Close Reading

Had an aunt who got into the united states before the quota system of 1960s was abolished.\nMy dad would have followed but the quotas for danes was spend.\n\nShe got married to a guy having an idea about hospital plastics and that made hundreds of millions.\nI visited her from time to time and she was always kind to let her extended family stay. Eventhough we rarely agreed on anything...\n\nShe passed away from alzheimers this year. \nI shall extend the same courtesy to my family as she showed...

It took me 17years and a small forest worth of reams of paper to get from F1 to US passport through the H1B route, but I'm glad I'm done with that Kafkaesque mess that is the US immigration system.\nThere is so much ignorance in the US population of what is needed to immigrate to the US. A lot of the accusations that are leveled at employment based immigrants are just plain wrong: \nAnti-immigration hawks claim we lower the wages in the field: Wrong because the company has to prove they pay you at least the average prevailing wage for your position. An average cannot lower the prevailing wage.\nIt also costs the company many tens of thousands to file for a foreigner, so the company would very much prefer to higher an American. There's just not enough talent out there to fill ALL the positions needed to stay competitive. The company literally needs to advertise your position for 90s during the certification process and prove no locals are qualified. Companies meet this by always having positions available.

*America would always be number one, why wont it would be??* In my country (India) high skillled workers leave, not stay in line to enter. From doctors to engineers to scientists. Most of them just leave, Our country simply can not compete with American or even the canadian salaries.

I resent that characterization that the per-country cap is “discriminatory.” Yes, this system is broken, and it is stupid that we educate a foreigner and then lose their talent or force them to stay without a legal status. But the purpose of the system is to promote diversity. Norway and India have the same number of green cards available to their respective nationals because the U.S. wants all countries equally represented.

As a H1B holder, this hits home. This is my personal dilemma too. Stay in the US or go to Canada..?

This is something that could really help my industry if that 65,000 was raised. Everybody knows aviation is a tight industry, and with a massive labor shortage. The flight school I attend is half immigrants, mostly Japanese and Korean with a moderate minority of Europeans and Africans. The Asian students are for the most part wanting to stay in the US, despite not coming from poor nations. The opportunity for a pilot here is leagues above anywhere else bar Europe, but most will likely not even be able to maintain a work visa, let alone a green card. This also means (as pointed out) that leaving the country is hard, and they would only be allowed to fly domestic flights within the country (no flying to Canada). The issues that these highly qualified pilots could solve by being allowed to work in the US airline industry are inconceivable.\n\nIt took my mum (I was born British-American) took 9 years to become a US citizen, I was there for her first swearing in, and the UK is America’s closest ally. Imagine how difficult it is for immigrants not of such nationality.

Yeah high skilled workers that stay in Canada.....that's why Canada has so many companies, that is why local get hired at these companies. It's totally not cancerous and american companies don't totally exploit this to the determent of actual Canadians.

One thing I would like to note is that Canada is not welcoming in only highly skilled workers. If you can work at a Tim Horton's you qualify. This has lead to a flood of new workers who HAVE to have a job in order to stay at a time where the existing labour pool is refusing work due to pay lagging far behind inflation for two decades. Those salaries discrepancies you listed are not exclusive to the tech sector, they are economy wide. Often you'll here talk of a labour shortage in Canada, but ask for the number of applicants to jobs and you quickly find out the reason no one accepted is because the full-time job offered requires a part-time job to barely make ends meet. \n\nAnother factor is that housing happens to be the bread and butter of ~40% of our MP's. Hell our Minister of Housing himself owns properties that have appreciated massively due to the lack of supply and high demand. He then goes on national TV and says high immigration will solve the housing crisis despite Canada already having over 4% of our entire labour force already in the construction industries (America is a little over 3%) and the men and women who build our houses being unable to afford the homes they build ($22.07/hr CAD average or ~$16.66 USD. compared to $22.29/hr USD). 14% of our national GDP is housing. 14% of our entire economy is just money changing hands internally with nothing of value made. \n\nThen you have the combo of landlords benefiting from the immigration programs who try and evict the tenants on their properties to replace them with immigrant labour. They then take the cost of rent right out of their salaries. The workers can't quit their jobs because if they don't have a job they are at risk of being deported and also loosing their homes so they end up shacking 8 to an apartment to try and make ends meet. This becomes the standard the rest of the economy has to meet. \n\nIt is a rare sight to see someone who is anti-immigrant in Canada, but the majority of people here understand that immigration is a problem the way it is currently run. You have people who come here hoping for a new life being forced to sleep outside under bridges because while they may have a job they don't have a home and the shelters are already 200% capacity. Tent cities are the norm in any major urban centre now. There are crack dens in Toronto that are the same price as Castles in the UK. And this problem is only going to get worse.

