FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Oct 21

2024 Predictions For Key Canadian Political And Economic Issues

by bcurry

Predicting the eventual outcome of political and economic matters in any year is pretty difficult, and 2024 has been just as unpredictable in various ways.  Relations with Canada’s biggest trade partner and political ally are about to change as a result of the U.S. elections next month.  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has stated that a second Trump presidency would be difficult for the Canadian government, as there are many issues on which he and former president disagree.  However, who would have guessed earlier in the year that President Biden would be forced to drop out of the presidential race in favour of his Vice President, Kamala Harris.  Should the outcome result in a Harris administration, things could certainly be different and hopefully perhaps less antagonistic. 

What is most troubling for the Trudeau minority government is the current state of the economy, particularly as it relates to high inflation.  While inflation has come down from a year ago, Canadians are still faced with continuing high costs associated with housing, food and fuels.  In addition, his government has lost the previous mandated support of the New Democratic Party which assured him of being able to withstand any non-confidence motions in Parliament and the need to call an early election.  However, both the Liberals and NDP cannot afford to have an earlier election at this time, particularly since the opposition Conservatives continue to hold a twenty point lead in the polls.  The Conservatives, knowing that general public opinion is unfavourable to Trudeau, would be more than happy to have a federal election sooner than later due to their expectation to form the next government.  In addition, Trudeau has recently seen several Cabinet ministers resign and will not run in the next election, as well as a revolt in the Liberal caucus seeking to replace him as party leader.  Among Canadians in general, he now faces the lowest approval ratings ever.

While the Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre could become Canada’s next Prime Minister, he isn’t personally liked by most Canadians.  Some have compared him to Donald Trump, but this is somewhat an over exaggeration.  However, he does represent an increase in the presence in Canada of right-wing politics, similar to what has divided Americans politically — nothing out of the ordinary here.  What was hard to predict was the rapid decline in support for Trudeau and the increasing massive support for the Conservatives, whose platform remains much as it was a year ago — alluding to the high cost of living, crime rates and the carbon tax. 

The province of Quebec has itself moved away from past strong support for the federal Liberals and more toward dealing with its own political and economic issues surrounding greater protection of the French language, its lagging fertility rate, immigration targets and financial support for asylum seekers, many from the U.S.   Quebec Premier François Legault’s aggressive francophone-first policy has been controversial in Quebec, where business owners say the new requirements will add more barriers to hiring.  The current and future position of Quebec voters is difficult to predict.

The rapid growth of ultra-conservative movements in Canada, similar to those in the U.S., has surprised many political experts.  There is no doubt that the economic difficulties experienced by lower-income Canadians has certainly contributed to this outcome, especially as it pertains to the influx of immigrants and their impact on housing costs and social services.  Critics predicted, and rightly so, that Canada doesn’t have the housing, public resources or resettlement services to absorb the projected half a million newcomers in such a short period of time.  The war in the Middle East has also exacerbated the growing level of hate-related incidents against ethnic groups in the country.

What makes predictions next year for Canada even harder will depend on the outcome of the U.S.
elections, and the eventual policy changes that the new American administration will introduce.  One thing is clear is the importance of a more vibrant economy to both countries, despite the fact that inflationary trends appear to be on the decline.  Both countries will shortly have new administrations in power for 2025.

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Apr 19

What Does the Acronym “DINC” Stand For, And Why Has It Resurfaced Today?

by bcurry

During the early eighties, young people who were economically struggling were putting off marriages, children and buying homes.  They represented what became known as the DINC generation, that is to say “dual income no children”.  More recently, the acronym was expanded to DINCWAG, or “dual income no children with a dog”.  The acronym has again surfaced today.

Today’s younger generation, be they millennials or Generation Z, are facing tough economic times as a result of COVID and the current inflationary situation, where high interest rates and soaring housing prices have excluded many from the market.  In addition, rents in major urban centers are at an all time high and new residential construction was greatly impacted by COVID and problems with supply management.  Even in the high-tech industries, more and more layoffs are occurring.

