The United States is still allowing Canadians to travel to the country despite their vaccination status, provided they present a negative Covid-19 test result and are travelling for essential business. Canadians interested in visiting the US or even for a long-term stay for study or work can do so through the existing US Immigration programs. However, non-essential travel restrictions are still in place until September 21, 2021.
The House Reconciliation Bill is in Congress and the Democrats are close to finalizing it. However, the latest version of the bill no longer includes a pathway to US citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants.
The United States lifted the ban on international travelers arriving in the US on November 8, 2021. Since then thousands of travelers have touched down in the US for tourist purposes, to reunite with their loved ones, to study, or start their employment in the US.
While under the current Biden administration, the processing of H-1B Visas has become easier, there is no proposal to raise the annual cap on the H-1B Visa category. Instead, President Biden is looking for ways to grant additional permanent residence visas to foreign workers.
A US federal court recently approved a settlement under which the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) had to agree to classify ‘Market Research Analyst’ as a specialty occupation. This means that foreign nationals employed as market research analysts can now apply for an H-1B Visa.
It is not common knowledge that foreign real estate companies such as the Hong Kong and London-based Swire Properties, Toronto-based Oxford Properties, and South Korea-based Hanjin Group are responsible for completing some of the largest real estate projects in recent history. It is very important for companies like these to find individuals who are both familiar with the developer’s proprietary business and able to hold long-term relationships with builders, contractors, and other key developers. Since real estate projects usually involve multimillion-dollar deals, finding the right person is very crucial and imperative.
The House Reconciliation Bill, which is expected to be voted on soon, will make filing an H-1B petition even more expensive. The most common misconception about the immigration of highly skilled foreign workers is that they add no value to the American economy except offering cheap labor. This misconception persists even though the key people behind discovering a vaccine for the Covid-19 virus are former international students, that is, H-1B Visa holders.