I'm a Chinese Born Canadian trying for a green card and this hits close to home. \n\nI have a coworker grew up in the Midwest, who doesn't know how to read or write Chinese but faced the risk of being deported back to China because his father never managed to get a green card. This guy had a PhD in Machine Learning and was one of the smartest people i knew. \n\nI would've felt supremely guilty if i'd won the lottery but he was stuck on his student visa, given that I can work in the US on a TN but he needs an H1B to stay.

As an irish person currently working in the US on a tempory Visa who wants to stay longer I agree, the system truely is fucked

I wish i could drive at Canada instead of staying in Haiti

When you get immigrant saying, im leaving I’m too proud to stay in this country that says it all

Wow illegal immigrants with super expensive smart phones… don’t feel bad at all stay the hell out!.

Many, many Canadian DOCTORS move to the USA. They scoop up their taxpayer-subsidized, cheap medical degree here in Canada. Then, because they know how overworked doctors are here in Canada, they move to the USA for HIGHER income, LOWER taxes and they never, ever have to pay Canadian taxpayers back for what we gave them -- their affordable medical degree. Lawyers don't usually move to the USA because their legal knowledge is too specific to Canada and doesn't transfer as well as medical knowledge does. Americans die because they aren't medically covered. Canadians die WAITING for healthcare. We wonder why our healthcare system isn't delivering. It's because 1) our medical schools accept too many foreign students who never intend to practice medicine here in Canada, because their inflated international tuition fees bolster the economics of the schools of medicine, and 2) because few Canadians who study in Canadian schools of medicine intend to stay in Canada to practice. Here's a reason to revamp how we subsidize medical degrees. 1) We subsidize doctors with a contract saying they agree to practice in Canada for __ years, or 2) if they move to the USA, they owe us the actual cost of their education.

At 65, I have managed to visit 35 of the US states. Each time I returned to Canada, I got down on my hands & knees to kiss the ground of this country. I felt instant stress relief as soon as I did return safely. These days, I never want to step foot there again. To make life more interesting, I have a brother in Chicago. There’s an oxymoron. He is a trucker that likes Nascar, has no children of his own & married a lovely American girl who already had children (now grown). He sees the variations between counties - he stays for the $$. He comes home for huge doses of Canada & family.

Canadians aren't patriotic like Americans are. We aren't going to stay here just because it's Canada, but we also respect ourselves more than to move to a fourth world country like the US. (Because calling it a third world country is an insult to most developing nations)

When I left the Philippines for Europe in the eighties, I first went to the US to again visit relatives. They asked me if I considered staying. Much as I love my relatives I said NO. When I was working for an US airline in the 90s here in Europe would fly from Europe so very often for business and pleasure (sometimes just the weekend) and those trips really just cemented my decision not to move there despite relatives prodding. My single Aunt even offered me to be the sole heir to her entire fortune (over a million dollars) if I stayed there. I declined. My tolerance for ignorance, materialism and hypocrisy is very low.

Nah nah y’all mfs need to stay on your side. Hopefully they start deporting.

Why don't they just stay home ? We got people sleeping on the street.

Nope I will be staying in Canada I wouldn't think about moving to the USA for a 10th of a second

Good video.\nwhile working in Kuwait in a company,my colleague is a Pakistani from Karachi and during working hours ,he used to go to Pakistani Embassy often and curious about his frequent visits to Pakistan Embassy in Kuwait, I asked him why so many visits to their Embassy.\nHe said they are planning to bring their Pastor(my collegue is a chrisitian) from Pakistan to Kuwait on visit visa, unknowingly I asked him what is the problem in getting visit visa and to my surprise he said,Kuwait Governament will not issue Visa to any Pakistani.\n With surprise I asked him why Kuwait govt. will not issue visa to a Pakistani, as both countries are Islamic, then he told me that some Pakistanis bring drugs with them to Kuwait and it has become big issue in Kuwait,then Kuwait govt.decided not to issue any new visas to Pakistanis. I believe even now the Kuwait govt. is not issuing new visas to Pakistanis.\nHe also told me that whenever they want to go to Karachi(as his father works in a govt. Hospital in Kuwait) and once they reach Karachi,their House will be like bhoot bungalow. Nothing is left in that house,even doors,windows and Electricity meter is also stolen and they have to arrange everything new.\nIn my Two and half years stay in Kuwait ,my collegue and his family did not visit Pakistan even once.\nMy question is what Pakistan as an Islamic Country achieved by seperating from India on the basis of a Country for Muslims?.\nOne should aprreciate the couple for boldly accepting lawlessness in Pakistan.

