I am currently working in the US on student visa. This year I will entering the rat race for H1b visa followed by GC followed by citizenship. This will take at least 10 years and will include applying for something every few years with overhanging anxiety of getting rejected at any stage. I am thinking of moving to Canada where one can at least becoming PR in 2 years and the tech industry has started to gain traction. Although the tech industry won’t be as advanced and well-paying as US and the climate would be colder, do you think it is worth the move? Looking for pros and cons here to weigh the next move.
+1 to moving to Canada. I made a huge mistake by choosing US. I have a good educational background and professional background. It’s been 12 years since I came to us and will take another 20 years for me to get gc.its not worth it in the long term. You cannot plan properly. I assume you are from India
Why? Did you not have any income for the past 12 years? Given that you had a green card, would you be doing something different? What was lacking in your life over the past 12 years purely because of the visa situation?
life is very uncertain on h1b. Last year I went to India for stamping and got stuck there for 6 months. My visa is due for renewal and I’m not sure what will happen. It’s not about money. With h1b you also live in this constant fear of what will happen if I loose my job. Now that I have kids, the situation has become even more difficult. Why plan life here with so much uncertainty.
Are you from India?
Do not move to Canada just because of the visa / GC situation. Those things are always in flux, and I expect an overhaul to the system at some point within the next 10 years. There is nothing to be anxious about the visa / GC application. Remember that if you are a developer, you basically have income security for life, anywhere in the world. So stop fretting over bureaucratic processes over which you have no control.
This is crap. You don’t have income for life. As you get older, your value goes down.
Haha. Ok I will not generalize. Some people do lose value as they get older.
If you're unmarried, apply greedy algorithm for US green card planning. Make money and build credential for as long as you can. At the point of seeking a mate / marriage, go to the country where you can settle permanently for certain.
You could get your employer to set up a satellite office in Canada. Otherwise Canada by itself does not have a very dynamic tech industry.
expect to take a huge cut on your tc
People underestimate the psychological aspect of this.
Its stupid to move to Canada. Would just move back to India anyday if push comes to shove. Great salaries, great life with all kinds of maids, drivers, great social scene, lot better weather anyday, great culture, celebrations and festivals. Private healthcare is pretty awesome too.
And pollution, traffic, horrible outdoor life, high real estate prices for the low salary, etc..Right?
Not necessarily. You can buy your way out of most of those issues. Those of us who chose to stay in the US have our reasons, but not the ones you mentioned 😊
Go to literally any other country on this planet (except UK), and save yourself a few decades of misery.
One thing I realized is with all these visa and GC issues US is still the best option. If you don't get H1 visa before your current visa ends then think about moving to Canada. Else back to india (by GC issue you mentioned I assume you are from India like me). India also has good opportunities and lot of companies paying huge salary. Nothing can beat US tech opportunities and easy technical exposure and new opportunities to and salary easily. So stay in US as long as possible. With extreme weather and expenditures I feel india is better than moving back to Canada if your US plan doesn't workout.
Move to a country which sold all its gold for fiat currency 🤔🤔🤔💱