Canada Pitches For US H-1B Talent After Prohibitive Fee Hike: What This Means For India's Tech Talent

Last Updated:September 27, 2025, 20:22 IST

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has publicly acknowledged this window of opportunity

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney (IMAGE: Reuters)

Canada is actively positioning itself to attract a significant influx of skilled professionals, particularly from India, following the Donald Trump administration’s shock move to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications in the United States. This prohibitive cost has created a massive opportunity for the Canadian tech and research sectors to reverse the perennial “brain drain" to the United States.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has publicly acknowledged this window of opportunity. Speaking in New York, PM Carney remarked on the US visa policy changes, stating, “Not as many H-1B visa holders will get visas in the US. These people are skilled, and it is an opportunity for Canada. We will have an offering on this soon." He noted that while Canadian universities produce world-class talent, a majority are often lured away by the US, adding, “Maybe we can hang on to one or two of them" under the new scenario.

For Indian tech professionals, who make up over 70% of all H-1B recipients, the US fee hike is a major deterrent, with the cost potentially exceeding the annual salary of many new visa holders. For these skilled workers, many of whom have significant work experience in North America, Canada is a logical alternative. The country offers a similar work culture, is in the same time zone, and provides more predictable pathways to permanent residency, unlike the US visa lottery system.

This isn’t the first time Canada has capitalised on restrictive US visa policies. In 2023, the Canadian government launched a temporary work permit for US-based H-1B holders, and the cap of 10,000 applications was reached in under 48 hours, demonstrating the immense demand.

Business groups in Canada, such as Build Canada, are urging the government to act quickly, proposing a dedicated, fast-tracked work permit for current and potential H-1B holders with high salaries. If Canada quickly unveils a concrete and attractive “offering", as suggested by PM Carney, it will be a huge relief and a clear alternative for thousands of highly skilled Indian professionals left in limbo by the new US restrictions. This strategic move could translate into a substantial “brain gain" for Canada’s growing innovation economy.

News world Canada Pitches For US H-1B Talent After Prohibitive Fee Hike: What This Means For India's Tech Talent

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