This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Sindhu Mahadevan, who moved from the US to Canada in 2021. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I moved to the US from India in 2012 to study a master’s degree in biology.
I graduated and entered the workforce in the States, but slowly began to grow disillusioned with the US immigration system.
In 2021, I decided to stop fighting the system and move to Canada. Although I’ve left behind the high salaries available in the US, I’ve traded it for a sense of belonging as a permanent resident in Canada.
I entered the American workforce, but felt vulnerable as an immigrant
I grew up in a city in western India. I had family who lived in the US. I moved there on an F-1 visa for international students and graduated in 2014.
My visa status made me eligible for two types of work authorization — optional practical training (OPT) and curricular practical training (CPT), both of which I used.
I knew that after my student work authorization expired, I’d require a visa sponsorship. Some companies I applied to told me they wouldn’t offer sponsorships or ghosted me after they realized I’d eventually need one.
I started a career in the medical device industry and was employed under my work authorization until 2018.
I was very conscious of my immigration status at work. I struggled to have difficult conversations about aligning everyone on compliance issues because I was worried about my job security. Sometimes, I felt this affected how well I could do my job.
The path to a green card didn’t feel possible
I got married in 2015, and my husband, who was also on a visa, and I wanted to try to build a life in the US.
I felt I needed permanent residency to do this. I wanted the freedom to visit India and the flexibility to change jobs, which became complicated on an F-1 visa.
In 2016 and 2017, my company tried twice to get me an H-1B visa, which can be a step toward permanent residency in the US. Petitions are chosen for processing through a lottery selection system, but I wasn’t picked either time.
Around that time, I started to find out more information about the green card backlog for Indian nationals. There’s a cap per country at 7% of all the green cards allocated that year. India has a large population with a lot of applicants, so there is a very long waitlist to have your applications processed.
I felt I was thrashing against the system just to be able to stay in the country and contribute. In a moment of clarity, I realized I wasn’t willing to keep fighting.
In 2018, I no longer had work authorization and had to stop working. I didn’t like not making an income at all, and it felt like a hard-won career had been yanked away from me.
I moved to Canada as a permanent resident and have found a sense of belonging
As a temporary solution, I tried changing my status from an F-1 to an F-2 visa, which would make me a dependent of my husband’s F-1. I was allowed to remain in the US while my application was pending.
Around the same time I filed the application to change my status, I began looking at backup plans. Moving to Canada was on the cards through the “Express Entry” system. It’s a points-based system that scores applicants on things like their education, work experience, and language proficiencies. The highest-scoring applicants receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence.
My work experience was American-centric. Canada was a better fit than Europe or Asia. I applied just before the pandemic hit in 2020, when I still hadn’t heard back with a final decision about changing my status to F-2.
I received PR in October 2021, and my husband and I went to Canada straight away.
As a permanent resident, I can work and buy property, but I can’t vote in elections or stay outside Canada for longer than 730 days in a five-year window.
In the US, I was a passenger along for the ride. In Canada, with PR status, I’m back in the driver’s seat. I feel comfortable and in a solid legal position.
As a permanent resident, I can take chances with my career
I haven’t had issues getting employment without Canadian experience, a problem some expats face, perhaps because my US experience is seen as valuable in my industry. I had a job lined up before the move.
I’ve taken a salary hit, but with my PR status I have the freedom to take a chance working for a startup, something I wouldn’t have dreamed of while in the US, where if the startup went under and I lost my job, it could mean the end of the road.
Though more politely presented here than in the US, anti-immigrant sentiment in Canada concerns me, even though I haven’t personally experienced negativity. People are expressing concerns around strained healthcare and housing, and Canada is experiencing immigration contraction.
I’m fine with Canada’s smaller economy
Living in America shaped me in many ways. I admire Americans for their zeal to fight for what they believe in and to speak up. I don’t regret moving there. If you’re looking for the best universities or economy, the rational choice is the US.
I moved to the US for my education, but the constraints of the immigration system slowly overshadowed the economic opportunities.
I’m fine being in a smaller economy where I have more security.
In a statement to BI, a spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security said it was “committed to restoring integrity to the visa program” and ensuring people cannot illegally remain in the US.
Do you have a story to share about immigrating to the US? Contact this reporter at ccheong@businessinsider.com.
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