantly better access to the 96% of the world’s workforce that isn’t American?

A Toronto office seems like a sure bet to us.

See our partner, Rostie & Associates, response here. They’re your go to for all staffing needs, within the United States, Canada, and the rest of the world.

If you are looking to expand your operations to Canada to attract top global talent, renting an office or a virtual package is the essential first step.

For more information about offices and virtual services at The Rostie Group, please visit www.rostiegroup.com or call 416-214-1840.