Important information for H-1B visa holders currently working in USA:

Due to the recent financial crisis companies in USA are starting to layoff employees. Among them many are famous high-tech companies such as AT&T, Ebay, Yahoo and Google, etc. Jobless claims has reached 26-year high in November 2008. Economists estimate that this layoff trend will reach its peak in mid 2009.

If you are currently under H-1B you will face the following risks:

1. According to US immigration policy, you will lose your status on the day you lose your job. You must file a valid status transfer within 10 days, or you may be subject to deportation.

2. If you can still maintain your job but your employer has just announced layoff, or announced "hiring freeze", the company's "Labor Certificate" application will be stopped by Department of Labor. This will seriously slow the US green card process.

3. Even if you can still maintain your job and your LC has no problem, you may need to wait for a few years to file I-485 because of 5-7 years of priority date retrogression. Before you are able to file I-485, you will need to keep your H-1B status at all times. If you are laid off, your previous waiting time will be voided. You will need to apply for new LC and will be subject to the new priority date (provided that you can find a new employer quickly)

The Maple International Solution:

You can avoid these risks by getting Canadian Permanent Residency with the help of Canada Maple International Inc. With Canadian PR:

1. You can continue to work or study in the US (without moving to Canada) for approximately 4 years after you receive your immigration visa

2. You can get a 10-year multiple-entry visa to the US. On your first entry into the US from Canada, you will receive a Multi-Entry I-94 Card, which allows you to stay in US to find a solution. (Click here for more information.)

3. You can apply for Canadian citizenship after 3 years. With a Canadian passport, you can easily stay or work in US

And best of all, the processing time for Canadian PR application (through Provincial Nominee Program) is only about 12 months.

About Provincial Nominee Program

The Canada federal government has announced a new federal skilled worker immigration policy that allows only 38 occupations to immigrate. Surprisingly, IT professionals and engineers are not in the list. However, besides the federal program, there are also provincial programs that applicants can choose. Under the agreements signed by each provinces and Canada federal government, each provinces can choose their own skilled workers. The provinces are only responsible for determining the eligibility of the applicant but has no power to issue immigration visa. The federal government is responsible for conducting medical examination, criminal check, background security check and issue immigration visa.

One of the provincial skilled worker programs is aiming to recruit H-1B workers in USA. The requirement is that you must be currently working in USA under H-1B visa, and work as one of the 180 on-demand occupations. This is a fast-track pilot program which the whole process takes only 12 months to complete. We do not anticipate this pilot program to last very long, as it may subject to quota and can be closed at any time. Under the current situation, we highly recommend that you apply as soon as possible.

About Canada Maple International Inc

With office in Canada and US, we are the largest firm specializing in Canadian immigration in North America. With over 10 years of experience, our team of Canadian immigration lawyers, former immigration officers and immigration consultants have processed several thousands of cases, with a success rate of almost 100%.

We know the issues. We at Maple International fully understand both US and Canadian immigration and visa issues. When you come to us, our senior consultants will work out a complete plan to help you secure your status in both the US and Canada.

We know the procedure. Canadian immigration is different from US immigration: Most applications for US immigration are filed with the USCIS inside the US. Applications for Canadian immigration, on the other hand, are filed and processed outside Canada, in Canadian consulates all over the world. For applicants in US and Canada, applications are filed and processed in Canadian consulates in US. If an interview is required, it is conducted in one of the four Canadian consulates in US (Seattle, Los Angeles, Detroit or New York). We at Maple International have a thorough understanding of the procedures and operations of these consulates.

We know the requirements. Because documentation requirements for Canadian immigration can vary based on locale, many applicants in the US will face difficult challenges when preparing these documents. For example, an applicant may have lost contact with previous employers or may not want the current employer to know of their Canadian immigration application. Our detailed knowledge of human resources management systems and business operations in US companies enables us to guide you through the documentation preparation process. The result is a set of documents that are easy to prepare and acceptable at Canadian Consulates in US.

We have US operation. If you were to choose an immigration representative registered only in Canada, you would be powerless to pursue them in the event of a legal dispute over their handling of your application. You will be unable to sue them in US, since your contract is only governed by Canadian laws, not under US jurisdiction. And you may not be able to pursue them in Canada, because your visitor visa could be denied based on your stated intention to immigrate to Canada. Since Maple International LLC has US office, we operate under US law as well and must answer to that authority.

Free Assessment Available

If you have H-1B visa and are interested to know if you are qualified under Provincial Nominee Program,  please go to our home page and fill out our free assessment form. We will evaluate your background and respond to you within one business day. This service is free.