Step 1: Consult
A video call about your U.S. status, job, passport and family, at a time that suits your time zone.
H-1B · OPT · L-1 · TN · O-1
Plan your Canada move before your U.S. visa runs out.
Tap your U.S. visa, add your citizenship and tell me if your employer has a Canadian office. You’ll see which routes fit, and then we can talk it through on a video call.
- Licensed RCIC since 2021
- Video calls across the U.S.
- English, Hindi and Punjabi
Gurvinder Singh, RCIC
Video consultation
The short answer
If you’re in the U.S. on an H-1B, OPT, L-1, TN or O-1, you can usually get to Canada in two moves: a work permit so you keep working, and Express Entry or a provincial nominee program for permanent residence. Your passport decides which trade-agreement work permits you can use. Your U.S. end date decides what to file first.
Visa match
Three taps to see where you’d start.
Pick your visa, your citizenship and whether your employer has an office in Canada. I confirm the result against your full profile in a consultation.
Where I’d start
Express Entry
Your U.S. experience and degree earn points. With a strong English score, you can aim straight for permanent residence.
How it worksAlso worth checking
Check the end date on your I-94. Canada’s promised H-1B pathway from Budget 2025 isn’t open yet. I’ll add it here when it is.
Rules checked October 2026 against canada.ca. General information, not advice for your case.
What I hear a lot
Four things people get wrong about moving north.
What people thinkI need a Canadian job offer first.
What’s trueExpress Entry doesn’t require one, and a job offer no longer adds Express Entry points.
What people thinkIf I get PR, I have to move right away.
What’s trueYou need to land in Canada before your PR confirmation expires. After that, you need 730 days in Canada in every five years, and they don’t have to be in a row.
What people thinkMy U.S. master’s counts automatically.
What’s trueAny degree from outside Canada needs an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) before it earns points. Start it early, because it takes time.
What people thinkMy spouse will have to stay home.
What’s trueIf you work in a skilled job, like most IT and engineering roles, your spouse can usually get an open work permit, and your children can go to school.
Keep these from the U.S.
- I-797 approval notices
- Your I-94 record
- W-2s and pay stubs
- Reference letters with duties, hours and pay
- Degree and transcripts
- Old and current passports
How it works
From your U.S. visa to a Canadian decision.
The same four steps I use for every client, set up for people working in the U.S.
Step 2: Strategize
I compare work permit and PR routes and set the order to file in, so your status in the U.S. and Canada lines up.
Step 3: Prepare
I build the file from your U.S. records: I-797s, reference letters, degree assessment and language results.
Step 4: Submit & follow through
I file with IRCC, answer their requests as your representative, and plan your spouse’s and children’s permits too.
Who you’ll work with
Gurvinder Singh, RCIC
Licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants. Based in Surrey, BC, and working with clients across the U.S. by video.
- RCIC #R710529
- Licensed since December 2021
- English, Hindi and Punjabi
Questions
What U.S. visa holders ask me most
Can H-1B holders move to Canada?
Yes, but not through a special H-1B permit right now. Canada’s 2023 open work permit for H-1B holders closed after it reached its cap. In Budget 2025 the government promised a new accelerated pathway for H-1B holders, but IRCC hasn’t opened it yet. Today most H-1B holders use Express Entry, an intra-company transfer, a trade-agreement work permit or a job offer with an LMIA.
Does my U.S. work experience count for Express Entry?
Yes. Skilled work in the U.S. counts as foreign work experience. It can help you qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and add points to your CRS score, especially once you also have Canadian experience.
I’m on a TN. Is there a Canadian version?
Yes. U.S. and Mexican citizens can get a CUSMA professional work permit without an LMIA. The list of professions is close to the TN list, so I check your job title and qualifications against it before you apply.
My H-1B wasn’t picked in the lottery. What can I do on OPT?
Canada has no lottery. Depending on your passport, age and degree, Express Entry, a provincial nominee program, an IEC Working Holiday permit or an employer-backed work permit may fit. An Educational Credential Assessment of your U.S. degree is usually the first step for Express Entry.
I’m on an L-1. Can my company move me to Canada?
Often, yes. If your employer has a related company in Canada and you’ve worked for it full time for at least one year in the last three, an intra-company transfer lets you work in Canada without an LMIA.
I’m waiting on a green card. Should I give up on it?
Not necessarily. Canada has no per-country caps, so you can build a Canadian option, like an Express Entry profile, while your U.S. case continues. Moving can affect a pending green card, so speak to your U.S. immigration attorney before you leave.
Can my spouse work in Canada too?
In most cases, yes. If you work in a skilled job in Canada, like most IT and engineering roles, your spouse can usually get an open work permit, and your children can go to school. I check your job against the current rules before you apply.
Can I work with you while I live in the U.S.?
Yes. I meet clients by video call and represent you before IRCC wherever you live. Consultations are in English, Hindi and Punjabi.
Let’s plan your move before your date arrives.
A video consultation from anywhere in the U.S. You leave with a clear answer or a clear next step.