The United States should be ashamed, we in the US shouldn't have to put up with illegals. The pregnant woman knew that the US would not let her suffer, she is about to have that baby out of an illegal body and she knows the soft a** US will let her stay. The ask the US to turn a blind eye to breaking the Law. Biden is worse that I've seen in my time. Gave all of our money away, and he's trying to go to war to keep from being impeached. We have no jobs already. Their not made to speak our language, they also don't hire anyone but their people and no one says a thing. Immigration need to do their jobs. They know the wire is in the water to keep them out\n Keep up the barriers don't give in. Let's fight back. Biden that joke.

Lots of Canadians move to the USA to work. Higher pay, lower taxes, more opportunities. They just rarely plan to stay there forever.

I lived in the US for most of my adult life, so until around 10 years ago. I lived in the South, including Florida (which I loved at the time although the residents there had a crappy attitude). My husband was a refugee in the 70s and is a Canadian, so we moved up here after marrying. I would NOT consider moving back willingly. The politics, the racism, the anti-LGBTQ, anti-women, anti-intelligence, the lack of health care...it all just makes for a really ugly existence. That said, it's also getting tough to stay here due to housing prices.

I would sooner take a swim on the surface of the sun before I moved to the states x.x\n\nReasons - I'm autistic, have ADHD, PTSD, I was also a (single)mother at 18yo, my child is transgender and is also autistic with ADHD. I have no formal education beyond grade 12 and no money to afford school and no credit for a loan. If not for the child tax credit and social assistance I wouldn't be able to live without my(former) abusive partner, I would have been stuck living on the streets.\n\nBecause the system was designed to help people stay afloat, not get ahead, I broke even and can now work a full time minimum wage job and care for my son in peace and stability. It's a nice feeling <3\n\nWelfare covers most all prescriptions so you only pay $5 for each regardless of what they cost.\n\nThe system could use some major improvements in several areas(dental and eye care being two of them), but it works for our current situation\n\nI only recently found out that the states doesn't have the child tax credit as a regular form of income for parents. I legitimately have no clue how you all do it. I wish you the best of luck and health TT_TT <3

The rich should be banned from flying by air! You go to any sleeper class boggie and the train runs for 2-3days and still all the people stay so good and friendly to each other

If I am sure of one thing in my live. I would never stay in United States

Mexico lets people from South America enter their country as long as they are not staying there, but heading for the U.S.

German immigrated to France. I could live in Canada, but never ever in the US. Reasons: Integrist Evangelists, healthcare, female healthcare, racism. Bookbanning. Trump and all his crazies. Guns and safety. Culture war. They give me a bigger soda there than here? Ok, keep it, I ll stay with small drinks

If your religion is good, why don’t you stay in your own country?

Look at all these cowards running from their country instead of staying there and making it great like we did many years ago. Nobody wants to punch a coward Invaders in our country

From Montreal here, I,ve been to Florida on five consecutive winters, before Covid, stayed in Pompano (Deerfield area), on day time, I never felt unsafe, but, I was told to never wander outside the resort for an evening walk, sometimes, in the night, we,d hear gunshots popping . This fact itself gives you something to think about. This whole gun violence situation is keeping people from enjoying Life like we should, .I was there (10 minutes away from( when parkland school shooting took place, enough to reinforce our feeling of Insecurity. NO, I would never consider moving to the States

Canadians are exposed to American media on a daily basis, and because of the extreme polarization in politics, the portrayal of the USA is that of a country teetering on the edge of self destruction. Canadians are exposed to constant horror stories of gun violence, crooked police, the loss of human rights, and school shootings. Having said that, you did a pretty good job of trying to stay neutral in your presentation on what is a very touchy subject. Leaning one way or another on social media would get you bashed in the comments section (which is another place where we see that polarization).

