'We’ll have an offering soon': Canada eyes Indian tech talent hit by Trump’s $100,000 H-1B fee

Carney hints at new plan to woo foreign workers priced out of America

Canada is preparing to unveil a new proposal aimed at foreign workers, particularly Indians, who are being squeezed out of the United States after the Trump administration imposed a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas.

Prime Minister Mark Carney, speaking on Saturday, said Ottawa sees this as a chance to capture highly skilled talent that American companies may no longer be able to afford.

BIG! Canada plans to woo US H1B visa holders hit by Trump’s visa fee hike.

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PM: “Not as many H1B holders will get visas in the US. These are skilled people — an opportunity for Canada.

“We’ll have an offering soon.” pic.twitter.com/H9B7i1YuXt

— WATCHTOWER (@news_24_365) September 27, 2025

“Not as many H-1B visa holders will get visas in the US. These people are skilled, and this is an opportunity for Canada… We will soon bring a proposal on this,” Carney said.

Trump’s H-1B fee sparks global race for Indian talent

The US visa overhaul has already rattled Silicon Valley and beyond. With tech firms forced to pay $100,000 per foreign hire, the cost of employing non-Americans has skyrocketed. The move, pitched as a way to protect American jobs, will hit hardest for Indian and Chinese workers who make up the bulk of H-1B applicants.

Sensing opportunity, countries from Germany to the UK to Canada are now openly competing to attract the displaced talent pool.

UK and Germany roll out the red carpet

Even before Trump’s announcement, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer had started exploring ways to scrap visa fees for top scientists, academics and digital experts. His 'global talent task force' is considering a zero-fee route for graduates from the world’s top universities or winners of prestigious international prizes.

Germany, too, has made an aggressive pitch. Ambassador Philipp Ackermann recently urged Indian professionals to consider Germany, highlighting that Indian workers there earn higher-than-average wages and “contribute big time to our society and our welfare.”

Why Canada is well placed to benefit

Unlike its competitors, Canada already has a deep pipeline of Indian professionals. Government data (CIMM: Citizenship and Immigration of the respective years) shows:

Between April 2022 and March 2023, of the 32,000 tech workers who moved to Canada, 15,000 were Indian.
In 2024, around 87,000 Indians obtained Canadian citizenship, the single largest group.
Back in 2022, nearly 118,000 Indians became permanent residents, accounting for roughly 30 percent of all new residents.

This existing base of Indian professionals, combined with Canada’s pro-immigration policies, makes it a natural magnet for those priced out of the US system.