Washington: Disenchanted by the restrictive visa policies in the US, the number of Indians getting permanent residency in Canada increased by 105 percent in the first 11 months of 2019 alone, the Virginia-based National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) said in a report.
Reportedly, the NFAP analysis of Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees data in Canada showed that the number of Indians who became permanent residents in Canada increased from 39,340 in 2016 to 80,685 in 2019.
The increase also means that the full year Canadian statistics will likely show more than 85,000 Indians gaining permanent residency in Canada in 2019, according to the report.
Going by the growing trends according to immigration attorneys there will be a further uptick in the number of highly skilled professionals such as doctors, engineers and scientists looking at Canada as their future home, it added.
On what attracts Indians or high skilled professionals to Canada is also the fact that many IT conglomerates are facilitating this easy transition for those stuck in visa backlogs by opening up offices in major cities in Canada.
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"Canada gives smoother immigration transition possibilities along with the same cosmopolitan life as in the big cities across the US which certainly helps," Ravi Bhat, an Indian physician who has been living and working in smaller cities across the US, said.
"Besides, it (Canada) has a world-class education system which is a boon for those who have families on H-4 (dependent) visas here and fear that their kids may age out leaving them to fend for their student visas."
Some Indians wary about racism and gun culture in America also feel relieved to look at Canada.
Bay Area-based Suchita M. says, "I have a daughter who goes to high school next year. I would be lying if I say that the thought of school shootings does not rattle me."
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(With Inputs from IANS)
