Indians are emigrating to Canada in record numbers

The number of Indians emigrating to Canada has more than quadrupled since 2013. A new report shows that many Indian students have decided to attend Canadian universities instead of American universities because Canadian immigration policies are better at attracting and retaining talent. The data shows that Canadian policies have translated into the immigration of more Indians to Canada.

Diplomatic issues between India and Canada that have affected visa processing and a Canadian two-year cap on international student permits will reduce the number of Indians getting student visas to attend Canadian universities in the short term. Absent changes in U.S. immigration policy, these developments may not impact Indians’ choices in the long run.

Canada’s winning policies

“Highly educated foreigners, including international students, have chosen Canada over America because it is difficult to obtain H-1B status or permanent residence in the United States, and easy to work in temporary status and permanent residence in Canada to acquire,” according to an analysis by the National Foundation for American Policy. “More favorable immigration policies are an important factor in Canada attracting international students, especially students from India.”

The NFAP analysis shows that Canada has no annual cap on temporary high-skilled visas. Most Canadian visas for highly skilled foreigners are processed within two weeks. In the United States, obtaining temporary H-1B status after graduating from college has become more difficult, reaching the annual H-1B limit for more than twenty consecutive fiscal years.

Problems for highly skilled aliens persist after obtaining H-1B status. A professional from India could wait decades for permanent residency due to the per-country cap and low annual limit for employment-based green cards. According to an NFAP analysis, more than 1.2 million Indians, including dependents, are waiting in the first, second and third employment-based green card categories.

In Canada the story is very different. Some provinces have programs with numerical limits that allow individuals with a master’s or Ph.D. from Canadian universities to obtain permanent residency even without work experience, said Peter Rekai, a lawyer at Rekai LLP in Toronto. Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) blocked the inclusion of an exemption from green card limits for many international science and technology graduate students during negotiations for the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.

“In Canada, we have a program for graduating international students that is similar to, but more generous than, the U.S. Optional Practical Training category,” Rekai said. He notes that a student who works in a highly skilled position for a year or more, while working on a three-year postgraduate work permit, will likely obtain the necessary points under Canada’s Express Entry system to obtain permanent residency.

In July 2023, Canada’s program to attract H-1B visa holders to the country attracted so many applications that it reached the 10,000 limit in less than 48 hours.

Indian immigration to Canada

“Between 2013 and 2023, the number of Indians who immigrated to Canada increased from 32,828 to 139,715, an increase of 326%,” the NFAP analysis said.

Indian enrollments in Canadian universities have increased by more than 5,800% over the past two decades, from 2,181 in 2000 to 128,928 in 2021, an increase of 126,747 students.

Between 2016 and 2019, the number of Indian international students enrolled in US universities fell by 13%, but in Canadian universities by 182%. Diplomatic issues between India and Canada may delay the approval of Indian visas, but this is unlikely to change Indian students’ interest in Canadian universities.

Canada attracts international students

According to the NFAP analysis, the number of international students at Canadian universities increased from 62,223 in 2000 to 400,521 in 2021, an increase of 544%. The number of international students in America increased by 45% between 2000 and 2021.

The Trump administration made it more difficult to obtain H-1B status and indicated that this could limit or eliminate optional hands-on training for students. Analysts say this policy has likely deterred many international students.

Between 2016 and 2019, the number of international students at American universities fell by almost 6%, but at Canadian universities by almost 52%.

Although Canada recently placed a two-year limit on new international student permits, the government has allowed students with a master’s degree and a Ph.D. programs. The Canadian government will extend the validity of many postgraduate work permits for graduate school programs.

International student enrollment in US schools, including among Indians, has regained ground in the 2022-2023 academic year. Some of the gain could be due to the end of the Covid-19 pandemic (i.e. students not enrolled in 2020 or 2021). Indian student enrollment in 2021-2022 was similar to that in 2016-2017, but soared in 2022-2023 at US universities. The end of the Trump administration’s policies may also have contributed to increased international student enrollment. However, more years of data may be needed to get a full picture.

American educators and employers should keep in mind that Chinese students are not coming to the United States as in the past. The NFAP analysis found: “The levels of Chinese international students in U.S. graduate-level engineering programs were flat between fall 2016 and fall 2019 and, unlike Indians, declined in 2022.” Chinese graduate students in computer science declined between 2019 and 2022.

“U.S. immigration laws remain less attractive than Canada’s for international students looking to work after graduation,” the NFAP analysis concludes. “That has influenced the choices of international students. The gap between the United States and other countries in attracting international students could widen if U.S. immigration policies become more restrictive.”