Since the boomer period following the Second World War, birth rates in North American have been slowly declining.  Few people are having three or more children anymore and, with more women participating in the labour market and having professional careers, women are delaying having children into their thirties and even forties.  However, despite new fertility techniques, women are often restricted to having only one child as they become biologically older.  As well, a growing number of people are deciding not to have children, citing concerns such as climate change and inequality.  One suspects from recent studies that this situation will most likely become the norm in our society.

Even Elon Musk has entered into the debate by proclaiming that ‘civilization is going to crumble’ if people don’t have more children.  Musk further added that too many “good, smart people” think there are too many people in the world and that the population is growing out of control.  What does Musk mean by ‘civilization’?  Within his assertions lies an underlying perspective that what the industrialized countries need are more people born to so-called “smart people”.  This gets a little to too close to Adolf Hitler’s obsession with ‘racial purity’ and use of the word ‘Aryan’ to describe his idea of a ‘pure German race’ whereby the ‘Aryan race’ had a duty to control the world.  There are far right extremist white groups in North America who believe that current immigration levels from so-called ‘third world’ countries are diluting the population.  They are thereby loosing their traditional white privilege status, and feel threatened.  Such groups push for white women to have more children, thereby maintaining political and economic control within the society.  Don’t even talk about interracial marriage with these folks!

Let’s get real!  The so-called DINC phenomenon has more to do with the economic realities of our times.  It’s tough to have children in an age when the costs associated with raising children in our society are much greater than in the past.  Child care is not cheap and often women or men do not have access to adequate and affordable parental leave after the birth of a child.  The higher costs of higher education alone can be a major consideration, given that most parents want their children to graduate with a degree and go on to more lucrative employment.

With the current labour shortages in several sectors, the U.S. and Canada cannot afford to not use immigration as the primary means to fill jobs with skilled labour.  These jobs include everything from agricultural workers, construction workers, truckers to workers in the services sector.  Let’s face it, the DINC phenomenon is real and one sees it in communities on a daily basis.  The phenomenon has been gradually growing and was expedited by the COVID pandemic, which in itself has had an enormous impact on the world of work in North America.  New technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), are having a major impact and are creating a good degree of uncertainty among the younger generation.  Uncertainty is the key word.  Dealing with it will continue to be a difficult challenge for young couples today and into the near future.  Perhaps Elon Musk might want to come down from his pedestal and recognize the realities of the age in which we live.

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Jan 18

How Immigration Must Play More Significant Role When It Comes To Future Labour Force

by bcurry

Recently, reports are coming out of China that since the Communist Party took power, China’s population has started to level off.  Soon, India will surpass China in terms of population and population growth.  Much of the Chinese population decline was of course due to deliberate policies by governments, including the previous one-child policy, aimed at lowering its overall population growth.  However, such policies, while effective, have led to major concerns over future labour shortages due to low birth rates and an aging population.  It is reported that by 2035, 400 million people in China are expected to be over 60, accounting for nearly a third of its population.  Whether or not the government can provide widespread access to elder care, medical services and a stable stream of income later in life will also affect a long-held assumption that the Communist Party can provide a better life for its people.  In the case of China, few believe that its restrictive immigration policies will help out in the short-term.

What do these predictions have to do with the North American scene?  The fact of the matter is that both Canada and the U.S. are also facing issues surrounding aging populations, lower fertility rates and their subsequent impact on the labour market and social safety nets.  Simply put, in order to maintain a population via the annual birth rate, one needs to have at least two children born to each couple.  This is referred to as the replacement rate.  In 2020, Canada’s total fertility rate hit a record low.  In addition, in Canada more than nine million baby boomers are set to retire over the next decade, creating a potential labour shortage that, if unchecked, could raise health-care costs, upend pension payments and halt the country’s economic growth.  The current population of Canada is estimated at less than 40 million.  As the population ages, the median age had climbed steadily from 26.2 in 1971 to 41.1 in 2021, a trend observed in many advanced economies including the U.S.

