By admin (May 21, 2024)
United States or Canada: Which Country is Better to Migrate?
United States or Canada: Which Country is Better to Migrate? People who are aspired to settle abroad for a better life wonder about this sometimes.
The United States is an extremely popular destination for newcomers to study, work, live, or settle permanently and has been seen as a land of opportunities for many decades. Currently, 45 million foreign-born people live in the US. 14% of the US population is comprised of these foreign people.
In 2021, with more than 8.3 million foreign-born people living in Canada, it also became an extremely popular immigration destination, making up almost a quarter (23%) of the population.
Immigration Policy in the United States
Over 1,100,000 lawful permanent residents (LPRs) were admitted to the US in 2016. However, there was a decline in the number of LPRs in recent years to just over 700,000 in 2020 and 740,000 in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, processing delays, and government policies.
Three times more immigrants per capita are welcomed by Canada in comparison to the United States in relative terms. US immigration policy is governed by the body of law known as the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The US can grant up to 675,000 permanent immigration visas each year across the various visa categories as permitted by INA.
On the top of those 675,000, there is no limit set by INA on the annual admission of US citizens’ parents, spouses, and children under the age of 21. Through the US Refugee Admissions Program, a certain number of refugees get admitted to the country each year.
If anybody with valuable skills wants to immigrate to the US, the country provides various ways to settle in on a permanent or temporary basis. For temporary non-immigrant workers, there are more than 20 types of visas. The US limits this number to 140,000 immigrants per year regarding permanent employment-based programs.
If the immediate relatives of US citizens meet the eligibility criteria, an unlimited number of visas are available every year. However, under the family preference system, a limited number of visas are available every year. It generally encompasses brothers and sisters of US citizens, adult children, spouses, and unmarried children of permanent residents.
India, Mexico, Philippines, China, Dominic Republic, and Cuba are some of the most common countries from where US permanent resident immigrants originate.
Immigration Policy in Canada
How many immigrants will be welcomed into the country will be outlined by Immigration Levels Plan which is released by Canada every year. Breakdown of immigrants in family, humanitarian, and economic class programs is included in it over the next three years.
Immigration targets are announced to be increased by Canada in its Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025. It plans to welcome 460,000 foreign nationals in 2023, 485,000 foreign nationals in 2024, and 500,000 foreign nationals in 2025.
The plan focuses to attract foreign nationals to address labour shortages, recognizing the importance of family reunification, and helping vulnerable populations from around the world through resettlement efforts.
More than 437,000 immigrants were welcomed by IRCC to Canada in 2022. Under the new economic pathways such as Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP), 56% of the new immigrants arrived while 24% of the people arrived under family class immigrants.
India, China, Afghanistan, Nigeria, the Philippines, and France are the most common countries from where Canadian permanent resident immigrants originate. Now you can decide for yourself, the United States or Canada: Which country is better to migrate.
How to Get Permanent Residence in the United States
Foreign nationals who are authorized to live permanently in the US are known as Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs). They may have their own property, receive offers for employment, receive financial assistance, and join the armed forces.
In the US, there are several ways to obtain permanent residency as mentioned below:
- Employer-Sponsored Green Card Application – It is based on a specific, permanent full-time job offer. There are five preference categories which are abbreviated as EB-1, EB2, etc.
- A Self-Sponsored Employment-based Green Card Application – You do not need a job offer to apply through this. Usually, this is filed under the EB-1 Extraordinary Ability (EB-1A) or EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW).
- Sponsorship by a US Citizen or permanent resident who is a close relative.
- Marriage to a US Citizen
- The US Department of State Diversity Lottery Program
How to Get Permanent Residence in Canada
Settling in Canada has so many benefits. A Canadian permanent resident has the right to live, work or study in the country. They have access to certain social benefits just like the Citizens of Canada like free healthcare. They have the ability to apply for Canadian citizenship.
To qualify for permanent residency, there are a lot of ways. The most prominent ways through which skilled workers come to Canada are:
- Provincial Nominee Programs
- Express Entry
- Sponsorship
The main application management system used by the Canadian government to provide permanent residence is Express Entry. Skilled workers who apply through Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) move to the federal Express Entry pool where they are ranked according to their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. Invitations to Apply (ITAs) are issued by the government of Canada to candidates who score high in the pool.
Almost every province operate Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) except for Quebec and Nunavut. Provinces and territories are allowed by the PNP to nominate individuals who wish to immigrate to Canada. It is beneficial for individuals who are interested in settling in a particular province.
Canadian citizens and permanent residents also have an opportunity to bring their family members to the country due to some immigration programs offered by Canada. For family sponsorship, spouses, children, and grandchildren of a permanent resident or citizen are also eligible. Now that you have an idea about the immigration landscape of both countries, decide for yourself, the United States or Canada: Which Country is Better to Migrate?Canada Immigration News will bring you more comparisons like this, so that you can judge by yourself, which country you want to immigrate to.