Should You Apply for an H-1B Visa or Canada Permanent Residency?

By Travis P July 16, 2018 (Updated July 20, 2020) 3 min. read
Permanent Residency vs H-1B

As America is cracking down on immigrants especially work visas, many are looking towards Canada as an alternative. The H-1B visa in the US is a work permit that allows the visa holder to legally work in the US. No other benefits apart from it being a family visa where you dependents can accompany you in US. Also, to settle in US, one must complete at least 10-15 years of stay converting the same to Green Card (PR) & than finally become a citizen. Many people are looking towards applying for Canadian Permanent Residency instead of staying a H-1B visa holder because of several reasons.

Permanent Residency is the highest visa category for any country & post which applicant can apply for Citizenship. PR visa allows the same benefits as a citizen accept for voting rights. A Permanent resident of Canada receives almost all social and economic benefits that citizens are entitled to, including free health care. Being a permanent resident, just like an H-1B holder, allows your family to live, work and study in any city, state, province or territory.

Why an H-1B Visa is Better Than Canadian PR

Although there are more benefits of having permanent residency in Canada verse having an H-1B visa in the US, there are some downfalls of moving to Canada. Canada isn’t that developed job market as US. There are hardly few cities (Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver) compared to US where the list is huge and opportunities are more. This largely restricts your ability to move around in jobs. Job satisfaction and quality of work isn’t that great compared to the exposure and state of art technology you get in the US. US is always better than Canada when it comes to professional growth.

Why Canadian PR is Better Than an H-1B Visa

If you are in the United States on an H-1B visa you’re lifeline in the US is your job. If you lose your job then you and your family could be thrown out of the country. Having Canada PR gives people a peace of mind because they don’t have to worry about deportation if they’re out of a job.

It is also much easier to gain citizenship in Canada than it is in the United States. Permanent residents can apply for citizenship after three years of stay in Canada. For H-1B holders it can take years to get citizenship. First, there will be a long wait for a green card, and then a longer wait for US citizenship.

Canada is perhaps the most welcoming to the immigrants right now. There are various programs run by government and other private organizations like banks and financial services companies for newcomers and help them settling in.

Permanent residents can travel anywhere, anytime as long as the 6 month requirement is met. Those in the US with an H-1B visa sometimes run into issues when they travel outside of the US.

Are You Interested in an H-1B or Canada PR?

If so, Contact VisaPlace today. All our cases are handled by competent and experienced immigration professionals who are affiliated with VisaPlace. These professionals consist of lawyers, licensed paralegals and consultants who work for Niren and Associates an award winning immigration firm that adheres to the highest standards of client service.

Ready for the next step? Book your 1 on 1 consultation now or call us at 1-877-296-0874.

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