This is why both Canada and the U.S. will continue to rely on immigrants to augment future labour forces.  Restricting immigration for political reasons, such as occurred under President Trump’s administration, will backfire when it comes to the rate of population growth.  Until recently, natural change — births minus deaths — had always been the primary driver of growth in Canada and the U.S.  However, even before the pandemic hit, these aging nations were already experiencing a decline in fertility and increase in deaths.  This is partly why Canada welcomed over 405,000 newcomers in 2021 – the most ever welcomed in a single year. The Federal Government is continuing its ambitious immigration policy by setting targets in the new levels plan of 465,000 permanent residents in 2023, 485,000 in 2024 and 500,000 in 2025. 

However, there is one exception in Canada when it comes to increasing immigration.  According to recent data, the province of Quebec is taking a dwindling share of immigrants to Canada.  Under an agreement between the federal government and Quebec, Quebec controls the number of economic immigrants it takes each year.  In 2022, Quebec brought in roughly 15.7 percent of permanent immigrants to Canada, despite the province representing nearly 23 percent of Canada’s population.  Quebec’s current immigration policy is primarily based on its desire to have immigrants who are capable of living and working in French, Quebec’s official language.  The province’s Immigration Minister, Christine Fréchette, has stated that Quebec has to limit immigration to French speakers to protect the French language.  The minister further made it clear that the province won’t be boosting levels anytime soon.  However, strong opposition to this policy has surfaced within certain key sectors within Quebec, notably within business sectors which already are dealing with labour shortages.  For example, the Quebec Manufacturers and Exporters association said the province desperately needs these newcomers because there are labour shortages everywhere.  The association estimates that some $7 billion (Canadian) in manufacturing output that could have taken place last year was sidelined due to current labour shortages.

As in the case of China, the Quebec provincial government has implemented several schemes to encourage Quebecers to have more children, however with little notable success.  In both cases, government handouts like cash for babies and tax cuts, have failed to change the underlying fact that many young people simply do not want children.  Fertility rates continue to fall as incomes rise and education levels increase, and more women are participating in the labour force.  Other factors have contributed to the reluctance to have more children; including the burden that many younger adults face in taking care of aging parents and grandparents, the high costs of raising and educating children, and the increase in the number of working couples in order to make ends meet.  For these reasons, countries have fewer options other than increasing immigration to offset their aging populations and maintain their standards of living.

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Nov 30

Where Do Provincial Powers Begin and End in Canada?

by bcurry

To better understand the split between provincial and federal powers, given by Canada’s written constitution, one has to understand a little bit of the history.  When Canada became an independent country from Great Britain, the federal government was given a good deal of governance responsibilities.  Canada was formed as a confederation comprised of ten provinces and several territories.  However, the provinces eventually garnered a fair amount of responsibility for certain matters which were not national in scope.  Federally, the government deals primarily with inter-provincial areas such as transportation, banking, and inter-provincial commerce, as well as such international areas dealing with foreign policy, trade, defence and immigration.  So far so good.  However, during World War II, the federal government took control of areas of taxation in order to make war related payments.  These revenue areas were not returned to the provinces after the war. For this reason, the provinces have complained about their heavy reliance on access to federal funding for areas of primary provincial responsibility such as health, education and housing.  In addition, as the years passed, new areas surfaced of great importance such as telecommunications and nuclear energy, something that the federal government determined was in their jurisdiction as part of its constitutional responsibility for the peace, order and good government of Canada.  Over the course of the 20th century, legal interpretations of peace, order and good government more clearly defined the limits of federal authority over the provinces.  Often disputes over who’s responsible for what and to what extent end up in litigation by provinces and the federal government.  Like the old constitution of 1867, the new one of 1982 will remain vague in many areas until time and circumstance permit its interpretation by the courts.