Df stay we’re u from damn beans and fix your own problems and state with your weak ahhh president cuz the cartel told his lil B ahh if he don’t let the cartel what they want and sh they find his family and kill dem but it’s funny cuz these mf are lying smart ruthless fear their ez enemies we know they here in usa around the state it’s just the government waiting for dem cause they got something good consequence come for them all remember technology nor only on your phones it’s could track you technology every kind of technology. It’s easy to find a target. not to find to hear and see what everyone around the world doing this ain’t 1990 or sh we’re in the future and it’s getting crazy

I'm glad they made the decision to move to Canada and not to stay in Australia because they would be winging all their life about Australian rules and regulations and about racism. \nIt's hard to get a Citizenship in Australia for a reason.

Oh, hell no! And further to that, if I was visiting the US and got sick enough that I might need a hospital, I would do my damnedest to get back to Canada. I have heard Americans say that the healthcare is very good, as long as you have money. But I don’t trust it because Americans have been brainwashed to believe that the US is exceptional in every way (sorry guys, but it’s extremely obvious to the rest of the world), yet I have heard too many stories about things like people picking up C. Diff or other drug-resistant infections in hospitals there.\n\nI spent about two weeks in the hospital in February. You know what it cost me? Absolutely nothing. Well, I did have to pay for taking an ambulance later. But the hospital stay itself cost me nothing. Neither did the food they fed me in there, or the medication they gave me.\n\nMayyyybe if you guys got universal health care (it shouldn’t be tied to your job), and stopped shooting each other so much. You definitely have some better weather. Oh, and if you all toned down the religion a bit. Annnd stopped trying to play world police while simultaneously bombing other countries into oblivion to steal their resources. That’s been going on for far too long, and I don’t think the average American citizen even realizes it.

We need to overhaul our system because why are people flooding here America is cool but it’s very much lipstick on a pig. Our infrastructure is crumbling housing is terrible jobs are not paying in accordance to the cost of living. We are an empire on a decline stay where you are and fight because we are going to have to do the same once every is on the table about how our government really makes money.

I’m with my fellow Canadians, I’ll visit the US (although even then, it’s beginning to look less and less ideal) but over my dead body would I live there. \nThe fact you have become desensitized and don’t discuss school shootings is baffling. 4 or 5 years ago, there was a shooting where I live in Canada. The whole city was on lock down. I believe one elderly woman died, and 3 were injured. The person was caught, arrested, and is rotting away in jail. It hasn’t happened since. People still remember it. My little sister and I were scared, so we hid in my bedrooms closet. (It was on the second floor, and there was no way anybody could break in and get up there easily.)\n\nHealthcare is a huge issue. My family has a long line of health issues, and with that in mind, the risk is just to obscene.\n\nI am a woman. The fact that laws are being stripped away from us by old white men who have no idea what it is like to be a woman in the states is horrifying. \n\nGun culture. It’s near-on impossible or at least it’s incredibly difficult to get guns here. Owning guns isn’t respected. When people die from being shot, it’s remembered and spoken about, even years later. At least to me, it seems you care more for your Guns and the rights to own and use them, then Women who want to have bodily autonomy.\n\nYour political issues. I don’t even know what to say at this point beyond. The entire senate is rich old straight white men who like to make laws about groups they aren’t part of, and strip laws away from others. You basically have two polar opposite sides of the political spectrum and that alone, divides people so deep they can’t even be in the same room for more then 10 seconds.\n\n\nI’m Part of the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Enough said. \n\nI’m well aware that not everyone in the US is like this. But in my eyes, that’s more then enough to deter me. I’m glad you decided to take a look at this, and see our reactions to the questions. And I’m glad you didn’t take offence to the harsh or bitter answers. Sure Canada isn’t perfect, but it’s better in enough ways to keep me much preferring staying here.

Either you stay in your country grumbling with your politicians or you move to hell abroad where you receive smiles but being pinched. Make your money there, invest back home, and go there from time to time for a balance of your life in order to be permanently happy.

