Washington’s decision to suspend immigrant-visa processing for applicants from 75 countries beginning 21 January could redirect thousands of skilled workers north, Canadian recruiters say. The State Department cited “public-charge” concerns; critics call the move a de-facto ban affecting roughly 315,000 annual immigrants. (reuters.com)
While the order targets U.S. permanent visas—not temporary H-1Bs—analysts expect knock-on effects as affected candidates seek alternative destinations. “We’re already fielding inquiries from Brazilian and Nigerian engineers whose U.S. green-card plans just evaporated,” said the head of talent strategy at Toronto-based fintech GlacierPay.
Canada’s Global Skills Strategy offers two-week work-permit processing for most suspended-country nationals, provided they hold job offers in designated occupations. Employers that operate on both sides of the border—particularly in tech, healthcare and energy—are accelerating Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) submissions to capture displaced talent.
![U.S. Halts Immigrant Visas for 75 Countries—Canadian Firms Eye Talent Windfall]()
For companies rapidly shifting recruitment efforts north, VisaHQ’s online platform can streamline the process. Through its Canada-focused portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/), the service walks employers and individual professionals through work-permit filings, eTAs and biometrics scheduling, flagging potential documentation gaps before they cause costly delays.
Immigration lawyers caution that Ottawa still applies strict admissibility rules, and candidates from visa-required countries will need upfront security screening. Nonetheless, the contrast between U.S. restriction and Canada’s skills-first approach could strengthen Canada’s pitch as the “North American alternative” for global professionals.
Mobility managers should liaise with U.S. HR counterparts to identify employees at risk and assess whether intra-company transfers to Canadian entities make strategic sense before demand spikes.
While the order targets U.S. permanent visas—not temporary H-1Bs—analysts expect knock-on effects as affected candidates seek alternative destinations. “We’re already fielding inquiries from Brazilian and Nigerian engineers whose U.S. green-card plans just evaporated,” said the head of talent strategy at Toronto-based fintech GlacierPay.
Canada’s Global Skills Strategy offers two-week work-permit processing for most suspended-country nationals, provided they hold job offers in designated occupations. Employers that operate on both sides of the border—particularly in tech, healthcare and energy—are accelerating Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) submissions to capture displaced talent.
For companies rapidly shifting recruitment efforts north, VisaHQ’s online platform can streamline the process. Through its Canada-focused portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/), the service walks employers and individual professionals through work-permit filings, eTAs and biometrics scheduling, flagging potential documentation gaps before they cause costly delays.
Immigration lawyers caution that Ottawa still applies strict admissibility rules, and candidates from visa-required countries will need upfront security screening. Nonetheless, the contrast between U.S. restriction and Canada’s skills-first approach could strengthen Canada’s pitch as the “North American alternative” for global professionals.
Mobility managers should liaise with U.S. HR counterparts to identify employees at risk and assess whether intra-company transfers to Canadian entities make strategic sense before demand spikes.