All in all, the provinces continue to have substantial jurisdiction for areas such as education, health and urban affairs.  One area of contention has been the federal introduction of “equalization payments” to the provinces to help ensure that provincial governments across Canada can provide adequate services.  It was expected that the richer provinces would help to subsidize certain areas in the so-called poorer provinces.  For example, Alberta has its oil and gas industry which brings in large revenues to its coffers.  The federal government gets its share of taxes from Alberta’s energy sector and passes most along to the Maritime and other provinces to help provide some of the services that Canadians have come to rely on.  Quebec has also benefited greatly from the equalization arrangement, while Ontario has not.

Now, the current Alberta government is complaining about federal policies and laws that they feel intrude upon their provincial responsibilities or which Albertans are not in agreement with, such as gun control measures and environmental taxes on oil and gas sectors to name a few.  Recently proposed legislation introduced in Alberta would allow its cabinet to direct “provincial entities” — Crown-controlled organizations, municipalities, school boards, post-secondary schools, municipal police forces, regional health authorities and any social agency receiving provincial money — to not use provincial resources to enforce federal rules deemed harmful to Alberta’s interests.  This is a very disturbing development, suggesting even greater polarization between a province and the federal government.  Fortunately, the Alberta government has not gone as far as — like Quebec in the past — to suggest a potential separation from Canada’s confederation.

However, Alberta’s stance appears to be somewhat similar to Quebec’s political moves in the sixties, seventies and eighties where provincial parties promoting Quebec’s independence from Canada had emerged.  Failing to obtain a majority in two referendums on independence, the Quebec movement slowly disappeared over the last decade.  Instead, Quebec has attempted to secure more provincial control over former federal jurisdiction, such in such areas as immigration and public pensions plans.  Indeed, Quebec recently passed several contentious laws dealing with French language rights and secularism in its public sector.  The courts have already begun to examine appeals to such legislation based on possible violations under human and rights laws.

What all this amounts to is the power to govern.  The federal government has to play a fine line between what powers can be shared and what policies best serve all Canadians equally.  There is little doubt that provincial premiers will continue to gang up on the Prime Minister, particularly when to do so is in their interests.  The PM on the other hand has the difficult and delicate task of maintaining a strong national presence in governance in support of the peace, order and good government of Canada.

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Sep 16

Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis – Treating People Like Garbage

by bcurry

It’s an old phenomenon, municipalities with full landfills end up transporting their garbage — although always under contract — to other jurisdictions.  Such was the case years ago when Toronto decided to truck its garbage all the way to Michigan state.  After all, locally no one wanted a landfill in their backyard.  In very recent years, there have been examples of provinces or states doing the same thing, but this time with human beings.

In Canada, this happened when former Alberta premier Ralph Klein cut welfare rates in the 1990s and offered one-way bus tickets to welfare recipients to travel to sunny British Columbia (B.C.).  A similar incident occurred in 2016 in Saskatchewan when two young homeless First Nations men were each given one-way bus tickets by Social Services from North Battleford, Saskatchewan, to Vancouver and Victoria, B.C.  Needless-to-say, the B.C. provincial and municipal governments were not too happy about any other jurisdictions’ policies to simply dump people when their own support services were already under severe stress.

Now we have Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, whose administration flew, on Florida taxpayers dime, two planes of Venezuelan migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.  Apparently, they were not flown out of Florida but the flights actually originated in Texas.  Massachusetts of course is currently a Democratic-run state.  DeSantis said that Florida — not a sanctuary state — was sending migrants to Democrat-led states in response to their previous “virtue signaling” by declaring themselves sanctuary jurisdictions during former President Donald Trump’s years in office.  Around the same time, roughly 100 migrants aboard two buses sent by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, were dropped off in Washington, D.C. 