Guns and gun laws in Canada are awesome. Conceal or open carry is a bizarre concept. Canada has an excellent school/curriculum system. Canada's political system is better. Canada's policing system is better. Canada's multiculturalism is fun. Canada's environment is beautiful. Canada's lower population, while not great for some reasons is great for other reasons. I've been through 15 states and everyone was very nice. Staying Canadian thanks very much.

This was a good podcost folks, good work by the hosts and I myself who stays in touch with Ashar bhai wasn't aware of the struggles they did. \nKeep it up with your podcasts!

Good podcast .. ?\nI need an honest suggestion from you guys.. (some positive things are ..)\nI came here on PR with my immediate family and now we are Australian Citizens...(but not settled) ..\n I also have some good friends here and a good community interaction/activities.. but no family here ..\n\nAND ... my sister and my wife's brother family lives in Canada ?? (Toronto) .. my second sister also lives near Canada (means we can have a get-together on frequent basis , which is difficult if i stay here in Australia).. my cousin also lives there... Now my siblings are asking to move to Canada from Australia.. (I still can keep my Australian citizenship in that case)..\n\nBut we are reluctant/confused to move to Canada, mainly because of cold weather and for a new country challenge..\nBTW .. we have 2 kids under 10 years..

Podcast very interesting conveying true picture. I am 71 and had canada citizenship in 1988. I stayed there for 15 days after getting PR but returned . Although later i hv been to canada and UK several times as long term visitor. I hv so many other reservations about these two countries especially related to its future after 20 yrs because of their liberal policies on refugees and asylum seekers. Their economy is going down and down. In comparison Australia seems to be a younger country with good climate round the year with good prospects

Another libtard scam o stay in power

I'm in my 50's and have thought about it many times. My dad is from NY but now in Florida. Several things that bother , me include your attempt at healthcare ( if you take care of one person you take care of ALL of them - you don't Cherry Pick), your gun issues (just because you have the RIGHT to bear arms, doesn't mean you have to), women's healthcare, Jeez, it's the woman's body not a guys body, so stay out of a woman's rights and body unless you happen to be her gyno. I'm not impressed with your general care or respect for human rights unless they infringe on your American rights at which point your pastors, religious zealots and politicians all go bat shit holy mother of god crazy. I don't mind visiting my family in TX, TN and WA but your country , THE USA, seems more like a gong show hyped on anabolic steroids and waiting for a triple dose of 'something special'

Why can't they come here legally?? My grandparents crossed the boarder and became legal Citizens. Followed the laws adopted the country and didn't try to change the country. They learned the language and worked migrant jobs until they found better jobs. They encouraged us all to stay in school and better ourselves. We are mostly all college educated and we learned so much from the experience. We didn't need hand outs and we didn't need loan forgiveness. The country is making huge mistakes right now and they spend like there ate no consequences but the real ignorance come in those who support the spending...

You girls should shut up....una nor know una self...you girls don't know what took you to Canada that's why you are complaining...go back to your country if una done tire and stop staying in front of ring lights and saying rubbish

I have stayed in Kogarah Sydney for 2 years and in mississauga since last 2 years..I don't understand or I don't agree that canada is behind , broadly..Pls note that NA is epitome of innovation

My parents were snowbirds for decades. At the end of their stay, they owned a small place in Safford, AZ. I spent all my vacations wherever they were, Texas, other parts of Arizona. I loved exploring the US with them - Dodge City, KS, Tombstone, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Capital Reef, Gila Cliff Dwellings, to name just a few. Multiple National Parks over their 30 years of winter stays. \n\nThe US is beautiful and steeped in history. We met some really nice people, and even loved a few of them (but not in a weird way).\n\nMy parents sold their place just before Trump became president (on purpose), and none of us have been back since.\n\nDon’t get me wrong, we have our share of ignorant and uneducated people, but most of ours don’t have guns. \n\nAnyways, I digress. Never, not once did we ever consider becoming American Citizens. Especially since Trump (OMG).\n\nWe love our country, even though it’s not perfect. We love our health care, such as it is currently.\n\nIn memory of Gene of Tory, AZ, a family friend, who was like a brother to all of us who knew him, who died too young because he refused to give up his children’s small inheritance to your healthcare system. \n\nEven though there is darkness, there is still greatness in your country. Hugs.

I had a heart problem a couple years ago \n2 ambulance rides a week in intensive care 5 weeks in hospital total drugs for the whole time and I have no idea of how many different tests\nNo charge.\nI'll stay in Canada