We can do both, but Canada and the US get a lot of talented immigrants that end up working in low-wage jobs that aren’t taking full advantage of their existing skills. The system is so strained that we need a multi-pronged approach to fill in the gaps.
I’d love for residency programs to be overhauled to allow for changes to the matching system and for working hours to be reduced, if possible. I think demanding 80-hour work weeks from the least paid and least experienced doctors is a recipe for mistakes and burnout.
Not only that, but the way that visa sponsorship and the citizenship process can absolutely fuck you over is absolutely horrifying.
I have a family friend who immigrated for an engineering role at a consulting firm. The job was going really well, and he wanted to stay in the US, so he was getting ready to start the citizenship process once he hit the 5 year mark. About 6 months before the 5 year mark, the company let him go, and he had to scramble within the 60 day grace period to find a new employer who was willing to keep sponsoring his visa, or else he’d have to leave the US.