However, what about the impact on those migrants?  No one expected to land in Martha’s Vineyard, having reportedly been told they were going to Boston.  There is even some suggestion that, if the migrants were lured on to the plane under false pretences then it could have been illegal to do so.  Imagine, landing on a small offshore island with a population of about 20,000 people, an island accessible only by air and sea.  Obviously, the local authorities had few resources to care for these migrants.  As a result, Massachusetts authorities had to move the migrants voluntarily from Martha’s Vineyard to a military base in Cape Cod so they could find shelter and chart their next steps.  President Joe Biden responded, and rightly so, that the administration has a process in place to accommodate migrants at the border and Republicans shouldn’t interfere with such obvious “political stunts.”  The President further stated that “Republicans are playing politics with human beings, using them as props. What they’re doing is simply wrong.”

As in Canada, any influx of migrants is covered under federal laws and the federal jurisdiction should be responsible for enforcing those laws.  Canadian federal authorities are expected to coordinate settlement programs with the provinces, often funded by the federal government, that are designed to accommodate the arrival of and application by migrants or refugees as part of the process used to facilitate their landed status.  This process was used to deal with a significant number of migrants who entered Canada from the U.S. during the Trump administration, fearing their deportation in the U.S. back to their countries of origin at the time.

But what of the extreme confusion, disorientation and trepidation that such migrants must feel when they are suddenly transported to other jurisdictions without due process under the law or a clear awareness of the circumstances.  In the case of those Venezuelan migrants who had endured harsh and dangerous conditions to arrive in the U.S., one can only imagine how the Congressional Hispanic Caucus reacted.  Just as past inappropriate interjurisdictional policies were condemned in Canada, so must Americans condemn these inhumane policies which leave localities scrambling to secure resources in support of the normal needs of human beings.  I must say that I’m not surprised that Governors Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott stooped so low as to implement such inhumane policies in order to gain some sort of political brownie points.  After all, we’re not dealing with garbage here!

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Sep 9

Forecasts For Canada’s Population Growth By 2041 Reveal Interesting Trends

by bcurry

Today, Statistics Canada’s Centre for Demography released a new set of detailed demographic projections to 2041 on immigration and ethnocultural diversity for Canada and its regions.  The release notes that these new projections reflect the targets of the 2022–2024 Immigration Levels Plan released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada in February 2022, as well as the most recent demographic developments, including those related to the COVID-19 pandemic.  What’s really of interest is the projected composition of Canada’s population and where the majority of people will be living.

The projections note that by 2041 Canada’s population will reach 47.7 million, up from 14.4 million in 2016.  More importantly, about 25 million of the future population will be immigrants or the children of immigrants born in Canada, accounting for 52.4% of the total population.  This compares to 40.0% of the total Canadian population in 2016.  The Canadian population in 2041 is projected to include 9.9 million to 13.9 million people born in Asia or Africa, depending on the projection scenario.  In 2041, about 2 in 5 Canadians will be part of a racialized group.  The concept of “racialized” population is derived directly from the “visible minority group” variable and therefore refers to the persons belonging to a visible minority group.  In terms of location in 2041, the vast majority of the immigrant population would continue to live one of Canada’s 36 census metropolitan areas (CMA), with Toronto, Montréal, and Vancouver remaining the three primary areas of residence of immigrants.

Needless-to-say, all of these projections have massive implications for socioeconomic policies among the three levels of government: federal, provincial and municipal.  Canada today is recognized as multicultural society, increasingly having to apply a host of policies in the next two decades to deal with ethnocentricity, diversity, education, systemic racism, immigration, employment, etc., etc., to name a few.  Different regions and localities will incur diverse impacts, especially when it comes to resettlement and labour markets.  It can be expected that many of the racialized population will represent skilled labour and entrepreneurial capabilities.  One can expect that there will be a good deal of competition among localities and provinces to attract and accommodate skilled immigrants and entrepreneurs.  In addition, we anticipate that our aging population, those 65 and older, will continue to grow, which obviously will have a significant impact on health care resources.  A good proportion of the racialized population within the total population is expected to be younger than the population as a whole.  Future growth in the Canadian economy will greatly depend on this youth segment of the population, and governments will have to facilitate the addition of foreign labour to the labour market through efficient and effective settlement policies.

