Last Updated On 15 January 2025, 11:30 PM EST (Toronto Time)
Trump’s new stance on highly skilled immigration could mean many different things for Canada, depending on where you get your news from.
Our goal here is to offer nothing political, focus on a statement of the facts, and highlight the economic consequences. Why? Because that’s the only way to get a big picture. Let’s get started.
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While many will accuse the Trump administration of protectionism because of their desire to bring manufacturing back into the US, they are also realists.
The H1-B visa program exists to allow foreign workers with degrees and doctorates to enter the US for purposes of skilled employment.
We’re talking, of course, largely about tech and engineering — two sectors that are essential to any form of economic growth and recovery.
Trump has championed this entry route into the US, using it to highlight the contrast with illegal immigration and undocumented entry.
He has been at pains to suggest he won’t restrict this method of legal entry, instead choosing to promote it with Elon Muskby his side. The idea is to turn the US into something of a brain trust that will attract the best and brightest from around the world.
No, is the short answer. This is because the two countries have something of a special relationship and the border is far more flexible than those in other parts of the world.
You might be tempted to think that the continued support of the H1-B visa program means nothing for Canadians, but that would be an oversimplification.
There are also those who think that it will mean fiercer competition for jobs and that it is a net negative to Canada. We believe, after careful analysis, that the balance lies somewhere else.
The reason for this is that highly skilled jobs require rapid growth of key sectors of the economy and the high level of scalability that comes with it.
Closing off the economic borders to skilled professionals from the rest of the world will put a limit on innovation and prevent the free flow of ideas.
The result would be an economy that increasingly looks inwards and runs the risk of missing out on the next big thing.
It would be a mistake to assume that because the US is currently the dominant global economic power that this will remain the status quo for years to come.
Canadians with skills that are in demand in the US will still have an advantage over other applicants from other countries as it will remain easier for them to access the US jobs market.
The fact that the market will continue to cast its net more widely in search of other talented people is something to be welcomed from an economic point of view.
Diversity in terms of hiring locations and demographics brings with it new cultural experiences, more ideas, and the critical mass of ideas essential for the rapid growth of lucrative new concepts.
Exactly what you want to hear when it’s time to create a career for yourself with a high degree of scalability and room for vertical moves.
What will be particularly interesting is how long it will take for new industries to gain momentum and branch out into lucrative startups.
AI, renewable energy, and AR are just three areas that will benefit massively from the incoming administration’s support for this widely used visa program.
Canadians can expect to have continued access to a burgeoning US market that will be buzzing with new ideas and supported by a continual influx of new talent.
Perfect when you want to be able to plan for a long-term career when supporting a family south of the border.
Immigration is a controversial topic in political circles because of the high degree of complexity and the huge number of competing variables.
While the highest-rated film can be found on IMDB, or sites like Bonus Focus are used to find online casinos, immigration policy can feel abstract and out of reach to everyday people.
This quickly makes it feel like them-against-us issue if the wrong outlook is fostered. The key is to see the bigger picture if you are going to correctly assess the economic reality.
Canadians who choose to stand still and rest on their laurels may find that the economy outpaces them.
This is not a personal or political judgement, more a simple statement of fact based on past experience.
With rapid economic growth and technical innovation comes a proliferation of new skills.
Failing to keep pace and carve out new niches could see Canadian candidates and applicants become less competitive in the global hiring race.
The solution — to continually learn new skills and try new things — is one that is simple enough to put into practice.
The complex world of immigration is not something any one individual can accurately predict or forecast.
Regardless of what happens to the visa program in the near or long-term future, the best approach is always to continually invest in training and learning new skills.
This is really the only way to make yourself more attractive to prospective employers, both at home and abroad.
Making 2025 the year in which you finally study for that higher degree you know you are more than capable of would be a constructive approach.
You could also set a target for gaining several new professional certifications to get ahead of the curve.
That way you will be able to demonstrate a high level of understanding if and when you apply to move into a position in the US. Think of it as a way to get ahead and stay ahead and you will never look back.
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