Number of Indians shifting to Canada has doubled

The shift is due to increased restrictions on immigration by the United States government, the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) said.

The number of Indians migrating to Canada has doubled in the three years to 2019, according to an American think tank.

The shift is due to increased restrictions on immigration by the United States government, the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) said.

Till November 2019, 80,685 Indians had opted for permanent residency in Canada, up 105% from 39,705 people in 2016, according to NFAP’s analysis of data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Canada.

“It is not a coincidence that the number of Indians choosing to study in and immigrate to Canada has increased at the same time (as) it has become more difficult for Indians to work in and immigrate to the United States,” said Stuart Anderson, executive director, NFAP.

The way the data is structured, it is not possible to determine how many Indians have moved directly from India, and how many from the US, the study said.

Since Donald Trump became US President winning elections on an anti-immigration rhetoric, he has tightened rules and imposed restrictions on immigration, including on work visa, affecting technology professionals from India.

Denial rates for H-1B visa, the short-term work permit for hitech talent, has jumped to 24% in the first three quarters of fiscal year 2019, compared to around 6% in FY15, according to data from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

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