In general, both Canadian and American experts have long predicted future increased multicultural elements in both societies.  What the Statistics Canada report highlights is the fact that the projected trends, especially for the racialized population, will greatly increase and accelerate in the next couple of decades at a faster rate than previously forecast.  In order for both countries to benefit fully from these trends, governments must first recognize the projected population changes and their future impacts.  Like everything else, there will be those in society who will oppose such trends, which, unless many things change, appear to be inevitable.  The fact is that if we accept these projections, than we must begin now to develop and adjust many of our socioeconomic policies.  Not to do so would be somewhat catastrophic and regressive!

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Apr 1

Current Restrictions on Americans Entering Canada Tough to Take

by bcurry

Canada and the U.S. have the longest land border in the world, one which is normally open for Canadians and Americans to easily cross.  This all changed with the advent of COVID-19 last spring.  Except for essential trade items, land border restrictions for travel between Canada and the U.S. came into effect a year ago and remain in effect through April 21, 2021.  Given the current increase in coronavirus cases in both countries, the restrictions most likely will be extended.  Needless-to-say, this has had a horrific impact on tourism in both countries.

On the other hand, air travel between both countries does allow for the entry of Americans and Canadians into Canada and vice versa but with numerous restrictions.  All airline passengers aged two years and older must provide a negative COVID-19 viral test taken within three calendar days of travel.  Travelers entering Canada must present a credible 14-day quarantine plan.  Failure to provide a negative COVID-19 viral test will require airline passengers to take a COVID-19 molecular test upon their arrival in Canada.  Passengers then must stay in an approved hotel for three nights awaiting the results of the viral test.  Those who test positive are required to finish their 14-day quarantine in a Canadian government-designated facility.  All of this at the cost of the travelers, which can add up to thousands of dollars.

Failure to comply with the current Canadian border restrictions is a serious matter.  Compliance failure is considered an offence under the Quarantine Act and could lead to up to $750,000 in fines, and/or imprisonment of up to 6 months.  Something not to be sneezed at!  One can see that, unless someone is involved in essential work and is required to travel, most average Americans will avoid travelling to Canada by air or by land.  Indeed, except for essential workers such as truckers hauling goods across the border, most Americans are being turned away at the border crossings.  This is particularly tough on families where family members are located in both countries.  Allowing for entry because of humanitarian reasons is determined based on each individual case and can take time to adjudicate.  Good luck!

Fortunately, in their usual spirit of cooperation both countries have agreed to each other’s restrictions.  However, this does not make it any easier and numerous complaints have surfaced about the handling of situations involving both Canadians and Americans.  In the meantime, until this pandemic is truly under control, one can only predict that such restrictions will remain in effect for travel between the two countries in the coming months.  Both governments simply prefer that we don’t travel — period.

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Feb 4

Trump’s Latest Visa Restrictions Will Have A Negative Impact On Canadian Immigration

by bcurry

Well, here we go again! The Trump administration has just introduced restrictions on immigration to include six more countries, including Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation. You may remember that President Trump first introduced a travel ban in 2017, closing U.S. borders to citizens from seven countries, most of them with Muslim majorities. He is now targeting Nigeria, Sudan and Eritrea, already among the largest sources of refugee claims lodged by people crossing irregularly into Canada from the U.S.  The 2017 decision also signalled the end of the American program giving Haitians a reprieve from deportation.  That move prompted thousands of Haitians to seek asylum in Canada, with sometimes hundreds crossing at unmarked border points in a single day.

According to the most recent data available from Canadian authorities, Nigeria is currently the largest source country for border crossers, making up 14,621 of the 50,635 claims lodged between February 2017 and September 2019. The bizarre thing is that many of those crossing irregularly from the States are applying for refugee status in Canada, often as a result of lapsing temporary visas in the U.S.  There is little doubt that the latest visa restrictions are part of Trump’s attempt to do his level best to ensure that more refugees stay out of the U.S.  However, the policy has prompted thousands from these countries to seek asylum in Canada. Imagine, seeking asylum from government policies in the U.S.

Unfortunately, Canada shares one of the world’s longest borders with another country. The situation in the U.S. means that Canada has to devote more resources to policing its borders. In addition, the onus is now on Canada to physically accommodate and financially assist the thousands of new asylum seekers while their request for refugee status is reviewed and adjudicated by the Immigration and Refugee Board. Needless-to-say, the process is costly and time consuming, sometimes lasting months and even years.  For example, in 2017 according to the Immigration and Refugee Board, over 8,000 Haitians sought asylum in Canada. In 2018, that number was only about 1,500.

Homeland Security argues that the past and new restrictive visa measures were the result of failures by countries to meet U.S. security and information-sharing standards. Perhaps, what the Americans should be doing is to discuss with those countries ways and means to meeting such requirements.  Instead, the U.S. appears quite content to carry out exclusive policies when it comes to immigration and travel, most often targeting countries that they simply don’t like for one reason or another. Meanwhile, Canada, with its laws and its Refugee and Humanitarian Resettlement Program for refugees seeking protection from outside of Canada, has to deal with the overflow of desperate individuals and families fleeing the Trump Administration’s inhumane and extremist policies. Go figure!

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Jan 11

Trump’s Crack Down on Immigration has Foreign Tech Talent Looking to Canada

by bcurry

Back in February 2017, I published a blog entitled President Trump, Please Keep Your Immigration Ban On in which I noted that a Canadian study in 2016 concluded that there would be as many as 182,000 high-paying technology jobs up for grabs in Canada by 2019. Well, 2019 is here and Canada is still looking for more high tech talent. At that time, a research report by Goldman Sachs estimated that 900,000 to a million H-1B visa holders (highly skilled foreign workers) resided in the U.S., accounting for up to 13 percent of American technology jobs. However, today many of those same workers are concerned about President Trump’s vow to crack down on the H-1B visa program, which allows 85,000 foreigners per year to work in “specialty occupations” in the States. Reports indicate that the number of inquiries about Canada from nervous H-1B holders has skyrocketed since 2017. American companies have declared that the inconsistent immigration policies are unfair and discourage talented and highly skilled individuals from pursuing career options in the U.S. Getting U.S. work visas has become a significant challenge.

In the meantime, a number of Canadian recruiting firms have sprung up to attract highly skilled foreign workers to settle in Canada, particularly those from Silicon Valley and other high tech enclaves. As well, in 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government launched the Global Talent Stream. The program is designed to fast-track work authorization for those with job offers in high-demand realms of science and tech. Successful applicants can get a work permit in a matter of weeks, and their spouses and children are eligible for work or study permits.

Canada is doing a much better job at marketing itself, ensuring that foreign workers are given all the right and necessary information they need to realize that a move to Canada is not as bad as some might think. Canada’s cities are among the best in the world, offering all the amenities that a modern society can offer, with excellent infrastructures, schools, recreational facilities and safe environments. Tech types make good money relative to the cost of living and Canada has much better employment standards laws and income support programs than found in many countries, including the U.S.

What is going on in the U.S. with its immigration policies is unfortunate. However, as indicated in my previous blog, Canadian firms would most likely benefit from any increased flow of high tech workers to Canada. If the President’s policies and the lack of certainty continue, Canada can only but benefit even further. Increasingly, Canada will appeal to people who want stability, including perhaps some American citizens.

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